Does anyone have problems connecting the Z5 to firewire 800?
 

I recently acquired an iMac which has one single firewire port, an 800. One of these "new" kinda square plugs. For some reason I can't get the Sony Z5 to talk to it.
I read something about this around here concerning a Canon camera, but it was a 2005 post and I'm not sure if it was the same plug they were talking about.

When I connect the Z5 to the firewire port it doesn't know whether it should be in input or output mode. It flashes from one to another non stop.
I've tried plugin it in in all the possible ways: stopped, in play, with FCP on and off, etc.
The same always happens.

Does anyone have this problem?
The camera works fine connected to a firewire 400 4 pin port on the PC so I know the iLink works, but on the mac the 800 is the only fw plug.

Thanks for any light you can shed on this.

What does your video out on the camera say?
If you shot in HDV, make sure your project is a HDV one, otherwise it doesn't read anything. Check your FCP settings that you are also importing the correct format.
Thats a start.

The thing is, I can´t even get that far.
I have all the settings right in FCP. The project matches the footage. But the camera starts acting up even before I start FCP, it starts to flick between IN and OUT modes from the moment I plug it in. It doesn't stop and doesn't seem to react to nothing.
I'm pretty sure I'm doing the basic stuff right. I do it all the time on the PC.
I'm only having this problem when I use the firewire port in the Mac, and it's the only one it has, so... Bummer...
This issue messes up my entire workflow on the Mac, because it makes me capture on the PC which captures to m2t (not a format that FCP is cool with). I have to wrap it in MOV then convert it to Pro Res in FCP before I can even start to work.

Did you try a different cable? I had a cable that caused the exact same symptoms you are describing. Switched to a different cable, problem solved.

Are you using the mrc-1 unit at all or coming off tape.
Try this sequence:
Make sure the camera is switched on first with all settings correct, ilink on, etc FCP project on and open and then connect the 800 cable in that order.? You've probably done this, but many systems don't like you changing settings after you connect up.
Another question - what PC edit program are you using when you import your files with the 400?