I am trying to import footage from my xl1s to FCE using a firewire cable. When I plug in my camera it is not being read from the computer, what settings do I need to set to capture on FCE?

I think i've noticed the problem...do firewire cables for Canon xl1s need to be IEEE 1394?

Nevermind: I do have a IEEE 1394 cable.

Firewire = IEEE 1394 = iLink.

The difference is the vendor's name for it, Firewire being a mainly an Apple term and iLink being Sony. They all (should) follow the IEEE 1394 standard, although there may be some issues with how the different vendors implement it in software/firmware,especially in the earlier implementation dating back, say 8 or more years.

Cables are all the same although there may be quality differences among different suppliers.

eery so often i get issues with it not seeing the camera. It's usually fixed by restarting with the camera plugged in and turned on, then start FC

You can also eliminate cable issues by plugging the camera in on almost any laptop equipped with firewire. If the laptop recognizes it, it is just FCE issues and you can focus on those.

You can also connect to a VTR and try the same to see if it works.

my mistake I do have the correct cord...