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by Brian Fisher • Jun 18,2019 • Proven solutions
Yes, it is possible for Mac users to connect their camcorder to Mac. Connecting your camcorder to Mac for importing Video from Camcorder to Mac or photos to Mac might be a piece of cake if your camcorder is compatible with Mac. I mean, as long as your Mac can recognize your camcorder, you can do that easily. That’s to say, you can directly connect your camcorder to iPhoto, iMovie and more for transferring the camcorder file to iMovie and more for further use.
Part 1: How to Connect Camcorder to Mac
To check whether your cam is compatible with Mac or not, you can read the documentation that came with your cam to see the requirement of the camcorder – some manufacturers required you to install software to access to the cam on your computer. Practically speaking, many camcorders from Cannon, Samsung, Sony, Panasonic and JVC have been included in the Apple’s list. For these camcorders, you can follow simple steps to have them connected to your Mac:
- Power off your camcorder and plug the camcorder into your Mac via a proper FireWire cable;
- Turn on your cam, and after a few seconds, iMovie will be opened automatically;
- Follow the on-screen instruction on the Mac and transfer the cam video to iMovie. If you want to transfer photos from camcorder, open iPhoto instead.
Part 2: How to Fix 'Fail to Connect Camcorder to Mac' Issue?
If your camcorder is incompatible with Mac and you fail to connect it to Mac via FireWire cable, you can do it alternatively. You can directly insert the camcorder SD card to the SD card slot on Mac. The SD card will appear on your desktop as a hard drive icon. Double click the icon to open it and you can videos/photos from your camcorder to Mac.
However, there is one thing you have to acknowledge: camcorder videos are saved in AVCHD (MTS/M2TS) or DV which are not compatible with Mac. Take AVCHD for example, if your cam video is not in standard AVCHD (MTS/M2TS) format, you may have to convert your camcorder video to compatible formats for iMovie or Final Cut Pro. You are unable to play the camcorder video on QuickTime, neither can you organize them in iTunes or transfer them to other Apple devices unless you change the camcorder AVCHD to Apple supported formats first. Here, we recommend to you this powerful UniConverter for Mac. You can convert your camcorder videos to Mac supported format so that you can enjoy them on your Mac.
UniConverter - Video Converter
Key Features of UniConverter:
- Compatible with 150+ video/audio formats – UniConverter can convert more than 150 formats of standard and high definition video. It also converts several audio formats.
- Fast conversion speeds – this tool will convert video and audio at speeds of up to 90X.
- Inbuilt video editor – you have an inbuilt editor which you can use to sharpen your video, add watermarks, text, etc.
- Lossless video conversion – you do not lose any quality, even if the conversion happens at high speeds.
- Download video – you can download video from several sites on the Internet. Use these for your projects before conversion.
- Compatible with macOS 10.15 Catalina, 10.14 Mojave, 10.13 High Sierra, 10.12 Sierra, 10.11 El Capitan, 10.10 Yosemite, 10.9 Mavericks, 10.8 Mountain Lion and 10.7 Lion.
Step-by-step Guide to Convert Camcorder Videos to Mac Compatible Formats with iSkysoft
Step 1. Import Camcorder Videos
First of all, you need to import your camcorder videos to this program. You can do it by dragging and dropping them directly to the app. Or you can go to the main menu then choose 'Add Files' to do this.
Step 2. Set Output Format
Select an output format for your video from the format tray. Here you are highly recommended to choose 'MOV' which is a format supported by QuickTime and iMovie on Mac.
Step 3. Convert
Press 'Convert', and the UniConverter will do its job.
by Christine Smith • 2020-10-27 16:12:12 • Proven solutions
Connecting a camcorder to Mac is not very complicated and is not so different from connecting it to a PC, but it must be done properly in order to achieve a good result. This way, it is advisable that you make sure to be informed on whether the connection method works and how to follow the right steps before actually connecting them.
After connect and download media files to Mac, you can watch them with your favorite media player, or convert to other video formats for further editing in iMovie, Final Cut Pro, QuickTime, etc. Read the following parts to learn the easy steps to convert and connect camcorder videos on Mac.
Part 1. Steps to Import Photos and Videos to Mac
What you need to connect the camcorder to Mac
A 6 pin or 4 pin cable. Usually, camcorders need a 4 pin cable end in order to be able to connect to the Mac, although sometimes they might allow a 6 pin end as well.
Step 1 Make sure your camcorder is set to the correct mode for importing photos and videos. For information on which mode to choose, see the instructions provided with your camcorder. If your camcorder has a sleep mode, make sure it is disabled or set to a time increment long enough to allow your images and videos to download.
Step 2 The first step is to locate the four-pin FireWire port on your video camcorder. On most video camcorders, you'll find it located under a plastic or rubber boot. Leave the video camcorder powered off and simply lift the boot from the camcorder and insert the smaller four-pin end of the FireWire cable into the FireWire port of the camcorder.
Step 3 Once the camcorder is connected, take the other end of the FireWire cable, the larger six-pin end, and insert it into your Mac's FireWire port. When both of the cables are connected, you can turn on the power to your video camcorder.
Step 4 In a few seconds, your Mac should automatically launch iMovie. Follow the on-screen instructions on your Mac and begin the video transfer from your video camcorder to your Mac.
Part 2. Tips for Connecting Camcorder to Mac
External Camera For Mac
1. How to watch VHSs or DVDs using Mac?
If you wish to watch VHSs or DVDs by using your Mac, it is also possible. In order to achieve such a goal, you would need a converter box that would convert the video signal into a signal which your Mac would recognize and then allow you to watch. This converter box would intermediate between each device and would cause both their signals to be compatible.
When working with a converter box, you would need to connect it to the video source and the Mac. This way, you would need to use the cables necessary for both connections, and you should make sure they are the correct ones. It is recommendable that you learn how to achieve this before trying to do it properly. If you have any doubts, you should always consult each device owner’s manual or call the manufacturer’s customer service for advice.
2. How to use video from your connected or built-in iSight camcorder?
You can use your iSight camcorder to record video directly into your iMovie project. This means you can spontaneously add clips to your project while you're working on it. Just connect your iSight camcorder to your Mac's FireWire port, and you're ready to start recording. If you have more than one camcorder connected, such as an iSight and a camcorder, or you have an iMac with a built-in iSight-choose iSight from the pop-up menu that appears when you switch to camcorder mode. Alternatively, you need to convert the camcorder to iMovie compatible video formats, such as MOV.
Part 3. How to Convert Camcorder Videos Easily on Mac
If you want to play or edit the videos exported from your camcorder, the formats are sometimes not supported. Then you need a professional video converter like Wondershare UniConverter, which can help you convert camcorder videos to MOV, MP4, and other 1000+ formats. Learn the detail steps about How to Convert Camcorder Videos Easily on Mac >>.
Wondershare UniConverter - Your Complete Video Toolbox
Best Camcorder For Mac 2020
- Convert camcorder AVCHD/MTS/M2TS files to MP4 or other 1000+ formats on Mac.
- Edit camcorder videos with trimming, cutting, merging, adding subtitles, applying effects, etc.
- Compress the camcorder video size smaller without losing any quality.
- Download and record videos from 1,000+ popular websites by simply pasting URLs.
- Burn camera videos to DVD/ISO/IFO files with an attractive free DVD template on Mac.
- Transfer camcorder videos from Mac to iPhone/iPad/Android devices easily.
- The toolbox includes Fix Media Metadata, GIF Maker, Cast to TV, Video Compressor, Screen Recorder, DVD Copy, etc.
- Supported OS: Mac OS 10.15 (Catalina), 10.14, 10.13, 10.12, 10.11, 10.10, 10.9, 10.8, 10.7, 10.6, Windows 10/8/7/XP/Vista.
Panasonic Camcorder Software For Mac