Can anyone loan me a digital-8 camcorder or Analog-to-digital converter?

[drbill]

I have one project that requires me to capture analog video from a Hi-8 tape to my computer to edit into a DVD. My digital-8 camcorder (Sony TRV-510) has a broken tape carriage so I can't use it.

If anyone in SoCal who is planning to come to Catalina soon has a digital-8 camcorder (plays Hi-8 tapes and has a firewire port) or an analog-to-digital converter like the Canopus ADVC-110 and is willing to loan it to me for a few hours while you are here diving, please let me know. TIA.

 

[Peter Guy]

Dr. Bill -- although (as you know) I am not in SoCal, I do have an old Sony Dig-8 camcorder that I'd be willing to send to you if you wanted to pay the postage (and if you can wait 10 days until I'm home).

 

[Jax]

Same here . . . except I could mail it tomorrow.

However -- have you contacted any local video / photography outlets? For a fee, they will put your tapes on DVDs. Probably faster than any mail and about as cheap.

 

[diversteve]

drbill lives on Catalina Island - he may be the local video place....

 

[Jax]

drbill lives on Catalina Island - he may be the local video place....

Yikes! That's almost as bad as being in a small town in AZ!

 

[drbill]

I had several offers from SoCal divers in addition to the ones here and all were much appreciated.

Problem solved... and in an unusual way! I've had tape transport problems with my TRV-510, TRV-17 and HC-7 Sony camcorders (usually indicated as a C:32:11 error). In each case the tape transport mechanism fails to re-enter the camera body with the tape.

Months ago I read on a web site that removing the battery and power cord, then striking the bottom of the camcorder hard, has fixed this for a number of people. It worked on my TRV-17, but not on my HC-7 (which I had to send in to Sony for repair).

I decided to try this method on the TRV-510. Removed the battery and power cord, and struck the bottom of the camcorder several times... hard! When I reattached the power I was rewarded as the tape mechanism withdrew into the camera. I was able to eject the tape inside, replace it with the wedding video tape and capture everything to my computer to edit.

I do find it interesting that this problem seems to be relatively common with Sony tape transport mechanisms. I wonder if the same problem exists on other brands (I did read of a few Canons).

My latest camcorder is the flash memory based Sony CX550V. So far I really like the fact I don't need tape any more, although editing the AVCHD footage is a bit more demanding!