Need to play 8mm video?? Argh

dornier wrote on 8/11/2006, 4:33 PM

Hey gang,

I've got a few 8mm video cassettes from an old Sony Camcorder (really old).

The camera is kaput, but I need to find a way to just play the tapes.

Does anyone have an economical solution to this? I know there used to be VHS play-only boxes with a template box to insert those, but I was hoping for something a little easier to find.

Anyone?
Anyone?

Comments

johnmeyer wrote on 8/11/2006, 4:39 PM

I would get a Digital8 camera. Cheap on eBay (actually cheap, even when new). Plays 8mm, Hi8, and of course, Digital8. Also can be used (most of them) for analog pass-through, something that has recently gotten VERY difficult to find on almost any camera.

There is definitely NOTHING that will adapt a VHS machine to play these. Totally different format in every way. You might be thinking of VHS-C, which was a compact cassette that still contained the same tape width and formulation as standard VHS and which could be played in a VHS machine with the use of an adaptor. If that's what you have, then it's a different story.

farss wrote on 8/11/2006, 5:36 PM

Just be really careful of some of those old 8mm tapes, particularly any Fuji ones. I've had three out of 10 snap, all extra LP tapes which I'm sure is part of the problem and fixing tapes is NO fun.

Bob.