RCA CMR-300 (VHS HQ NTSC)

This was our first camcorder.Takes full size VHS video casette. The picture quality was pretty good at that time. Full-size VHSs are very convenient when viewing on TV. Also, on-shoulder style gives more stable pictures compared to some smaller camcorders. My parents bought it, but it ended up as my toy. I later noticed that it's a OEM version from Hitachi.

Canon UC-1 (Video 8 NTSC)

When I was attending Parkland college, I got this camcorder at a nearby electric appliance store. I liked its compact design, but color reproduction was a bit reddish. No manual operation modes, not enough backlight compensation. I got bored and sold off.

Minolta Master Pro 8-918 (Hi8 NTSC)

I got it refurbished, but I really liked its picture quality. Color is very clear, and resolution is pretty high with dichroic 2CCDs. Maybe the hottest camcorder I've ever used.. Optical section was built by Minolta, and VCR section was by Hitachi.

Hitachi VM-H720 (Hi8 NTSC)

Sharp Viewcam VL-DC1 (miniDV NTSC)

I got it for free from a friend at an electronic store. The LCD is big and bright; very easy to see even under direct sunlight. Since this was Sharp's first DV model, it has no DV terminal; analog output only. Very high power consumption, and horizontal resolution is slightly above 400 lines.

Minolta Master Pro 8-918 (Hi8 NTSC) 2nd

I got it again. I bought it used on Ebay from a Canadian camera shop. The condition was pretty good and I'm pretty satisfied with it. The greatest thing about this camcorder is the 2CCD; high resolution with rich colors. Some people argue that dichroic CCD design produces not-so-sharp image. However, it produces really nice image; smooth tone and natural color reporoduction.

Hitachi Ultravision VM-D865LA (Digital 8 NTSC)

Many people believe Sony is the only manufacturer for Digital8, but Hitachi also manufactures Digital 8 camcorders for oversea market. This model was marked low on Videography magazines. Not the best camcorder on the market, but I like its AD conversion feature. It converts analog Video8 & Hi8 pictures into DV, a good feature when editing videos on a PC. Built in TBC stabilize old pictures.

Hitachi Ultravision VM-D965LE (Digital 8 PAL)

It is very similar to VM-D865LA, but with built-in videolight. This one is for PAL formatted tapes. The DV terminal is for output only; no input feature. It has built-in TBC feature for clean and smooth playback.

Canon DM-XV1 (miniDV NTSC)

I got it cheap at Bic Camera since it was a display model. The picture quality is good, but the color reproduction is a bit reddish (just like other Canon model I bought.) Optical 20x zoom and optical video stabilizer work great. Captures great train shots.

Sony DCR-TRV735K (Digital 8 NTSC)

I got it at Yahoo Auction site. I just wanted a Digital 8, but I later noticed that this model was famous for its secret feature. Somehow this video camera captures infrared very well, so it captures more than what human eyes see. Bring this camera to the beach, and light-colored bathing suits will turn invisible.

JVC GR-DVL120A (miniDV PAL model)

I found it at Akihabara. I liked its sleek (weird?) design. Since it's a low-end model, it comes with BW viewfinder and color LCD. No analog input, but the DV terminal supports both in and out, so it's no big deal.

Hitachi VM-E54E (Video 8 PAL)

I bought it used on auction site. AV cords were same with Minolta camcorder so it was no big deal. Old model, but hey, I'm a Hitachi fan!

Sony DCR-TRV300K (Digital 8 NTSC)

I met this camcorder at Bic Camera. It was a display model, but 3000 yen is too cheap for a Digital 8 camcorder. Probably the lowest price in the entire world. It must be a typo; store clerk probably meant 30,000 yen. The picture quality is good and packed with many great features.

Sony HDR-HC3 (HDV NTSC)

I got this model to do some experiment on HDV format videos. It does produce very fine pictures, but my TV is still an old, standard definition so I guess I have to get those neat high definition TV too...

Sony DCR-TRV320 (Digital 8 NTSC)

I got this model on eBay. It was in mint condition. One of my favorite Digital8 camcorder.I use this camcorder to playback my old Hi8 tapes.

Sony DCR-TRV310 (Digital 8 NTSC)

I got this model on Yahoo! Auctions in Japan. Big display monitor is nice, but the body is too big to walk around with. I mainly use this model for playback. There was a slight audio noise, so I took it over to Sony for a repair and had the video head replaced. Now it works great.