8mm video cameras come in two different styles: digital 8mm and Hi8. Both camera systems are the same size, as are the tapes, but digital 8mm is not going to lose as much quality when you convert it over to other formats. Because there are no tape adapters for 8mm tapes, the only way you can convert the content on the tape is by using a computer editing software.
Instructions
1. Insert the 8mm tape into the camera and set the camera to VCR mode.
2. Connect the camera to the computer via either USB cable or Firewire cable. With older model cameras such as these, the Firewire cable is going to provide better resolution streaming.
3. Launch the video editing software. Most computers come pre-installed with some sort of editing system, such as Windows Movie Maker or iMovie.
4. Select the "Capture" option. This launches several available connections from which you can capture content. Select the video camera connected to the computer and click "OK." The video content of the tape is now displayed onto a small area of your computer screen.
5. Click "Record" and the content will begin to record onto the computer from the 8mm video.
6. Select "File" and "Export" if you want to convert the 8mm video tape into a different file format. An option selection menu will appear and display several different video formats you can use, such as WMV, AVI, Quicktime and MPEG. Select the file format you want to convert and export your video to, and click "Export." Depending on the length of your video this process can take several minutes to a few hours.
Tags: content tape, editing software, file format, Firewire cable, tape into, want convert, your video