Hitachi VMD875LA Digital 8 Reviews

Rating
Reviewed by: andy
(Intermediate)

Review Date
July 15, 2003

Overall Rating
4 of 5

Value Rating
4 of 5

Used product for
0-1 years

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
1 votes

Review 1 of 2

Price Paid: $299.00 from Overstock.com

Summary:

Great camera, no problems. Was looking at MiniDV, but wanted a way to view old 8mm tapes from years ago. Since our old Canon 8mm camcorder had died, I sprang for the Digital8. Very easy to use: dials, knobs, switches, zooms, record buttons are placed fine, no problems with them.

Strengths:

Firewire/i.Link/IE1394 connection (connect it to your computer) Uses 8/Hi8 tapes Digital recording Can view old 8/Hi8mm tapes through it.

Weaknesses:

Battery it comes with will last a tad over an hour. A Hi8 tape will only last an hour anyways do to Digital8 tapes running twice as fast to record the digital signal. Does not have a zero light recording feature like to Sony's Nightshot. But it does include a light you can turn on to record in the dark with.

Similar Products Used:

a MiniDV Camcorder Canon 8mm Camcorder

Customer Service:

Haven't had any problems with it

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Rating
Reviewed by: Elwood Holt
(Expert)

Review Date
January 20, 2003

Overall Rating
1 of 5

Value Rating
1 of 5

Used product for
0-1 years

Visitors rate this review
4.33 of 5,
3 votes

Review 2 of 2

Price Paid: $400.00 from n/a

Summary:

the good aspects of this camera do not even begin to out-weigh the bad. i would not recommend anyone buy this camera. you'll regret it. stick with a more popular brand like sony; you'll be able to find accessories and/or support a lot easier.

Strengths:

zoom, sound, and picture quality are all exceptional (when and if they work!). you can put your face right up to the lens and the focus is amazingly detailed. picture resolution is high and sound is clear. unit doesn't weigh much either.

Weaknesses:

1. digital interference occurred IMMEDIATELY when i first operated this camera. brand new out of the box! i've read many reviews of this item that noted a similar problem. 2. focus buttons are located on the BACK of the camera, making it a chore to focus while recording.

Similar Products Used:

i had a hitachi VHS camcorder that lasted 10 years and ran perfectly. that's why i chose to get another hitachi.

Customer Service:

hitachi's support line referred me to a service dealer that wanted to charge $50 just to diagnose the problem, and an additional $200 for repairs. this amounted to over half what it cost to buy the camera!

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