By: Mike A.

Mike A. — Sun, 10 May 2020 17:47:55 +0000

I have an old Sony TRV525 Digital 8 I am using as a webcam with my Mac Pro 5,1 and it hasn’t really cost me anything except a couple hours of experimentation. The old Sony which was once at the cutting edge of technology when I got it years ago, has what Sony calls an “i-link” port which Sony labels a DV in/out that is really a small port that takes the end of an i-link cable which is really only a Firewire 400 cable with a small 4 pin plug at one end and the usual rounded 6 pin 400 Firewire plug at the other, cost about $10 Amazon or elsewhere. It wasn’t known as Firewire at the time, but IEEE1394. I attached that to the Sony port, and since the Mac Pro 2010 has Firewire 800 ports I took an old adapter I had (costs about $8 on Amazon) that changes a 400 to an 800 plug on the front of the Mac Pro (the two 400 ports are beneath the USB ports on the front of the chassis). A little bit of trial and error but Zoom recognized the vintage camcorder like an old friend. I am going to have to set up a mike because I haven’t figured out audio yet, but I do have an old plastic preamp and mike somewhere just in case. Anyway, the camcorder is auto focus and has some bells and whistles, but must be set back from the monitor as I fill the screen and you will too.

Comments on: How To Use Camcorder As A Webcam (Simple Steps)

By: Mike A.