If you already have all the cables you need for the FW 400 devices and just need to adapt the FW800 to FW400 at the computer to start the chain, this little $12 adapter does a great job:
moshi FireWire 800 to 400 adapter (on Amazon) http://tinyurl.com/2f4y3dy It's what I use for my FW400 connection off the Mac Mini. One thing I've found with the Mac Mini compared to my PowerMac G5 is that Apple has invested heavily into USB 2.0 optimization. Where on the G5 a USB 2.0 device couldn't even remotely approach the performance of the same device connected via FW400, now the USB2 device are at near-parity and sometimes edge out the FW400 connection. FW still has an advantage on sustained high-volume throughput and has features lacking in USB2 (multi-master, more reliable power, etc), but I have no problems using either of these two interfaces now when optimizing data transfers and doing image processing. FW800 on suitably well engineered devices, of course, out-performs USB2 and FW400 but I haven't found I need to upgrade all of my drive enclosures: current performance is quite satisfactory for still photography work. On Mon, Dec 20, 2010 at 7:54 AM, Mat Maessen <tomatoe...@gmail.com> wrote: > On Mon, Dec 20, 2010 at 10:46 AM, Paul Stenquist > <pnstenqu...@comcast.net> wrote: >> My iMac 27 has only a firewire 800 port, and I still have some firewire 400 >> devices. Can they be >> plugged into the firewire 800 port? If so, I would guess that cables that >> accomplish this are >> available? Any info on this is most appreciated. > > Yes, your FW400 devices will work off of a FW800 port. > > See http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10301 > for examples of cables. What you want is a 9 pin to 6 pin or a 9 pin > to 4 pin cable, depending on what type of device you're connecting. > > -Mat > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > PDML@pdml.net > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. > -- Godfrey godfreydigiorgi.posterous.com -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
