Connections to Macbook (13 inch late 2009

[Alan J]

I'm trying to connect a camcorder to Macbook for iMovie import. There is no Firewire port. What I thought was a Thunderbolt port and after buying an adaptor for Thunderbolt to Firewire, it seems not to be a Thunderbolt port. After hours of searching the internet it seems a Thunderbolt port has a lightening icon, whereas mine has an oblong icon against it?
System report shows a Thunderbird port but there doesn't seem to be one?
I tried connecting the camera to the USB, but still no success.
The camera connects fine on my sons Macbook Air.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

Thunderbolt and Mini DisplayPort ports are identical physically, but differ in functionality. Mini DisplayPort ports are only for displays, while Thunderbolt ports also can transmit data to HDs and other devices, as well as displays. Your MacBook Pro 13" has a Mini DisplayPort, so the Thunderbolt to FireWire adapter will not work with it. Your son's MBA probably has a Thunderbolt port with the lightning bolt.

System Report will have the Thunderbolt category, but yours should show:

Thunderbolt: No hardware was found.

Sorry for the bad news,

C