Camera that doesn't use AVI for movies?

[Schtibbie]

It seems that all the digital cameras (compact) I look at can also shoot short movies, which I like, but they all capture in AVI, which Macs don't natively support, right? First of all, why do all these cameras only support Windows?

Secondly, why won't Apple make their OS run video files everyone else gets to run without me having to download 3rd party software, codecs, etc? I find it embarrassing to explain why this is complicated to my wife when I "sold" her on the Mac for its simplicity.

Third, ARE there any cameras that *actually* support MacOs fully? I mean - not just for still images that uplaod into iPhoto but in such a way that when plugged in my movies will download as well without me having to resort to magic or having to navigate the card from a card-reading device.

 

[taylorwilsdon]

It seems that all the digital cameras (compact) I look at can also shoot short movies, which I like, but they all capture in AVI, which Macs don't natively support, right? First of all, why do all these cameras only support Windows?

Secondly, why won't Apple make their OS run video files everyone else gets to run without me having to download 3rd party software, codecs, etc? I find it embarrassing to explain why this is complicated to my wife when I "sold" her on the Mac for its simplicity.

Third, ARE there any cameras that *actually* support MacOs fully? I mean - not just for still images that uplaod into iPhoto but in such a way that when plugged in my movies will download as well without me having to resort to magic or having to navigate the card from a card-reading device.

No operating system has "native support" for a video codec. You can run AVI files on a Mac or Windows computer, just like pretty much any format. If you can find a popular format that VLC doesn't run (except for license formats like AAC encoded) then I owe you a nickle.

Windows uses software too, their Windows Media Player for playback and their Windows Movie Maker for basic editing. That is the equivalent (in essence) of iMove and Quicktime for OSX.

iMovie should be able to automatically download files from your camera, though I've not used it extensively. Frankly, this post seems a little troll-y; and I don't mean that in a nasty way, it just seems like you're talking down about Macs on a subject that you clearly don't understand.

 

[Schtibbie]

If you can find a popular format that VLC doesn't run (except for license formats like AAC encoded) then I owe you a nickle.

I don't know what VLC is. Did this come on my Mac?

It just seems like you're talking down about Macs on a subject that you clearly don't understand.

I probably *don't* understand video playback as well as I should, but my post wasn't intended as troll-y. I was just frustrated. I'm sitting here right this minute watching my Mac's "Image Capture" program try mightily but unsuccessfully to download a small AVI file from my Canon S45. The progress bar isn't moving and hasn't in the last 7 minutes. IPhoto got similarly hosed up trying to download 38 pictures which happened to include this movie.

I probably need a new camera.

 

[66217]

VLC is a video player that you can download freely.

Before doing anything desperate, like buying a new camera, try using iMovie. First open the mounted disk of your camera and then move the movie file to iMovie. Or import it from iMovie.

It should work. And don't feel bad for asking, after all, that is the finality of forums.

 

[taylorwilsdon]

I don't know what VLC is. Did this come on my Mac?

No, it is an open source software.

I probably *don't* understand video playback as well as I should, but my post wasn't intended as troll-y. I was just frustrated. I'm sitting here right this minute watching my Mac's "Image Capture" program try mightily but unsuccessfully to download a small AVI file from my Canon S45. The progress bar isn't moving and hasn't in the last 7 minutes. IPhoto got similarly hosed up trying to download 38 pictures which happened to include this movie.
I probably need a new camera.

I think the name "Image Capture" should have been a tip off Its for images, not movies. You wouldn't use Text Edit to make a powerpoint, would you?

Sorry for the troll comment. Just a knee jerk reaction.

 

[sonor]

I'm sitting here right this minute watching my Mac's "Image Capture" program try mightily but unsuccessfully to download a small AVI file from my Canon S45. The progress bar isn't moving and hasn't in the last 7 minutes. IPhoto got similarly hosed up trying to download 38 pictures which happened to include this movie.

I have a Canon S50 and usually import the photos and videos into iPhoto. I've had it for a few years and have never had a problem doing this. It really couldn't be any easier. I connect it to my Mac with a USB cable - iPhoto starts up and asks if I want to import and I say yes. Is it really so different with the S45?

 

[Schtibbie]

iPhoto starts up and asks if I want to import and I say yes. Is it really so different with the S45?

It just doesn't work with the S45. It loads 37 pictures into iPhoto and then hangs up on the AVI file and never recovers. And it's not just this one movie. I've tried this before w/ this camera.

And to the poster who suggested accessing the movie through the camera's mounted disk image or imovie: This camera does *not* mount a disk image. And imovie cannot see it. Only iPhoto and Image Capture.

So - when shopping for a new camera - how do I ensure the camera *really* works on Mac? Do I look for "disk image mountable" or somesuch in case I want to manually browse the camera? Is it common for cameras to only SORT OF work on Mac?

 

[Trip.Tucker]

My S45 imports with no issues into iPhoto, still images and movies. I tend to use my SD1000 a lot more than the 45, but its good to grab at a pinch. Why are you using Image Capture?

 

[sonor]

Canon say the S45 is Mac-compatible.

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/c...ct&keycode=macdr&fcategoryid=223&modelid=8507

Do you have it set to PTP...

"PTP Mode is a connection method that does not require the installation of any digital camera drivers for camera-computer communication. Mac OS X supports PTP Mode as do all Canon digital cameras announced since 2003. Please see the table above to see if your camera supports PTP.

The PowerShots S230, S45 and G3 also support PTP. However, some functionality with Canon Software will be impaired. Setting the camera communication setting to PTP (via the camera's Set-up Menu), will enable driver-less computer connection. When using the included Canon Software (if supported), please set the camera communication setting to Normal (via the camera's Set-up Menu). NOTE: RAW files from Canon digital cameras cannot be downloaded in OS X via PTP. We suggest the use of ImageBrowser (if supported), File Viewer Utility (if supported) or an external card reader."

Has it always been a problem importing photos and movies - or is it possible that the camera has developed a fault?

The alternative method is to get yourself a card reader. I use an expensive SanDisk firewire reader, which is very fast, but you could buy a USB reader very cheaply. I prefer this method - it doesn't run down the camera batteries, it's faster and I can get the photos off one card while I continue using the camera with a second card...it's probably more reliable as well.

 

[Schtibbie]

Do you have it set to PTP...

Aha!!! That worked! I never saw PTP mode in my camera menu. IPhoto was able to download the AVI as well as the rest of the photos that were stacked up behind that AVI on the card. Thanks much for the help!

Now I'm still going to look for a good new camera that's Mac compatible without any caveats - this camera pisses off my wife with its long shutter delay and time between shots.

 

[147798]

It just doesn't work with the S45. It loads 37 pictures into iPhoto and then hangs up on the AVI file and never recovers. And it's not just this one movie. I've tried this before w/ this camera.

And to the poster who suggested accessing the movie through the camera's mounted disk image or imovie: This camera does *not* mount a disk image. And imovie cannot see it. Only iPhoto and Image Capture.

So - when shopping for a new camera - how do I ensure the camera *really* works on Mac? Do I look for "disk image mountable" or somesuch in case I want to manually browse the camera? Is it common for cameras to only SORT OF work on Mac?

If it helps/matters, I download all my movies first with Image Capture to the folders I want, then pics to iPhoto. I don't like having movies in iPhoto. Of course, once downloaded, I delete the movies from my camera, so they never make it to iPhoto.

 

[Wakakanada]

Thanks for the PTP mode advice. I could not get iPhoto to find the avi's still, but at least Image Capture did, so I will download them to a movie folder instead and keep iPhoto for photos. This is an acceptable workaround but a little disappointing as one day I hope to truly have a system where I can just plug in a camera and have everything go where it should go without all this fuss.

But at least I can get these nasty avi's into my imac now. 40 minutes on the phone with Apple didn't work, glad macrumors did!

 

[rscott4563]

Try an Olympus, all the ones I've had create their videos as .mov files which when I still had a PC was a right pain but now its perfect.

Also really good cameras as well, the current P&S camera is an Olympus 720sw. Water proof down to 3m and pretty much bomb proof (it's been round the world with me and has ever skipped a beat!).

 

[notjustjay]

I've seen a number of cameras (Sony?) that save as MPEG movies, which should be fairly universally supported.

 

[Wakakanada]

Camera lens closes

Ack! I now discovered that whenever I try to hook up my Canon S45 using USB the lens closes unless I am using the Canon software for remotely operating the camera. This makes it impossible for me to use the iStopMotion program I wanted to try to create animation. I guess I'll have to resort to using the canon software to capture the images...sigh...