I am amazed at how many models of vhs-c cameras had no manual control for exposure. Their auto exposure works amazingly well, but sometimes you just want less light in the shot. Thanks for this video.
I suppose, they wanted to advertise consumer video as a simple affair, so they pushed the idea of everything being automatic. This early 1980s commercial is very telling: th-cam.com/video/dN7YSoEC11E/w-d-xo.html
@@ConsumerDV Wow, thanks for the commercial. I used a camera like that, but my friend Dave and I just thought it was so much of a hassle to bring the recorder everywhere. We did do a short test film with it though, but a different model with no auto features as I recall.
@@timsmythfilmsandanimations Pretty ironic because my panasonic nv vs4 super vhs-c cam also doesn't have manual exposure but it have very good controls for manual tracking, manual focus and manual white balance.
The SZ9, which is basically an updated SZ7, has exposure lock, although the exposure control is still clumsy. I have one, need to make a review :) I have a Panasonic NV-RZ17, which has a wheel for exposure and focus: th-cam.com/video/pCQDaFFg3QM/w-d-xo.html It has 1/6-inch sensor and TBC. Sadly, it died after that shoot.
I managed to pick up one of these in pristine condition with a carrying case and about 10 S-VHSC tapes and a remote. Honestly, it is probably the best camcorder I've used to date. Very good quality video, a nice feel in the hand with a good amount of weight to it, the ability to playback on the TV without having a display constantly over it (that LCD screen on the side replaces the need for that), and, if you have the remote, the ability to create timelapse and 4 FPS animations with it (which amazes me, cus I didn't even know such a thing was possible on an analog based magnetic medium). I completely agree that the gain control is a bit of an issue; I have footage of it on my channel with the gain on full auto, and it seems to love to quickly brighten then darken a scene if it detects even a sliver of change in light, causing for flickery footage in a lot of cases (the worse of which you can see in the newest vid on my channel as of typing this, right around the half way point). How does one get a neutral density filter for this camera? Can they still even be bought in a size that fits this particular camcorder?
Congrats, it is a nice camcorder! I found that auto-focus is not very reliable, though. The camcorder has a 46-mm thread, so using filters or other lens attachments is not a problem.
Great video. I can recommend the Panasonic NV-S88 model. I really liked it, both in design and performance. CCD 1/3 "has excellent light sensitivity, there is a manual exposure mode with F numbers. Stereo sound, no LP mode (which means the video heads are not narrow), but the TBC is not full frame. Well, as a bonus - digital editing transitions and digital image stabilizer. Among the shortcomings - the tape drive mechanism (DL-mech) is not very reliable, at best, only the replacement of the belt with the receiving unit is required, at worst, the adjustment of the racks and azimuth of the stationary head, or even the replacement of the racks.
Where is the sensor for such a camera….maybe I can take the sensors from these cameras to create a bigger sensor and get a HD quality video that looks like it was shot in the 80s.
This is an interesting idea, but I don't think you'll be able to sync four cameras to show their respective quadrants within one bigger frame. And the chroma resolution will still be pitiful. Panasonic used a similar approach for DVCPRO HD codec, splitting a frame into four quadrants and using four DV encoders, 25 Mbit/s × 4 = 100 Mbit/s
The eyepiece is in color. There is no nightshot. The main extra features, in my opinion, are Hi-Fi stereo sound (a relatively rare feature for a VHS camcorder), and SVHS-ET mode. The GR-SZ7000EG is not completely identical, but very similar: www.manualslib.com/manual/284907/Jvc-Gr-Sz7000eg.html
@@ConsumerDV dang my vhs c camera’s view finder is in black and white it doesnt have night shot but it does have a light you can turn on manually or you can set it to auto
Hello, I'm surprised that "the best" super vhs camcorder is a JVC ... because everybody got issues with all JVC's camcorder !do you have any issue with this one ?
everybody got issues with tape based camcorders in general. they were the most unreliable (well, the most complex and btw not very reliable) piece of consumer electronics ever made. panasonic got their issues, sony got their issues, canon... and so and so...
Indeed, the footage from this camcorder looks much better than from another SVHS camcorder I have. I guess, just labelling it "Super VHS" is not enough :) This one has a 1/3-inch CCD sensor with 570,000 pixels, the other one has a 1/4-inch CCD sensor, and the resolution is not specified, but I think it is only 270,000 pixels if I am correct that the sensor has been borrowed from non-Super VHS machines.
JVC has several compatible models like BN-V11U/BN-V12U. Duracell has them as DR10. You can find compatible off-brand battery packs online. I have a Kastar battery pack, works ok.
@@spacehertz You can attach tele or wide angle converter or a filter or a hood. The lens thread is 46 mm. The thread is plastic and is not deep, just a couple of threads, so I would avoid using heavy attachments.
Do you mean whether do you need a full-size VHS VCR, or you can digitize from a camcorder itself? Yes, you can! All camcorders have A/V outputs, that is what I did. This camcorder is SVHS, so it outputs better quality than my standard VHS VCR.
It is a noname Fader ND filter with 52 mm inner thread and 55 mm outer thread. The camcorder has 46 mm thread, so I use a 46-to-52 mm step-up ring. Outside I have a 55 mm round metal hood, which I shaved a little because it was causing vignetting on my other camera.
All "color-under" formats have atrocious color resolution, about 40 LWPH. Standard VHS black-an-white resolution is about 240 LWPH, so color resolution is just 1/6 of B&W resolution. With Hi8 and SVHS it is even worse, as color resolution is unchanged in these formats, it is only 1/10 of B&W resolution. So, not half but 90% of color is missing.
@@ConsumerDV something is probably missing too on front (ccd) and back ends (heads) of these small camcorders. kinda like laptops today, you pay more for less spacious device, but get less performance. because for OTA recordings on VHS colour normally becomes an issue only on copying, which actually moves the color down (on pal system, because pal constructs one line's color from previous two) and to the side...so the color doesn't match luma info and that's quite bad. interestingly pal DV is also bad at color, because it's doing 4:2:0 subsampling, so reds can become quite pixelated, although that also concerns the way you decode the color data on playback. IE if you're using "point resize" instead of bicubic or lanczos.
NTSC SVHS, Hi8 and SuperBeta also push chroma down a line or two, but they do it during playback, ostensibly to reduce chroma artefacts. Some better VCRs have EDIT mode, which turns off this function. It does not really matter for capture, because I can shift chroma in software in both directions, which I often do. I agree, a small camcorder must sacrifice something here and there, still, this camcorder was voted as the best [S]VHS-C camcorder in 1994 (or 1995?), and it could resolve 390 lines horizontally. I have a handheld 3CCD camcorder, by the way, but it is in rough condition, so I cannot compare it to the SZ7: th-cam.com/video/LfSxojJOOSw/w-d-xo.html
Feel free to skip directly to 01:11 for sample footage. English subtitles are available.
Thanks for documenting the highest gas prices in history.
I am amazed at how many models of vhs-c cameras had no manual control for exposure. Their auto exposure works amazingly well, but sometimes you just want less light in the shot. Thanks for this video.
I suppose, they wanted to advertise consumer video as a simple affair, so they pushed the idea of everything being automatic. This early 1980s commercial is very telling: th-cam.com/video/dN7YSoEC11E/w-d-xo.html
@@ConsumerDV Wow, thanks for the commercial. I used a camera like that, but my friend Dave and I just thought it was so much of a hassle to bring the recorder everywhere. We did do a short test film with it though, but a different model with no auto features as I recall.
@@timsmythfilmsandanimations Pretty ironic because my panasonic nv vs4 super vhs-c cam also doesn't have manual exposure but it have very good controls for manual tracking, manual focus and manual white balance.
The SZ9, which is basically an updated SZ7, has exposure lock, although the exposure control is still clumsy. I have one, need to make a review :) I have a Panasonic NV-RZ17, which has a wheel for exposure and focus: th-cam.com/video/pCQDaFFg3QM/w-d-xo.html It has 1/6-inch sensor and TBC. Sadly, it died after that shoot.
I never noticed i have the sz7 and sz9 and didnt know the differences between them@ConsumerDV
I managed to pick up one of these in pristine condition with a carrying case and about 10 S-VHSC tapes and a remote. Honestly, it is probably the best camcorder I've used to date. Very good quality video, a nice feel in the hand with a good amount of weight to it, the ability to playback on the TV without having a display constantly over it (that LCD screen on the side replaces the need for that), and, if you have the remote, the ability to create timelapse and 4 FPS animations with it (which amazes me, cus I didn't even know such a thing was possible on an analog based magnetic medium).
I completely agree that the gain control is a bit of an issue; I have footage of it on my channel with the gain on full auto, and it seems to love to quickly brighten then darken a scene if it detects even a sliver of change in light, causing for flickery footage in a lot of cases (the worse of which you can see in the newest vid on my channel as of typing this, right around the half way point). How does one get a neutral density filter for this camera? Can they still even be bought in a size that fits this particular camcorder?
Congrats, it is a nice camcorder! I found that auto-focus is not very reliable, though. The camcorder has a 46-mm thread, so using filters or other lens attachments is not a problem.
Great video. I can recommend the Panasonic NV-S88 model. I really liked it, both in design and performance. CCD 1/3 "has excellent light sensitivity, there is a manual exposure mode with F numbers. Stereo sound, no LP mode (which means the video heads are not narrow), but the TBC is not full frame. Well, as a bonus - digital editing transitions and digital image stabilizer.
Among the shortcomings - the tape drive mechanism (DL-mech) is not very reliable, at best, only the replacement of the belt with the receiving unit is required, at worst, the adjustment of the racks and azimuth of the stationary head, or even the replacement of the racks.
Is there another name for the pal version?? I can’t find any information about a pal version??
It looks like the PAL version was called GR-SX1 - www.outletvideo.com/vintage-jvc-gr-sx1-s-vhs-c-camcorder-gr
@@ConsumerDV yes of course, this is the right version, bought this camera a few months ago 👍 thx
Great video!
Can I combine 4 such cameras to get a HD quality video. I mix the four camera angles in the footage in premiere pro to create a big size…?
Where is the sensor for such a camera….maybe I can take the sensors from these cameras to create a bigger sensor and get a HD quality video that looks like it was shot in the 80s.
This is an interesting idea, but I don't think you'll be able to sync four cameras to show their respective quadrants within one bigger frame. And the chroma resolution will still be pitiful. Panasonic used a similar approach for DVCPRO HD codec, splitting a frame into four quadrants and using four DV encoders, 25 Mbit/s × 4 = 100 Mbit/s
What kind of extra features does the cam corder have like does it have a color view finder? or does it have night vision?( or nightshot)
The eyepiece is in color. There is no nightshot. The main extra features, in my opinion, are Hi-Fi stereo sound (a relatively rare feature for a VHS camcorder), and SVHS-ET mode. The GR-SZ7000EG is not completely identical, but very similar: www.manualslib.com/manual/284907/Jvc-Gr-Sz7000eg.html
@@ConsumerDV dang my vhs c camera’s view finder is in black and white it doesnt have night shot but it does have a light you can turn on manually or you can set it to auto
in my opinion, yes
Hello, I'm surprised that "the best" super vhs camcorder is a JVC ... because everybody got issues with all JVC's camcorder !do you have any issue with this one ?
It is the best in terms of features and video quality, not in terms of reliability. But the particular unit I have works fine.
everybody got issues with tape based camcorders in general.
they were the most unreliable (well, the most complex and btw not very reliable) piece of consumer electronics ever made.
panasonic got their issues, sony got their issues, canon... and so and so...
The footage looks so good though.
Indeed, the footage from this camcorder looks much better than from another SVHS camcorder I have. I guess, just labelling it "Super VHS" is not enough :) This one has a 1/3-inch CCD sensor with 570,000 pixels, the other one has a 1/4-inch CCD sensor, and the resolution is not specified, but I think it is only 270,000 pixels if I am correct that the sensor has been borrowed from non-Super VHS machines.
Where can I find the battery for it?
JVC has several compatible models like BN-V11U/BN-V12U. Duracell has them as DR10. You can find compatible off-brand battery packs online. I have a Kastar battery pack, works ok.
Is this model compatible with other lenses? If yes, tell me which ones please thanks for helping me with the battery
@@spacehertz You can attach tele or wide angle converter or a filter or a hood. The lens thread is 46 mm. The thread is plastic and is not deep, just a couple of threads, so I would avoid using heavy attachments.
hello sorry I have a question - can we digitalize the vhs with only a macbook and an accessory? or we need to buy the big lector of vhs?
Do you mean whether do you need a full-size VHS VCR, or you can digitize from a camcorder itself? Yes, you can! All camcorders have A/V outputs, that is what I did. This camcorder is SVHS, so it outputs better quality than my standard VHS VCR.
Кайф! 🤩
Can you please tell me the name from the filter?
It is a noname Fader ND filter with 52 mm inner thread and 55 mm outer thread. The camcorder has 46 mm thread, so I use a 46-to-52 mm step-up ring. Outside I have a 55 mm round metal hood, which I shaved a little because it was causing vignetting on my other camera.
@@ConsumerDV thx for the answer 👍
Thing is, lmaoo we aren’t looking for the best quality image out of these old vhs cameras
IDK, I was curious how good [S]VHS could look if someone paid $2K for a camcorder back then.
I got one of these for 15 dollars
not if it doesn't have a light : )
:) I don't care about a light, but I wish it had a built-in TBC. There is no perfection ;)
very very true : )
You should get a hi8 VHS camcorder those are better
About the same.
@@ConsumerDV yeah, both look like like half of color is missing
All "color-under" formats have atrocious color resolution, about 40 LWPH. Standard VHS black-an-white resolution is about 240 LWPH, so color resolution is just 1/6 of B&W resolution. With Hi8 and SVHS it is even worse, as color resolution is unchanged in these formats, it is only 1/10 of B&W resolution. So, not half but 90% of color is missing.
@@ConsumerDV something is probably missing too on front (ccd) and back ends (heads) of these small camcorders. kinda like laptops today, you pay more for less spacious device, but get less performance.
because for OTA recordings on VHS colour normally becomes an issue only on copying, which actually moves the color down (on pal system, because pal constructs one line's color from previous two) and to the side...so the color doesn't match luma info and that's quite bad.
interestingly pal DV is also bad at color, because it's doing 4:2:0 subsampling, so reds can become quite pixelated, although that also concerns the way you decode the color data on playback. IE if you're using "point resize" instead of bicubic or lanczos.
NTSC SVHS, Hi8 and SuperBeta also push chroma down a line or two, but they do it during playback, ostensibly to reduce chroma artefacts. Some better VCRs have EDIT mode, which turns off this function. It does not really matter for capture, because I can shift chroma in software in both directions, which I often do. I agree, a small camcorder must sacrifice something here and there, still, this camcorder was voted as the best [S]VHS-C camcorder in 1994 (or 1995?), and it could resolve 390 lines horizontally. I have a handheld 3CCD camcorder, by the way, but it is in rough condition, so I cannot compare it to the SZ7: th-cam.com/video/LfSxojJOOSw/w-d-xo.html
Lol had one! Not good! Svhs mini was crapolla !
Before DV came around, SVHS and Hi8 were all an amateur could afford. This camcorder is one of the best short of a 3CCD shoulder-mount camera.