Do not buy this rewinder
 

http://www.tapeandmedia.com/mini_dv_rewinder.asp

Lenmar MiniDV Tape Rewinder (6mm)

I have messed up three tapes on this rewinder. It doesn't close the door on the tape, I suspect because the rewinder hits so hard at end that it sticks the door somehow.

I just wanted to put out a warning about this rewinder. I'll have to get the tapes recased if I ever need them again.

I second that!! First tape I put into that POS it tried eating.

Just say no.

shoot. I have this rewinder. I guess I won't be using it.

Does anyone have one of good quality they can recommend?

Bought this one, have rewound about 20 tapes so far with no problem

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search

HTH... Steve

Is it me, or does it look like the Lenmar?

Yeah. There aren't that many out there, really. Someone needs to design a metal, solid higher-precision rewinder. I really didn't trust the Lenmar from the beginning.

Only thing I noted on mine was you need to be a bit careful inserting tapes and making sure the lid's all the way down - you're right though, I hadn't checked the lenmar link - looks identical to me too... Steve

I have to give www.tapeandmedia.com props. I called them to let them know of the defect, they're going to RMA it. Givin my purchase was a couple of months out, I'm very happy with thier response.

And yea, I have to go back to using an old cam for rewinding.

My two cents:

I also have the one from B&H (although my label says that it is a DV-90 / MODEL V-90 not a DV-9D / MODEL V-9D. I don't now if the one on B&H is a newer model or something but they look identical).

It also looks identical to the Lenmar as mentioned at the beginning of this thread though.

I have also noticed that you have to make sure that the door is fully closed otherwise you do have a problem (that happened to me the first time I used it but not since).

I have rewound and fast forwarded plenty of tapes in my unit with no problem (except the first time as indicated above).

Before I bought it though I seem to remember reading somewhere on dvinfo that one or two people were concerned with the force with which it stopped at the end of a rewind or fast forward and the solution was to NOT keep replacing the batteries i.e. as the batteries go flat so the operational speed decreases and therefore when getting to the end of a rewind or fast forward less force was required of the tape to automatically stop the unit. I suppose when it stops stopping automatically (how's that for a tongue twister) it is time to change batteries :)

Regards,

Dale.

http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_g...terid=2568268/

Maxell, I have had one for years never a problem.

Kinyo rewinder
 

I had the one listed from B&H and had no problems with it, until I dropped it and broke the door :(. I guess that was my only complaint, it cost $40 and felt like it cost $5. I would really like to hear of a more robust model, if anyone knows of one.

I did purchase the other one B&H sells, the Kinyo for $20. I haven't used it all that much, but the basics are that the rewind speed is slower than the DV-90 and the stop is MUCH less harsh or abrupt. There are 2 down sides though: AC power only and no fast forward. I didn't seem to ever use the fast forward, but I did like the portability option of the DV-90.

Here's the link for the Kinyo:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search

Rewinder market
 

Absolutely. I have a Kinyo that I bought for around $20 that also tends to dine on tape.

Perhaps the manufacturers know better than I, but I would think that if there was a smooth operating, solidly built rewinder with accurate sensors to detect the end of tapes-- that there's a market out there.

Speaking for myself, I'd gladly pay several times what I paid for the Kinyo for such a device.

Jeff, your points are completely valid. I'm more interested in the tape rewinder because the tape is dragged across the heads during rewind. If that is not the case, I'd like to know how the camcorder can display the timecode for the tape during rewind. Thus, my interest in a DV rewinder is to reduce wear on the tape as well as dirtying the tape heads.

I lost my first tape to the Kinyo the other day. AARGH!!! Thankfully it was after the tape had been captured to my hard drive. If it haddn't been, I don't know what I would've done. Since then I've taken to using an older cam as my rewinder. No issues there as of yet, but I guess that nothing is 100%.

One thing that I did notice about the Kinyou is that you can get the tape into it misaligned, which I would have to think of as raising your chances for malfunction.

HTH...

I'm all for a cheap playback/rewinder cam, but my Panasonic GV250 refuses to rewind or do anything with the HDV tapes from my Sony Z1.

What's the cheapest HDV playback camcorder ? I would like to see one that has either a component video breakout cable or HDMI out. The Sony HDR-HC5 is about $1000, which is a lot for what I would use it for.