Any one still care about Digital 8?
 

hello all, I have 4 digital 8 cameras the best one being the DCR-TRV740E it is excellent quality for what it is, there are apparently hacks that will allow more manual pro features also though :) I have noticed how after 11 years since I got my first Digital 8, all the tapes still play flawlessly yet my miniDV I got in 2004 has a lot of drop outs :/, its ashamed that sony did not make a 3-CCD Digital 8, I've seen some people modify cameras before, so I wonder if it would it be possible to put a better lens and 3CCD unit from an old 3CCD sony DV camera of some sort and modify that to work with the Digital 8 as an experiment plus with a bit of know how and electronics skills?? or am I dreaming rubbish!!

Re: Any one still care about Digital 8?
 

That seems like an awful lot of trouble to go through for a dead video format. I have an old D-8 camera. It sits in my closet, collecting dust. Better to just pick up a new HD camera, IMHO.

Re: Any one still care about Digital 8?
 

Digital 8 was DV recorded on an 8mm tape -- the codec, bit rate and such like were identical, interchangeable, with DV. So if you prefer the security (and I'm guessing that's what you are hinting at) of a robust(er) recording format -- you'd be farther ahead to buy a solid performing 3 chip DV camcorder like the PD170. It too uses the same codec and so forth, but the DV tape moves at a higher speed and so offers a more secure recording to tape, DVCam on a miniDV tape -- if you want to go even further, you could buy an external recorder for the camcorder and double record, to both the external storage and to tape.

I think the whole thing an exercise in madness, but if that was your goal, it could be achieved for little money and some time on eBay ...

Cheers,
GB

Re: Any one still care about Digital 8?
 

I do care. I have about 50 D8 tapes with family memories from about 2000 to 2008 - I need all that transferred to hard drive.

When that's done, camera goes to the museum.

End of an era... time to move on!

Re: Any one still care about Digital 8?
 

I once futzed with marrying a HV30 for use as a DV recorder on my AF100, to satisfy a client that only wanted DV tape delivery.

Luckily, they saw the light and accepted SD card delivery, and I never had to use the contraption.

Re: Any one still care about Digital 8?
 

kevin,

well thats a creative picture!!! Who would a thunk it!!!

I to have 2 digital 8s on the shelf, Have been contemplating archiving the good footage myself and then pass them on with tapes to someone for fun. It still shoots good sd video.

dale

Re: Any one still care about Digital 8?
 

I do as well. I got a heap of family tapes I took years ago and the FireWire connection on my TRV 350 died so can't capture. Anyone got a cheap D8 they'll ship to Australia?

Edit: Thinking about it, guess I'd need a PAL version :(