Full review of a new Sony CCD-V8AF!
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- čas přidán 20. 07. 2024
- Sony's first 8mm camcorder from the 80's. An in-depth review of the controls, features and performance tests in the field. Comparison to the famous JVC GR-C1 camcorder and to modern cameras as well!
This was my first videocamera. It was already 17 years old when I got it. I made many movies with it altough it wasn’t in the best state. Just last week I powered it on and after 39 years it still works! I did have a second one with the case but I sold that one later. And I remember it records its own autofocus motor sound.
Omg my brother and I purchased this camcorder as a kid to shoot wedding videos - amazing bit of kit. Forgot about the pocket on the front of the case. We paid £1200 which was about $2000 in 1985. Never thought of this as expensive because we made £200 a weekend shooting either a family celebration or music video. Btw my brother now owns a production studio in topanga and 8 shoot commercial - proof keep working hard work at your dream. Btw the camcorders used the same gorgeous design language as the Sony F1 betamax portable and SL C9
That’s awesome ! I’m glad it brought back good memories Was a great camera in the day. Glad to hear you are still in the field. Cheers
Such a comprehensive overview of this camera, great video. Picked this up off ebay which came with the original sony batteries and shockingly they still work!
That’s incredible ! Great find. And thanks for the comment !
You never fail to disappoint! Super great find! Love when they come with as much of the original stuff as possible. Looks very well looked after 👍
Thank you Chris ! Yes this baby was like brand new. Always more fun that way !
Hi Chis how can i buy this cam full stuff and what price ?
.any 2 hand serious link market same model ? thanks a lot ! Gabriel
@@techtoremember8096 hello ..how can i get this CAM_ full stuff box and what"s the price?..any 2hand serious website ? Thanks !!!
Hi! I think your best bet is EBAY always many of them there. To get a full complete box may cost $150 on working condition. Good luck to you
@@techtoremember8096 hi Teach my dubt ..around $150 ur talkin' about bran new cam_full stuff stock box ,same as this video ? thankU..if that's right , how can i get it ? thaaanks..
I enjoyed this video. Thank you. I used this exact camcorder in the mid 1980s and early 1990s for recording precious family memories.
Based on my own experience, I think that the Video8 video capture quality could be improved somewhat. I captured 6+ hours with the following set-up:
- playback unit: Canon ES2500 Hi8 camcorder (NTSC) with Video8 playback
- digitization: Toshiba DVR DR-430 (S-Video input from camcorder to 1080p output over (RGB) HDMI). The DR-430 may also provide limited line Time Base Correction (TBC) and frame synchronization.
- capture card: Vivitar HDMI to USB Video Capture Card at 1080p
- digital recording: ProRes 422 initially at 1080p but then downscaled to 720p to reduce file size. Capture made using QuickTIme on a Mac mini M2.
- post-capture processing:
- forced 4:3 aspect ratio (16:9 from capture card), cropped to 944x708 to remove black overscan and video head switching lines (used Shutter Encoder to apply FFMPEG SmartBlur filter with a -0.6 setting).
- used HandBrake to apply medium noise reduction (tuned for tape) with light chroma smoothing. Encoded using HEVC at ~ 1 Mbps (90:1 compression relative to ProRes 422 @ 720p). Brightened using FFMPEG by adjusting gamma (via Shutter Encoder ffmpeg -vf eq=gamma=1.25:saturation=1.3) which also transcoded HEVC to MP4 at 1.5 Mbps (enables viewing on a Blu-ray player).
Notes:
- using a Canon ES8600 might improve quality since this unit has a built-in TBC (time base corrector)
What does it feel like? "1985" That's some imagination you've got. :) 👌👌 This channel is addicting.
4:42 not gonna lie, I thought this would be a mobile adapter. One that you don't have to plug in to an outlet. And thanks for the feedback yesterday. Aside from all that, great review!!
Hey thanks ! Good to hear from you again
@@techtoremember8096 Very great indeed. I have lots to say considering how into this vintage video camera scene I am. haha
And you’re not alone !
I just got my first video 8 handycam very recently. It's a CCD-V5. The camera portion doesn't work and it's obviously bad caps and the pinch roller is bad too. I'm almost certain you know how to fix the hazy effect but it is just removing the blue glass that filters the ccd sensor and just clean it. They're very stuck but they clean up very well from what I've seen out there. Now i have a JVC GR60, this CCD V5 and a Japanese Panasonic NV-M10 from my childhood. The JVC i got it complete for around 15 bucks and the sony with the hard shell for around the same
I can't wait to have my maclord movie that my uncle is sending me from japan. It's the same as the 85 omnimovie sold in the US but it's blue and silver rather than black and silver. It's mint in the box I'm so excited
Oh wow. You really are quite the collector ! Thanks for that info regarding the CCD. I had thought it might have been the actual sensor going bad but you cleared it up (excuse the pun). Did you see my video on the GR60? Sounds like you got dole really good deals on your cameras Great stuff !
@@techtoremember8096 haha yeah I'm kinda new collecting video cameras. After collecting walkmans for a while prices just skyrocketed and i just passed my passion for old tech to camcorders since they're more affordable and more of a challenge to repair which i like. Waiting to get an ESR meter so i don't have to fully recap all my units. And yes i did! I was actually shocked when i got that camcorder your video was uploaded like a week prior and it's the only one I've seen working, and more impressive that you got footage in NYC, i bought mine in a town in upstate, kinda close to utica. Actually i got two cameras that day, the JVC and a Magnavox full size VHS. And no problem, i hope you get to fix yours but yeah the CCDs don't perish thankfully. Thank you so much!
Ive got the ccd-v8e (non autofocus model) and its microphone has gone bad as well. I got it yestersay and the first time i plugged it in to the tv the mic worked well but i noticed that it was a bit crackly because its connectors were corroded. I unplugged the mic, cleaned the connectors then plugged it back in and it was dead. I was wondering what sort of mic you connected to yours so i can buy one too and get this beast working again!
If you Balance The contrast and Colour in the editing can look better i have tried it in Pinnacle studio 21😎
I have that camera and i want to soot a short film with it. But i need to replace the battery. Is there a tutorial on how to rebuild a battert pack for it?
If you search CZcams you may be able to find something. If you are not skilled with this be careful as it can lead to accidents. You can also have a company do it for you.
Oh my goodness this brings me back! Do you happen to know how to transfer footage from the camera to a mac? Thanks so much!
Thank you ! I’ll be posting a video soon on a transfer device. Stay tuned !
@@techtoremember8096 Awesome thanks! I didnt realize it needed an extra device I assume you could just use an rca to usb adapter. Looking forward to the video!
@@techtoremember8096 Thanks! When transferring footage to a computer you need to specify the native format (HDV, NTSC, PAL, etc) and
framerate (23.98, 29.97, etc). Do you happen to know what they are for the sony ccd-v8af?
Use NTSC and 29.97!
Or 59.97 is best if they have that option
What type of av cables did you use to contact the camera to the TV?
It takes basic RCA type cables for audio and video. right into the back of the set
i just found one in the trash. looked cool. gonna try to get it working.
How do you import the footage of the camera cause I found one but I don’t know how I would import the footage to the laptop
I use FireWire. But that’s a little complicated. I have a review of 2 products you could choose from. (Elgato or clearclick) please check out that video
hey man i just found this camera and it seems my ejection motor is broken is there a manual way you can eject your tapes?
Hey sorry to hear that. Unfortunately no other way to get the tape out I have had this issue and it’s intermittent. I believe I even show it in the video. You have to keep trying and trying sometimes. If not , it may be a bad part or motor or belt.
Hey, I have a 'SANYO VM-D1P' which is a sort of similar looking camera to this. My camera has an issue turning on as it just flashes red once when I try to power it on. Idk if it's the battery or something wrong inside (I've just recently gained interest into buying camcorders). Thank you for your videos !
Hi there ! Usually that fast blinking red light means the battery is dead. Do you have another battery to try ? Try powering it off AC to see if you can get it to turn on!
@@techtoremember8096 yep I do have an AC pack and it does the same thing. It just flashes red once very quickly and doesn't turn on. Thank you for your quick response🙏
Oh I’m sorry to hear. Looks like something electrical going on inside and will need repair. It’s always tough to find a working one !
@@techtoremember8096 Yeah i was hoping that this wasn't the case. I was getting desperate and bought 2 cameras off marketplace without checking anything before hand 🤦♂. I will certainly not do that again. thank you very much for your insight.
And I just got one more question about the other camera, which is a National VHS-C MC10, that I was struggling to find a battery for. Any pointers?
Not familiar with that model. But try Batterymart.com. Or a company called Battery kings and search that way. You can also try Kastar on eBay or Amazon ! Good luck
i just got my hands on one of these but the cassette compartment doesnt eject and the eject light just blinks. Im guessing maybe its a battery issue? do you know where I can buy a compatible battery that might work?
Hey. Unfortunately there are no batteries u can get for this camera easily. You just need to check eBay if anyone has one that has any juice. No third party battery companies are making any . I would try to power it off the a/c adapter it is probably not a battery issue. It might be the mechanis
Mechanism
@@techtoremember8096 thats the strange thing, when i power it with the a/c adapter the camera turns on but shows no video on the viewfinder lens. It only shows video when using an offbrand battery that came with the camera that I charged
Are you sure you’re in camera mode ? You have to turn camera power on
It certainly could be not reading the battery. I had not seen that problem but it’s possible
where can i get that 12v charger adapter for it?
You can try eBay
You showed footage of the camera in color but later you said its only in black and white? Mine is also in black and white is it possible to view in color?
The viewfinder? No only in black and white
because the display is CRT. same way it works as old TV screens
this is george i have 2 of these ccd-v8af camcorders they still work ok but the af does not work on both of them so how do i get the autofoucs to work i've had these for3 years and love them.
Yeah. I hear you. Not much you can do really. I believe it’s the motors that have gone bad. But you can manual focus pretty easily with the camera. The AF is very slow anyway
There is a belt in the focus mechanism which turns to goo after 30-40 odd years. If you set the camera to autofocus and hear a faint whirring, the motor is fine but the belt is gone.
there is a mini crt inside of the viewfinder
Yes there is
Great Review, I own one of these but I've been strugglin for years trying to get a battery or external power supply and tapes or a way so i can plug it to my PC and record in OBS, any help will be amazing and if u could recommend a website to purchase that stuff, I think I couldn't be more grateful :)
Hi there ! Thank you for the comment. As I mentioned in my review batteries are a real problem. There are no companies that make these batteries any longer. Not even the ones that sell old camcorder batteries. You have to see if you can find off brand batteries on EBay. Sony brand are too old and won’t work .You can easily power it with a power supply. Do you not have the charger and charger pack ? The charger pack can be plugged in. You can find this on eBay ! It looks like the battery but has a plug that can be plugged in. You don’t have portability but you can at least use the camera. What is OBS by the way that you referenced in your comment?
@@techtoremember8096 thanks a lot for replying :) I meant OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software) it’s the standard streaming software for domestic and profesional use, I use it for Twitch Streaming and screen capture of any kind, it’s actually pretty cool and easy to use, you should definitely check it out
@@techtoremember8096 i guess I’ll still have to use it with the AC adapter module plugged in, one last question :) Do you know if the RFU ADAPTOR module plugs to a screen just with a regular RCA cable VIDEO/AUDIO(MONO)?
Ah ok ! Haven’t heard of ithanks !
Yes. One for video one for mono audio !
does it have night mode/scene?
It does not
Thanks for the in-depth review! My mom randomly brought one home from the fleamarket for 6 euros but the battery is missing ;(
Aw that’s too bad about the battery but it probably wouldn’t have worked anyway ! Hopefully you can find a working battery
My grandpa died on 2000 he has this camera I found on the house
Oh wow Sorry about your grandpa It was a very popular camera in the day many were sold
Some things to say about this camcorder after being a proud owner for 2 years and fixing a lot of problems:
1. Brittle plastics - normal usage is fine, but if you want to service it you need to be really gentle with the plastics
2. The autofocus mechanism is driven by a belt, which will have turned to goo all these years later. So if you hear the motor running but the camera is not focusing, that's your issue. Your best bet is removing the focus motor alltoghether to get rid of the awful sound when using manual focus.
3. Dark spots/milky picture/blurry picture. Unfortunately all of these cameras will suffer this fate and it also applies to the CCD-V100 series. The glue that holds the IR filter to the sensor starts peeling and producing these effects. Repair requires a clean room, total disassmbly of the camera portion and some soldering. The CCD rot you show is actually the glue peeling off.
4. Viewfinder is actually sharper than the picture. I've had multiple instances where the picture seemed focused in the viewfinder, but when hooked up to a tv, it was slightly out of focus.
5. Forget shooting indoors. Really. The early CCD sensor requires a lot of light to have a useable picture. Basically reserved for outdoor use.
6. Distance from the lens. The camera will NOT focus on anything closer than 1.3m, unless using the macro mode, which is a hassle to keep engaged.
Overall it's what happens when you're the first to adopt the format, and it seems Sony didn't have it quite ironed out.
Now don't let this distract you from buying one of these, they're awesome. But check for these problems before buying. Although my camcorder spent more time disassmbled on the bench than shooting videos, i still absolutely love it and love recording with it. I bought it for 30 dollars including the charger/ac pack, charging dock, external microphone and one original battery.