Firewire 800 cable

Http://www.misco.co.uk/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=314679&CatId=69

This is a link to a supplier who sells a cable Firewire 400 female plug on one end and a Firewire 800 male the other.
I am at present researching the same problem....this seems to be the answer.

Mike

No such thing s a dumb question, I transfer from my Canon XL1 to my Mac IBook with firewire all the time. You have three choices: 1. Buy a cable with two different ends - one that will fit your camera (the tiny one so small it is hard to insert) and one that will fit the Mac. Your Mac should have two different types of firewire ports - the semi-round one and the square one that looks like a USB port, but isn't. The symbols are different  for firewire ports firewire and USB ports. But all firewire ports, regardless of the configuration will have the firewire symbol and all USB ports will have the USB symbol.  Either firewire symbol port will work. I have two different firewire ports on my MacBook G4 and use them both,  I keep a bunch of firewire connectors around. They usually come with outboard hard-drives in various configurations. Sold en Ebay or at computer stores Solution 2: Feed your firewire through an outboard drive that will accept the 400 firewire (many do) and then take another firewire, say an 800, from that drive into your computer. I always capture to a hard drive then edit from there. The idea of a firewire bus is that you can connect a number of drives in parallel and mount them all. Available for as little as $69.
Solution 3: Buy a firewire port card for you MacBook which slips into a slot on the side, and gives you connectivity with the 400. It also frees up your main firewire port. I bought one on Ebay for $24 that came with all the adaptors. I was pulling my hair out too until I figured out the system.