I’ve tried using a cable with a FireWire plug on one end and a USB plug on the other, but the laptop still won’t recognise my camera. How else can I resolve this problem?
J Levy, by email

A: I’m not surprised the cable didn’t work and you are lucky that you didn’t fry the PC or camcorder. FireWire and USB connections employ two quite different technologies and protocols and there is no way that a simple cable connection can convert data from one format to another.

FireWire to USB adaptors do exist but they involve microchips and software drivers. Even then, a FireWire connection will not work at its full potential, due to the way the two systems process data (USB relies more heavily on the PC to manage the flow of data, which can produce bottlenecks). It doesn’t end there either. FireWire devices can be quite picky about the type of adaptor used.

via Telegraph.co.uk

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