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iMovie doesn't recognize video camera

I've connected the camera using a (new) USB cable directly to a Mac Mini port. When I select "PC" on the camera, iMovie doesn't recognize it as a camera, even though it's listed as compatible with iMovie.


What am I missing?


Thanks!


Dick

Mac mini, macOS 13.2

Posted on Feb 25, 2023 12:04 PM

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13 replies

Feb 25, 2023 1:49 PM in response to DHuitema

Non-recognition problems frequently are caused from defective cables, or loose connection, or possibly a defective USB socket. So check your cable connection to make sure they are tight. You might also try replacing the cable with a higher quality one. If you have an additional USB socket, try switching to that one.


To cover the bases, review this link that describes how to import from a file based camera:


https://help.apple.com/imovie/mac/10.1/#/movbc953953e


Sometimes toggling the camera on and off, and/or getting the camera running will trigger recognition. Here's a list of things you can try:


  • Turn the camcorder off and on again.
  • Disconnect the cable from both the camcorder and the computer, and then reconnect it.
  • Quit and then reopen iMovie.
  • Restart your computer.
  • Try using a different cable.
  • Try using a different computer with iMovie installed.


Here's a link that you can look at with some more info about camera recognition problems:


https://imovie.skydocu.com/en/import-video-into-imovie/import-from-a-camera-or-camcorder/if-imovie-doesnt-recognize-your-camcorder/


-- Rich




Feb 25, 2023 2:51 PM in response to Rich839

What is the make and model of your camera? Is it tape based or file based? Is it digital or analog?


Digital tape and file based digital cameras must be connected to the Mac with a firewire cable, not USB. If your Mac does not have a firewire socket, then you would need the appropriate adapters so that it can plug into whatever sockets that your Mac has, i.e, Thunderbolt 1 or 2, or USB-c (Thunderbolt 3).


-- Rich

Feb 26, 2023 6:19 AM in response to Rich839

Your earlier suggested link did the trick. It's the Apple Support doc on "OTHER WAYS TO IMPORT MEDIA - Import from file-based cameras."


It shows that removing the SD card from the camera and inserting it in an adapter was a way to access the files. It worked! Interestingly, it appears as a Camera in iMovie, not as a Device (see below).

The SD card also appears on my desktop as I had seen before, but notice there is no file for the video in question which was shot on Feb 5, except the backup TMP file which I can't find anything to read.


Anyhow, thanks for the help! (Please disregard my earlier reply to your last message.)


Cheers!!


Dick


Feb 25, 2023 5:25 PM in response to Rich839

Rich839


Thanks for your replies and the link!


I've stepped through its suggestions but unfortunately, they didn't help.


It's a Panasonic HC-V180, which uses digital AVCHD files. It has no Firewire connector. It does have a USB connector and the instructions say it can be used to connect to a "PC." I've followed those instructions and selected "PC" on the screen that appears when I connect the USB cord. The screen then shows a tumbling hourglass and says "wait" but nothing ever happens until it finally says "Disconnect the USB Cable."


I had set the camera to record MP4 files but don't see any such files on the SD card, so I assume the video I can play on the camera comes from a native AVCHD file.


Here's the screen I'm using on which I hope to see my camera listed.



Best....


Dick

Feb 26, 2023 9:00 AM in response to Rich839

Rich,


Yes, I knew that firewire wasn't in the cards. I had a Sony HD camcorder with one and know it used DV cassettes, not SD cards.


As I mentioned earlier, the USB approach didn't work, but removing the SD card and putting it in an SD-to-USB adapter did. That was one of the suggestions in a link you sent me at the start.


Apparently, the Panasonic HC-V180's USB connector doesn't present signals compatible with Mac Mini's inputs.


Thankfully, the SD card approach works, although I can't understand why the list of files on the card doesn't include the video I now have in iMovie. 'Tis a "puzzlement" (ala The King and I)!


Many thanks for your diligence!


Dick

Feb 26, 2023 12:42 PM in response to Rich839

Rich,


Of possible use for others, I've answered the "puzzlement" mentioned in my other reply today.


I hadn't noticed a folder name "104YAPHH" on the SD list. Lo and behold it has all the mp4 files I needed. No wonder iMovie found them! Panasonic sure doesn't follow Apple's approach to making things intuitive!


Thanks again for your help!


Dick



Mar 17, 2023 11:51 AM in response to Rich839

Hi Rich, I see you graciously assisted another Mac User with a similar question about downloading video clips into iMovie. I once made a video for my granddaughter several years ago with the same computer and same camcorder. Now I get a message "No importable files" when I follow the directions to using iMovie to create a video. Am I doing something stupid and would appreciate any help you can give me? Thank you in advance.


Les

Mar 18, 2023 11:26 AM in response to LMH17061

Hello LMH17061,


I know you aimed your question to Rich, but the following may help.


I also wish I knew why I couldn't import directly from the camera. I suspect it's related to Panasonic's apparent assumption that the computer involved will be a Windows machine. ! I wasted an hour or two fussing with this issue!


I finally found that the only way I could move the video from the Panasonic HC-V180 camera to iMovie was to remove the memory card and use an adapter (such as: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08C2BBLSJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) to connect it a USB port on my Mac Mini.


The memory card did NOT appear under the list of DEVICES on the iMovie Import screen. It appears under CAMERAS, as "HC-V180."


Then, it took a while to realize the video files were in a folder labeled DCIM and in a sub-folder labeled 105YAPHH. Neither of them looked like the right place when I first saw them. I'm not sure those are always the labels, so you may need to open all the files on the card to find the MP4 video, assuming you set the camera to generate MP4 files.


(Although a post on Apple Discussions says iMovie accepts the camera's AVCHD files, I've never tried that.)


Let me know if that leaves you with questions!


Dick




iMovie doesn't recognize video camera

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