Sony FX7 & Final Cut Pro 6

[Ken Kessie]

Anybody able to capture HDV with this combination & firewire?
How about standard dv?

Thanks,
Ken Kessie

[John Wiley]

Why not capture straight to pro-res? I had no troubles doing that but didn't try or compare caturing HDV. This was on the Mac's at University so i can't test it out right now - i've got a PC at home.

[Ethan Cooper]

Originally Posted by Ken Kessie

Anybody able to capture HDV with this combination & firewire?
How about standard dv?

I do both all the time. What's your question?

[Ken Kessie]

There have been lots of posts about FCP's unability to recognize this camera. And it is not listed as compatible on Apple's hardware list.

Could you describe your procedure for capturing hdv with this combo.
Thanks,
Ken

[Ethan Cooper]

I'm not doing anything special just setting my easy setup to hdv 1080i 60 firewire basic and capturing. it's simple and easy.

for dv use a dv/dvcpro easy setup and make sure the camera is set to output dv.

if you're still having trouble maybe take the camera off autodetect and switch between hdv and dv manually.

wish i could say more but the darn thing just works for me. i don't do anything magical.

[James J. Lee]

With a V1 (which should be the same), my method is this:
1)Set FCP easy set-up to HDV 108060i Firewire
2)Close FCP
3)Turn camera to VCR mode and go to the camera In/Out Rec settings. Set to HDV.
4)Make sure Component is set to 1080i/480i
5)Turn off camera.
6)Plug in firewire first to harddrive, then to camera.
7)Turn camera on to VCR mode. You should get a HDV-Out symbol on screen.
8)Re-launch FCP.
Your deck should then be recognized. When you launch "Log & Capture" you should have full VTR control of it.
I have had problems when I plugged the camera up after launching FCP. So, I aways turn the connected camera on before launching FCP these days and have no problems.
If you wish to capture SD, just set those outputs and the easy set-up accordingly, but I always edit in HDV.

[Chris McMahon]

Originally Posted by James J. Lee

7)Turn camera on to VCR mode. You should get a HDV-Out symbol on screen.

Actually, it'll say HDV In until it goes into the capture window. At least that's what mine did with PPro and HDVSplit, and does with Vegas.

[Tyler Collins]

Originally Posted by Ken Kessie

Anybody able to capture HDV with this combination & firewire?
How about standard dv?

Thanks,
Ken Kessie

Originally Posted by John Wiley

Why not capture straight to pro-res? I had no troubles doing that but didn't try or compare caturing HDV. This was on the Mac's at University so i can't test it out right now - i've got a PC at home.

How do you do the capture straight to pro-res?
I am having a problem with my computer recognizing my FX7.

Originally Posted by James J. Lee

With a V1 (which should be the same), my method is this:
1)Set FCP easy set-up to HDV 108060i Firewire
2)Close FCP
3)Turn camera to VCR mode and go to the camera In/Out Rec settings. Set to HDV.
4)Make sure Component is set to 1080i/480i
5)Turn off camera.
6)Plug in firewire first to harddrive, then to camera.
7)Turn camera on to VCR mode. You should get a HDV-Out symbol on screen.
8)Re-launch FCP.
Your deck should then be recognized. When you launch "Log & Capture" you should have full VTR control of it.
I have had problems when I plugged the camera up after launching FCP. So, I aways turn the connected camera on before launching FCP these days and have no problems.
If you wish to capture SD, just set those outputs and the easy set-up accordingly, but I always edit in HDV.

This isnt working for me and my FX7.

[Ethan Cooper]

Let me add to the confusion here. I said earlier that my FX7 works just fine with FCP and while that is true, I hooked up my other FX7 a few days ago which was set up exactly the same as the other and it didn't work. What the.... I checked and rechecked all the settings on both cams and sure enough they were the same.

What it would do is capture for about a second, then it would break the clip and give me the "searching for media" message in the capture window and the playback in the capture window would appear to get stuttery while it looked just fine on the camera's LCD. I'm officially confused and can no longer stand by my earlier statement of just plug it in and it should work.

[James J. Lee]

Any chance of a bad port or cable Ethan? I have heard of users frying the port on the camera though I doubt that's your problem if you're getting a partial signal. Sounds more like a bad wire or connection. Have you tried restarting FCP or trashing it's Prefs. These are always my first two trouble shooting steps.

[Ethan Cooper]

Originally Posted by James J. Lee

Any chance of a bad port or cable Ethan? I have heard of users frying the port on the camera though I doubt that's your problem if you're getting a partial signal. Sounds more like a bad wire or connection. Have you tried restarting FCP or trashing it's Prefs. These are always my first two trouble shooting steps.

Same computer, same cable, so I don't see either being the problem. I, like you would immediately jump to the bad port conclusion except that I can control the camera via firewire and I do get a little something captured before it freaks out. I don't know, it's perplexing.

[James J. Lee]

I'm no electrical engineer, far from it. But, it sounds like there is a problem with the data through put on that second FX-7. Almost like the data starts flowing into FCP and then gets backed up so that FCP is not reading a clean signal coming from the FX-7. Never heard of this. Very strange.

[Ethan Cooper]

it's not like I use these as capture decks often, that's why God invented the HV20. still, it's an interesting problem.

[James J. Lee]

"that's why God invented the HV20" - AMEN to that!

[Tyler Collins]

Update on mine.
I bought this firewire:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/256751-REG/Monster_Cable_140254_4_pin_to_6_pin_FireWire.htmland now its fine. Must have been the lousy one before it that was the problem.