Supplied USB cord for A1??
 

Hey guys... Can you use any old USB cord to connect the camera to your PC? Would a cheap USB cord work just as well as anything else? I don't want to hurt the camera.

I can't figure out the USB cord that came with the A1. It has a regular flat end (like the port on the PC), and a bigger other end (4-pin) looks like firewire.

I don't even see anywhere where is cord would attach to on the camera? What's the deal here?

There is *NO* USB cord with, or even USB port on, the Canon XH series. With other brands, USB is used to transfer stills from memory stick; you have to use a card reader with your computer.

It is "Firewire"! The XH-A1 uses IEEE1394 (aka: iLink, Firewire, HDV/DV terminal), see item 14 on page 12 of the manual, to communicate with a PC. As noted above, there is no USB on it.

To add on to Don's post above me, yes - any old 4-bin to 6-pin firewire cable will work.

There is a chance that this cable belongs to one of my other electronics... because I tend to get disorganized with all my camera accessories... but I'm fairly sure this is not firewire.

For one part, neither side of this cord connects into the camera anywhere that I see. And two... only one side of the cord can fit into a port on my computer, and it's the USB port. I have both USB and firewire (I currently use a standard firewire cable to connect my A1 to computer), and the firewire ports I have don't fit with either end of this cable.... but one end is the flat standard plug for USB. So it just confused me when I saw it.

I'm sorry if this cable has nothing to do with the A1... especially since it is not listed or pictured in the "supplied with A1" part of the Manual. Nonetheless, it was wrapped up and sealed in the A1 Accessory box.

Almost sounds like you either got a previously-opened box A1 (with an added cable), or your, if your work area is like mine, a cable from something else dropped into your A1 pile.

All the outputs are hidden behind the rubber cover next to the battery door, you cant miss the four pin firewire IO.