1999 Sony Digital8 camcorder review & test

[@doug834]

This review is so cool because I bought one of these Digital8 camcorders when they were first released and I rarely see them in use anymore other than my own. I have a DCR-TR7000 which was the model without a flip-out LCD screen, and it is still working perfectly after 16 years. I really love your reviews, thanks for sharing!

[@vwestlife]

Make sure you are de-interlacing the video, then the striping effect will disappear. The de-interlacing did not work correctly in my demonstration, so that is why you see the horizontal stripes during movement. It is a fault of my video editing, not of the camcorder!

[@vwestlife]

@bakonfreek The interlacing problem here was caused by the ATI video capture card I used. When capturing video directly from the camcorder through FireWire, Windows Movie Maker de-interlaces it correctly and automatically.

[@jesamani75]

i had this camcorder a while back,it is an amazing camera for its era,when my daughter was born in 2001 i recorded when we brought her home,around 2003 i lost the camera in a pawn shop,now i have a box of old digital 8 tapes and i miss this camera so much,i will buy from ebay soon i hope,it is a great camera.

[@vwestlife]

@SebiStudios2 I believe some of Sony's professional cameras still use InfoLithium L batteries. Your two other questions are answered in the video and description!

[@efe_aydal]

Great found footage camera.

[@MATTE.U.K]

Why do i feel like digital camera tech is going backwards

[@DacLMK]

I think the Sony Ericsson phones in 2005 produced usable and good pictures on their cameras. I have a Sony Ericsson W810 (I know it's a 2006 model but the camera is the same as the W800 and K750 that were made in 2005) and it produces good 2 megapixel images but the video on those phones is beyond terrible.

[@phillipdean9372]

Because it is, I'd rather use a old school digital camera with out gps or any thing new age crap. Technology is completely back wards

[@phillipdean9372]

It's going to come a time we're mail men and mail will be obsolete. And I'll put a million on that !

[@PhilemonsMusic]

Less buttons?

[@cjelliscloudy5903]

@@phillipdean9372 Well it would certainly save on paper waste! I know there's a switch to emails in a lot of places, though I think it'll be a very slow reduction, unlike for example movie rental chains haha.

[@thenewbgamer6416]

One of my uncles from mexico has one of these, and he said if i can sometime digitize his Video8 and Digital8 tapes he will let me keep it, and im looking forward to another camera in my collection.

[@videoverite6406]

I own a Japanese SONY DCR-TRV225k. Very similar design! Hope to use it forever!!

[@vwestlife]

@AllTheWorldWillHearU In the video, I explain that it connects to the computer through a FireWire cable.

[@vwestlife]

@Skogul000 For the best quality, add a FireWire (IEEE1394) card to your computer. An analog video capture device will also produce acceptable results when capturing the camcorder's S-video output, as I did in this video. That may be somewhat easier to set up since the capture device will just plug into one of your USB ports.

[@otopico]

I had that very same model camera back in the day. Still works after all these years, although the drive mechanism is showing its age. Great camera for its time, although once things started recording to flash, it was really over. I love these reviews, especially when the thing still works.

[@vwestlife]

@MetallicBill I meant camcorders which have the flip-out LCD screen, instead of only having the viewfinder eyepiece. Sony introduced their first "Handycam Vision" series camcorders with the flip-out LCD in 1995.

[@vwestlife]

@m134mr Yes, all of the mid-range and high-end Digital8 camcorders will play analog Video8 and Hi8 tapes. I'm not sure about the European models, but the only American Digital8 Handycams *without* analog Hi8 playback are the DCR-TRV130, 140, 150, 250, 260, and 280. All other models do support analog playback.

[@thelazywanderer_jt]

This camera was only 10 years old when he uploaded this. Now it's 24.

[@johnpappas686]

I have a Sony digital Handycam. It has everything you can imagine. I bought it around 1989-90 and it still works very well. It travelled to Europe and South America and it was very handy there because of the different frequency the y use there. I used the cameras monitor to show them the results. I am in the process of transfering all my tapes to the computer, edit them and them to DVDs. I am glad I kept it and used all these years.

[@DrCassette]

This is a really nice camcorder! Excellent low light sensitivity, and a really good picture quality!!! I looked for camcorders like this on Ebay a couple of times, and they were always extremely expensive, even broken ones were too expensive for me (I want to have a nice digital tape camcorder because all that file converting with my new Panasonic cam is really annoying, but that's the only reason, the cam itself is great). I think CassetteMaster has this camera.

[@vwestlife]

Digital8 is designed to record onto Hi8 tapes. Most Hi8 tapes you buy will also say Digital8 on the package. Digital8 can also record onto standard Video8 tapes, but Sony warns that this may cause glitches and dropouts. However, not all Digital8 camcorders can play analog Video8/Hi8 recordings. Beginning in 2001, Sony removed this capability from their low-end Digital8 camcorders, as well as other features such as the external microphone jack.

[@ThriftyAV]

This was my very first camcorder. I bought it on clearance in 2000 when some newer models were coming out. I broke the plastic base when it fell over while mounted to a tripod and purchased another one off Ebay several years ago. And yes, the low light sensitivity was excellent for camcorders of that time. I tried both Hi8 and regular 8mm tapes, and couldn't tell any difference on the recordings.

[@vwestlife]

Yes, the image does get grainy in low light. But the colors remain bright and crisp, unlike most other camcorders which try to "cover up" the grainy effect by making the image blurry and fuzzy in low light. If the grainy effect bothers you, you can use video editing software to "soften" the image.

[@BenHodgeThemeParkEndeavor]

I have that model, I remember buying iit n summer of 1999 at Sears.

[@vwestlife]

Around $170. Digital8 and Hi8 camcorders both have very high resale value. Unless you specifically need the 8mm format, you can get a much better deal on a used Sony MiniDV camcorder, such as the DCR-TRV19 or -TRV22.

[@vwestlife]

@bakonfreek The DV video signal being recorded onto the tape is digital. It's a stream of data running at around 24 megabits per second (Mbps). Digital signals can be recorded on a wide variety of media, including magnetic tape. And when you play it back, the camcorder streams the digital data through the FireWire port to your computer. In this case, the compatibility with analog Hi8 recordings is irrelevant to how the whole digital process works. It's just a side benefit.

[@vwestlife]

@survivor030406 Firewire is the highest quality because it transfers the video digitally, exactly as it was recorded to tape. With S-video capture, there is some quality loss because the video signal is being converted to analog and then back to digital again.

[@vwestlife]

@v13423 Like I mentioned in the video, you use a FireWire cable.

[@vwestlife]

@danoRabs Samsung never made Digital8 camcorders. What you have is an analog Hi8 camcorder, regardless if it claims to be "digital". You need an analog video capture device, either plug-in USB or a dedicated capture card.

[@vwestlife]

Hi8 camcorders are compatible with each other, although some support stereo sound and others do not. Make sure you're not confusing Hi8 with regular 8mm (Video8). A regular Video8 camcorder cannot play Hi8 tapes. However, a Hi8 camcorder can play Video8 tapes.

[@vwestlife]

Yes, I continue to use it for some specific purposes (such as its excellent low light sensitivity and NightShot mode) and it has always worked flawlessly.

[@Felix-mt1zb]

How can I buy it?

[@blackstar9481]

@@Felix-mt1zb ebay.

[@vwestlife]

Hi8 is a higher resolution version of 8mm tape, compared to standard Video8. It's like comparing regular VHS to Super VHS. This Digital8 camcorder will play both standard Video8 and high-res Hi8 tapes in analog mode.

[@vwestlife]

@atvman1000 Digital8 and MiniDV tape camcorders connect to your computer through a FireWire cable, also known as IEEE-1394 or i.Link. Most Macs and some PCs have this port, or you can buy a card to add it to your PC if it doesn't already have a FireWire port.

[@george.r]

Handheld cameras like these make me nostalgic for the past... Great video

[@samuraishinobi]

Thanks for getting back to me. When i got the camera i never really paid attention to the tech specs of it, which i should've. But I'll definitely look onto it and hopefully find the camcorder i need, cause those hi8 players are super expensive.

[@vwestlife]

You must have unrealistic expectations, because when I had a DCR-TRV140 it had excellent color saturation and low light sensitivity. Most camcorders, even new HD ones made today, are interlaced, and as long as your video editor does the de-interlacing, it's nothing to worry about. The TRV140 is from 2002, so if you're still using the original battery you should be glad it works at all, after 11 years! And I don't mind real-time video transfer; it's a second chance to review the video footage.

[@vwestlife]

@CubeLuda Yes, Digital8 and MiniDV video is interlaced, bottom field first.

[@vwestlife]

@suckmadeck Read the full video description.

[@d00m798504092]

Watching this on my 4K TV makes slow shutter NightShot look like regular motion but with Canon FS200 style motion bleed.

[@vwestlife]

Many modern TVs do motion interpolation to make movement look more fluid. But there should be an option to turn it off, since some people don't like how it makes movies look more like TV shows (they call it "the soap opera effect").

[@d00m798504092]

+vwestlife yeah, there's an option buried in the menus. the effect, I find, is quite glitchy sometimes.

[@TheGoodChap]

Also if you were to ever play video games it's virtually impossible due to the >1 second processing delay.

[@vwestlife]

It depends on what kind of FireWire connector your computer has: 4-pin or 6-pin. The 4-pin connector looks the same as the one on the front of the camcorder. The 6-pin connector is longer and wider. Then once you know which one you have, search for either a "4-pin to 4-pin" or "4-pin to 6-pin" FireWire cable, depending on which one is correct for your computer. (SONY VAIO computers always use a 4-pin FireWire port. Other brands may be different.)

[@vwestlife]

I have a Firewire cable now, the quality is much better than the analog S-video capture I used to make this video. FWIW, all of the videos made using my JVC digital camcorder are uploaded in interlaced form (not de-interlaced) and they look fine on KZbin. Normal quality widescreen video on KZbin is only 480x270 resolution, and when video is scaled down to anything less than 288 pixels in height, interlacing artifacts become invisible.

[@vwestlife]

@survivor030406 Please see my video "Night vision spy camera $10 high gain microphone test".

[@vwestlife]

@leonardo1480 No. Some later models did, but this one is tape-only.

[@Trance88]

Looks nice. Thats pretty cool at the end you can see the infrared light from the remote.

[@TampaBayToday]

That is a beautiful camera. I have an original Sony 8mm stereo camcorder and two Sony Digital 8mm stereo camcorders. I love these old cameras, the larger size makes it easier to keep a steady shot. I always capture video with FireWire IEEE 1394, then I re-record over the tape to avoid buying new tapes. The beauty of Digital tape is, the video is not compressed when it is recorded to tape.

[@vwestlife]

@survivor030406 No, you just hit the record button when the camera is in VTR mode.

[@vwestlife]

@MetallicBill Not all Digital8 camcorders support analog Hi8 playback. It depends on the model. If in doubt, go to Sony's eSupport web site, type in the model number, and look in the owner's manual.

[@vwestlife]

As I just said to the previous commenter, I paid around $170 for it. It has a 37 mm lens thread and will take any kind of lens attachment of that size.

[@vwestlife]

@CubeLuda Some DV camcorders can record progressive scan video, but most consumer-grade models do not. Otherwise, both NTSC (U.S./Japan) and PAL (European) camcorders are interlaced.

[@vwestlife]

@hihater190 Try taking the battery off and letting it sit for a while before trying again. Also some models have a little reset button you can push with the tip of a paper clip or pen. If all else fails, take out the battery and hit the bottom of the camcorder against a hard surface a few times -- not hard enough to break anything, but enough to give it a good jolt.

[@vwestlife]

I have never heard of a FireWire to USB cable. They are two completely different interfaces. The comb effect is because Windows Movie Maker was not doing de-interlacing on the video from my video capture card. I now have a FireWire cable so I now get a direct digital transfer of video from this camera, with proper de-interlacing.

[@vwestlife]

This camcorder uses a FireWire connection, not USB. I don't know why you're getting an error about USB because USB has nothing to do with it.

[@vwestlife]

@SebiStudios2 There were plenty of standard 8mm camcorders sold in the '80s and '90s. They were the low-end models, while the Hi8 models were more expensive.

[@brucedickinson8993]

I like to watch those north american videos and think about past life... your lifestyle is so different than us here in Brazil. Nice video.

[@vwestlife]

@cloudsonfirex You don't need any drivers. Just plug in the Firewire cable, turn the camcorder on, and Windows should recognize it as something like "Sony video device."

[@vwestlife]

It depends on what kind of FireWire port your computer has, either 4-pin or 6-pin. 4-pin the same kind that is on the camera, while 6-pin is larger. Macs and most desktop PCs use a 6-pin port, while most PC laptops use a 4-pin port.

[@pdmillar]

Man yours has real RCA jacks on it! My TRV17 has a stupid 4-pin TRS jack. They tried to make these things too small! The video digitizers on these Sonys are absolutely the best thing I have ever found to convert old tapes. You can feed them the crappiest unstable video and it comes out rock solid. No TBC needed. In fact, when I switch in the TBC on my Panasonic AG-1970, the captured video looks worse!

[@vwestlife]

@cbehr91 Watch my "2009 JVC vs. 1999 Sony camcorder" video and judge for yourself. (It used to be linked as a response to this video, until KZbin screwed it up.)

[@vwestlife]

@hddr3 You need a "Y-adapter" so you can take the camcorder's mono audio output and feed it into both the left and right channels of your computer. You can get an adapter like this at Radio Shack or other electronics stores.

[@xyutif]

Ah I love this camera my parents gave it to me and I absolutely love it!

[@vwestlife]

Your camcorder has much better resolution, with a 2 megapixel CCD versus this one's 460k pixel CCD. However, the higher resolution means each pixel has to be smaller in order to fit on the CCD, which means low light sensitivity is not as good: 7 lux, versus 1 lux for this one (a lower number indicating better sensitivity). The TV is a 1981 Philco. I don't know the model number off hand, but I do have the manual for it somewhere.

[@vwestlife]

I have many PCs, but about half of them were trash-picked freebies, and several are not working and are just for parts. The best one is an 3.6 GHz Pentium 4-HT IBM ThinkCentre which I got used on eBay for about $200. You can also see a vintage Tandy 1000RL, which I have several videos of on my channel.

[@vwestlife]

@SebiStudios2 All the models which support Hi8 playback also support standard 8mm Video8.

[@vwestlife]

@vwestlife Either 4-pin-to-4-pin or 4-pin-to-6-pin, depending on what kind of FireWire connector your computer has. I believe all Macs are 6-pin, while most PC desktops are 6-pin and most PC laptops are 4-pin.

[@vwestlife]

@survivor030406 All Sony Nightshot cameras will do it to a certain extent, but the old Hi8 analog camcorders do the "x-ray" effect the best.

[@vwestlife]

@letoiny eBay prices for this model seem to be averaging around $200 lately, for a DCR-TRV103 in good working condition and with the original accessories (battery, AC adapter, remote, cables, etc.). But Digital8 camcorders on eBay tend to be overpriced, so I'd consider that to be on the high end of what you can expect to get for it.

[@TheStroiDom]

Отличный тест. Спасибо.

[@vwestlife]

@giammyzanna It is a control link for synchronizing it to a VCR for editing. This feature only works with certain models of Sony VCRs so it was never widely used.

[@vwestlife]

Sony and Maxell Hi8 tapes have always worked fine for me.

[@vwestlife]

In addition to this one, I have my JVC Everio GZ-MS100 flash memory camcorder, my little Kodak Zi6 pocket size camcorder, an Aiptek A-HD+ flash memory camcorder which I used for my early KZbin videos, and my 1988 Panasonic full-size VHS camcorder. But I'm thinking of selling the Kodak and Aiptek because I don't use them anymore.

[@vwestlife]

1996 -- the JVC GR-DV1 was the first consumer grade MiniDV camcorder.

[@emancaindec9731]

Woah. Look at you Kevin. Surprised to see you on cam 😁😁

[@vwestlife]

This was my first time using it. Once I got the FireWire cable, I never had that problem again.

[@vwestlife]

I got it on eBay in September 2009.

[@vwestlife]

@legitskateboarding You need a FireWire cable (assuming it is Digital8 or MiniDV; for an analog Hi8 camcorder, you'll need a video capture device, such as "EasyCap").

[@m134mr]

hey vwestlife - I was wondering if there was other sony handycams that play back analog hi8 as well as digital? I was hoping it was possible to capture an analog tape via firewire?? Thanks :)

[@BetamaxFlippy]

Wow! I notice that Maxell's Hi8 tapes were very appreciated! Even I have one of those!

[@vwestlife]

Yup! That's why the low light sensitivity is so good. Only a few years after this, Sony downgraded their Digital8 series to a 1/6 inch CCD. And now their current camcorders use a laughable 1/8 inch CCD!

[@survivor030406]

at 3:10 the text says that the outputs can be used as inputs. How is this accomplished? Is there a setting in the os menu that changes the inputs to outputs?

[@survivor030406]

great video test! I would like to see a few more minutes of that low shutter night shot mode. I want to get this camera since I need something to transfer my hi8 tapes to my PC and my old camera broke. This TVR103 looks like it beats my hdr xr200 in low light and night-shot performance.

[@fivebd]

I think some of those Digital8 camcorders were really very good. It's a shame in a way they are no longer available. I think especially those earlier models were good that had external microphone jacks, and accessory shoes of course for a light or zoom microphone. Also the night mode quality looks brilliant. It seems that manufacturers are trying to lower costs by removing features they don't think people used and to make the cameras smaller. There could have been a format called 'HD8'!

[@vwestlife]

That is an analog Hi8 camcorder, not Digital8. You will need a video capture device to use it with your computer.

[@angelocasciani4379]

Vwestlife, what firewire cable did you buy to download recodings to your pc so you can transfer to CD angelo

[@danielrudolph3252]

Sony always makes the best. Their Technology has come so far now.

[@ceezsees3471]

Hey great video. Do you know if these Sony Digital 8 camera's or even the Mini Dv type are able to record date/time stamps directly onto the video like the older analogue video camera's? I bought a Sony DCR PC2E the other day which enable you to set the time/date in the settings but I cannot seem to get the date showing up on the picture when I view it back. Thanks in advance.

[@bralzy1033]

I am looking into getting a Digital8 camcorder. Just one thing and I know it might be a stupid question that doesn't have an exact answer, but does removing the promotional stickers decrease the value of these cameras? If for some reason I need to sell it in the future, I'd want to keep the value as high as possible.

[@vwestlife]

It's best to keep the original stickers on, as long as they are not peeling off or otherwise in bad condition.

[@doctorfeinstone6524]

BrAlZy these aren't exactly rare. you're not gonna get rich from them

[@matthewmuli487]

to v westlife. can i ask a question- i have a video 8 camcorder (trv 48e), and i have connected it to my mini dv camcorder, (pc5e) , but my mini dv camcorder doesnt have the vcr setting, it only says player, so when i try and play the footage from the video 8 camcorder, it doesnt come up on the mini dv one, is it because vcr and player are 2 different things?

[@vwestlife]

In this case, using a video capture card and Windows Movie Maker. I later got a FireWire cable for it, so I could transfer the digital video directly from the tape into the computer.

[@UfoWizard]

@hddr3 theres an adapter you can get at radio shack or else where that you can plug into the vcr and you will get sound from both channels on the audio. thats the best you can do. try it

[@vwestlife]

The remote is a Sony RMT-502.

[@trentm5489]

anyone here in 2021

[@pasqualedefelice8951]

does this camcorder come with smaller remote also? Sony Digital 8 ? This one might be for sale? Don't want to put back in closet but I know it will be there soon, have most all main attachments

[@vwestlife]

There are various kinds of remote controls for these Sony camcorders, some with more buttons than others.

[@hddr3]

i have a sony handycam video 8 ccd-tr74 from 1996, and there is only mono audio (only yellow and white cables), so im only getting sound out of 1 speaker when I record the video from the tape onto my computer (dazzle). I cant find a way to switch to mono audio, so what do i do ?

[@skreamergaming]

The video looks like it was recorded in 1999

[@vwestlife]

Does what use?

[@jaworskij]

Are Maxell tapes good? Will they still play years from now, as compared to the other brands like SONY, TDK?

[@vwestlife]

@1morganzolko The later Sony Digital8 camcorders do support Interval Recording (time lapse), but not this one.

[@survivor030406]

one question, is the result any different if you transfer the recording by s-video or fire-wire? Thanks!

[@sassy1990]

I recently purchased a TRV48E from eBay and it seems to be a little bit dodgy. Should the camera be working when plugged into the charger but WITHOUT battery? The camera occasionally turns on with the battery inside, shows 120 minutes and after 3 minutes switches off and dies completely - the "weak lithium battery/battery not installed" pops up. I'm thinking power problems? The camera won't charge at all and will not switch on with the cable inside. The charger is working 100%!

[@vwestlife]

I'm not familiar with that model, but it should be able to be powered from the AC adapter. Maybe the power jack has a loose connection. This often happens if someone drops the camcorder while it's plugged into the AC adapter.

[@vwestlife]

Yes.

[@cordcobun]

I am getting this as my Easter present this year

[@fegolem]

I have one of these. Barely used but allowed to get a bit dusty. Has been plugged in for a couple years without use. Battery is now bad. Randomly eats tapes so it can't be used reliably. I was able to recover old video through firewire and now it just sits.

[@vwestlife]

@legitskateboarding If you're using an analog camcorder (Hi8 or Video8), then you'll need a video capture device, such as "EasyCap".