The Canon GL2 professional-grade digital camcorder has been around since 2002. It offers USB and FireWire connectivity for transferring video content from the camcorder to a personal computer. If you are experiencing problems while using the camera's FireWire feature, try a few troubleshooting methods before taking more drastic measures.
External Hard Drive
Some Canon GL2 users have reported a problem linking the camcorder to a personal computer through the device's FireWire connectivity feature after connecting a FireWire external hard drive to the primary computer. In these instances, the GL2 was connected to the external hard drive at the same time. If you are having this problem, which is manifested by the computer failing to identify the camcorder, connect the GL2 to another computer to determine if the external hard drive had an impact on your computer's or camcorder's FireWire functionality. If the camera is able to connect to the second computer, the problem more than likely lies with the primary computer's FireWire functionality, which could have been disconnected or damaged when you linked the GL2 to the external hard drive. Uninstalling and reinstalling the FireWire drivers might fix the problem, but you'll likely need a qualified repair professional to resolve the problem.
Cable
Canon GL2 users have also experienced problems with their personal computer failing to recognize the camcorder after using different devices as a deck to transfer video content to the computer. Some devices can have a negative impact on the camcorder's ability to establish a link, and can even cause the FireWire cable to become damaged. If you run into this type of problem after using a device other than the GL2 as a deck for transferring footage, replace the cable with a new one.
Applications
Some video-editing applications, such as Final Cut Pro, can cause the Canon GL2 to encounter FireWire link problems when linked to a personal computer. The application's settings can be at fault in these instances, so make sure the program's default interface feature is set to DV-NTSC and that its device control preset is set to FireWire. If these settings are in place and you still experience problems, remove and reinstall the application to see if this resolves the issue.
Considerations
Because the Canon GL2 is an older model, it is more likely to experience technical difficulties when it comes to its data transfer features, such as FireWire. If your troubleshooting efforts are not successful, check the computer's FireWire drivers to see if they are up to date. Access the computer's Device Manager interface menu to update the drivers by right-clicking on the FireWire port driver item and then choosing the "Update Driver" option.
Tags: personal computer, external hard drive, after using, camcorder personal, camcorder personal computer