So I have a project that's been sitting on the backburner for quite awhile and has just now gone back into post-production. Some of it is on SD cards but the majority of the footage is on over 100 miniDV tapes shot on a Canon GL2. The GL2 just crapped out on my yesterday with an "eject tape" error and helped itself to a good serving of whatever tape happened to be in there at the time. I'll probably send it in to get repaired but I don't want to get it back and use it as a capture deck just to have it happen all over again.

So I'm wondering what my best options are for capturing this much footage.. Right now I'm looking at either a Canon ZR960 or a Sony GV-HD700 deck. Are either of these better than the other for capturing this amount of footage? Would it make more sense to just get a ZR960 and then if it craps out, by another one and hope that lasts through all 100 tapes. (Even then I'm still at $300 less the cost of a single Sony HD700 deck).

All tapes were shot on a Canon GL2. Tapes are mostly TDK and Sony brand (plus 2 Panasonic tapes which were an only option during shooting).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I would never buy an SD deck these days unless it was amazingly cheap.

Any crappy minidv camera will work just fine to play your tapes for capture. You could get one second hand for almost nothing.

Is it in the budget to rent a tape deck from a reputable dealer nearby??

At least this way, you know it's maintained, and you have one less headache waiting or buying equipment that might chew up another tape...
Heck, see if you can get two decks, and capture to another piece of hardware...

Just a thought..

Is it in the budget to rent a tape deck from a reputable dealer nearby??

I looked into it and decks are about $72/day to rent. By the time we'd be done ingesting, it'd probably cost more than just buying our own and reselling it later.

How about this? http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/private-classifieds/497360-canon-hv40.html
You could sell it afterwards.

Thanks Colin! I did just that and that camera is sitting next to me as we speak. Here's to hoping it lasts for all 100 tapes!

I used to use a little JVC 1 chipper for a deck and after 11 years it finally gave up the ghost, trust me when I say I captured more than 100 tapes with it. At one point I captured tapes all day (approximately 6 to 7 a day) for 4 days in a row (the shooters didn't log a thing so everything had to be captured) so while that was only 28 or so tapes it just shows that most of these little cams are pretty robust.
I do not envy you having to capture 100 tapes. I think I would teach my dog how to do that and pay her a big box of treats so I wouldn't have to sit there all day everyday for days on end. Of course I have the attention span of a 2 year old sometimes so maybe it's just me.
Good Luck!

Hi

Can "Toshiba CD TS H30 Compact HD Camcorder PA3791U-1CAM" play mini DV tape? I checked, but have doubt. Some sites list mini DV, some don't.
I'm looking for a way to capture my footage from Canon XL1S.
Thanks

Toshiba - Camileo High-Definition Camcorder with 3" Touch-Screen LCD - Black - PA3790U-1CAM (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+-+Camileo+High-Definition+Camcorder+with+3%22+Touch-Screen+LCD+-+Black/9917303.p?id=1218194637155&skuId=9917303&st=Toshiba%20CD%20TS%20H30%20Compact%20HD%20Camcorder%20PA3791U-1CAM&cp=1&lp=1)

I don't think "Toshiba CD TS H30 Compact HD Camcorder PA3791U-1CAM" can play mini DV tape.

Can you suggest a camcorder that can play mini DV tape? Nothing fancy please.

Thanks

Colin above gave the best answer.

Buy a used Canon HV40.

You can add HV20 and HV30 to that.

My HV20 is still slogging along nicely capturing my XH A1 tapes.

BTW, if you have both a desktop and laptop PC with Firewire, get two and capture your tapes two at a time.


CS