Mini DV vs. Digital 8
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Lee Mitchell | Can anyone tell me the pros and cons of the Digital 8 format versus Mini DV? |
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Anonymous | mini dv is better than digital 8 |
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Lee Mitchell | Why do you say mini dv is better? From what I've read the resolution is the same in both formats. Digital 8 cameras are basically less expensive, tapes cost about half as much, and the cameras can play both Hi-8 and regular 8mm tapes shot in analog format. So the question remains: What are the pros and cons? |
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Anonymous | From what I've read, digital 8 is a SONY proprietary(sp?) format. So if this doesn't catch on then you're stuck with the cam. Also, the speed is increased when recording so, a 90 min tape will only record 45 min. |
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Lee Mitchell | There is another manufacturer that makes Digital 8 cameras. Hitachi I think, but I'm not sure. Anyway you're never stuck with a D8 camera because Sony isn't going out of the 8mm/Hi8 business, so you willl always have plenty of tape to use the camera. The bottom line is that there is no difference in picture quality. I shot an event with my Sony D8 ($799 camera) and a friend shot the same event on the same day with his top of the line 3 chip mini DV ($3000 plus camera). We looked at the tapes together and even he agreed that we couldn't see a difference in quality between the 2 cameras. The main differences are in the features, the prices, and how you're going to use the cameras. One of the best comparisons I've seen is in Epinions by a fellow named dkozinn. You can link from this site to |
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| Even though on theory the picture resolution are almost the same on both digital 8 and mini DV, in most of the tests, the mini DV always have more resolution than digital 8. On the TV form 20 tto 27 inches you may not see the different, on the larger TV, you will. The cost of mini DV tapes now is more reasonable than before. Most digital 8 camcaoder is larger, bulky and heavier than mini DV and does not have all the features than mini DV have, so you have to consider many difference factors when you decide to buy one, I would go with the mini DV option, I thinh in about 2 years, the digital 8 will be obsolete and gone. I have a brand new Canon Optura mini DV, the best that Canon make that I don't have the use for, if you interested, drop me a line to my email at lamhonguyen@hotmail.com Any way, whatever you decide, I hope you get the right camcorder that you looking for.... |
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| Mini DV is better in the sense that is used all higher professional levels. It's supposed that the cartridge is managed in a more professional way and else maintaining always a better contact with the heads and traction pins. In fact if you look at there are some professional and semi broadcast cameras that use this cassette or some similar one. Any way try to get one with the highest quantity of pixels you can. Resolution is much better |
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Photog | Digital 8 was devised as a bridge to get 8mm owners over to the dv side. Sony will very soon be wiping it's hands of anything other than dv and mini dv. Resolution is the same on cameras with the same chip (CCD) set. Step up to a better chip, or better yet, 3 CCD and you're in a whole new ball game. Put your money in 3 ccd, industrial grade (barely any more money), and marvel at the quality. |
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Anonymous | In my experience, the MiniDV format surpasses the Digital 8 format to a certain degree. On a standard, midrange Digital 8 the picture quality is visualy exactly the same as that of a standard, midrange MiniDV, however MiniDV has one feature that I have as of yet to see on a Digital 8 camcorder-Progressive Scan frames. This feature gives your videos a much more professional look when watched on a television monitor, as it appears quite similar to motion picture film. This is the only real difference I can see between the two different formats, so if you can find a camera with Progressve Scan mode, get it.....it's worth the extra bucks. |
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K Khan | I guess Mini DV should be right choice to make if you do not have lot of old Hi8 or 8mm video tapes. The diffrence in price of both types of cameras is little but features in a Mini DV are worth having. i.e. titles, video effects etc  |
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the electriconics omnipotent | Mini dv and digital 8 cameras are very similar if you want features and low $ go with digital 8 , if you want size go with minidv |
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Anonymous | Is it possible to transfer hi8 footage direct from your digital8 camera to a PC? |
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Lee Mitchell | In reply to the March 10, 2003 message "Is it possible to transfer hi8 footage direct from your digital8 camera to a PC?" I would say yes although I never done it per se. The reason I say yes is that I have copied VHS footage onto Hi-8 tape in a Digital 8 camera using the analog inputs on the camera. Then I captured the footage on the computer using a firewire connection from the Digital 8 camera to the computer. You still need to have capture/editing software to do it. |
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Dave Baker | In reply to March 10,2003 message: "Is it possible to transfer hi8 footage direct from your digital8 camera to a PC?" The answer is ABSOLUTELY! THAT'S WHY I BOUGHT A SONY DIGITAL-8 CAMCORDER. Just stick a hi8 tape into the camcorder and run play (or do that cable patch Lee described). The camera (I have a trv730) digitizes the analog Hi-8 tapes on the fly right into the PC via firewire connection (usb1 isn't fast enough bandwidth). So make sure you have a firewire connection on the camcorder and the PC! If you need one, You can buy a firewire/USB2 board for the PC for about $80. But, as Lee said, you gotta have video editing software - try Pinnacle vers 8... have fun |
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Bob Erickson | I'm more impressed with canon's line of consumer level MiniDV cameras compared to the Sony D8's. The sony's are missing manual controls, and shotting modes that the canon ZR70 has. Like one mode that interests me is the portrait mode, you know like having the subject in focus and the background blurred, i see a lot of that in professional movies. But anyways miniDV sounds like it would be easier to work with, I'm really starting to get into digital video editing and trying to make an interesting short film. But I guess if you're just into taking movies of the family and vacation and stuff then I don't think it would matter whether you're using D8 or MiniDV. |
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Buying a Camcorder 1st time ever | I m about to buy a camcorder can anyone give me a recommendation between High 8 or mini DV. I am more oriented towards price and quality but I am looking for a best value deal. So Brands, models , high 8 or Dv will be uselful tips... Thks |
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Derek | Forget High-8. For the same money you can get a digital camcorder. JVC and Panasonic sell DV cameras for under $500. There are only three reasons to buy Digital-8 - real 25x zoom, to save $100 and to keep using a large stock of [your] existing 8mm tapes. D8 and DV look exactly the same because Sony has specified the exact same encoding. If there are any differences, it would have to do with the quality of the lenses. Canon and Sony are the only companies that use Optical Image Stabalization. A liquid filled prism moves and bends the light to keep the picture stable. Most manufacturers crop the middle of the image sensors picture and move it around. This lowers resolution and degrades picture quality. Hitachi's D8 MAY also do this if they still make it. Sonys are also known for being able to see in the dark. They have A/V in that allows you to convert any A/V source to DV and Firewire. The newest D8s can also stream video to the USB port as a web cam and most have Memory Stick ports. Sony just introduced whole lines of smaller D8 and DV camcorders. The D8 model 250 is only $399. The Canon low end models have more manual controls as Bob said above. They usually have sleaker bodies too and of cource DV camcorders are smaller. Hope this helps. |
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AD | I'm just beginning to look for a digital camcorder. I have one question regarding Mini DV's. How do you hook these up to view on a TV? I don't have a digital TV, and I didn't know if that makes a difference. I can easily see how I could hook it up to my computer through my USB, but wasn't sure about view them on my TV. |
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Derek | There is a small multi-connector on [I would imagine] all camcorders that outputs stereo audio composite and S-Video. Without these, no one would be able to send Grandma' a copy. |
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Warpiper | Hi, I have bought a Samsung SCD 180 mini dv camcorder as an upgrade from my sony trc-600 Hi8 camcorder. I had chose to not go with sony due to the bad experience I had with my last one, (my hi8 was fixed 7 times for the same reason due to manufacture defect and sony did not replace it)...any way, I love this little camera, it only costed $499. USD and has all the features I need, no night shot (but who needs that anyway) I was wondering if anyone else has had any experience with the Samsung SCD 180 as its been hard to find reviews, also, what is your favorite editing package? |
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Anonymous | I have a Sony DCR-TRV350 it came with and USB adaptor for my PC. With it I can record directly to any Video Software Editor. My question is, What diference will make if I use the firewire cable to capture my videos? There is any? Thanks! |
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| Hi There; I want to know is it possible to use a Wide angle lens accesory with Sony TRV-19 or TRV-22? |
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Anonymous | i am trying to video tape a golf swing. I already have a digital 8 camera from Sony. I need something that can capture more frames than the camera that I have currently. How do I figure out which camera can record how many frames each camera can record in its maximum resolution? |
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Derek | Have you tried the high-speed shutter on your cammera. I have an old Sony Hi-8 camcorder with manual controls and I can set shutters speeds as high as 1/10,000 of a seccond. Finding a camera that captures more than the standard 30 frames per seconds... I know Canon makes some camcorders that capture progressive scan video. You must watch the video on a progressive scan monitor. The cameras will convert it back to interlaced on a regular TV JVC just introduced the JY-HD10U that records up to 720P it's not cheap but beyond that your going to have to find some expensive scientific high-speed capture camera to do what you want. Hope this helps. |
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| Is it possible to copy from a hi8 tape to a minidv tape by connecting a digial 8 camera to a minidv camera? is it also possible to play hi-8 tapes on a mini dv camcorder? |
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Rena Verma | I have read all that goes for & against mini dv vs. d8 camcorders. We intend to buy one soon. What I want to know is which is the best mid range mini dv going around? And also, is Sony usually the best buy? I have heard some complaints about defective pieces from Sony & the hassles that go with it. Please advise. RV. |
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| AD and Anon- The USB connection on most digital camcorders is for still photos and low res Mpegs only. The newer sonys can transfer video through USB but at lower than full res because the bandwidth is too low. The miniplug to RCA cable should have been in the box or you can get a monster version with or without s-video. Firewire allows for digital transfer to the computer or some standalone DVD recorders. Being a digital signal there is no loss from source to destination, hence better picture and sound. Daphne- Yes to recording D8 to MiniDV. No to playing hi-8 on anything except Hi-8 cam, D-8 cam or Hi-8 VCR. Rena- the only advantage I can see with D-8 is comapatibility with 8MM and Hi-8. So if you are upgrading and have lots of 8 Mil tapes then D-8 could be a good solution for you. Sony intended D-8 as a bridge piece for people who wanted digital but didn't want to abandon their old equipment and tapes. MiniDV is superior in quality, versatility, size and weight, only loosing a few points for shorter tapes (80 minutes versus 90 on D-8). For those of you who think that D-8 is equal, well maybe, but it will be abandoned before too long in the face of HDTV cams (JCV's currently also use MiniDV) Sony is good but so are JVC, Panasonic, Canon and Sharp. JVC seems to be a very good value right now. |
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| im planning to buy sony trv450a d-8 cam corder. i just want an opinion...is it worth buying this camcorder? can i still get hi-8 tape in the future??? |
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| Just purchased an Optura 20 and was wondering why Canon can get 16X telephoto capability when Sony can only achieve 10X in most of its mini DV cameras? I am very interested in telephotography and the sales person pushed me hard toward the Canon. I have always had Sony cameras in the past and for some reason feel a bit uncomfortable with my decision to buy the Canon. Any reassurance would be appreciated. Thanks |
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Anonymous | I plan to buy Panasonic MD9000EN camcorder - shoulder-type camcorder to record wedding ceremony etc. but Sony 355 D8 seems rich in features. Pls advice. |
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Anonymous | ?{?ony TRV350 at Crutchfield's a couple of months ago...around $380, I think. I couldn't be more pleased. I am one of the folks who has lots of old 8mm tapes and at the price, this is the perfect match for me. I am doing some video editing on my PowerBook using Firewire for transfer. It's seamless...couldn't be easier. Plus - built-in A/D conversion. I can play my old analog tapes and output them in digital format via firewire, then edit them just like normal digital files on the Macintosh. What's not to like? Resolution is great and not just on small sets...files play beautifully on my 42" plasma set. Sure it would be nice to have HDTV quality, but at 5' from a plasma screen I really can't tell the difference between the D8 and an HDTV signal. |
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Anonymous | If you had a choice between a Sony DCR-TRV250 Digital 8 Camcorder and a JVC GR-D30 Mini Dv Camcorder... which way would you go? I am torn. I have had good luck with Sony products in the past. The features I like on the Sony are the light, the Steadyshot and the nightshot features. But JVC is Mini Dv which seems to be the way of the future. There are pleny of reviews on the Sony but none of the JVC. Has anyone used the JVC? Any comments much appreciated. |
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Anonymous | I bought a TRV-250 to dump some D8 and Hi8 mixed footage for editing, but returned it the same day. Although it has some nice features, and good image quality, the 250 DOES NOT play back Hi8, nor 8mm tapes, which is curious if Sony's marketing is calling D8 a bridge product. It also lacks, as do many camcorders in that range, any audio inputs, so if you want to connect a better mic or input from a sound source, you can't. The D30 JVC Mini-DV also lacks audio input. The Sony DCR-TRV350 will play back all forms of 8mm, and also has audio inputs. If, as others have said, you have a lot of content on the older 8 formats, you could go with the 350. If not, I would also agree with other opinions that mini-Dv is the format, at least until the next format comes along. Cheers, T. Johnson Broadcast Electronics Technician |
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Derek | WHOA! That's good information. I was under the impression that the only real difference was the Memory Stick More information van be found... |
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| I got Digital 8 Sony TRV250 i think is the best, you can ride off that 8mm tapes trasnfering your videos on the pc and burning on DVDs, if the camera dies you got your dvds with your videos. Why do you need a Mini DV if you can save your videos on DVD with no loss quality using the firewire conection that sony offers on their Digital 8 camcorders. Cheap camera, cheap tapes, same quality and chance to save you videos on DVD. |
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| hello friends... i want to buy a camcorder/digital camera ---i can pay up to 600 euros but i need bothe functionalities .is there camcorders available that can be used to take digital pictures with good resolution say 1200 somthing......what abt this DV and digital 8 |
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Anonymous | Need an expert's professional opinion on following. I make traditional, chemical emulsion slides of oil paintings using 35 mm and 120 film with tripod. Am still hearing big debate that no digital process, even 14 megapixel cameras, can capture as much color/sharp focus information as traditional film. As final goal is to have ability to project images during Art History lectures with MAXIMUM color/sharp focus detail even on tight zooms, are there any breakthroughs regarding super resolution photography whether large pixel digital cameras, Digital 8 camcorders, Mini DV cams. My goal is to create images with the highest resolution possible. NOTE: so far I haven't discovered anything better than traditional film but I am sometimes in situations where it is not possible to use a tripod which allows me to use slow shutter speeds that capture mega amounts of information. Also, what information projection breakthroughs exist (super pro digital projectors) to work with the various information capturing options mentioned) Any answers to above will be most appreciated. |
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Derek | The biggest advantage of Digital cameras over film cameras is the almost instant gratification of digital imagers. I your case this has the advantage of allowing you to make corrections before you take the picture. I am sure you have seen people taking pictures in full auto-mode at sporting events or concerts and seeing the flash go off. Now, we all know that flash will not get to the subject and back to the camera in time for the picture. But with digital, you can see the subject as it would be recorded, if you press the shutter button - kind of like a video camera. Imagine taking pictures of the moon or fireworks with a $300 digital camera. I'm not knocking film but you MAY be able to take better pictures if you can make corrections before making a recording. Digital also allows easier, reversable, no loss manipulations because the image is nothing but numbers once digitized (Ahem, audio's the same way). Digital pictures don't degrade over time and the pictures seem to be more consistant for the average user. One problem with digital imaging is - Taking a 14 Megapixle "photo" is easy - displaying it for a large group of people is another story. Most people with multi-megapixle camera let computers scale the pictures to fit the screen. The result - they are actually seeing about 1/4 of the pixle. I have an an older 2 megapixle Olympus C-520 so I must run at 1600x1200 to see my images. IBM makes the highest resolution display I know of at 3840x2400 (See Last year digital cameras outsold film cameras (DVDs just outsold VCRs too). Digital will eventually replace film, but not for the work you are trying to do - Yet. Also see: http://www.foveon.com http://www.dpreview.com http://www.imaging-resource.com http://megapixel.net/ http://www.steves-digicams.com Hope this helps |
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Anonymous | Dear Derek: Just checked board to see if anyone replied to my posting searching for a professional's opinion on several questions regarding image capturing and I was amazed by your expertise and all the trouble you went to in your effort to supply a very complete response. Will check out the links you posted and many thanks. As you appear to be one of the few people I have encountered who seems to understand my imaging goals and is also apparently an expert, perhaps you could answer the following: I have been reading countless articles and user comments on what is the best 5 five or higher megapixel digital camera for my purposes in the $ 1,000 to $ 2,000 range. For example if you go to "Dave's Picks List" at Imaging-Resource.com he mentions among others: Minolta Dimage 7i (7Hi)-w/7x optical zoom, the Nikon Coolpix 5700, the Olympus Camedia C-5050, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F717, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-V1, and the Sony Mavica MVC-CD500. The big problem is that when you start to research user comments you find that where one person swears that his choice has the most perfect focusing ability on the planet, another user will post a comment that he/she found the focus on that same camera soft, fuzzy, erratic, or undependable. Same story on zoom, color fidelity and all other possible camera features. Sometimes the defending and attacking postings are so diametrically opposed I wonder if they are not being put up by the camera makers themselves in some kind of never ending war for market share. As you understand my objectives on my July 5 posting, can you (or is there an expert you know of) who really can say definitively and scientifically objectively (putting personal preferences aside) which 5 plus mega pixel camera has the best razor sharp focus and color fidelity in the roughly stated, plus or minus $ range. Obviously high or low camera repair record should be a factor. Also ease of camera use for people who may not be as expert as you. I cannot tell you how hard it has been to pin down an answer regarding the above. Again, many, many thanks for all your time and trouble Derek. |
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Derek | Well, after all of the kudos you have given me I hate to disapoint you by saying I don't know but I don't. I chose my camera because of its accuracy at the time. I consider the tests at http://www.dpreview.com/ to be the most revieling. Thier tests compare a reviewed camera with the best of the breed and not just give you a "4 star" type rating. The cameras and companies you mention above are [in my oppinion] THE best companies under $1000. Open two reviews up at the same time and the better cameras will bubble to the surface. Some cameras have fast focus. Some have good ISO sensetivity. Some have very low noise. Some have good auto-white balance. Some have very low chromatic aberrations (very important to you). You my friend are looking for an instrument - accuracy above all else. Also try the Comparometer at http://www.imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP/CDISPLAY.HTM also. It is VERY usefull. Good luck on your quest. |
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| Hello All, I would appreciate if I get some information as to what should be considered in buying a CamCorder. My price range is 500$. Is there a best bet purchase on a brand that I can get for this price which can be used for long time in the future. Please let me know asap so that i can get this for my florida vacation. Thanks |
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Derek | It all depends. If you are a beginner and don't want to be bothered with manual controls, I would say good autofocus and good white balance in a small package. These two features will prevent you from having the blurry green/purple video that most people get. I would definately look at the optical image stabalization done by Sony and Canon. Everyone elso use electronic image stabalization which is not as good. Don't be swayed by features like seeing in the dark, build-in lights, digital camera functions and memory cards. They wont do you much good in Florida and will detract from other areas of a $500 camcorder. $500 is just enough to take you from Digital-8 to Mini-DV. The tapes cost more but the cameras are smaller. See http://www.camcorderinfo.com or https://www.ecoustics.com/photography/camcorder/ Hope this helps. |
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| Hi! I have Sony DCR-TRV340 D8 and easely kick out any MiniDV camera..... ???? Why???? Because my brother has a Panasonic PV-GS70 MiniDV and only has x10 optical zoom vs Sony's x25 OPTICAL zoom. We film three scenes at same time, indoor, outdoor running and total darkness. Indoor: Same quality on 29" TV, zooming objects Sony's camera obtain closer and cleary images than Panasonic's, the sony lens are 2.5 to 62.5 and panasonic lens are 3.6 to 36, then sony lens accept film objets closer than panasonic and have more zoom power. Taking pictures, panasonic beats sony, 1280 x 960 vs 640 x 480 but, sony lens helps to obtain better definition on distant objects. Outdoor running: Simply press REC and run, the sony image stabilizer was more efective than panasonic, even zooming !!! I accept panasonic have better autofocus when we walk, but not when we run at full speed. Total Darkness: Simply turn off lamps at 11:00 PM and film, sony can film and panasonic not!!!. Check the following math formula: TRV340= 449.00 USD and PV-GS70= 849.00 USD Then: PV-GS70= TRV340 + 4 MegaPix Digital Photo Camera 2280 x ?? pix (I mean 400.00 USD) or PV-GS70= TRV340 + 40 D8 Video Tapes (D8 Tape = 10.00 USD or 40 x 60min = 40 hours of DIGITAL film). Want more??? Ok. Unless never in your life was filmed on 8mm tape, you don't need D8. But if you have a bunch of 8mm or Hi8 tapes and you want make VCD, SVCD o DVD or simply have a back-up on your PC at HALF of cost.... the election is very simple ... buy a D8 camera. I know MiniDV is the FUTURE, but I buy one when MiniDV have better lens, better prices, better nigthshoot or, at least the same things that I have at PRESENT. Please tell me why I must pay DOUBLE to obtain only HALF of things. By the way, TRV340 can work as I/O Digital Video Capture Card.... you can pass from VCR-camera-PC and PC-camera-VCR..... on the fly !!!!!!! Don't need record on D8 Tape !!!!! Remember "Some times cheaper things results expensive, but expensive things always are expensive" Bye. Francisco |
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Ian | I'm also deciding between a digital 8 and Mini DV. Is Samsung any good? Currys have a Mini DV Samsung for £349. There are MICRO DVs out now.. what next?! |
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| I have a sony D-8 camcorder. I got it off of ebay. It has worked out fine for me. I have a friend with a DV camcorder and I can only see a litte bit of difference in quality. If anything, the DV is a little better, but when I bought it, a lot more expensive. The sony D-8 has been great. I use Pinnacle studio 8 to edit, but personally I don't like it very much. I am upgrading to Avid in around 2 months. So Ian, its really up to you about what camcorder to get. I have a question. I am getting avid xpress DV and it says DV only, but I am thinking that D-8 would work too beacuse it is basically the same format. Does anyone know the answer to this? |
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D. Smith | I want to use a mini DV as a web cam. Is this smart? Is this possible? I've noticed on Messenger, if I use the camcorder it is a video conference and you can't see someone with a web cam...seems strange. I'll be using iVisit though for most things. |
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Derek | See |
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Jane | I have a digital 8 tape recorded in Germany on a Sony Digital 8 PAL camera. If I directly transfer this to a Sony Mini DV camera (US Model) will the new tape be in Digital NTSC format ? |
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| Yes you can use mini Dv and or D8 as a web cam. I have done it by utilizing the s-video analog output from my Sony TRV120 fed thru an inexpensive converter (Dazzle Digital Photo Maker model DM-5000)to USB then the webcam software "sees" it properly, also you could use this (mac or PC for See-U-seeme video confrence). |
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Steve | Just a quick question, is miniDV just as easy to put into premiere as Digital 8 is? thanks |
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Derek | They are exactly the same. |
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Vijay | I am planning to buy either a Digital 8 or a DV camera. My problrm is that since I am in india, I will be recording in PAL format. After 1 year I plan to move to the US. So will it be possible to make DVD's and still see the PAL recordings in the US. |
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vidkid | as long as you get a digital camera you can make your dvd's in pal or ntsc it will depend on the software used. some have a pal option in the setings. you might need to get new software if it dosen,t have this option. "ntsc and pal" are analog standards. so don't use an analog camera and you will be ok. |
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vidkid | in reply to "I have a digital 8 tape recorded in Germany on a Sony Digital 8 PAL camera"... there is no such thing as "digital ntsc" if you transfer the tape without decoding it to analog. you should be able to play it back. from the analog output of the "US miniDV". the signal is turned into pal or ntsc at the d/a converter,depending who made the camcorder. |
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Anonymous | how about scotty NO lets just look at this in this point of view...who makes more money??? whats your favorite?? who cares..what sells is what sells means who cares? |
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Anonymous | freinds don't let freinds "drink and POST" |
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| DV avd D8 the track on the TAPE is the SAME.... the D8 tape is wider thats all....still each camera is different but the track on D8 is the same. If you have old Hi8/video8 tapes buy a SONY D8 some models will convert these to a DV stream for MAC/PC no analogue capture card needed. |
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| Is there such a thing as a Mini Dv adapter that would allow you to use a VCR to play a mini DV tape? And if you used that vcr to upload the tape to your pc, would there be a loss of quality. Thanks |
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Derek | No, there is no such adapter. If you want perfect copies of your footage, use the firewire jack on your DV camera instead of passing it through a VCR.. |
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Vijay | You say there is no digital PAL or Digital NTSC. Agreed, sounds very logical. But sony mentions in their product catalogue (model DCR-VX2000E) as: Pal: CCD 450,000 * 3 CCD (400,000 effective pixels) NTSC: CCD 380,000 * 3 CCD (340,000 effective pixels) Why the difference in pixels if the original recording is digital and neither in PAL nor in NTSC |
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Anonymous | Hey, Does anyone know what the best way to convert my old digital 8 tapes to mini dv? Is firewire the best for copying from camera to camera? What about S video? Is the sound lost when copying? Thanks. |
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Anonymous | Vijay, vidkid's answer is not totally correct. Yes, NTSC and PAL are always analog signals and DV is obviously digital, and while there is no such thing as a digital NTSC signal or a digital PAL signal, there are most definately two different DV streams used for NTSC and PAL. NTSC and PAL, as you have surmised, have completely different resolutions, pixel aspects, and frame rates. http://www.adamwilt.com/DV-tech.html |
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| I am going to buy either a Sony TRV250 or the Canon ZR60. I am a teen and want to tape basic stuff and do basic editing on my computer. I was wondering which to buy. I want something that will last and has some good features and effects. I also was wondering what kind of Firewire card I should buy and what editing software. The software doesn't have to be too good, but can capture video, add basic effects (add music, add words, create titles words, and edit layout/order of video clips). If you would please help and answer any of my questions. PLEASE. |
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pd3d7 | Also is the JVC GR-D90 any good? |
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pd3d7 | Sorry one more thing... I want something that is rugid because i will be taping stuff like skateboarding, snowboarding and skiing. Thanks again. |
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Derek | Be aware that the 250 CANNOT convert 8mm to firewire, Also see http://www.camcorderinfo.com for lots of camcorder information. Hope this helps. |
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Alice Gutenkauf | What do you know about Digital format Movies in the Movie Theaters versus the standard format - which is better, if one has a choice between a film such as Master & Commander shown on a regular screen as opposed to the same movie in Digital format which would be better to see? |
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| HELP!!! What is the easiest way to convert a Sony MiniDV to DVD/VCD and be able to play in on my home DVD player? Thankyou very much!!! Peter > |
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Anonymous | My Sony 8mm recently died and I have many 8mm tapes of family events. I've decided to get Samsung SCL860 Hi8 camera instead of Sony TRV350 Digital8. The most part is cost and second is cost vs technology in playing and recording 8mm tapes while saving and waiting for digital prices to come down. I bought Samsung SCL860 for $210. Those Digital8 and MiniDV are out of my price range. IMO anything above 350 lines of resolution is very good for majority of TV sets out there. Only if you have digital TV then get the MiniDV cameras. It's like buying the best digital camera and have a crappy video card or monitor or printer. Sooner than later you have to show it somewhere. |
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Anonymous | I recently bought the Sony TRV-19 MiniDv camcorder. Can someone please tell me how to transfer my videos onto my computer,without losing quality. Also what program I can use to edit my videos, and burn them on DVD |
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Derek | You will need a firewire connection if you don't want to loose quality. Use Microsoft Movie maker II. It's free. Pinnacle Systems and Ulead make better products starting at around $50. |
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| Hello question from Granny Connie I love my Mavica FD81 have taken many pic's of family with this camera with no problems, takes beautiful pic's now all my pictures are purple, mauve colored not just the fringes the whole picture anybody know what might be wrong? Can't afford a new camera. any help would be very appreciated. thankyou Granny Connie |
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Anonymous | Would anyone tell me if it is possible to download the movies from a Mini Dv to edit on a PC and if so, do we get a software for that with the Mini DV pack? |
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Derek | You will need a firewire connection (card) if you don't want to loose quality. Use Microsoft Movie maker II. It's free. Pinnacle Systems and Ulead make better products starting at around $50. |
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Vijay | Most of the Sony cameras are pre-set for recording at 12 bit audio and have the option of changing it to 16 bit audio. The manual just says that the 12 bit audio has "two stereo tracks" and 16 bit audio has "one stereo track with high quality". Can somebody tell me what are the advantages of each and which one is better if I intend to make DVD's later on. Thanks |
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Joe | I am planning to buy a camcoder, possibly a Digital8. Would anyone tell me if it is possible to download and edit the movies from it on to a PC by using a USB cable? If not what software and accessories do we need for that? |
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Patrick B. Chin | I Am Planning Also To Buy A Digital Camcorder. Sony Brand. my Price Range Is Only $500. With Manual Controls And Proffesional Quality Any Suggestions Will Be Nice. D-8 Or DV??? Help Pls. |
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Sword9 | Vijay, The cameras that allow you to record in 12 bit format are recording 2 stereo tracks. This is 4 different tracks of audio. The camera records the audio to tracks 1&2 when shooting, and then later, if you wanted, you could add addition sounds to this recording on tracks 3&4. Back in the old home film movie camera days, this function was called "sound on sound". When the four tracks are played back, tracks 1&3 are mixed to the left, and tracks 2&4 are mixed to output on the right. 12 bit recording is a lesser digital audio format than 16 bit when it comes to quality. In the 16 bit mode, you get two channels of audio, one that goes to the left and one that goes to the right. This audio will not "clip out" or distort as easily as the 12 bit recording and will have less noise and "fuzzyness" to the sound. It's much easier to add in other sounds in the editing process after the footage has been shot, so I'd never suggest the 12 bit mode. You can only use 2 tracks at a time anyways and the 16 bit sounds better. Hope that helps. |
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JOE | I am planning to buy a camcoder, possibly a Digital8. Would anyone tell me if it is possible to download and edit the movies from it on to a PC by using a USB cable? If not what software and accessories do we need for that? |
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Peter | About transferring DV movie to DVD without losing quality: there is no such thing. The DVD uses MPEG2 format which is at least 4 times more compressed than the AVI format used by the DV camcorder. Probably professional $2-3k software and a network of computers working all night would do a good job but anything that you can try at home degrades the quality. I tried "double pass" software, it takes 40 minutes to encode an 1 minute clip, and the results are not great. Well, I am watching my home videos on a 55" HD-ready TV set. The best solution seems to record the edited movie back on the tape. Does anybody know about a decent $200-300 DV player (that can only play DV tapes, not a camcorder)? |
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MIGUEL Unregistered guest | the Sony TRV350 uses a m series battery, is there anyway possible to adapt an l series to this unit? |
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Unregistered guest | I was bought a JVC a camcorder GR-D90u. I don't Know if I can transfer my movie record into on my PC. What soft I need, becouse the camcorder soft CD is only for picture! |
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Terry Unregistered guest | Just discovered this site via a google search. Perhaps someone can help me with a problem I've got. I have some old Video8 tapes, which I am considering having transferred to DVD. The original camcorder was a Canon E50/E51 8mm Camera and recorder that no longer functions. I want to archive some of the video in a more modern format hence DVD but also to take some stills from the footage for a project. It seems from what I've read that I might buy a SONY DCR-TRV350 and should be able to play the Video8 tapes and transfer the video directly into my computer also making a DVD via the computer and take some screenshots from one or the other for the project. Does anyone think or know if this is feasible? Thanks in advance. |
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Vijay Unregistered guest | I have heard that writing a DVD involves compression of data and hence clarity loss. Is this true? If it is so then what is the best method for storing video files without loss in image quality. Can it be stored as avi files or some other format? |
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Erik Unregistered guest | I just bought a TRV-350, since I have an existing library of Hi8 tapes. I've been very happy with it so far. The low light shooting is excellent, and the sony infrared feature is pretty cool to tinker with. Another feature that sold me on this camcorder was the 16 X 9 mode at full resolution (520 lines). However, I just figured out the image stabilation does not work in 16 X 9 mode. So I'm contemplating returning it for a different model. Has anyone used a good mini dv camcorder that supports full 16 X 9? |
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PanFan Unregistered guest | Terry, I'm same as you. I have a 11 year old Sony that flakes out on me from time to time. I just bought the TRV-318 Sony to do the same as you. This camcorder STINKS!!!! The picture quality is very poor. I have played with it to no end. My 11 year old Sony looks better. Sony's quality is way down. The old sony has a lens cover built in. The zoom is acquired as is the cam/player switch. I could go on but I might start to #$@%@^@&. I would get the Canon fixed. Have you tried a head cleaner cartrigde ($15 at Best Buy). I have to do mine from time to time. The cleaner works better then the $135 repair at Best Buy. They just came out with camcoder that burn right to dvd. They are $1000. Wait and they will come down in price. That makes dv a waste. What ever you think is best, just don't buy Sony! |
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New member Username: GasgiantPost Number: 1 Registered: 01-2004 | In reply to Vijay; Yes, burning video to DVD usually involves compression, and hence data loss. Of course you can save uncompressed images to a computer DVD, but then those images could not play on anyone else's consumer DVD player. Nevertheless, MPEG2 compression, used in DVD making, is a good codec, and the loss is not tremendous. If DVD's did not use compression, they would only be able to play about 20 minutes of video!! |
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Vijay Unregistered guest | Though Hi8 tapes can be used in D8 camearas, Sony still markets a digital 8 tape. Is there any difference related to quality or for that matter in the tape transport speed between a Hi8 and a D8 tape when used in a Digital 8 camera? Thanks |
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Unregistered guest | Let's see if I can clarify this video format situation. I will probably do several posts to get everything in. I am going to get somewhat simplistic to cover as wide an audience as possible. Part I: Video tape resolution! Let's start with a little history. I am explaning the Horizontal resolution for the video formats right now. Of course the higher the resolution the better the video. VHS and 8mm have roughly 220-240 lines of resolution. S-VHS and Hi-8 have roughly 400-420 lines of resolution. Digital8 and MiniDV/DV sport 500 lines of resolution. VHS/S-VHS & 8mm/Hi-8 are analog formats while Digital 8 and the DV formats are purely digital. This is just a general overview of what each format is capable of. I won't get into the details of how each achieves this. Next Part II: Digital 8 Format |
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Unregistered guest | Part II: Digital 8 Format The Digital 8 format is an 8mm format tape based on its 8mm predecessor. Technically it is cabaple of being backwards compatible with the analog 8mm and Hi-8 formats. Wether your camera or tape machine will play the analog format is up to the company that designed it. Currently Sony only has 2 Digital-8 camera models. The less expensive model does not play back 8mm or Hi-8 formats while the more expensive one will play all 8mm formats. Technically the Digital 8 will use any variety of 8mm tape but it is reccomended to use the variety that is designed for Hi-8 or Digital 8 to avoids dropouts (video that looses parts of its picture). This will ensure constant picture quality and no surprises on recorded special moments. Digital 8 runs the tape at twice the speed of analog 8mm to record the large amounts of digital data onto it. So if you buy a 120 minute 8mm tape you will will only get 60 minutes in the digital 8 mode. Digital 8 uses the same digital coding format as MiniDV/DV. This means that the digital signal created by the camera is the same for Digtal8 and for MiniDV/DV. The diference is what kind of tape it is recorded on. **NOTE This refers to the technical theroy between the two formats. Now you may ask, why does MiniDV look better than Digital8? The simple answer is the quality of the camera itself. MiniDV cameras will have better camera sections than that of its Digital8 counterparts. To give a theoretical example. If you recorded information from the same camera onto a Digital8 recorder and a MiniDV recorder the image would be exactly the same. to be continued... |
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Unregistered guest | I'd like to clarify on my last statement a little further to make sure there is no confusion. The camera encodes the video into the DV signal format and then the recorder records that signal. Meaning that if I took the same frame of video from the Digital8 tape and compared it to the same frame of the DV tape it would be the same bit for bit. There would be no further coding or digital manipulation of the signal itself from the recorders or from the player. Again this is in technical theory and many factors affect the quality of the video that you see on your video screen. Next: Part III To choose or not to choose Digital8? |
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kelly Unregistered guest | I'm trying to decide whether to buy a Sony Dcr-Trv460 Digital 8, or a Sony Dcr-Trv22 Mini DV. The main reason for purchasing a new camcorder is because I'm going on an Alaskan cruise. My main concern about the minidv is the optical zoom of 10x. I'm leaning towards the Digital 8 just to get a better zoom. Does anyone have an opinion? |
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Alex Ting Unregistered guest | I've tried capturing video taken from a digital 8 tape via s-video jack to my leadtek tv tuner with capture card into mpeg2. However, when I tried burning them to DVD, the final video is unwatchable. The movie becomes shaky and skippy like as if there were lost frames most evident during panning scenes. Will buying a firewire port solve this? I've burned several DVD none of which produced video anywhere comparable to the original format. What device can I use to capture Digital 8 to PC without picture quality loss comparable to miniDV transfer? Thanks for any help. |
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drhiberd Unregistered guest | I have personally owned both, and Mini-Dv is much better. Clearer picture, etc. |
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Unregistered guest | Hi, I am looking for a mini dv /D8 cam corder any suggestions.? I am inclined to sony mini dv models.I have gone through the all the above Q/A .DO we need this much depth to buy a cam corder? Please all of you put some light ? Thanks in advance NAYAK |
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New member Username: LbmitchePost Number: 1 Registered: Dec-03 | It's been awhile since I kicked off this section in May of 2001. Here are some short replies to the most recent posts: 1. Kudos to Jaime Rivera on the different tape formats. Keep up the good work. 2. Kelly from March 23. Hope you haven't left for Alaska yet. If optical zoom is your main criteria I think you'll be happy with the Digital 8, if all other criteria including price are equal. Though, there's nothing wrong with a 10x optical if you decide on a mini DV. I would think for an Alaska trip you would want the wider panoramic views and closeups wouldn't be the most important criteria. But I'm sure you have your reasons. Don't be fooled by digital zoom though. Since you specifically mentioned optical zoom, I assume you know the difference. Have fun on the trip. 3. Alex from April 16. A firewire transfer from Digital 8 or mini DV to your computer is the way to go. You'll capture in raw AVI format at about 200MB per minute. Edit your clips and save as MPEG-2 for burning to DVD's. A good inexpensive begining program is Arcsoft's Show Biz that comes with some DVD burners. 4. NAYAK from April 20. Read the reviews, decide what features you must have, and buy within your budget. If you're not sure what you're looking for, I don't think you can go wrong with a Sony Mini DV. Just search for the best price you can get. Good luck. |
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Unregistered guest | Hi, Can anyone give a review on the new Canon MV 700 mini DV camcorder ? tia, sg |
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Vijay Chopra Unregistered guest | Well guys, I have a solution for those who want to buy a Mini DV but are stuck with valuable 8 and Hi8 tapes and want to have backward compatibiliy as well. 1. Buy a Mini DV camera of your choice (but make sure it has a digital convert function eg the Sony TRV 22. The TRV 19 does not have it and so won't do.) 2. Borrow a Hi8 camera from a friend or if possible rent it out. 3. Connect the two cameras. Preferably use the S-video out on the Hi8 camera and connect it to the S-video in of the Mini DV camera and connect the audio cable as usual. 4. Set both cameras on vcr. Play the Hi8 camera and start the recording on the Mini DV camera. You will be able to convert all your analog 8 and Hi8 tapes onto Mini DV tapes in DIGITAL QUALITY. 5. Enjoy (and perhaps gift the old 8/Hi8 tapes to the generous friend who lent you the camera.) I wish I had figured it out before I bought a Digital 8. Otherwise I would have definately gone in for the MINI DV |
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Ryan-new-camera-guy Unregistered guest | Hey all, I've gotten into video editing and personal music video making so I've been staring at a lot of digitized video over the last 6 months. I purchased a Canon ZR80 as an intro to dv and noticed two specific things about it that I couldn't live with. 1) Digital Image Stabilization - Basically, the camera locks onto a point so the image is amazingly still however, when you start to pan, the camera needs to let go of the point and catch up to where it is now pointed. In order to not have this transition jumpy as hell, the Canon (and maybe all digital stabilization models) appears to lower the frame rate during the jump to make the transition appear smooth. Almost counter intuitive. 2) When I pan around a room, whenever I pan across an area with a lot of visual data such as a bookcase with many different colors and patterns. The video appears slightly jumpy. It is hard to notice in fact my girlfriend couldn't see what I was talking about until I edited the video in Premier and lowered the playback speed to 20%. The frame rate actually appears to drop in half. I assume this is because the camera simply cannot process that much data and instead of degrading the quality of video, it lowers the number of frames per second that it has to process, thus giving it more time in which to process each frame. If you have a Canon Z80/85/90, try it out. During pans at normal playback speed, the picture seems slightly jumpy and a little "wrong" when panning by "high visual info" items. I took the Canon back, purchased a Digital 8 camera (Sony TRV460) and performed the same tests on it. no frame rate changes at all during playback. The image quality did degrade during the quick pan around the room but I would much rather have that happen that have my frame rate changing all the time on me. It's really annoying and really screws with my video editing. The image stabilization seemed acceptable with no frame rate changes presumably because the Digital 8 uses electronic stabilization as opposed to Digital? End result, I am very pleased with the Digital 8 camera even if it is much larger however, I am buying a used Sony vx1000 at 4:00 today for my "real" video work and I don't expect the Digital 8 to out perform that camera. :o) I would love to hear if anyone else has had or seen these issues with the 1CCD miniDV cameras. -Ryan |
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Unregistered guest | How can i transfer my Hi8 recordings into mini dv format? |
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New member Username: LbmitchePost Number: 3 Registered: Dec-03 | Siddharth: You need a mini dv camera with analog inputs. Then you just connect your Hi 8 camera to the mini dv in the same way you would connect your camera to a TV. Play the Hi 8 and record on the mini dv. I don't know of any mini dv brands offhand that have this capability, but I would guess that they're on the market somewhere. It's a great feature. I've done it from VHS to Digital 8 using this method. . . . Lee |
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K Habers Unregistered guest | I am looking to purchace a digital camcorder for family use. This would include HS football games (fast action and low light), band preformances, vacation trips, special family events etc. Having a good optical zoom is important for the close-ups I want. I own an Olympus 750 digital camera that has 10X optical zoom, plus I put a 2X lens on top of that. I also want something that will last. This Digital 8 vs mini DV thing reminds me of VHS vs Sony's Beta Max. Again Sony did their own thing and even though Beta had some better features it was out marketed and we know the rest. Does someone in the know point me in the right direction for a digital camcorder? Thanks |
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Unregistered guest | Hi i have asony dv camera and i tried movie maker from winxp to trasfer movie to hard drive,(with firewire ) well it worked very easy but as my first cinverting i am not sure if it is the best resolution i can get or not?!?! the picture quality is not good at all if you want to compare with the original tape when you connect it to tv. it the movie maker i choose the best resolution option. but i think it is still much lower than original one. anyone can help me if it is normal and i can not get same quality at all or i need to change the program ? or something else? Thanks. Rama |
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Unregistered guest | I picked up a Sony DCR-TRV 140 the other day for less than $100.00. I wanted a low cost back up camera that would still produce digital video. The picture quality is very good, better than my Canon L2 but not as good as the Canon XL1s, no surprise there. The real difference between the Sony Digital 8 and Mini DV cameras is in the imaging section. The Mini DV's have much better optics and probably a higher grade CCD.. When recording from an external source and then returning it to my NLE I can see no difference between the Digital 8 and Mini DV image quality. There is a difference in the sound however. The Mini DV has four channels of digital sound while the Digital 8 only has two. This is usually not important unless you want to record timecode on one of the autio channels. The digital 8 cameras are available at very low cost on ebay and in many pawn shops. A good camera if you can buy it right. |
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Em Unregistered guest | Hi, I agree with last post D8 makes the perfect backup Camera or Deck. I 've been shooting D8 for a couple of years now and I love it. Mini-DV is cool but I find that you might as well goes for a Pro-Consumer camera to see any major difference. Plus D8 tapes are so much cheaper...D8 cams are so cheap now that mulitple camera shoots are common place. Em |
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Anonymous | Digital8 is a way better buy...i have a mini dv camcorder and i use it a lot. My friend has a d8 cam and he wanted to compare because i told him my dv cam was better and the video quality was also. It turns out that the d8 quality was better. GO WITH DIGITAL 8 |
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Unregistered guest | wow I am just amazed at how long this thread has been going!!!wow Any way I got a D8 for Christmas and my friend got a $400 Panasonic DV. My D8 was only $230. He always complains that his is not as good as mine, which in a way it is not. I know now that the picture quality is not as good, and also his night shots ar absolutely appalling as you can see frame dropping clear. On the hole D8 is cheaper, easier and better quality. I am now thinking that the most popular is certainly DV but personally D8 is better. Same as above go with Digital 8!!! |
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Anonymous | I wish to archive old unedited family 8, Hi8 (and Beta)to digital tape for preservation and later editing. I have already transferred my edited material to DVDs. In terms of dropouts construction and longevity, would it be more logical to transfer to Digital8 or MiniDV? Thanks for any responses. |
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New member Username: LbmitchePost Number: 4 Registered: Dec-03 | Regarding archiving 8 or Hi 8 to Digital 8 or Mini DV is a tough one for me regarding tape construction, droputs, longevity, etc., but there are other factors to consider: 1. Do you already own a Digital 8 or Mini DV camera, or are you looking to purchase one to make your backups? 2. Since your old tapes are 8's and Hi-8's and if you don't own either format of digital camera, the way to go would be to purchase a digital-8 camera because that camera can play your 8 and Hi-8 tapes and you can capture directly to the computer without backing up first. 3. If you already own a digital-8 and are aware of this feature but you wish to back up and archive anyway, I would stay with the digital-8 to archive a backup copy. In short, since your original analog tapes are 8 or hi-8 I would stick with the digital 8 format. If you're purchasing a new camera to do this, make sure it has analog video/audio inputs. Not all do, so you must check for this feature before buying. I've backed up lots of my old VHS tapes to digital 8 for archiving with no problems. As with any tape storage, keep it re-wound, stand the case on edge with the tape end down, and keep it in a moderate temperature (neither too hot, humid, or cold) location. Hope this helps. |
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Anonymous | To: Lee Thanks for your reply. I have only a Sony Hi8 camcorder. (Also Beta, VHS and S-VHS vcr's) My original plan was to buy either a Sony GVD800 Digital 8 recorder or a Sony GVD1000 Mini DV recorder as I assumed the tape mechanisms on those units would be more robust than camcorder tape drives. |
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Unregistered guest | To All who have posted here, I must tell you that I have never seen such an amass of true real world knowledge when it comes to the use of Mini DV and or Digital 8 camcorders.I happended upon this simply by a Goggle search for Mini DV vs Digital 8. As one that has used Mini DV as a format for over three years now using still an old Panasonic PV-DV51. I have used this for all of this time and have mastered numerous Band Concerts , Martial Arts perfromances , Hunting Videos and more from there to computer and authored to DVD. I am looking for help with a three different requests here. 1. a good recommendation for a resonable three chip camera to upgrade to to take my productions to a higher level. 2. a recommendation for a reasonable Digital 8 camera to do some transers for people from HI 8 and or Digital 8 onto DVD. 3. anyone that has any working knowledge of the Matrox RX-10 and or RX-100 -- specifically does it do what it states that it does . Does it really take the rendering process away from your computer's CPU and do it on it's own GPU and if so how much faster is it then rendering using your computer's CPU. I am currently using a newly built computer... an ASUS 4800EDLX motherboard with a p-4 3.0 gig hyperthreading processor and 2 gig of Pc 3200 ram. Three 200 gig hard drives on a SATA set up and find that in just doing that configuration alone I have taken my rendering time and literally cut it in less then half. IE: a one hour video now takes about 1 hour and a half to render as opposed to taking about 4 hours with my old configuration. My question remains that for the 1000.00 that Matrox wants for the RX-100 does it really do anything more then that. Again Kudos to all that have posted here you all have posed both some great questions and of course some very insightful answers to those questions. Thanks again to all..... |
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Anonymous | DV8 and MiniDV are exactly the same. THEY are just different mediums of recording the SAME DIGITAL SIGNAL! DIGITAL? YOU KNOW? ONES AND ZEROS? THEY NEVER CHANGE, I transfered footage from MiniDV to DV8 to miniDV to DV8 again for various times and there was no quality lost. It's digital information. The only advantage you can get from DV8 is that the tape is much more durable, it's very difficult to get glitches in the signal, I've never had any blocks or noise in the tapes during my three years using DV8. But with MINIDV, any dust particle or faulty rewinding will cause the image to pixelate or jump. Signalwise, they're identical. Machinerywise, DV8 is more durable. Also take into consideration that manufacturers have concentrated their camcorder engineering efforts on MiniDV. That just means that the camcorder, lenses and CCD MAY... and I repeat... MAY be superior to the parts in DV8. But again... that's the camcorder in itself... NOT THE FORMAT! |
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Anonymous | The previous Anonymous (dated April 27 2005) is absolutely correct. D8 and miniDV are just tape formats. They both store DV25 (25megabit/sec) digital video information. Don't mistake the CURRENT line of D8's for ones of a few years ago. The stuff on the shelf now at BestBuy is crap. ___________________________ This question gets repeated so often I developed an FAQ to answer it: "Hello! I have $x, and I want to buy a video camera with as good a picture quality as possible. I've been looking at BestBuy...<snip>" Here's my stock answer: ___________________________ I recommend people buy used. You can get low-time camera DIRT CHEAP with a bit of looking. The picture quality of a Sony TRV120, 320, 520 or 720 from 3 or 4 years ago - at between $200 and $350 - is better than most of what's on the shelf at Bestbuy for three times the price. All of the above models are Digital8, a format that uses "Hi-8" 8mm video tape. The tapes (and cameras) are physically larger than most miniDV cams but the *data* stored is identical. If you have a bit more money and want to jump up in picture quality, look for a used Sony TRV900 (seen for as little as $800 on eBay) which is miniDV and orders of magnitude better than anything available now for under $2,000 new. Many say it's a professional camera that was marketed as a consumer camera. Next jump up is a $1,300 to $1,500 used Sony VX-2000. Though labeled a "consumer" or "pro-sumer" cam, it was used along side a PD150 to shoot the Lion's Gate movie "Open Water." I don't think much more has to be said about it than that. Low-light performance of a VX2000 or PD150 beats anything in it's class. Other used video cameras to consider in the VX2000 class include: Canon GL1, XL1, XL1S, Panasonic DVX-100 & DVC-80. Anything beyond that, you're in to new or very high-end used professional cameras. ___________________________ If this gives someone pause when they walk into BestBuy with $1300 to spend, I'm happy. I'd rather see someone pick up a lightly used *professional* camera like the TRV900 or VX2000 for that price than get a brand-new but gimmicky "toy" camera that really doesn't do anything well. I shoot a Sony TRV-320 Digital8 and will put it up against anything on the shelf at BestBuy. I paid about $250 for it used early in 2005 (the guy I bought it from hadn't used it since 2001 and it was even in the original box...you can still find them in that good a shape) BTW: the TRV120, 320, 520 and 720 are the same camera with different LCD displays and viewfinders. (they all use the same CCD's, same guts) The previous model year "x10" (eg: 110, 210 etc) probably followed the same convention - same guts, different LCDs, viewfinders etc. Here are some links if you want to get REALLY technical (I encourage you to read them all and then read all the pages *linked* on those pages): http://www.bealecorner.com/trv900/index.html Good luck! C.j |
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New member Username: MsdivinePost Number: 2 Registered: May-05 | hi there, this is an excellent discussion board. In my experience, I have used a digital 8 trv 520 sony. Unfortunately the ieee port on my camera no longer works. Because of the large amount of hi8mm tapes that I have, recorded in d8 format, I am thinking of buying yet another digital 8 camera. Unfortunately I hardly see any cameras out there. So far I see the trv 480 and the trv 280 Does any body recommend one over the other? |
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betzy Unregistered guest | here's a dumb question... Can a miniDV be played in a dvd player? or do you have to have the camcorder to play it? my husband and I are considering new camcorders, we want to have children soon and because we are military, all our family is far away and that's how grandparents and aunts and uncles are going to see our kids grow up for the most part. I was also considering the DVD r recorder. I know those play in DVD players, but they are smaller than regular DVDs and seem to have a smaller record time and a larger price tag. our computer doesn't have a DVD recorder, and it seems like a lot of work to copy it onto a disk. I don't know, just need some help. Thanks! |
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Silver Member Username: GromitPost Number: 401 Registered: Mar-05 | betzy, The answer looks like "yes, in general" but with some caveats. Take a look at this Sony page, in particular the link to a note about disk compatibility: [Link Removed] By the way, once you are set up, copying DV to disk via firewire and your PC is not so tiresome and it gives you much more flexibility. Cheers. |
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cjacob Unregistered guest | I have a sony TRV 355E digital 8 camcoder.I am about to upgrade my computer to a athlon 3200.Should I go for a video capture card or a firewire card or a motherboard with firewire port?What is the difference between capturing from a USB 2.0 port and firewire port in the digital 8 camcoders?How about the software that comes with the camcoder?Does it capture without dropng frames? |
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New member Username: DominogoldNovi, MI USA Post Number: 2 Registered: Sep-05 | Does anyone have a list of all digital 8 cameras that are NOT Sony? I have had nothing but terrible experiences with Sony products breaking down and refuse to purchase anything from them ever again. |
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New member Username: Mrs_punchUnited States Post Number: 1 Registered: Sep-05 | I have just bought my daughter a miniDV camcorder. JVC GR-D240EK. New on the market this year. It is to replace her old analog camcorder and it had a very good write up. Does anyone here know anything about this camera please? (all good I hope) I don't want buyers remorse. |
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Anonymous | I downloaded from my TRV240E trough a USB2.0 but there is a huge digital distortion in the picture. will Firewire be beter? ( used Sony's SW that came with the camera) |
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Bronze Member Username: ChicomanghPost Number: 36 Registered: Apr-05 | hello folks... anonymous said all you need to know about cams with his post relating to digitasl 8 or mini dv... i have a sony trv 250 it is not a stellar camera, the zoom could be better located... but it has great picture and i use it all the time... i have used many types of camera's from old old old film cams to new hard drive mpeg recorders... both types of tape store the same data as another person noted... 25 mb/sec... and both record at 29.97 fps... this is a standard we can all expect from any competitive manufacturers... if you wnt high grade products you must spend much more new retail money to get it... 3ccd and hdtv, i1080, etc etc... i would also pit my trv 250 against any best buy etc etc.. type product available... i have owned mine for years and have made many music video's with them... they becam so inexpensive that i shooot with 6 of them now... and i get results that customers are excited about... auto prescaning image stabilizers who care i dont' .. you might but i dont'... working a camera is about shooting what others will see... not about megapixels... mtsc is mtsc... and it's not going away to soon.. i use my trv sony cams for live broadcasts of bands upon large dlp screens... you cant' notice anything... even on a 150 " screen!!! those camera's cost me 400 for the first one and the 5 others i paid less than 300 each! and they all have the same quality... they all use hi8/8mm and that medium is not going away for a long time... it affordability is what will keep it around... it's compatibility from older camera give it an advantage over mini dv... to think i used to shoot on analog and own a machine (cluunker) to mix and edit the video tape (vhs) i still use the analog camera since i own plenty of stuff to use it's quality and i bought soem great used oldies that have pic quality better than any 3ccd digital piece of CRAP! digital is only popular because we at home can now use it in our glowing pc boxes... but chances are you kids grandparents still own a good ol vcr and could watch a video tape just as easy as figuring out a new device called a dvd player... if anyone really wants QUALITY then stop kidding yourself about mini dv and hi 8 or memory sticks or flash cards... LAME... use film if it(quality) means that much to you... but no matter what medium you use .... garbage in will always equal garbage out... and you can't fix that no matter how digital it is... cheers |
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Unregistered guest | I bought the Sony TRV-280 Digital 8 - why over MiniDV? Sony Quality was one reason. The other is D8 and MiniDV use the same digital compression. The other reasons - tape costs was less and the controls on the TRV-280 were logically laid out - examples: start/stop/zoom on the LCD panel. Back light, etc... all on the back of the camera not surrounding the camera like on the JVC MiniDV. The battery is a "snap" to get in - very easy. My former Canon MiniDV was a nightmare when it came to putting the battery in. The feel of the TRV-280 was robust and not "cheap" feeling. Most of the MiniDV were very small and very plasticy feeling. The Digital 8 I bought has the ability to connect to the TV with left/right audio and video, supports USB and Firewire (iLink). The price is great at $284 at best buy. Plus it offers nightshot The viewfinder also flips up - most new MiniDV only allows the viewfinder to move back but not up. So using it on a tripod would be a pain - the LCD is all you would be able to use at that point on other models. And finally - the logical layout and design of the controls and plugs are a big plus - plus all the accessories, like filters and lenses that can be bought with the extra money saved is a good reward. |
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warlordeli Unregistered guest | WOW!!! I didn't know people were still even considering D8 over MiniDV camcorders anymore. I was looking for a D8 VS. MinDV site to convince the wife in letting me "upgrade" from our Sony TRV830 to a Panasonic PV-GS400 3-ccd camera and found a whole boatload of reasons to keep it instead. With so many people still loving there D8's can anyone recommend this 3-ccd camera for just capturing moments with my kids? Spec wise it looks good. I just want camera that will do my memories justice in the future. Thanks |
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Bronze Member Username: ChicomanghPost Number: 37 Registered: Apr-05 | warlordeli: i would like to have a trv830 as far as buying a 3ccd camera... forget it it if your only filming kids and family stuff you do not need to spend that kind of cash... a 3ccd would help raise quality a bit but really 3ccd 's are for the serious semi pro or pro... the gs 400 is a great camera but do you really need 2 xlr audio connectors or any of the things listed... truth is you may wish that you do but for kids and family filming ,,,, na... stick with your trv830 it has stabilizers for widescreen mode and a whole list of great features... why upgrade when you have a top model right there... it has fire wire and usb and mem stick... good lens... etc... keep it save your money for a family vacation and dont' forget to take that great sonytrv830 with you !!!! cheers |
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New member Username: LbmitchePost Number: 7 Registered: Dec-03 | I started this thread in May of 2001 and I finally came around to Mini Dv. Just got a JVC GRD271 for $329 at Sams Club. I couldn't pass up the price. Here's a quick mini review. Pros=25x optical zoom, compact size, picture comparable to other cameras I've tested, firewire, analog A/V out, good manual, manual iris adjustment as you shoot (important to me for theatre events), still digital pictures on SD memory card (not included), so haven't tried it yet. Cons=not a user friendly menu, tough to manipulate, I actually had to consult the manual, but once you get the hang of it, it gets easier, nice choice of fades/transtions, but it's all or none. By that I mean if you set a transition it goes in and out. You can't just go in or just go out, so set it to none unless you have a reason to use it, bottom loading tape. I swore I'd never buy one with this feature but the price was too good, so I'll deal with it. Summary: Great little camera. Beginners may have a tougher time initially. Buy it at $329 or lower if you can. I'm still using my original Digital 8 from 1999 though. Solid as a rock. They don't make them like that anymore. It's got features that I need that newer ones don't have. |
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New member Username: DseidPost Number: 1 Registered: Nov-05 | I have 15+years of 8mm/Digital 8 videos. I didn't really want to switch to mini-dv, but did because my newest Hi8 camcorder semi-died. I did not want to fix it...feeling like it was throwing good money after bad. Now that I have tapes in both formats, does anyone know of a 'deck' solution that supports both tape formats in the same deck? I am not too excited about spending 1,000+ for individual walkman decks for each format. Any suggestions?? |
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Anonymous | Can anyone tell me which is better, professionally, Digital or miniDV? |
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Unregistered guest | Even after reading all of this, I still need to ask. What's the best camera for around $300 or so? We have just a few 8mm tapes I would like to transfer info from, but ultimately I'd like to be able to turn our videos into DVDs off of our computer- just family stuff. We'd obviously like decent quality picture as well. I just can't figure out whether the Digital 8 or Mini DV is the best option for us. |
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TPD1350 Unregistered guest | I'm heading to Iraq soon and am looking for a camcorder that is durable, yet costs under $300 in case it gets trashed. I have been considering the Sony TRV-280 D8, but heard about a chip recall. Have they fixed the bug? Is there a reader that can be purchased so I can send the tapes home to my wife to view? The tapes seem to be priced right and I am not so concerned about 5 years down the road. What other brands/ models would fit the bill? |
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big bazza Unregistered guest | well m8 every1 noes dat u shuld get a vx camera and when u get it order bout 55 mini dv tapes and flush em down the toliet |
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smuk Unregistered guest | Yeah i got 4 vx's there the best cam eva, so much good fliming best for skating |
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big bazza Unregistered guest | m8 let me borrow ur cam il film wendygee's mum wif it |
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smuk Unregistered guest | yeah man sure thing |
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Bronze Member Username: ChicomanghPost Number: 43 Registered: Apr-05 | david: there are a few decks available from panasonic and sony and hitachi.... they are pricey and i think the one that will play both tapes are about 2000 $ u.s. they look really sweet and i want one... google it you'll see for yourself... and it will save on your play heads cheers |
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Bronze Member Username: ChicomanghPost Number: 44 Registered: Apr-05 | wendy: both formats will do jsut fine... they both record the same data rate so there is no differenc in quality,,, the only differences are in the camera's themselves, lenses, shitters etc... |
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Bronze Member Username: ChicomanghPost Number: 45 Registered: Apr-05 | tpd 1350: Go for the sony trv 280 it is a great camera and i have not had any problems with mine... it's cheap and has great features and images.. the D8 tapes are easy to buy and will serve their purpose ... mini dv is fine if you can find a cheap model camera for (trashing) buy it. nothing wrong with D8 or mini DV cheers |
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Unregistered guest | I had a panasonic camcorder witch took the mini DV cassettes.It was not compatible with my pc so I returned it and got a sony. The sony took the Hi8 cassettes and i am not able to play the mini Dvs.Is it possible to play the mini DV on a camera with HI8. An adapter of some kind?????? thanks. |
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Unregistered guest | :? I bought a Panasonic camcorder which took mini DV cassettes.I thought i could make videos with this camcorder and then connect to my computer to burn onto a DVD. I made the cutest Christmas video of my new grandaughter on Christmas Day and was going to burn to a DVD for my daughter, but it was not compatible for some reason with my computer. I took the Panasonic back and then bought a Sony DCR-TRV280, not knowing it took Hi8 cassettes.Now the mini DV which has my grandaughter's first Christmas on is useless! Is their any possible way to play this without a mini DV camcorder? Please Help!!! Thanks |
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Gold Member Username: Project6Post Number: 4614 Registered: Dec-03 | Dodgegirl, There is no other way for you to play the mini DV tape short of getting a miniDV player, which may cost you a few more thousand dollars. What kind of Panasonic MiniDV player did you purchase? A lot of MiniDV camcorders are capable of downloading to a PC for burning to a DVD specially the Panasonics. All you need to know is that it should have a DV output and you need a firewire input on your PC. You will also need a cable for this purpose, a DV output to Firewire(IEEE1394) cable. You will also need this even on the Sony camcorder. |