The State of Eight: Camcorder Buyer's Guide

For years now, videographers have enjoyed 8mm formats (including standard 8mm, Hi8 and now Digital8) for their economy, quality and small size. This year, we witnessed a dwindling number of products offered by manufacturers due largely, it seems, to the meteoric rise of affordable Mini DVs. But 8mm and Hi8 camcorders are far from dead and Digital8 promises to push 8mm tape to new levels. Curious about what the various 8mms have to offer? You've turned to the right page. This Buyer's Guide will give you the low down on this family where 8 really is enough.

Like brothers and sisters, each of the 8mm formats has its own distinct personality and unique traits. The biggest difference between Hi8 and 8mm is image quality. While both formats are analog, and similar in size and feature offerings, they use different types of tape and record images that differ greatly in quality. Hi8 nearly doubles the image quality of standard 8mm models. This is the biggest reason why Hi8 generally carries a slightly higher price tag.
Digital8 on the other hand, uses analog tape to record a digital signal, and this is why Videomaker magazine selected the Sony Digital8 format as the most innovative technology of 1999 (see the February 2000 issue of Videomaker). D8 camcorders can play all of your analog 8mm and Hi8 footage, but record video digitally on the same tapes you've always used. This makes the transition to Digital8 a natural choice for 8mm shooters who want to go digital. The fact that Digital8 doesn't require a special tape also saves significantly on the cost of blank media. Digital shoppers considering the Mini DV format will have to take into account the higher cost of Mini DV tape. All this and you get the same image quality as what the Mini DV format offers, and FireWire output for digital transfer of video to a computer for editing.
Pioneered by Sony, the Digital8 category used to belong solely to them. But that's changed. Now Hitachi enters the arena. The VME865LA Digital8 camcorder is available for $699 and includes a 500x digital Zoom, a 22x optical zoom, Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS), 6 digital fades and five digital effects. The introduction of this camcorder drops the digital entry fee to its lowest level ever. Perhaps in reaction to this sudden competition, Sony is dropping its prices too. Shoppers can get into a Sony Digital8 camcorder for $100 less than this time last year. The DCR TRV120 costs $799 and offers zero lux shooting with a super intelligent accessory shoe and a photo mode.

With some of the most competitive prices in the camcorder market, standard 8mm camcorders have helped make video production accessible to more people than ever before. For around $300 you can own Sony's CCD-TRV517 ($329) with a five hour LP (long play) mode, color viewfinder and NightShot - an infrared low light recording feature that allows the shooter to capture images in extremely low light. The trade off is a grainy, color-bland image, but it's better than nothing at all.
Also in this price range is Canon's ES50 ($349) with a built-in video light, custom keys that allow personalization of commonly used functions and FlexiZone autofocus/exposure that lets you set focus and exposure with a joystick controlled box in the viewfinder. Hitachi's lone survivor in the 8mm category is the VME656LA for $499. It includes nifty features like backlight compensation, a wide angle lens and an external microphone jack.
Several Hi8s have reached the low price range of $500-$600. Sharp Electronics offers (VL-AH30U, VL-AH50U and VL-AH60U) in its signature Viewcam series, which allows a solid, two-hand grip for steady shots. Hitachi has two Hi8s that record on regular 8mm tape, four digital effects that can be applied during playback and an S-video output. Canon's ES8100 ($549) includes a built-in time base corrector and preset titler. Its easy to see that the manufacturers of 8mm and Hi8 camcorders are still putting a lot of energy toward adding some new and innovative features to these formats.

The analog 8mm formats are still alive, though their numbers are dwindling. No doubt some day they will go the way of the Dodo but that won't be for a little while. Standard 8mm is a good format for a beginner or someone with tight purse strings. Hi8 delivers high quality images at reasonable prices. Digital8 seems to have a bright future and can be a great option for anyone who wants to get into digital video production on a tight budget. It's important to keep in mind that 8mm tapes will not play in a VHS VCR. You'll need to cable your camcorder to a monitor or VCR with the appropriate inputs to view the recorded footage from the camcorder. That's the skinny on the 8mm family. Check out the three grids in this buyer's guide and see if there's an 8mm, Hi8 or Digital8 model for you or a friend.

Wendy Nichols is Videomaker's Research Editor.