r/camcorders

I recently compared two versions of the ImmersionRC PowerPlay — the old white one and the newer black version.
The white PowerPlay records noticeably better quality video and saves files as .MOV, while the newer black version records lower quality footage, much more compressed, and saves as .MP4.
I attached two comparison photos — if you flip between them quickly, the quality difference is super obvious.
Does anyone know:
-why this happens?
-did ImmersionRC change the encoder/compression in newer units?
-is this normal for the black version?
-or could my PowerPlay be defective?

Would really appreciate any info from people who compared both versions or know the hardware differences.

‼️PowerPlay haters and “just use something else” advisors — please keep this thread for people who actually know the differences between both versions and can help answer the question‼️

Found this cam in my parents attic and decided to give it a second life.

I used in this build :

-Sony CCD-TRV65E

-ClearClick 2.0 https://www.amazon.com.be/dp/B083PZTDS9?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

-10000 mAh battery pack https://www.amazon.com.be/dp/B07RWJ1DTC?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

-Cold shoe phone holder https://www.amazon.com.be/dp/B0DFPZYBD4?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

-128 GB USB https://www.amazon.com.be/dp/B07855LJ99?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

-Replacement battery for the camcorder https://www.amazon.com.be/dp/B0DFYLJN5H?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

I always thought these pastel colored MiniDV cassettes that Sony made were a unique change of pace from the normal tapes. They weren't as mass produced and widely available as the standard black/red ones, or the normal Color Collection ones. I don't know that they were necessarily "rare," but I only ever found this one batch of them. Thought I'd share, for those who haven't seen them before. Happy Easter, or something. 🤣 🐇

I just got this camera from Goodwill and it has this weird ringing effect when I zoom in. Is it an issue with the camera that can be fixed or should I look for another one. (I used a different camcorder (DCR-TRV20) to view the other as I don't have Video8 tapes yet!)

i opened the screen to record smth and the door just won't close fully . For now im using a hair tie to keep it shut but it's so annoying especially when i want use the viewfinder

I found my old Sony mini DVD handycam recently and decided to get it working again. I purchased an off brand two battery kit online that was intended for this model. When I got them, they both worked great. Mid vacation, they both started to read “Use the InfoLithium battery pack” upon turning on power.

I put it away for the rest of the trip, but when I got home, one battery would work and one gave the warning then turns off the camera. As I was typing this, the “broken” one worked sometimes. Anyone have any idea what’s going on?

So my camcorder's touchscreen digitizer died (LCD itself was perfectly fine, just the touch layer stopped responding). Decided to open up the LCD assembly to see if it was a loose connection issue since that's a pretty common fix.

While inspecting the board I accidentally brushed a metal screwdriver against the LCD ribbon cable connector — not random poking around, just misjudged the clearance near that one connector. Screen flickered for a second then the camera shut off completely. Hasn't turned on since.

Current symptoms:

Dead, won't respond to power button at all

AC adapter plugged in = current noticeable on camera body (chassis leak, suggesting short is still present somewhere)

No visible burn marks or discoloration around the connector area

What I think happened: The ribbon cable connector bridged something on the power rail when I caught it, probably blew a protection fuse or took out a small voltage regulator in the LCD circuit.

So on what level I'm done for and is this even repairable

Hey guys, new to the sub so sorry if this sort of post isn’t welcome here.

I recently purchased an “as-is” Sony DSR-PD170 for around $400 USD online. Functionally, it operates perfectly and seems to have pretty low use-hours judging by the hours meter. It also came with the original wide-angle adapter and a couple of batteries. The viewfinder magnifier was broken at the latch (fixed with some gaffer’s tape, I can live with it).

The issue I’m concerned with is that there is some mild fungus growth in the lens (see pics). This was not disclosed in the online listing.

It doesn’t affect picture quality and is difficult to even see unless there is a direct light shined on it but it’s got me concerned. I do have the option to return it, but given the market on vintage camcorders right now, I’m unsure if it’s worth living with the issues this one has and possibly finding a service to deal with the fungus, considering the tape deck seems to still be pretty new or if i’m better off returning this one and starting the search over.

Is this a serious long-term issue I should be concerned about under normal storage conditions? Anyone else have experience with cleaning/replacing the lenses in these camcorders?

I reached out to my local camera repair shop and they refused to even work on it, so that’s my biggest reason for asking for help here. Any help/advice appreciated. Thanks!

Some work shot on the Panasonic GS400 + Fisheye captured via Firewire and edited on Premiere.

My camera has an issue and I'm working on getting it repaired soon, ignore that. Just wanted to demonstrate Firewire transfer on Windows 10 using a combination of VLC as the video stream and cropped display capture with OBS.

I recently bought a Panasonic PV L750D and it cane with this wierd cable, on the camera it says it shoukd be plugged into this "To PC" port. What does this cabke even plug into?

I’m starting a new project/business soon so I’ve started my little collection consisting of:
- Sony DCR PC-350E
- Sony DCR TRV-33E
- Panasonic GS400

And I’ve just found a killer deal on a TRV 950 which should arrive soon.

Prices in Australia have ballooned for this kind of retro tech.

Which camera is your favourite and what should I add to the collection?

While cleaning out my partner's mom's house after she passed, we found a few vhs-c tapes and a single unmarked video8 tape. I was able to digitize the vhs-c with a VCR no problem.

I wasn't super familiar with the 8mm format but I figured out that hi8 camcorders could play regular video8 tapes so I bought one on eBay and tested it out yesterday. When playing this tape, all I see on the screen is white static. I thought it might just have nothing on it but did a little research to find that if it was recorded on a digital8 cam, then it won't playback on a hi8 machine. I guess my question is: is there any way to tell for sure if there is any footage on this tape (without buying a d8 camera)? I don't want to give up in case there might be any precious memories contained in this thing.

I heard some not-so-good reviews of this cam in low-light places, so i had no expectations. But I really liked it????

No edited tho, just converted from ".TOD" to ".mp4". The original video is like 1.3GB lmao I had to download it directly from TTK.