Importing mini DV into iMac - Firewire connection question

Jaybe

Hi,

I have an old Panasonic camcorder with an IEEE-1394 4-pin socket and an iMac that has a Firewire 2 port, then an iMac accessory that plugs into the existing Firewire 2 port on the iMac which gives me a IEEE-1394 9-pin socket.

So I need to connect 4 pin to 9 pin - do I just use a cable with these plugs at either end, and is this the right way?

Or can I get a straight firewire cable which will do 4 pin from the camcorder to the thunderbolt 2 connection in the iMac?

I did do most of my tapes in 2015 when I got the iMac, and for the life of me I can't recall my setup, but I have found some more that need doing while having a sort out.

Terfyn

4 pin to 9 pin would be the way to go as you have the correct ports in your Mac. Amazon could be the place to look for cables.

MarkE19

Either way will work as Thunderbolt is about the only connection that can handle full speed firewire. But as Terfyn said going firewire 800 (9 pin) to firewire 400 (4 pin) is the most direct and hopefully most simple option.

And just for Terfyn I found just the cable on Amazon for you - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Neet®-FireWire-Cable-IEEE-1394b/dp/B0038K4HYY

But you do as I said have the option of a Thunderbolt to firewire connection, but at a cost and also the complication of which version of Thunderbolt - 1,2 or 3
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Apple-Thunderbolt-to-FireWire-Adapter/dp/B008RXYOKY/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1542660133&sr=1-1&keywords=thunderbolt to firewire 400 cable

Mark.

Jaybe

Thanks. Yes I've managed to locate the Apple adapter which goes into the back of the Mac, so then it's just a matter of getting the cable you have linked to that will go from the adapter to the camcorder. I have an old cable that went directly from the camcorder to my old PC, I think I had a dedicated Firewire card - I guess as technology moves on then things get that slightly more complicated when working with old devices.

Funnily enough I stumbled upon a post I put on the Apple form some years back, asking the same question! Not sure what happened to the original cable, we have moved house since.

I also have some very old audio cassettes I want to convert, but that's another story! I'm talking late 70s - 80s (I can hear the Mister Men playing on the TV!) My mini DV tapes are only 2004 onwards.

Terfyn

Thanks Mark. My FireWire cables are in store at present but I am thinking of dusting off my HV20 and running my old tapes into my Panasonic DVD recorder. The old system has been in storage for a few years so I expect to be disappointed but you never know. Incidentally the HV20 to Panasonic is 4 pin to 4 pin and I do have the cable!