Firewire missing

L

Lynos

Well-known member
I'm not sure this is the right forum, but it's the closest I could find. It's a real newbie question, since I'm fairly new to the digital movie-making world.
I have a laptop without a firewire connection. It was bought a few months ago, before I even knew what a firewire is. I cannot afford myself to buy another computer right now.
At the moment, I need to depend on someone else's Mac computer in order to view and save the rushes. It's really uncomfortable.
In the little research that I did I found that my only option is probably to hook a firewire cable to the camera with a USB output to my laptop. But that can't be recommended, can it? If I could use USB, then I wouldn't have a problem.

So am I missing something? What are my options other then buy another computer? Does using a cable like that can do the trick? Is it considerably slower? Will it yield lesser quality video?

Your insights will be highly appreciated. This is very frustrating...

Thank you.
 
If I'm correct you can buy a pcmcia card for the laptop that will do the same as an internal one. here is a link
you only have to plug the card in the pcmcia reader of the laptop and you have a firewire link ready to import images.
 
Find out if your laptop has a pcmcia or expresscard slot. Whichever one it has, buy the appropriate firewire card as mentioned above. But, find out if it is a pcmcia slot, an expresscard 34, or expresscard 54 slot first. Then, go to newegg or someplace and buy a firewire card for it. Problem solved.

Later,
Jason
 
Thank you all. I had no idea this option exists.

The specifications on my computer say:

"1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type II, PCMCIA R2.01, PC Card16, CardBus)"

So when I ask for a card, it has to be one of the types mentioned above, I reckon.
 
what about me though?? I have a computer so this wont work and the connector was like 40 bucks!!!! =(
 
clarkage I'm going out on a limb and guessing that you have a desktop computer and not a laptop computer - both of which are still computers :) You probably need a pci card firewire adapter which should also be at bestbuy for about $40 or so. Check to make sure you have available slots first though.
 
LOL sorry for the miss coception guys! Yes it is a desktop computer and no i dont have any fire wire ports but i do have 6 USB ports =) I would like too not pay $40 for a little connector but i will if i have to so anyone have any ideas? Also what is a pci card?
 
pci card... computers (desktops) have pci slots in the back of them. That's where you plug things like sound cards, modems, video cards, etc into.

You can buy a pci to expresscard adapter, or a pci to pcmcia adapter and then a card like the original poster bought for their laptop.

Or you can buy a pci to firewire card like Jeff suggested. If you don't have firewire ports, it's either spend 20-50 bucks to get some using one of the above methods, or go buy a new computer :)

How old is your computer? are you sure you don't have a firewire port?

Later,
Jason
 
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