Connect Video Camera to VGN-AR31E

[rawprawn]

Sorry for the silly question but how do I do this, I asked the salesman if it had Firewire and he said yes, but I can't find the port.

[rawprawn]

OK, another question. Is Sony ILink exactly the same as my ordinary firewire? I have been looking on the net and have a suspision that the connection to the computer is slightly different, which would account for me not being able to find it.

[davemee]

Hi, RawPrawn.

There are two types of Firewire connector, 4-pin and 6-pin. 6-pin is the big, chunky one, and provides power down the wire. Sony ship the 4-pin smaller socket, which lacks power. You can get adapters to convert a 4 to a 6 pin socket and vice versa, but if the device is expecting power via a 6-pin cable and you plug the other end into a 4-pin socket, obviously, it's not going to work.

For cameras, it's fine. For external drives, it's a bit annoying; I have a few drives where FW would provide enough power for it, but cos sony use this annoying 4-pin slot, I have to install an external power socket as well. Strangely, every PC laptop I've had with firewire has insisted on the 4-pin version. I wish they'd sort it out.

[Blencogo]

Hi rawprawn,

Davemee is right - all laptops, including your Vaio, only have a 4-pin S400 i.Link port.

Inside the flap on the right of your AR-Series Vaio, it is the small rectangular port to nearest to the front of the Vaio.