Tape format

Used MiniDV camcorders

DV launched in 1995 from a group led by Sony and Panasonic, and MiniDV is its small cassette. It records digital video at 720 by 480 pixels in the US, and nearly every DV camera has a FireWire port (Sony calls it i.LINK) that copies the tape to a computer as an exact digital copy. That's the big reason people still buy them. The catch is the computer end. Apple removed FireWire support from macOS Tahoe in 2025, and recent Windows versions may need extra drivers, so plan your capture setup first. Sony also warns that tapes recorded in LP mode can show mosaic noise when played on a different camera.

18 models we cover.