# Canon DC10 Digital Camcorder



## Jackay (Jan 2, 2006)

I boought a Canon DC10 Digital Camcorder based on a recommendation from a sales person that it was totally "plug and play" with my PowerBook G4. I have been unable to transfer video or stills from the camera to my laptop using the USB connecting cable supplied with the camera. My support request to Canon was met with "you need to insert the disk directly into the computer." My PowerBook does not take mini-DVD disks so that solution is not helpful. Is there a cable that will enable me to download video images from the camera and edit them on my PowerBook using IMovie4?


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## MisterMe (Jan 2, 2006)

Oh no, you didn't buy a mini-DVD camcorder, did you? Mini-DVD camcorders are not intended for users who want to edit their footage. They are meant for people who want to record their child's dance recital, pop it out of the camcorder, and pop it into the DVD player for the grandparents.

Mini-DVD records in MPEG-2, an _output_ format. It is not meant to be edited. However, *Handbrake* or *ffmpegX* may rip it for you. You may then be able to edit your production in *iMovie* and burn it using *iDVD*, *Toast*, or whatever.

Mini-DVD can be played only in tray-loading DVD drives. If you have a slot-loading DVD drive, then you are SOL.


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## Cam (Jan 2, 2006)

The canon site says the DC10 is compatible with Mac OS X and should work with iMovie. The normal way to get this working is to turn on the camcorder in VCR or playback mode, connect to the mac (and then usually a dialog box comes up asking what you want to do - select iMovie OR iMovie boots). What happens when you do what I have described?


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## Jackay (Jan 2, 2006)

Cam,

Thanks for your reply. After turning on the camcorder, putting it in playback, and connecting via the USB cord supplied with the camera, I get a message that says "You have inserted a disk containing no volumes that MAC OS X can read." When using the IMovie software I get the message that "no camera is detected." When using the Canon software I get a message that indciates "no camera is attached."

I did get a call back from Canon indicating that I have to purchase addititonal software in order to connect. The technician said he did not know the name of the software but I should ask for DVD-R editing software. This was after he indicated in no unceratin terms that the Canon DCX is not compatible with a Mac when downloading video because it does not have a firewire connection. Now I am totally lost.


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## Cam (Jan 2, 2006)

You bring up a good question. My camcorder has a firewire connection and I recall this being a requirement for iMovie. The message you get from the OS about not having any volumes that it can read is probably correct, as the video is not formatted as a Mac disk (just as my miniDV files are not mac format). And the iMovie is saying it does not find any camera. We should both search the apple and canon sites to find out the details.


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## Cam (Jan 2, 2006)

From the canon site:

You can also share your video by connecting your DC10 to your computer with the supplied USB cable. Then, with one touch of the Print & Share button, you can transfer your video footage to your hard drive.

Did you try touching this button (with iMovie open). Maybe this will let iMovie see the camera?


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## Cam (Jan 2, 2006)

I tend to purchase my electronics stuff from Small Dog, a Vermont based Mac specialist. They sell the DC 10, and so I am nearly certain that it can be used with Mac equipment. They also provide support for helping me connect stuff to my Mac. Maybe you could call them and ask? They seem very helpful. You might need to promise to become a future customer.

1-800-511-MACS
www.smalldog.com


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## harry75 (Feb 13, 2006)

to stream movies from mini-dv to the mac, and comanding the cam from your computer, you should use a firewire-connection. -further it's importent, that you set the right setting in your programm, as i movie..  choose the dv NTSC 48 or DV PAL 48 (depends wich country) . 

that's the way i use my panasonic nv-gs250

mfg
harry


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## fryke (Feb 13, 2006)

I _think_ that the only way for this particular camera would be to get an external DVD drive (FW or USB-2, if your Mac has USB-2) in which you can put the mini-DVD. Then you can rip the mini-DVD into any format with ffmpegX or HandBrake and work with the material. However: Both of those need to re-encode the footage, which takes quite a while.


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## williamscr (Dec 27, 2006)

My husband and I had no clue about camcorders...went to Ultimate Electronics and told the salesman what we wanted to use a camcorder for (making movies on our computer) and he said that the DC10 would do it and never said it was not compatible with a mac.

3 months later, when I actually used it and started to load it on my computer, I figured out that it was impossible after looking on the internet for troubleshooting. And Ultimate Electronics and Canon offered no help or sympathy for my situation.  I feel like I'm stuck with a thousand dollar device that I don't want because it's useless for what I bought it for.

But I'm not going to give up...I paid money for it, and there's got to be a way for this thing to work.  My husband has a Dell, and I have a new Mac...is there a way to tranfer from a DC10 onto a Dell, burn it, and then place that disk into my mac to transfer to imovie? Remember, there's no firewire port on a DC10, and the USB thing doesn't work between the cam and the mac.  Anyone have a solution...please be specific in what I need...I'm new to using cam's AND mac's.


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## Cam (Dec 27, 2006)

It does appear your camcorder records to a mini DVD and iMovie requires a firewire camcorder (not on DC 10 - sorry). So several posts in this threads mention you would need to  play the dvd and rip the images using software they mentioned. But the mini dvd does not work in the slot feed drives on most macs. You would need to find a tray loading Mac.  Or as you say, transfer to the Dell, burn a new full diameter DVD and then play on the max and rip this image to the Mac.

Or sell the camcorder and purchase another one? The Cannon web site has pages on Mac OSX compatibility for all models. As I mentioned I have the ZR 10 which records to tape and has a firewire port. By now the latest model has a higher number and better features. Or purchase a used one?


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