1982 to 2024: How to MOD a RETRO camera!

Discover how I transformed a vintage 1982 video camera into a modern marvel! Watch as I upgrade it to use batteries and record to an SD card. Witness the blend of old-school charm and new-age tech in this exciting MOD project. And the best part? You can do it too!
Check out this camera in action here: • Iris de Goo Goo Dolls:...

[@denzwthelens]

What a great project, thanks for sharing!

[@flohmin]

Knowing electronics sure makes for interesting projects! I wish I could learn too

[@MaxVegaKun]

Oh yeah! You’re right, I’m just a beginner but I can already say that getting into electronics is super fun and rewarding. If you’re ever interested in learning, there are tons of great resources out there to get started. Just dive in and enjoy the process - you’ll be surprised at how much you can learn!

[@mono432mono]

I always love seeing these projects that seem really needless, but are so much fun to make. You don't need the best tech to capture good memories. I can see why using old tech is super fun and started analogue photography and developing film myself this year.

[@MaxVegaKun]

Hey! Thanks so much! I totally get what you mean - sometimes the fun projects are the ones that might seem unnecessary but bring a lot of joy. You definitely don’t need the latest tech to capture awesome memories. Using old tech is super fun, and it's great to hear you’ve started with analog photography and film developing. There’s something really special about the whole process, right?

[@riccamutt]

awesome video dude

[@ReelFilm2016]

Fantastic! Well done

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thanks a lot! I really appreciate it. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@choglatemilg]

this is brilliant, thank you for such an in-depth video

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thank you so much! I'm really glad you enjoyed the video. Your support means a lot to me. Stay tuned for more content like this!

[@neonpalmfilms8975]

That was very interesting one! Please, don’t stop🙏

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thank you so much for your encouragement! I'm glad you found it interesting. And yeah! there’s more to come. Stay tuned!

[@KylesDigitalLab]

Nice video. I actually have a portable Canon VR-40 VHS VCR from 1985 that was designed for these portable cameras, you would plug them into the VCR and the VCR would power the camera and record the video onto a tape. Mine works great and they still make new batteries for it and on eBay that work great. So you can actually use it as intended. However you then have to deal with transferring the VHS tape to a computer. It's probably much better to get a direct capture out of the camera because it will have better resolution, but if you want the VHS look you can do that. These cameras are cool because they use a vidicon tube as an image sensor instead of a CCD or CMOS chip, which gives you a true 80s video look. I have a few consumer grade cameras that use vidicon tubes such as a Panasonic PK-959 I showed on my channel, that uses a Newvicon tube.

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thank you! That sounds like an awesome setup. It's great to hear that your Canon VR-40 VHS VCR still works well and that you can find new batteries for it. I agree, using the VCR as intended does provide that authentic VHS look, even though transferring the tape to a computer can be a hassle. And yeah! vidicon tubes cameras rocks! they definitely give that true '80s video feel. I’ll check out your channel to see the Panasonic PK-959 in action I was tempted to buy on of that model! Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@shawnlennon1947]

Bro you’re a genius. I love it!

[@MaxVegaKun]

Hey, thanks so much! I really appreciate the compliment, but I’m definitely not a genius - my wife can tell you, haha. I’m just passionate about what I do. I'm glad you loved it - stay tuned for more!

[@maxprints]

10/10 this is what i live for!

[@MaxVegaKun]

Wow, thank you so much! I’m thrilled to hear that! Knowing you enjoy my content this much really motivates me to keep creating. Stay tuned for more!

[@PeppermintGentleman]

Cool project!!

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thanks! It was fun to work on

[@marcovernice]

bro a genius i loved the video it made really beautiful

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thanks, bro! I really appreciate it. Means a lot! 🤙

[@arnelbarbarona9844]

Awesome

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thank you!

[@pmfilmsUK]

Fantastic

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thank you! I’m really glad you enjoyed it!

[@zanik2.054]

This guy is smarter than me gang.

[@MaxVegaKun]

Haha, thanks! I’m just passionate about what I do. We’re all learning together here. Appreciate the support!

[@sebuahsarang]

well i wish i was having this knowledge but i suck at electronic stuff

[@MaxVegaKun]

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Everyone starts somewhere, and learning electronics can be really rewarding. There are plenty of great resources and tutorials out there to help you get started, and I can tell you because I’m there right now - I’m just a beginner. Keep at it, and you might surprise yourself!

[@arnelbarbarona9844]

What is the max resolution the MIDI DVR can record?

[@MaxVegaKun]

It is HD 1280 x 720; however, the camera only outputs video in standard resolution 640x480. In tests I've done with other video capture devices, including the most expensive ones on Amazon, the truth is that this mini DVR offers the best quality, or at least the most faithful. There are two cons: 1) If you choose to capture video in HD, the quality is very good and the difference is noticeable, but you will have video in 16:9 format, which is easy to fix in any video editor but is an extra step. 2) The audio recorded by this mini DVR is quite bad. Since I use it to make music videos, the audio is not very important to me, but if it is important to you, I would recommend recording the audio externally. However, for the price of this mini DVR and the video quality it offers, it is still a great option for me. It is also very small and portable, and it has a rechargeable battery.

[@Path.V]

Really cool project and well explained. I was wondering, what made you add ports instead of making a custom cable to connect to the existing connector?

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thanks a ton! Really glad you liked the project. As for the ports vs. custom cable decision, I figured adding ports would make the camera more portable and versatile for future mods and easier to connect with different devices. Plus it makes it easier for me to think about adding new accessories in the future. And, honestly, it looks nicer on my shelf haha. Cheers! 🤙

[@birne2676]

does anyone know if the mini DVR is compatible with a micro SDHC sd card?

[@MaxVegaKun]

Yes it does! Although I only tried it with a 64GB Samsung Evo Plus memory card

[@birne2676]

thank you so much!

[@DouglasLumer]

Amazing video! I am currently trying something similar to this - the pin out on my camera says that pin 1 is analog video output and pin 2 is video ground - do I have to worry about this, or could I just connect a wire to pin 1 and then feed that into the mini-dvr? Thank you man.

[@MaxVegaKun]

Hey Douglas! It's awesome that you're working on a similar project. Based on my experience, it's always necessary for the video cable to have a ground connection, just like with audio. Generally, they share the same ground, even the camera's power supply can share the same ground (though it's best to take the power ground from a different point to reduce interference in the video signal). I usually use a 4-pole connector and assign each pole to connect: Video, Audio L, Audio R, and ground, according to the diagram you can see in the video. Although there are other configurations, this is the most common standard for the 3.5mm mini AV outputs used in VHS and Hi-8 cameras from that era. However, this mini DVR shown in the video has a different standard, so I had to make a special cable with the standard I mentioned on one side and the compatible one for the Mini DVR on the other. In fact, the pinout for the Mini DVR is in the manual, indicating which pole corresponds to which signal. I hope I explained it well and didn't confuse you even more, or probably that wasn’t even your question, haha. I've been thinking about making a video explaining this. What do you think? Would that be helpful for you?

[@DouglasLumer]

@@MaxVegaKun ooooh, okay. So I could find the correct pin that my miniDVR takes, find what wires do what, open up the back end of it and wrap those ends around the corresponding pin on my hitachis 10-pin cable. Then I do something similar with the 12 volt power supply / battery pin

[@solomonramsa]

Hermoso video

[@MaxVegaKun]

Muchas gracias! Me alegra que te haya gustado!

[@phaixemngay]

keep going bros

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thanks for the encouragement! I really appreciate it!

[@popcorn5968]

Next, add ibis and 10-bit video

[@MaxVegaKun]

Haha, that was a good one! 😄

[@GooWorldOrder]

Do you end up with 30 or 60fps footage from this setup?

[@MaxVegaKun]

Hi! This setup results in 30fps footage

[@KarolMroz-jr8yk]

VHS?

[@MaxVegaKun]

Hey there! Actually, it’s not VHS technology. This camera uses a Newvicon sensor, which is similar to those used in old TV cameras. These cameras didn’t have internal recording capabilities and required an external recorder. Cool, right?

[@Bleats_Sinodai]

Personally, for recording analog cameras, I prefer using an AV to HDMI converter into an HDMI capture card connected to my phone, and the app USB Camera Pro. Better image and audio quality, and you can record it upscaled (I do 1600x1200 to maintain the correct aspect ratio).

[@MaxVegaKun]

You think? I first used that metod I used several capture devices from different brands and even when I raised the bit rate to the maximum, I didn't really like the image. I suppose there are more factors to consider but I still prefer how it looks with this mini dvr, but the audio is much better using the capture device. On the phone, I guess it's a matter of taste! Thank you very much for leaving your coment, it is very valuable so that other people have different points of view!

[@user-cx8tc4is2n]

so cool！！

[@MaxVegaKun]

Thanks a ton! I'm thrilled you think so. More cool stuff coming your way soon!