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Question

Just got an old camcorder... did I break it?

Mar 23, 2014 2:37PM PDT

A friend gave me an old Sony HandyCam Hi8 CCD-TRV108. I planned to use it to transfer some ancient 8mm tapes I found to my computer, since it has S-video out and I have a TV card. However, while charging it, the cord caught my foot and the camera fell. It seemed fine at first, but when I came home hours later the casette compartment was stuck open with some motor twitching, I assume trying to close the compartment. Now the compartment is stuck half way open/shut, and the camera won't power on.

Is there a fix for this, or is it bricked? And is it common for these devices to get destroyed so easily? It fell 2 feet to the carpeted floor; I commonly drop my smartphone 3-4 feet onto concrete without suffering damage.

Also, in lieu of the demise of my new camera, what is the best way to get digital copies of these old 8mm tapes? Is it worth it to track down another camera or player? Or is it safe enough to send the tapes out to someone with a conversion setup and get them done by a third party?

Thanks!

Discussion is locked

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Answer
I'd try another but don't drop the next one.
Mar 23, 2014 2:57PM PDT

They weren't that well built to take a fall. Bad luck but there are more out there.

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***
Mar 24, 2014 9:45PM PDT

Ok, this is really creepy. After my last post, I sat the camera on the shelf, again still plugged in with the casette tray stuck half way open. Came home this morning, and how the camera is alive again, all by itself, with the casette tray completely out and open and some motor inside moving back and forth. Maybe I didn't break it after all?? Is this thing possessed? Zombie camera? As soon as I picked it up, it stopped moving and now it is still and silent again.

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Not that hard to figure out.
Mar 25, 2014 4:06AM PDT

As these are old gear the lubricants and such do "gum up." Yup, that's a tech term but as you leave it on the device can warm up and the gum softens and it begins to work again. QUICK. Get your work done as it's a safe bet it may not come back without repeating the warm up period and even that is no safe bet.

Again, be QUICK about getting your content off those tapes.
Bob

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:(
Mar 26, 2014 12:31PM PDT

Unfortunately I do not have the tapes at this house, they are 200 miles away right now. The camera has been plugged in this whole time (about 3 days), and as of today it has not opened back up again. However even when it was open, I am unable to get it to shut all the way. It seems that whatever electric motor opened the casette tray is locking in place once the tray is closed but not retracted. I am going to consider this one a lost cause. Its a shame too, because for the first few minutes I tried the camera out (without any tapes in it), it worked perfectly.