View Full Version : Be aware for poor quality firewire cables


Kaku Ito
July 2nd, 2007, 10:15 PM
I tried to look for the thread I posted about me having problems mounting HVX200 via firewire to Macs, but I couldn't find it, so I'm posting a new thread clarifying what was happening.

I figured out that connecting HVX200 and Mac via firewire takes good quality firewire cable. I've been saving clips on P2 card with my Epson P5000 media player on the road, also using Mac Book Pro/Lacie HD combo to directly record from HXP555 with 6pin firewire cable. I ran into problem making the cam recognized in the capture window of FCP, but I guessed that the cable was too long, then chaning the cable fixed the problem. So, I kind of start suspecting that the firewire cable quality affects the connection status.

Then, today, I had to shoot something really quick and put it on Mac Pro with FCP6, so shot something with HVX200 and wanted to connect it directly to Mac Pro, but it stopps in the middle of transferring. I thought maybe I should give a try on a shorter cable that came with LaCie Rugged drive but it does not work good either. Then I changed it to acutally longer, but very good quality firewire cable then it works perfectly!!

So, please be aware about the quality of your firewire cable to use with P2HD cams.

Chris Li
July 3rd, 2007, 06:27 AM
Thanks for FW cable update. Are the ferrite cores that Panasonic provides with the cameras meant to be wrapped around FW cables, pwr. cables or both? They may add more protection also. I don't have my manual before me.

Kaku Ito
July 3rd, 2007, 08:48 AM
I think it could be used with Firewire, too.

The good cable I used have very good seilding.

Dick Campbell
July 3rd, 2007, 10:11 PM
Its also very possible you have an intermittent connector on your camera or your mac.

Kaku Ito
July 3rd, 2007, 11:46 PM
It's cable quality.

I tested many possilbe combinations to come to this conclusion.