Right now I have a laptop with USB and a Canon HV30 that outputs to firewire. Is there any kind of converter out there that will allow me to transfer my videos to my computer? Thanks!

Tim

Unfortunately, no.

Firewire is a faster interface than USB2, so it isn't possible to connect devices that rely on firewire transfer speeds to a slower connection.

If you are using a laptop, you can get a firewire expresscard or a firewire pcmcia card. In a desktop you can get a firewire PCI card.

Make sure that your computer has one of these interfaces available before getting a card.

Greg

USB2 can keep up with the transfer speed needed to capture DV or HDV, but there is no such thing as a firewire to USB adapter that I know of.

I use a PCMCIA card with a firewire port in my old laptop (and sometimes capture to an external HDD via USB). Works great and didn't cost much.

unfortunately all I have is USB ports. No expresscard or pcmcia.

Unfortunately it is sounding like you are out of luck. You will have to import the footage using a different computer and then transfer it to your laptop via external hard drive.

Greg

What kind of laptop is this?

Also (at least this is the case with me), Expresscard Firewire adapters can't print to tape DV or HDV. So you can't do external monitoring of your edits or print that mission critical video when you're not at your edit suite.

What kind of laptop is this?

Its a Compaq Pressario CQ60. I do miss my old desk top and my XL1s as well.

It amazes me that Compaq didn't put any card slot in there. Sounds like that's your only computer now? If so, I guess I'd suggest selling the HV30 and getting something like an HF100 (and Cineform NeoScene or Edius Neo).

Or get a different laptop.

I looked up the CQ-60 and a couple of places in their spec sheet said that it did have an express card slot, but HP's site doesn't list one for either the 210 or 220.

Looks like you're out of luck - too bad.

Not sure you will want to try this but I believe there are analog video converters to USB and the HV30 should have an analog out for video and audio. No idea if it will work well for you.

USB Video Capture (http://www.usbgear.com/USB-Video-Capture.html)

Now that'll really knock your gorgeous HD footage down to SD with a hard thump.

Hi All,

First of my apologies for digging this old thread up, but OK, it comes to this issue again.

The most modern generation notebooks are not equipped with an PCMCIA or expresscard slot or a fireqire port. One of my colleagues needs a new notebook and this starts to become an issue because he is using an older DVCAM camcorder and needs to be able to transfer footage to this notebook when underway. What are the solutions nowadays? Are there any firewire to USB 3.0 adapters on the market that would help out? Any advice?

The best advice I can give is to shop around for the right portable computer. If you are a MAC user you can get a MacBook Pro with express card slots and firewire. They aren't the cheaper ones though. If I remember correctly you have to step up to the 17" machine for those features.

Same on the PC side. You can get computers with express card slots but they won't be the low end stuff at the normal retailers.

I'm using a workstation class laptop from Dell for my field work. It has firewire and express card. Not a cheap computer but one that has been totally reliable in the face of some harsh usage.