*This is not apart of the Summer Series, video will come later tomorrow*

How to connect a Sony HDR-HC5 and other models to Macintosh computer.

DV instructions:
Take the battery Out
Turn on the Camera
Switch mode to Play/Edit
DV 4pin into camera ilink port
Firewire 6pin into computer

HD instructions:
Take battery out
Power Cord in dc in port(Camera still off)
Dv 4pin into camera
Firewire 6pin into compputer
Turn on camera
Go to Play/edit or remain on record mode

20 Responses to “How to Connect Sony Camcorder to Macintosh”

1. mus429 on February 16th, 2009 6:03 am

   I’m sorry but the iDisk whatever it is is not the Camera. I used to have a Canon and it worked fine but this Sony is aggravating me. Thanks to you I have got it recognised in the system Profiler but it doesn’t show up under ‘devices’ in Finder. And I can’t find anyway to get the tape film into iMovie

2. mus429 on February 16th, 2009 4:39 pm

   Hey its great thank you but I have a query. I’ve followed your steps and it worked fine. i guess the icon in my ‘finder’ under devices called iDisk is the camera, however I can’t get the next step to actually run the filem or for I/movie to ’see’ it to import. Any clues would be helpfull. Do I need the mpeg 2 software from apple to add to quicktime ?

3. bakseatdrivur89 on February 16th, 2009 6:00 pm

   Depending on the kind of macbook and the year
   (which has to do with processing speed and RAM) but even with an older macbook you will be able to do everything just fine, I only recommend when working with HD format to purchase an external hard drive.

4. georgemarmolejo on February 19th, 2009 6:17 pm

   hy! my question is: can i edit video via fire wire 400 Mb/s in macbook mac os x 10.4. 11 in hdv format. i want to buy this cam and i want to be sure. i read the manual, and the first step guide but is not clear the information to use the hc5 in mac can you help me plis?

5. clock424 on February 20th, 2009 6:42 am

   Thank you very much.

6. bakseatdrivur89 on February 20th, 2009 10:47 pm

   Go for it, maybe just make a link to this video in the description
   Cheers and have fun

7. cjdanilecki on February 23rd, 2009 10:48 am

   thanks man mind if i do a video and use your steps in it

8. bakseatdrivur89 on February 24th, 2009 9:40 pm

   Well what I wanted to see was you connecting the camera, so a video of you connecting the camera would help

9. smerble on February 27th, 2009 2:40 am

   Hi..I have a few clips already stored on my lap-top so could these do ? Im not sure how ths will help the problem though but happy to get any help you can give…re the space issue once I know I can download then I can be fairly choosey around what clips im going to import.

10. bakseatdrivur89 on February 28th, 2009 4:55 am

    I only ask because 40 minutes of HD filled my entire 300gb hardrive. I run both Imovie HD and the new Imovie 08 and it works.
    Do you think you could make a short film with another camera (maybe isight if you have a laptop or imac) and just go through the process you do and I could help you out

11. smerble on March 1st, 2009 10:36 pm

    ..also 8oGB harddrive with 300GB exernal drive (not connected). And I just found our that playing the camcorder changes it to DVout. Profiler still dosent see it though. Are you definitely running iMovieHD and not iMovie08 ?

12. smerble on March 2nd, 2009 6:09 pm

    Some progress being made…i needed a new cable alright as the message HDVin now remains and I can share my iMovie HD footage wth the camera (it recognises it in iMovie-share-Videocamera). However it is still not displayed in system profiler. I reckon the message in my camcorder should say DVOut and not HDVin. Any ideas ? Apologies for late message turnarounds also as I think were in different timezones (im in Ireland)…cheers

13. bakseatdrivur89 on March 3rd, 2009 10:16 pm

    I do not think this will change whether or not the camera is recognized by the computer, but try going to pMenu – Menu – Scroll down to standard set – ok – i .Link CONV – turn it on HDV to DV then try going through the process again.

    And if you don’t mind me asking, but how big is your hard drive and do you have an external drive?

    -Alex

14. smerble on March 5th, 2009 1:44 am

    Thanks for getting back so quickly…Is there a setting on the Camcorder I need to change ? I shot in HDV so do I need to set something to tell the camera thats what Im sending out ? When I put my cable in the message flashes on/off stating “HDVin iLink”and sometimes alternates between and “HDout iLink”. Messages stay only briefly so looks like frst thing I needs is a new cable.

15. bakseatdrivur89 on March 7th, 2009 8:32 pm

    I am running Leopard and I shot in DV so I used DV in DV out, it has also worked for both HDV in DV out and HDV in and HDV out. This message remains the entire time the ilink/firewire cable is connected, even if it is not connected to the computer.

    I recommend just restarting the computer and double check that the ilink/firewire is pushed in all the way, sometimes I have to wiggle it

    Let me know how it works out

    -Alex

16. smerble on March 10th, 2009 9:22 pm

    HI…ive tried tihs and no luck…can you tell me what version of OSX you are using ? Also when you connect the firewire cable into the camcorder, can you tell em what message flashes up (is it HDVin od DVout) and does it remain up or does it flash on and straight away off again ?

17. tixou on March 12th, 2009 7:34 pm

    Thanx for posting! Was looking for Firewire and did not know that I.Link was the same thing..

18. alertlonestar on March 14th, 2009 7:37 pm

    Thank you very much!!

19. sik160 on March 15th, 2009 11:37 pm

    i must punish you!!!! wear a dress and sing the national anthem and videotape it then post it on youtube!!!

20. 1insertbandnamehere1 on March 19th, 2009 12:22 am

    hey thanks for this, im going to be buying one of those cameras very soon and this is definetly going to help!

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