I'm In Love With Retro Camcorders in 2024 

Please pin! You will get much higher quality if you use a firewire cable to convert these tapes! And Premiere Pro is best for capturing footage after (many) failed attempts. Different cameras call firewire different things, and you will probably need to convert the firewire USB cable to Lightning, or get a PCIE for a PC adapter. The composite capture card is a good quick option if you don't have firewire.

90s and 2000s children, gather here.

One of the best things about these cameras is that people dont mind or even like to be on camera whereas with phones and fancy digital cameras, people usually shy away from what ive seen

Handicams, wireless 900Mhz cordless phones, 56k modems, CRTVs rocking NBA Jam, mortal kombat, and street fighter. The 90s were truly rad my dudes. Now lets grab our fruit roll-ups and hit the streets.

In 2017, this sweet little old lady was selling her husband's old Sony DV tape cam corder for $25 and a few used tapes, the camera itself was in great condition and the tapes had footage from trips to Italy and Greece , but the battery was worn out so I just ordered a new battery off Amazon and bingo, everything was fine and dandy, and luckily for me just by walking in a thrift store saw 3 packs of unopened Sony DV tapes for $5 a pack, I bought all 3 , 😎 the DV camcorder is still rocking in 2023 😁

When it comes to videotape (and anything interlaced), you must de-interlace it to bring out the beauty of the video, if you're sending it through a capture card, you can adjust the input frame rate to 50 or 60 frames per second (dependent on whether it's PAL or NTSC), and it'll do the de-interlacing automatically, and it's recommended to use the AVIsynth presets if those are available. For de-interlacing DVDs and Blu-rays, a software called MakeMKV can be used to extract the files, and the software Handbrake can be used to de-interlace them, using the yadif or decomb presets, and selecting "bob" (the de-interlacing type that divides the two half-frames called "fields" into their own progressive frames). It's also recommended to upscale the video to whatever the final resolution of the video will be to prevent the formation of wavy lines along the edges of the newly progressive video in the software. If you skip this process, you run the risk of getting ugly interlacing artifacts that grenade the whole two-field system in the first place. People have been at this for years. You see it most often with old VHS recordings and releases, usually trailers, promos, commercial breaks, and even Queen music videos.

Just picked up my grandparents Sony Handycam plus 10 VHS and 14 Hi8’s and their old VCR! Going to convert them to digi and give it back as a kind of gift, since my grandpa has gotten pretty ill. The tapes contain everything from their world wide travels in the 80’s and 90’s as well as my first days on this planet and much much more. Honesty, I started crying watching it ‘cus last week I didn’t even know all those tapes existed. Such a blessing.

God finally someone that agrees with me! Camcorder footage is so intimate and nostalgic! I'm happy that you can revisit your memories :)

congrats on 30k!!! that's sick! You definitely deserve it. I feel like I'll watch any video even about something i'm not really into, just because it's you.

I would never throw away a camera (even if it doesn't work or broken). Once it is gone, it is gone for forever. It will be sentimental to me to hold on to it. I would not throw away the cassettes either.

Loved this video m8, the camcorder is honestly undefeated. I pair my lil digital sony camcorder with my A7IV for every concert/club video I ever make. Perfect for nostalgia, perfect for making event videos feel more personable and relatable, and perfect for transitional clips, textures, etc. That 50x zoom goes a long way hahah

Joke aside, I’m alway amased by your video, that storytelling, those joke, the insert and montage. Its insane how you are good. On this media (and all social media in general) hard work didn’t pay, don’t be touched/hurted (sorry i’m not english language native and don’t don’t how say that) by the "view" number, you are a real vidéo and video maker passioned. I hope you have a good job in this industry man. Well done

Glad someone appreciates the tactile experience, clicks, buttons and sounds of retro tech. I love my Toshiba 1400 RB CRT Television from 1998.

Dude this videos is a masterpiece! Absolutely unique and entertaining!! Great content brother

Just found your channel today in a Helios 44-2 search, loved the go kart video. Then saw this and thought "wow what perfect timing" Ive been looking into using my families 1999 trv36 handicam for automotive videos on a beefy gimbal or a shoulder rig. Your shoulder rig video was very helpful as well. Love the content, keep doing what you do, I'll be here for the long run my dood

My dad has that goodwill one and I agree with you, buddy… that cassette ejection was something else

I have the Sony DCR-TVR103, bought it back in 1999 for around $1,000 at Sears and that store is still open to this day in Seattle which surprised the heck out of me the last time I was there.

Ok now I've seen 3 of your videos and they're absolutely awesome, had to subscribe :D

It's the first time I've seen this channel, love the guys enthusiasm I see these cameras all the time at carboots but I walk on by, next time I see one I will be buying one. Love your videos and wish you the best of luck with all your endeavours. You have a new subscriber :)

I just inherited one of those old JVCs exactly like the one you showed off during the intro from my grandfather and it is still completely functional! My daily driver is an FX30, so it's fun to screw around with an old camera and see just how far we've come. I kind of want to stick it on my cinelifter and fly it around just because and see what retro drone footage would have looked like.

Congratulations on 30K! Now we just got to get you to 100 million. Should be easy

I'm glad to see someone else who enjoys & appreciates memories, sentimental pics & videos. I have two Sony cameras that use a floppy disc!! Remember those? I think it was 1997, and we had one like it where I worked back then....they acted like it was made of glass when we took pics or videos of the equipment we manufactured Lol. Be VERY careful with it! 😂. I have held on to them as well as some Sony & JVC camcorders as well as old 35mm cameras. One, I can't remember the model, but it has mini video discs that it recorded or wrote to. I have no idea why I have kept them....😅. Seeing this video makes me want to dig into my storage. Thanks again.

Congrats on 30k!!!!!

I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said and love your filmmaking skills. So talented, brother! And this is also why I bring a handycam on wedding day shoots. Adds a perfect spice of nostalgia. I wish modern mirrorless cameras would get together with old handycams and make a new baby. I'd buy that.

My brother has been filming our friend group with a mini vhs camcorder when we meet up for occasional events since 2017, it’ll be fun to look back at those

Hey great video man. I also like this kinds of retro video cams

You know, its funny. I got my moms 1999 sony handycam (TRV-67?)and have been using it since 2008 or so. For a while there in the early 2010s everybody was making fun of me for not getting a better camera or not using an iphone but now because I've stuck with it for so long its finally cool again! My mom used the camera in 2000 on her trip to europe and i brought that same camera on my first trip to europe in 2023- still works excellent!

The leap when everything went to MiniDV was epic. I couldn’t believe how much higher the video quality was at the time.

thanks to video, it brought back my memories. Yesterday I used my Sony CCD-TVR99E again; it still works after 25 years.

Thank you your video was amazing and help with what I need to get to start making nostalgic video and memories

Great timely page. I have a DCR-TRVR33 (Sony) thats just been in the camera bag for ages. And now I would like to revive it. Also more importantly convert all those videos to digital. Thanks. Just subscribed to your page.

great personality. amazing story telling abilities. knowledgeable! A++

it's so weird seeing my home town being broadcasted to youtube, living in a town in nebraska that isn't Lincoln or Omaha is usually never talked about! Hello fellow norfolkian!

I had the second handycam you showed. well actually I think it was an upgraded version but it looked the same. It started my love with media arts and here I am making RU-vid videos every week. I used that camera to transfer all my old 90s childhood 8mm cassettes to my computer.

4:46 YES! Finally someone said it!

Dude this is awesome , he made this at 30k now he's at almost 60k, love this

I rock the dcr trv50e its dang awesome, the pics looks so good and have so much vibe to them im 16 now and im planning to record all my fun moments with my friends (that thing recorded me as a 1yo and still works like a charm tf)

Good stuff. I have a few, but I wanted to buy more tonight 'cause of you :)

Congrats on the 30 piece fam

congratulations on over 12K *more* subs in a little over a year later!!!!

I am currently living in Omaha, Nebraska!!! Thank you for your channel and videos!!

ayoooo, the spicy crop top lmfaoooo.. Dope vid and congrats on 30K!!!🐐

That conversion tip is epic! I have about 30+ old Hi8 tapes but when I sent just one off for DVD conversion a couple years ago it was like $150, so I only did the one. So much epic 3 stair kick flips on those old tapes. 🤣 👌

I kept my father's sony dvd610 old handycam. The resolution still 480. Had good memories in there. Now in 30s i'm using gopro to record my life or my future family stories. its versatile like handycam on old days.

Same!! I have a sony Handycam HDR-PJ10 and I absolutely love it!

I just found my Dad's Sony Handycam CCD-TRV87. I was 19yrs old when he bought it. It is still working! Gonna convert all tapes to digital for him.

Is this video partly a love letter to Nakey Jakey's style? Either way I super dig this. I was feeling nostalgic for old handy cams and this def did the trick.

That interlacing is glorious. I’m trying to find the perfect handycams for this

I was glued to my handycam between the years of 2003-2006. I took that thing everywhere and filmed so many stupid things (I probably have footage of me unknowingly committing a crime or two as an immature teen). Lot of old stupid movies my friends and I would make that never made it to the internet. It was a simpler time.

Just when I thought the nostalgia was at its peak you throw on the Halo 3 soundtrack 🥺

i remember getting my first mini dv camcorder in 2021 :,) what a time

Love the story telling 😂

I mean its crazy that modern cameras aren't made in this form factor

I’d heard on the radio recently that camcorders and SLR cameras whether they are digital or not are coming back into fashion. Luckily I still have my old gear from the late 90s and early 2000s.

You can improve the footage even more when you deinterlace. It removes these weird stripes on moving objects.

I still own a pre - digital Sony TRV - 14 (UK PAL version). The batteries are long since kaput, but it still works from the mains. When I bought it in 1999, it was secondhand and lasted just inside the three month warranty before breaking down. A good job too as the repairs were almost a complete rebuild. It lasted for another six years before I finally retired it. Now, I'm hoping to rent it out as a prop for any film makers doing retro films from that period (and possibly myself with it as a film extra!)

Don't take this the wrong way please, but you seem like the Joe Dirt of RU-vid to me... tbh that's an honor - I loved that movie XD Awesome video, this is the stuff I'm wishing to do soon. I have a Handycam myself as well, from 2003, MiniDV model, however the heads are T I R E D. Those old camcorders, all the way up to the HARD DRIVE corders, that's right, they made those - are all extremely neat. It's something about the miniaturization of electronics that always seemed really exciting to me, and still is. I have NO CLUE how RU-vid didn't recommend this video to me right when it came out, my history is all over old camcorder stuff. Too bad I wasn't there for 30k. Road to 100k!! W-wait... did I hear my name?! "Jaden" - That just caught me off guard lol

7:58 - To skip this steps & devices you can just capture signal directly from the camera to your computer.

Got myself a Sony Handycam DCR-DVD91E not too long ago, so fun to use

My first camcorder was the stunning Quasar VM33. I bought it used from the video store I worked at in 1989. It was one of the rentals. I still have my trv-260 and used it the other day. I’m the original owner of it though.

this god tier editing lmfaoooooo

hey great video! excuse me with my nerdy comment, but I'd urge people to look up some more tutorials online on how to convert analog video tapes, you skipped over the essential interlacing that these footages have, and by looking at your tape clips in this video I can tell you didn't de-interlace them properly... Highly recommended to look it up so you can get that buttery smooth & accurate VHS look on modern displays + remove those jagged lines everywhere on 25fps footage... It's quite a rabbit hole but if you want a simple and easy solution I would recommend the 2023 tutorial by The Oldskool PC. aside from that, I enjoyed the video!:))

Noone knew firewire could be used as a network connection and had 400mbps speed which was incredible at a time. I used it to connect my laptop to pc and basically used it as storage expansion.

lol... yeah man! im as passionate as you. i have 5 different cams. love it

I love old stuff and i even have 2 VHS-C camcorders at home ,1 only works thru the AC since its battery is dead and the 2nd literally died on me. I also have a Sharp ViewCam which takes 8mm tapes which - need i remind you ,if you want to watch your 8mm/Hi8/Digital8 or whatever on TV you will need a seperate video player for that.. And, no joke ,its extremely pricey.. As much as 8mmS are cool i rather stick to VHS-C ,at least i got an adaptor for the tapes and a VCR.. Other than that - I enjoyed your video very much !^^ From ,Simba

Hi Zach! I just got the Fringer adapter and wanted to see which AF settings you are using? Unfortunately, Kinotika apparently took down your video on that, any chance you can re-upload it here?

omg can you plz review the Kodak Easy share CX4200 there is literally like no trace of content with this camera and i thrifted one!!! Love the retro reviews plz give us moreee❤

Inspired to try and fix the handicam I have and implement it into my videos

i just recently felll in love with my dad's old camcorder and i can't wait to get new batteries for it cause the current ones are like 20 years old and die in like 5 minutes

I just opened up my parents old camera from 95 it's one of those jvc gr videocams and found videos from when I was 3

I have one, its awesome!

I agree, I hate having my picture taken by phone. It's always at a weird angle and the picture is too high quality, I don't want to see all my wrinkles and spots. Old cameras may have worse picture quality but thats a benefit.

Someone likes Halo hahaha awesome video and channel!

It won't hurt putting some deinterlacing on those clips but they still look great!

Anyone know where the 0:37 "here's how you can relieve a good time over and over again"? sound came from? I want to use it in one of my future videos.

The sad part IS not all 8mm video formats are "exactly the same"!!! Back in 1995, I went to Circuit City and bought a nearly "top of the line" Canon ES 200 Hi 8mm, stereo hi-fi, video camera, that had a bunch of features NOT FOUND on the equally priced Sony 8mm camera of that same time period!! It was an amazing camera, and worked insanely well, especially in low light, and with the stereo mics the sound wasn't bad in it either!!! A couple years went by and I was recording the videos I took ON the Canon into my computer with a Pinnacle Studio USB to Analog adapter, and left the camera attached to my computer for a couple of days!!! I hadn't thought about "picking the rig up" as I still have a bunch of videos to record into my computer with this set up, when apparently SOMEBODY knocked the camera onto the floor and NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT IT!! I am pretty certain it was my wife, who is NOW my ex wife, because she immediately blamed the kids for it, which still doesn't make any sense. BECAUSE my kids seemed to "know better" as to stay as far away from my computer as possible!! HER on the other hand, had destroyed a number of my electronics products and she was constantly doing things like "putting crayons on top of my amplifiers where to kids couldn't reach, then not telling me about it, until the crayon melted into the hot amp causing it to short out!!!!!!!!!! The problem I now have is, Canon used a different way to record video to the same 8mm tapes than the Sony units used!! SO YOU can not play tapes recorded on a Canon IN a Sony camcorder, because they don't play back anything but static!! And Sony treats the Canon videos as though they are blank!!!!

Praise the algorithm pixies for sending me your way. This video is magic.

It’s confusing cuz so many reviews on Amazon for the different kinds of adapters say don’t buy ,they are a rip off,waste of money, break,don’t always work,etc.

That crop top is a crime against humanity. Great video tho bruh.

I really miss my Sony CCD-V9. One of the last breed of camcorders with a true tactile lens with hard stops and distance and focal length markings, not dumbed-down auto everything. Tragically got stolen (after breaking beyond repair, so that helps me not feel so bad about it).

Get one of those dvd recorders with hdmi out and 10$ capture card. Set video signal out on 720p and set capturing to 960p 50/60. You can use Windows Camera app for capturing. If you dont believe me watch sample videos that i took from old IT tape.

ITS TACTIC, ITS SATISFYING, ITS BEAUTY IN A BOX BABY

Is that a damn NSYNC T shirt? 😂😂😂 fantastic haha

I still have all my old VHS, VHS-C and MiniDV camcorders lol.

It's pretty obvious that your parents' wedding is on a VHS tape, because you see, at that time, filming a wedding on 8MM tape would not have captured the contents of the 8MM tape. A 8MM Tape would catch footage of 1 Hour. VHS, on the other hand, could receive at least 3 hours of Footage.

Congratulations on 30k..

i'm nuts with retro Sony video equipment lately. I bought the first Sony consumer video camera CVC-2000 from 1965, and hope to own a CV-2000 Videocorder from the same time period someday.

Lol this was great and now I need to convert a lot of VHS tapes to digital

"around the time I flew out of my mom" is such an insane line

My goal is to give my kids an old school experience. Meaning no smart tech only dedicated technology And computer and TV time only when the sun goes down. Got the flip phone and photo Film camera, and now I’m looking for the camcorder

Show the video of the Sony aibo era 210

"flew out of my Mom" SAME!

I bought a Panasonic Reporter AG-188 and found the battery was junk, and I had no VHS tapes. Ebay says the new battery and tapes are "out for delivery"! Can't wait to get home, and wait for the mailman there! Should be a hoot!

Do camcorders need a specific vhs c brand or it doesn't matter if it's maxell, fuji etc...?

Like if you are watching this in the middle of your classes during school! also what classes you guys watching in

5:01 What model is that? It looks nice

I have a couple D8 camcorders and an older 2-chip High 8 beauty. I have a Pinnacle IEEE-13994 /USB interface that works with an old laptop running with windows 7.

I used an AV S-Video converter for mine because I have no way to use firewire

They are getting so expensive in LA right now 😩😩😩

i luv my NTSC DCR-HC20