mini DV cassette rewinder?
 

Are there any good, but inexpensive mini DV cassette rewinders out there? I don't wish to use my FX7 to rewind tapes. For that matter, a rewinder that also fast forwards would be good.

Thanks.
Mike

Mike
If you do a search in these forums about this subject you will find that it's best to keep away from any tape rewinders. Your best bet is to buy an inexpensive camera and use it as a rewinder.

Stelios

Boy, it is a shame that one cannot get a decent rewinder for a modest amount of money, but has to instead spend a bundle more for a small, "cheap" camcorder. From what I understand, this is all because many rewinders either break or stretch the tapes. There must be some good rewinders out there that won't harm your tapes, that don't cost over $50....aren't there?

Mike

nope! there's no such thing as a good, cheap rewinder - never has been, never will. the two requirements just don't equate.

;-) leslie

By "cheap" I am, more or less, meaning less than buying another camcorder.

Mike

wish you luck mike - imho the mechanism to wind tape at a constant tension / speed, combined with the ability to 'sense' where the tape is and then slow it to a gently SAFE stop would pretty much mean having a proper transport minus the rec/playback heads. since there are no transports (that i know of) manufactured minus heads, you're left with those already manufactured, ie, normal transports, as fitted in camcorders.

ergo, a cheap camcorder is going to be as good a rewinder as is possible....

Indeed.

Proper mechanisms make whirring noises of different pitches since the speed is being controlled according the tape location etc.

Cheapo rewinders go "wh-i-i-i-i-r, thwack" and often followed by a general flailing of tape.

So Mike don't don't go any further that this, just invest in a "cheap" camera and you will have a rewinder plus a camera, aren't you lucky -:]

Stelios

Just by shopping around I have found used MiniDV camcorders at pawn shops or Ebay for less than $50. So not only did I get a rewinder, I got a capture deck as well if I'm using SD.

I humbly accept everyones advice. I will be keeping an eye open for a suitable cam at a low price for use as a tape rewinder/fastforwarder.
Thanks to all who responded. I really appreciate it.

Mike

Mike

it dosnt have to be a camcorder.
a DV deck will do the same
mayby you will find a "cheap" Sony DHR-1000 or a Sony DSR-11?
or the Pana (JVC modell?

volki

Finding a cheap DSR-11 is very unlikely. They hold their value very well. Currently, the typical price is $1000. I'm holding on to mine!

ditto downunder. sold mine recently for $au1.5k to a friend. had been offered 2k by a couple of people.

btw. wouldn't trust a tape in any jvc product.....

Back in the 1980's JVC had a line of 3/4-inch tape decks they called The Tape Handlers. They became notorious as The Tape Manglers. They used a clever system of servos to adjust tape tension. As the electronic components aged (usually capacitors) the servos would go out of adjustment and your tape could be eaten. Sony used tension guides that were manually adjusted. There was a joke about a call to a service tech. that went something like this:

Caller: Do you fix JVC? Tech: Oh yeah, all the time.

Having said that I believe those days are long past and the JVC DV mechanism should be as dependable as any other.

i have to say lee, my jvc experiences are all pretty old, like the one you mentioned through to the knobs simply falling of a d7 vtr.

during the following few years i had occasional use of jvc hardware, all of which i found to be overly complex (in as much as they did everything and MORE than was needed), and shoddily made.

my last 'inspection' of a jvc camera (hd100 i think), simply reinforced the above impression.....

leslie