Buying guides
Read one of these before you buy. They cover checking a used camcorder from the listing photos to the first tape, picking a tape format, getting the footage onto a computer, NTSC and PAL, and batteries and power. New to old camcorders? Start with how to check one.
How to check a used camcorder before you buy
What to check on a used camcorder listing: tested with a tape or only powered on, heads, error codes, eject, screens, lens, battery, power and NTSC or PAL.
Read the guide →Getting footage off an old camcorder
How to copy camcorder tapes to a computer: FireWire and i.LINK for MiniDV and Digital8, real-time capture for Hi8 and VHS-C, and the Mac FireWire problem.
Read the guide →Hi8, Digital8, MiniDV or VHS-C: which to buy
How the tape formats differ in picture, playback and capture, what the old camcorder look really comes from, and which format suits what you want to do.
Read the guide →Which camcorder plays your old family tapes
Match your tapes to a player: Video8, Hi8, Digital8, MiniDV, VHS-C and S-VHS-C, plus NTSC versus PAL, LP recordings and how to keep the tapes safe.
Read the guide →Old camcorder batteries and power, sorted
Which battery an old camcorder takes, why the original pack is probably dead, InfoLithium and the C:04 code, and why the AC adapter matters most.
Read the guide →