Using a DV camera to import tapes from another DV camera to desktop

[bge20]

A friend made a tape with their MiniDV camera. My Camera (Sony DCR TRV950) can play back these tapes. But, when I try to use firewire to import them to my Mac (have tried iMovie 2008 and Final Cut Pro) no video arrives on the Mac. I can use the Mac transport controls to play, rewind etc on the camera, but no video actually makes it back down the cable to the computer.

I've gone back and played tapes recorded on this camera, and those import fine - it seems just to be tapes from my friend's camera.

Is there anything I can do about this? There are only two tapes and I could go to a transfer service, but it seems a bit of a waste when this camera ought to be able to handle this...

[edDV]

A friend made a tape with their MiniDV camera. My Camera (Sony DCR TRV950) can play back these tapes. But, when I try to use firewire to import them to my Mac (have tried iMovie 2008 and Final Cut Pro) no video arrives on the Mac. I can use the Mac transport controls to play, rewind etc on the camera, but no video actually makes it back down the cable to the computer.

I've gone back and played tapes recorded on this camera, and those import fine - it seems just to be tapes from my friend's camera.

Is there anything I can do about this? There are only two tapes and I could go to a transfer service, but it seems a bit of a waste when this camera ought to be able to handle this...

It should work. Do you know the friend's camcorder model? Might it be a PAL vs NTSC issue? Was LP mode used?
Can you try a different computer?