S2, powerbooks & cardbus adapters

[mooncat893]

does anyone shoot tethered to a mac powerbook and has anyone been successful in having the shooting software connect with the camera if the camera is cabled to a firewire cardbus adapter and not the "powered" motherboard port in the back? i'm sure this is a software issue (i'm using OS-X) since everything else i have connects just fine to the card (hard drives, my phase one medium format back, etc). of course the camera connects fine to the powered port, but i really like the convenience of being able just to plug into the side of the computer.

any help would be appreciated!

thanks!

[crabby]

I have used two different PCMCIA Firewire Adapter Cards in my Ti Powerbook and the both worked fine. Did you download Fuji's update to the camera shooting software for OS 10.3?

[mooncat893]

hi mike - can you tell me which cards you are using or have used? i'm running OS-X 2.6. do you think it could be an update issue and that would solve the problem?????? perhaps i should try another cardbus adapter? let me know what you think. thanks!

robert

[mooncat893]

here's kind of an update to this issue:


i tried 3 cards and couldn't get the camera to connect. also, i ran apple's system profiler and the camera (model, manufacturer, firmware version, etc) appears in the profiler window as connected to a firewire card, so it is NOT a hardware issue. the powerbook does in fact see the camera!! i wrote this to fuji today:

the issue is NOT with the hardware but with the SHOOTING SOFTWARE in OS-X! it needs to be "tweaked" to be able to "see" the camera on the card bus. the reason i know it is NOT a hardware issue is that when connected to the firewire cardbus adapter, the camera immediately goes into 1394 shooting mode and apple's OS-X system profiler recognizes that the camera is attached to the card because you can see all of the fuji camera details listed in the profiler window: type of camera, manufacturer, etc.

SO, the issue is with the SOFTWARE !!!!!! why can't the software be tweaked to recognize the camera on the firewire cardbus adapter?? it should be a simple fix. if you are updating your shooting software as apple updates its operating system, then you should just be able to put this fix into an update.

the reason this fix is important is if anything happens to the apple powerbook's ONE firewire port, the camera could still be used connected to the cardbus adapter.
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Subject Posted by When
___tethered shooting question _robert hakalski 3 days ago
______Re: tethered shooting question _GodSpeaks 3 days ago
_________Re: tethered shooting question _robert hakalski

[crabby]

Hey robert-sorry for the delay in answering your questions.
The one card I have is an Adaptec. I think the other one is an OrangeMicro or what ever they are called. Can't find it at the moment.
I keep a card handy with my powerbook just for the reason you discribed. Be careful, I had a PhaseOne back fry the firewire port on my powerbook once already.
One depressing option is you can start up in OS 9 (if you have it) and it will work.
Don't hold your breath on Fuji support for the working professional on the Mac platform.

[mooncat893]

hi mike - so what you are saying is ..... the adaptek & orange micro card did in fact work - the camera shooting software saw the camera connected to the card. and you were shooting in OS-X?? just want to confirm. thanks !

robert

[mooncat893]

mike - just rebooted in OS9 and still the same problem. i might try another card but i tried 3 already! BTW - the service tech at my local apple dealer will solder in a new firewire port for me - saving me a logic board replacement - forf about $150.00. still, if i could find a card that works with the S2 i'd just leave it. the phase one back works fine with the cardbus adapter. although it does need that power boost from the portable battery adapter (another cheap accessory - NOT!).
thanks!

[lightwrangler]

Moon,

My PowerBook (Bronze series) runs OS9. It never came with a firewire port, but I added a PCMCIA card for an older external drive, it was a Ratoc card. When I got the Fuji, I tried to run it tethered and it wouldn't do it. I changed to an ADS Technologies card (Pyro 1394 Port) and it works just fine. I haven't updated this computer to OSX yet so I don't know if the same card will work with that. Frankly, with the price of the new PowerBooks, I may not bother, just upgrade.

[mooncat893]

hi and thanks! wondering if in fact it could just be a quirk of the card??? the odd thing is, in OS-X if you have the camera plugged in to the card, you can see that the computer recognizes that the camera is connected because you get all this info about the camera in the system profile window under the icon of the firewire adapter!! like crabby pointed out, being able to utilize the card as a backup to the motherboard port is a good thing. actually, it's more convenient just to be able to plug in to the side of the powerbook, instead of opening up that hinged door and going in from the back. i'll keep you posted if i can test another card. or two!

[crabby]

robert-I don't know what to say. I figured it was software too since you said you were able to run other firewire devices off of the card. But I know for sure it runs fine in OS 9. So maybe it is the card(s). Have you ever run your S2 tetheared on any other computer. Maybe it's the camera?
I was able to run my camera with the Adaptec & OrangeMicro. I don't use the card much. I just test it once in a while when ever something in my system changes, like the operating system or software. I'm pretty sure I tried at least one of them when I was running 10.2.8.
PS-I can't believe you bought the PhaseOne Portable Solutions. OUCH! I just use an AC powered firewire hub. Of course that does't work with out AC, but that's what we got our DSLR's for.
On another note. Where do you take your laptop for repair. My local Apple dealer charged over $400 to put in a new logic board when my firewire failed. Never mentioned anything about being able to solder in a new port.

[mooncat893]

hi - the guys at macmobile in upper darby are pretty good - they will do stuff for you that other services places won't - like really try and help you out and save you some ridiculous expenses. they'll solder the port no problem - they are good techs and don't go by the book, i.e. tell you you HAVE to replace the logic board. if you want their # i'll pass it along.

thanks!