Rare Hitachi Digital8 camcorder review & test

[@vwestlife]

@bamdadkhan Sorry, I don't know anything about the music in that part of the video. It's just whatever was playing on the radio (on "Jazz 88" WBGO) when I made the video.

[@vwestlife]

@FCule Please watch the whole video before asking questions. You'll find most of them are answered in the video itself!

[@vwestlife]

@DrCassette I like having different camcorders, because each one has certain things it's good at, or special features, or even silly things I enjoy, like how it feels when you hold it and the kind of sounds it makes when you use it. (That's actually why I'm selling my DCR-PC100 MiniDV camcorder right now -- it has excellent video and audio quality, but the tall shape makes it uncomfortable to hold, and the vertical zoom button is almost impossible to use smoothly, so I don't enjoy using it.)

[@carbrand7527]

hey mate, i just recently stumbled accross another hitachi branded camera like this but older! it is model VM-E8E which is crazy to find little to no information on these devices

[@vwestlife]

@oldmac6 Most Digital8 camcorders sell for around $150 to $300 on eBay here. I just got lucky on this one, because most people probably don't even know that Hitachi made Digital8 camcorders. And also on the Sony DCR-TRV140 I used to make the first part of the video, because the seller said the battery wasn't holding a charge, and because it's a low-end model which doesn't play analog Hi8 tapes (which is the whole reason many people buy Digital8 camcorders, to transfer Hi8 video to their PC).

[@vwestlife]

Sony claimed 290k effective pixels (460k total) and 500 lines of resolution on Digital8 Handycams, except the high-end Digital8 Handycams with the 1 megapixel image sensor (690k effective). The first generation of Digital8 models did produce a rather pixellated image, but they did improve over time, even as the rated resolution stayed the same. The last generation of Digital8 models (DCR-TRV260, 280, 460, 480) can provide a very nice crisp image, even in widescreen mode.

[@12voltvids]

Yes I know Sony initially make them look like crap as they didn't want to harm sales of more expensive cameras. I still have mine, but the tape transport has a problem, so I haven't used it in years. I upgraded all my gear to HDV and flash memory based. I do still perfer tape though, as I have lost valuable footage more times than I can remember when a name brand memory card I bought turned out to be counterfit, and I lost 16 or 32 gigs of video footage. So for paid work, I always use tape.

[@vwestlife]

@1walkgirl I thought so at first, but no, the tape mechanism sounds different, and the controls and displays are different, so it's not just a rebadged Sony.

[@pelicaw2010]

I had the exact same Hi8 video recorder. Bought it on McChord AFB. loved it. loaned it out and never got it back.

[@vwestlife]

@MetallicBill I know this reply is 4 months late, but for some reason your comment never showed up in my inbox... the Sony TV140 was an entry level Digital8 camcorder, so it does not support analog Video8/Hi8 playback. (Originally all the Digital8 camcorders did, but beginning in 2001, the low-end models did not.)

[@dadsnotfunny]

hey mate, i have the exact same model!! loved it, we made some great videos back in the days and i only just now am converting everything to digital!!!

[@frasixkiller]

Hi! This camcorder Red lp recordings?

[@dadsnotfunny]

@@frasixkiller yeah records lp

[@frasixkiller]

Great video and test! Have this camcorder the LP recording /playing function? I've found one but I need LP compatibility

[@vwestlife]

@oldmac6 The TRV103 and TRV140 both use exactly the same image sensor: 1/4 inch CCD, 460k gross pixels, 290k effective pixels. However, the TRV140 has better image quality, because the video processing was improved, so you get less "rainbow streaking", and widescreen mode looks much less pixellated than the TRV103. And the TRV140 does have an LCD, I just didn't have it open. (In fact the "V" in "TRV" stands for "Vision" and means that it's a model with the LCD.)

[@DrCassette]

I also like the Sony Digital8 you've used to record the 1st part of this video. Are you going to make a presentation of it as well? I don't like the way the later Digital8 models look, but appearantly they do have a very good quality. I recently got myself a Digital8 camcorder too, the model DCR-TRV110, wich seems to be the same as your TRV103 except it has a black part around the blue display (like my Hi8XR) and no inputs for analog video.

[@vwestlife]

@bakonfreek Not really, because HDMI includes both video and audio in the same cable, while S-Video is only video. S-Video provides better picture quality than the yellow composite video jack, but still not as good as the FireWire (DV) connection, because it is only analog.

[@ClactonRadio]

Nice camcorder does look a bit chunky though compared to today's ones but for 36$ it seems worth it.

[@vwestlife]

@oldmac6 The TRV140 also has a little LCD on the outside of the panel telling you the remaining battery life, it just doesn't have a backlight.

[@ThisGuyFrritz]

I used to have a Hitachi, which was my first Hi-8 camcorder. It was a VM-H38A. It was working fine, then it needed repairs. Then it worked fine for some years. The zoom and focus stopped working. So, I got a Sony CCD-TRV608 Handycam and sold the Hitachi as it was. The Sony is already outlasting the Hitachi. With my experience with both brands, as well as seeing your video, it makes Sony the better of the 2.

[@vwestlife]

@vdochev Not really, they probably just put the motor too close to the microphone inside the case.

[@VeryMildNoodles]

nice find. a while ago, i bought a mint condition jvc compact vhs camcorder for 5 euro. it has everything on the hitachi, but doesn't use digital8 tapes and only has one rca jack for audio output.

[@vwestlife]

@uxwbill The indoor cat is obsessed with any kind of light reflections, so I think she was looking at sun reflections on the ceiling.

[@vwestlife]

The DCR-TRV110 was the first generation which did look rather pixellated, but the newer generations were a major improvement, even as the listed specs stayed the same. See the video on my vwest7ife channel of Digital8 from a TRV460 upscaled to 720P "HD".

[@msylvain59]

I remember taking apart a similar camcorder. Some neat special IC specimen inside, apart from that lots of plastics, now I do onto pick up broadcast quality cameras... much better stuff, but harder to find also.

[@12voltvids]

Digital 8 is a format that could have been a winner, but Sony crippled the format by putting a terrible CCD imager that only produced about 200 lines of horizontal resolution, despite the digital format being able to record 500 lines. This was to protect the DV format,and cameras that sold for much more. I bought video 8, to replace my hi-8 and was disappointed as the hi-8 had a better picture. Good idea, but sony and hitachi didn't stick with the ormat and let it die.

[@vwestlife]

@ChiefLeftenant No, that's a 1984 Sharp Newvicon tube color video camera. I've done two videos using it recently.

[@neolithicau]

I have two of these and both of them are showing no signs of life ;(. Zero, zip. Verified AC adapter was okay but also tested an alternative. Do these have cancerous SMD caps?

[@Lachlant1984]

The sound of the tape drive reminds me of my friend's Toshiba Satellite notebook computer's hard disk when it's on and not reading or writing data.

[@giammyzanna]

I prefer Sony digital8 cameras...it looks like a hi8 recording. How many animals you have in your backyard?

[@vwestlife]

@fortyfiveplayer Yes, you can record from the A/V inputs to tape.

[@wwyyllyy]

In My opinion Li-ion batteries for camcorders use the standard 18650 size cells. These cells can be bought individually or cheaper as surplus laptop batteries. Laptops sometimes use smaller size cells that can be also used. So one can open dead battery pack and replace cells. For Ni-MH and Ni-Cd types? Well maybe replacement cells for power tools like for cordless drill, they come in various sizes.

[@vwestlife]

@DrCassette Yes, I'll do a presentation on the TRV140 once I have some more experience with it. I'd love to own all the Sony Digital8 models, but I can't afford that because many are still selling for up to $300 on eBay!

[@futtbuck]

Just buy the “untested” ones for like $20. Most of the time they work just fine

[@vwestlife]

@RWL2011 But I've never heard anyone say it like that. Video professionals always call it either "4 by 3" or "16 by 9". I know that's not correct, but you can say the same thing about when people call the wheels on their car "rims" (the rim is only the outer edge of the wheel, not the entire wheel itself).

[@Lachlant1984]

My God the motor noise is really bad, you say you've heard worse, are you able to provide further details? The picture is certainly quite reasonable, as expected it's much better than a lot of modern digital still cameras that also record video, but My God that noise is annoying, too bad it doesn't have an accessory shoe for an external microphone, now I see how important they are, and I know NOTHING about video cameras except my Flip MinoHD.

[@LachambredeNico]

Great video, The hitachi looks like an Samsung Hi8 camcorder compare to a sony one, realy cheap made. Just a question, i want to know if the DCR-TRV 140 is better than the 103 because i remember read something about the CCD of the 140 is 0.3 MP instead of 0.8 MP like on the 103, can you comfirm that ? Please. One last thing, I realy think that the 140 looks ugly compare to old Hi8 and first D8 sony camcorder, like you're 103, it didn't even had an LCD on the side

[@vwestlife]

@DrCassette I've been selling a lot of things too... generally if I don't use something for more than 6 months and it has no sentimental value to me, then I either sell it or give it away. But unfortunately when I was younger I used to collect and keep everything, and now most of that stuff is worthless junk I can't even give away, like old 386 and 486 computers and CRT monitors.

[@12voltvids]

290k efffective pixels = about 200 horizontal lines resolution. 690k effective pixels = 479 lines horizontal resolution. The tape deck records 500 lines of horizontal resolution. The reason the total count is higher, as ther is the buffer zone for the image stabalization. I had the old TRV110, and the camera looks horrible. I used to attatch the camera to the top of my old evw300 3ccd professional hi-8 using the svideo and audio in, and use the pro camera for video, and record it to the d8 deck.

[@vwestlife]

@FCule So far, about 650 people did... and your question is answered at 2:05 in the video, so you must have a really short attention span.

[@vdochev]

Do you think if you clean and lubricate the mechanics it would make less noise? You can get a little tripod for the external mic and I think that it will be great! My camcorder has no external mic input and I hate that!

[@DrewMatneyFilms]

Great looking camera!

[@bakonfreek]

Catcorder, brought to you by VWestlife (or, rather, brought to you by Hitachi, demonstrated by.. look, I flunked copy writing in 2014, I'm not qualified for this job XD). Now we need cat approved turntables.

[@DrCassette]

@vwestlife I once saw an offer for a Digital8 camcorder on the German Ebay. The seller wanted to have almost 700€ for the camcorder! But I think that was once of the craziest camcorders Sony ever made, it even featured a built-in photo printer! I too would like to have many, many certain camcorders (i. e. the Sony DCR-TRV60, TRV900, TRV950...), but I too can't afford them. But I guess one sad thing would be if somebody had all these camcorders, he would never have the time to use them all :)

[@vwestlife]

@Lachlant1984 DrCassette's Sony DCR-PC7E has even worse tape motor noise; see his video "A Grundig receiver gets a shower!" to hear it.

[@slybocat]

I had the 865LA camera. Was great until the video head started squealing and causing digital artifacts in the video. My first DV camera.

[@vwestlife]

@giammyzanna I've seen up to 20 wild turkeys at a time. There's also a fox that comes around sometimes.

[@LachambredeNico]

@vwestlife Thank, for info on the CCD, for the LCD display, i think about the little indicator on the 103 who has a blue backlight. Sorry if i said it wrong. Thank very much and i wait for the review of the 140

[@DrCassette]

Very interesting! I think I saw one of these Hitachis on the German Ebay some time ago. The Sonys really seem to be a better choice. Especially the sound is terrible compared to the Sonys, and it's not only the loud tape noise. But at least you can still fix that with an external mictrophone. The Hitachi camcorder does look very interesting though, however, it is noticable that the Hitachi designers had a good look at the Sony camcorders before :)

[@FCule]

How much did you get it for?

[@accordinglyryan]

What is AE?

[@miked4377]

i am going to have to buy one of these so i can make videos...i never have before..but if you use them i could

[@DrCassette]

@vwestlife However, my camcorder collection is getting smaller and smaller, I just recently sold a bunch of camcorders amongst some other stuff. I just don't have the time to use them all as much as I would like to. I had a lot of stuff (especially audio equipment) that ended up having problems because it was never being used. And of course, it's nice to have the money, because that enables me to get other, more expensive items (such as the VX1000).

[@fortyfiveplayer]

Can you do line-in recording with this one? I know the hi-end Sony models could.

[@wgrantha4438]

@vwestlife what are your cats names

[@EKIIBU-u9n]

The camera 📸 is great

[@1205juergen]

So many cute animals ....

[@AkSpazAlot]

my mom just gave me her old one from the 90s

[@neueid3239]

When was this camera manufactured?

[@vwestlife]

Circa 1999.

[@JayarFlores]

whats digital about it?

[@JohnDoe-qy6oq]

How do I turn it on without a battery?

[@ethan043]

12:08 Is that a Sony TCM-280 or similar? If so, could you make a video about it?

[@vwestlife]

MrEthan520 Anonymous No, that's a Realistic Minisette-9.

[@ethan043]

vwestlife Is it interesting enough to be its own video?

[@vwestlife]

MrEthan520 Anonymous I showed it in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/on2kY2SwibeAi7M

[@techled]

I git the same camera but cant figure out how to turn on the viewfinder

[@vwestlife]

Close the LCD and it should come on.

[@techled]

VWestlife it doesnt :(

[@techled]

VWestlife do u happend to still own it i might buy it , the lcd isnt turning on too

[@vwestlife]

@WinbookXL3 Digital video recording.

[@vwestlife]

@WinbookXL3 Digital videotape.

[@MW-C-Music-Copyright-Free]

What a Past, Very Good !! ;)

[@Hezzlenut]

how to convert it to mp4 literally? wanna upload it to youtube

[@vwestlife]

Capture the video via FireWire and then you can convert it into any video format you want.

[@vintagecameras9623]

Thanks

[@GLOCKTHICC]

do you know where I could buy tapes for this camcorder?

[@vwestlife]

Christina Kush Walgreens stores often still sell Hi8/Digital8 tapes.

[@KylesTechChannel01]

+vwestlife Really?... So i could just walk into a Walgreens and buy a HI8 Tape.

[@LowBudgetProductions]

+Kyle's Tech Channel yes.

[@koolsteins]

+Kyle's Tech Channel Same with Wal-Mart. I recently got a two pack of Sony Hi8/Digital8 tapes from there. It was pretty expensive though ($33).

[@bluebearbank247]

You do pronounce Hitachi correctly (not Hai-tach) :)

[@haleloi3018]

No, put an 'S' before it.

[@GLOCKTHICC]

I just found mine!

[@okaychegs]

Nice

[@charlesgall5841]

what does a message in viewfinder R.EMG mean?

[@vwestlife]

I have no clue.

[@Ninnuam999]

According to Samsung's website it's an error message www.samsung.com/za/support/skp/faq/226408

[@charlesgall5841]

thanks @Stianofp i had seen that. Was being a tight arse hoping not to have to pay out sending it away and getting it serviced haha

[@DrCassette]

@vwestlife Yes, the PC7's tape noise was epic... too bad that camcorder didn't work properly anymore :( The VX1000's mechanism is very similar, it also makes a lot of noise, but since the microphone is better insulated from the housing, it 's not that loud on the recordings.

[@ames-inthe-grass]

has anyone ever told you that you sound a little like mark ruffalo?

[@aidanfranits1339]

My Sony Digital8 Handycam has the ability to digitize composite or S-Video on-the-fly.

[@georgeapostoloudas6346]

Ive got this camera!

[@lauralwam2277]

Really???

[@georgeapostoloudas6346]

@@lauralwam2277 yeah and its working perfectly! my parents used to film with it when I was a child. Who knows maybe one day I will use it to shoot some vintage style videos!

[@LachambredeNico]

@DrCassette I agree with you and i also think that vwestlife got lucky to be in the US because, ebay is a way cheaper than in france or germany, i realy think that. I don't realy know if it's true but i'm quite sure. And D8 camcorder are realy expensive, but a realy don't know why because event if is a good camcorder, isn't HD camera or something, so the sellers are really thieves.

[@DrCassette]

@vwestlife It's pretty much the same way with me - every camcorder has a couple of special features or a special look that I really like. And of course things I don't like. My expensive Sony HDR-SR11 camcorder was an attempt to get all the features I like in one camcorder - but unfortunately it's still missing some things, for example the viewfinder is pretty much useless (doesn't pull out, and has no proper eyepiece). So guess what - I'm already searching for a new camcorder :D

[@deadbushinwater7446]

I have a Hitachi Video Recorder Pal 8 VM-E658LE, I don't know anything about it, I found it in my uncle's briefcase

[@vintagecameras9623]

I laik this camera:)

[@rollandseguin9576]

How much for the Hitachi I am interested.

[@vwestlife]

I don't have it anymore.

[@charliebrown3607]

I have the hitachi camcorder, but its the other model. though i am not selling it

[@momoney2720]

Rolland Seguin i got one..Hitachi video cam...200 bux perth

[@ZeboTV]

exactly haha

[@irrealepappa10]

14:20 ROFL @ the tilt!

[@nyameowmeowmeow]

we've got the same camera wow

[@enolBarca]

It has sd?

[@tinkeranime]

I have one and Im trying to work it again

[@vwestlife]

@Dell0304 Auto Exposure.

[@gbsk8200]

Much is worth

[@NJRoadfan]

@vwestlife You know, I could go for one of those 486s right about now....

[@tyx823]

the quality looks like minidv quality

[@abdulhadimk]

hi bro I have that camera

[@abdulhadimk]

everything works fine but it's power cable fall down when I was recording , the camera is not getting enough current or something else

[@null140]

haha, your cat at the end :D

[@linuxlove4004]

nice cats

[@accordinglyryan]

@vwestlife ooooooh.....ok...

[@FCule]

@vwestlife calm down. Who watch a 15 min of a old camcorder...

[@METALPLUSGAMING]

mine have hitachi VM-E575LA

[@JayarFlores]

like memory card

[@1walkgirl]

maybe a rebrandet sony? :-)

[@DanielPinel]

Yard turkeys?

[@vwestlife]

***** Yes.

[@DanielPinel]

vwestlife Are they bad turkeys? Like breaking your stuff?

[@vwestlife]

***** No.

[@DanielPinel]

vwestlife There just like: "Hello there, Mister. We're sorry to intrude on your property." ?

[@gbsk8200]

How

[@artifactingreality]

build quality looks terrible compared to a canon or similar.

[@lucastkbol]

Acabei de ganhar essa câmera da minha tia Vim apenas ver o reviw

[@morphix007]

i had this in 2001 cost me 900bucks

[@ItsCarll]

I just found one of Kijiji (It's like craigslist but like... Canadian) And it's going for 7 CAD