Sony Digital 8 and FCP?

Hey all,

Quick question I can't find an answer to on the net, or in the FCP manual.

I have a client with a Sony Digital 8 camera. It has DV out apparently, but I can find no reference to how to capture this footage into FCP.

Should I just use uncontrolable device settings? Or is there another way? Does anyone have first hand experience?

Thanks...Justin.

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Thanks BJ - I'll chase up the model number and check it.

Yeah, use non-controllable device. Press play on the deck and capture now on the machine. You won't get timecode info, but it's rarely really that important when capturing from odd formats.

We have one of the old Sony clamshell models and it works fine with that.

I used a Sony digital 8 for a long time and the dv controls worked fine. I had one of the first models released a TR 7000. I just use the Firewire NTSC setting for the device control.

I hate to disagree with Jude on this one, but if the tape was recorded in digital8 format you will want to use the Firewire setting and you will get timecode. If, however, the tape was recorded in 8mm or Hi-8 then you would use non-controllable device, and you won't get timecode. Capture Now on the firewire setting will wait for you to roll the tape. In non-controllable device, capture now will start without you rolling the tape. Barry

Digital 8 ought to work just fine and will provide timecode. I use a Sony D8 camera and it does this with ease, with full device control. The key word is "digital". It's possible your camera is an oddball that isn't supported by FCP, but it's doubtful.

Scott

I've captured many, many hours of footage from SONY Digital8 cameras. Firewire, just like my Panasonic DVX100 mini-DV.

I also have a SONY Hi8 camera, and used a Dazzle external I/O unit, that then connects via firewire to the Mac.


For non-firewire cameras, it is do-able to record the video from the camera to DVD using a $99 DVD recorder from Target, and then using DVDxDV to extract the video to the Mac.

I also do that to archive my tapes made on mini-DV, S/VHS, etc. You can pick a quality mode as high as 30-minuites to a 4.7GB DVD blank. It kind of likes +R blanks.



Independent photographer, film maker and Producer. In the wonderful UK.

Thanks for ALL your responses.

At the end of the day, I panic too much! Got the camera, firewire port, and everything was hunky dory. Not the world's best images, but did what the client wanted, and that's all you can ask for.

The model number for those interested was sony dcr-trv355e

I absolutely LOVE it when sometimes things just work.

you guys are legends....cheers..

Sorry, my bad. I was reading Hi-8, not digital 8.