Using Old VHS Cameras in 2020!

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Published 2020-07-08
How to use old VHS cameras for modern retro videos! Can these old VHS cameras be upgraded for filming in today’s digital world? Let’s find out!
My Camera Guides: academy.dslrvideoshooter.com/

VHS Cameras on eBay: rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&p…

Panasonic M5 VHS Camera on eBay: rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&p…

Panasonic OmniMovie VHS Cameras on eBay: rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&p…

Battery I bought: www.batterymart.com/p-cam-epp-100c.html

USB Video Capture Dongle on Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/qL6m

Foam Microphone Cover on Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/C60Hq

Rode VideoMic NTG
Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/aMQUu
B&H: bhpho.to/2W10Kc9

Rode Wireless GO
Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/8fSkTZy
B&H: bhpho.to/2ZaEC0X

Special Microphone Attenuator Cable
Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/WiJNDX6
B&H: bhpho.to/2ZMmKIR

Composite Video to HDMI Adapter on Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/HAblb2

AndyCine Monitor on Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/ZZ41BBa

$15 Composite Monitor on Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/tL4LmR

5v to 12v Power Adapter on Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/FoWRov

External Composite Video Recorder on Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/9VBI

USB Video Capture Card on Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/4NCX4

Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
1:02 Finding a VHS Camera
2:45 Using VHS Tapes
3:08 Powering VHS Cameras
3:43 Using VHS Cameras
5:11 Importing and Converting VHS Video
5:38 Audio Upgrades
7:02 Adding a Monitor
8:06 External Recorders
8:48 Final Thoughts and Footage

DISCLAIMERS:
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

This video was not paid for by outside persons or manufacturers.
No gear was supplied to me for this video.

The content of this video and my opinions were not reviewed or paid for by any outside persons.

All Comments (21)
  • @mattdayphoto
    As someone that stills shoots mostly film when it comes to photography, I’m loving these videos!
  • @curtisjudd
    Hahaha! This was rad! I remember "filming" my brother carrying the Olympic torch for the 1984 Olympics on a rented VHS camera which had a separate tape unit with a shoulder strap. I had to run a full kilometer with that beastly kit. What memories!
  • @ElishaZakai
    keep up the older camera reviews they r dope!
  • Extremely important to remember that all of this footage is interlaced, that means 60 fields per second. A lot of modern tech will just throw away half of the fields to give you 30 progressive (or God forbid you capture at 24). If you capture the original 60i signal, and deinterlace it properly, you can get 60p out of it. Just thought I would mention that since most filmmakers don’t know about interlaced these days.
  • @Levibetz
    One tip for ripping footage. Often times with VHS tapes you may struggle with dropped or black frames. This is due to analog video not being fixed in time scale. A trick is to source a DVD-VHS recorder, the sort of device that allowed you to rip VHS tapes to DVDs. These devices will have a built in time correction, and their video outputs will rip flawlessly! Happy VHS-ing.
  • @rxgtv
    I like the fact that these have better mics than most phones/cameras these days...
  • @SyntheticFuture
    Being part of the last generation that actually experienced this level of tech it is heartwarming to see it getting it's little revival moment. There's something special about using old tech. Be it an old synthesizer, an old photo or video camera or a old gaming console. Yes you can emulate the results, but you can't emulate the experience :)
  • There's just something so genuine about old video tape. Most my my childhood was filmed on MiniDV, so a little different from VHS, but regardless, these videos just have so much charisma to them.
  • @AdamsLab
    For me, as much as I love clean and clear audio, the cleaner audio from the external mics ruins the "illusion" of the VHS. I'd probably record with the external mic (or external recorder) and then "dirty" it up to maintain the VHS feel.
  • @MuhammadFloyd
    These DIY kind of stuff is the kind of stuff that made me love this channel so much. I like the other content a lot but the DIY stuff is the most unique to this channel!
  • @HusseinKefel
    You just rolled my memories back then in 1987, this was my first VHS camera and I loved it at the time. I kept learning and shooting with it all the time. This was a fantastic video camera in those days. Thank you for sharing these videos
  • @Patrick-jj5nh
    The lenses in some of these old cameras are the real gem. Some incredible constant zoom lenses...
  • Hat's off! You've just provide us with a beautiful time travel into a phenomenal time of my life! Remembering my VHS time is so overwhelming and brings so much memory's back (My father was alive back then, for instance...and I clearly remember when HE bought us the 1st VHS camera recorder and VHS home player...man...) I'm really grateful for this effort of yours and well done video! Please keep it up!
  • The best ever domestic full sized VHS camcorder towards the end of Panasonic's VHS era was the NV-M10. It combined reasonable quality VHS pictures with excellent sounding HiFi VHS Stereo sound delivered through a superb omnidirectional stereo AV zoom microphone that allowed you to capture the sound of your subject as you zoom in resuming normal stereo sound as you zoom out along with a set Tele mode for specifically capturing sound from the front diluting the stereo effect somewhat and a Wide mode keeping the big stereo sound field in addition to the Zoom mode. If you want to abandon the built-in stereo microphone and use your own external stereo microphone, you may do so as it came equipped with a stereo mic socket plus a built in accessory shoe to mount it on. It also could be linked up to a compatible Panasonic VCR by a LANC lead to easily edit your videos to a second VHS tape. It also had insert edit using the picture and Hi-Fi Stereo tracks in-camera for drop-in shots through the lens and it also had audio dub using the linear mono track (using the built in or an external microphone) for a touch of creativity plus a sound mix switch to combine the two HiFi and mono tracks on playback. It didn't like using standard grade VHS tapes like TDK HS or Scotch HG as these would clog the video heads easily but it liked Super High Grade VHS tape / Extra High Grade VHS tapes plus HiFi Grade VHS tapes and Pro Grade VHS tapes such as TDK E-HG, TDK SHG HiFi, 3M Professional, 3M Broadcast, BASF HiFi Professional, Maxell XL-HiFi, Sony V-Pro, Fuji Double Coated SHG, Fuji Double Coated SHG Pro, TDK E-HG Pro-X and similar.
  • @JjackVideo
    I really like it when you showcase these old cameras. It's getting me inspired to start capturing stuff around me somehow