Unboxing my Canon A-1 Digital hi-8 Camcorder!!!

[CoolDudesJunk]

God this must be like the one of the 1st unboxing ever. Where did he send the video to??

[michabox]

This guy is the inventor of unboxing videos!

[MetallicBill]

Hello, Ray, you still with us? haha I bought mine mail order in 1992 as well, I did not have forsight to film it and it was stolen from work a few years on, and I liked it so much I replaced it with an L1, and then an L2 which had the silver hard shell case and keys!

[c016872]

Hey, this was my first real camera also. Bought mine back in 1993. Just curious, can you remember how much these went for back then?

[videoholicreturns]

@c016872 Not really, but I'm guessing it was probably $1000 - $1200.

[MetallicBill]

@videoholicreturns I know mine was $1500, I used my EBCO job profit sharing, I started working in fall 1990 there, and lost my job there in 2007, 2008. Man, oh man, bitter sweet memories

[evhvariac1]

Were you excited about the camera? What would have happened if you opened the box and it was smashed to bits?

[AllTheWorldWillHearU]

i get just excited about cameras man!!!

[GanEdenAustralia]

@AllTheWorldWillHearU me too

[knurri]

can you tell us more than 8 times how long you have been waiting for this camera please

[202Hunter]

I was 15 when you made this video and i had just got my first camcorder which was a terrible point and basic shoot vhs model. I would dream about owning this camera on the other cannon hi8 one which was white with a huge lens cant remember the model. These were the days when cameras were cameras and i think kick the backside out of some of todays models. I keep looking on ebay for one of these that is working lol i will have it !

[MetallicBill]

@202Hunter That is the L1 and L2 you're thinking of, used a default 15x optical bayonette mounted lens, the VL mount system made those camcorders unique, and Canon did the same practice with miniDV digital

[camnet2000]

how much did the camera cost?

[DrCassette]

The A1 must be a really great camcorder... But being from that time (early 90s) I'm sure it contains those nasty capacitors that will become bad and ruin the whole camcorder...

Why did the camcorder this was recorded with recorded that "light" thing on the tape?

[GanEdenAustralia]

@DrCassette Ive got 2 of these I managed to find in the US that work fine.

[MetallicBill]

@GanEdenAustralia Mine was mail ordered new around 1992, and it always worked....until it was taken from work, where I used it constantly to play movies to our shift overnights

[GanEdenAustralia]

@MetallicBill I've got two of these, both versions and both still work great. Also got a brand new L2, one of the last made from 97 I think. I have some videos on my channel of these models.

[MetallicBill]

@GanEdenAustralia My A1 is gone, but NEVER forgotten, for filming live rock and metal shows, it was second to none, because you had the ATT 20 dB cut, which attenuates the mic volume, you have Left and Right controls for it, and a plug in power jack, you have VU LCD meters, and a clock that worked completely WITH the camera to do real VCR recording and time lapse, it just did what I wanted outside of battery power, where I was and remain very upset, as I lost precious recordings when batts fail

[GanEdenAustralia]

@MetallicBill You can still get working ones on ebay if you search for them. They go anywhere from $80 to $200 depending on condition etc.

[MetallicBill]

@DrCassette "light thing", I believe Ray is using VHS camcorder, if I heard him joking about it, correctly. It's always a task to film what you're talking about and would rather be filming with. Suffice to add, however, all my old 8mm vid will be from that same Canon A1 Digital, I used it for my taping exclusively

[DrCassette]

@MetallicBill

And what is this all supposed to tell me? 

[MetallicBill]

@DrCassette I don't understand what you're getting at, so it's no mystery after all, perhaps?!?!? I'm posting my knowledge for everyone who reads comments, my tactic is not everything is personally directed within a reply

[DrCassette]

@MetallicBill

If your comments are directed towards everyone, than better post a seperate comment and don't reply to other peoples comments as they may get confused by that.

[MetallicBill]

@DrCassette You didn't answer my direct inquiry to you however, but I probably did post a comment not a reply

[DrCassette]

@MetallicBill

I didn't answer your "direct inquiry" because there is no obvious "direct inquiry" to answer.

[MetallicBill]

@DrCassette I can't speak for how you interpret it, I can say there was an inquiry directed at you, RIGHT at the start of the reply, the ending, not so much so

[MedelProductions]

Ok thx videoholic.

[MedelProductions]

What happend to your 1986 Panasonic full-size VHS camcorder?

[videoholicreturns]

I sold that to a friend in Las Vegas, around 1997.

[AnalogRocks]

Hi Ray, I use to chat with you about 10 years ago about the Betamax machines on Ebay. Good to see you never lost your passion for video.

This was the camera I wanted back in high school! I ended up buying an L2 a few years later.

You were a kid at Christmas with this one.

Cheers,

Jeremy

[videoholicreturns]

Yes, I really wanted this camera for a long time...and finally got it!! Your L2 is *slightly* better than this A-1 digital!!

[AnalogRocks]

Funny. I seemed to be the only person that bought the 8 x lens for the L2. It looks like the same one on your A1. It's a great little lens, lightens the camera substantially as compared to the 15x and takes easy to find 55mm filters.

Was the A1 an 8x zoom?

Jeremy

[MetallicBill]

@videoholicreturns Main attributes that differ are the removable and adaptable camera lenses, and RC Time code, that's basically it

[MedelProductions]

Im so sorry to hear that.

[Hammerbulb]

Hey videoholic, do you still have that camera and does it still work?

Please respond!

[videoholicreturns]

Oh, no, I sold it to my son in the mid 90s and I think it's non-operational today.

[vwestlife]

The world's first unboxing video?? Haha, you were ahead of the curve by 15 years or so! :-)

[videoholicreturns]

Oh, hell no! I have an unboxing video from March of 1977 on this channel too!!

[dcrfilms1]

y do you want that camcorder

[GanEdenAustralia]

Y not?

[GanEdenAustralia]

I have the Canon EX2 which is similar.

[GanEdenAustralia]

Its for sale

[VissTelevision]

cool

[JereHakala]

Heh, oldest unboxing video I've seen so far :)

[numpty1972]

Check out videoholic's 1978 betamax unboxing video.

[JereHakala]

I have.

[bestamerica]

have one digital videocamera canon A-1 HI8MM..

it is not too good clear pretty video in here computer video

[FarhanBrohan]

What the hell... I was born in 1991!

[blueviper112]

what a piece of shittttttttttttttttt

[videoholicreturns]

I don't know why on earth you would say that...this was a great piece of gear and many people swore by them! Canon told me that this was one of their best sellers for years!!

[masaproductions]

dude keep in mind is was done it 1992 lots of people hade this cam so dont say things like that canon is 1 of the best lenes on earth

[blueviper112]

well its still the gayest camera

[masaproductions]

ohhh i see u have the mx20 i cant hate on some 1 who has 1

[blueviper112]

the mx20 is the best video camera out there

[arnolddisco]

Are you crazy? Samsung camcorders suck!

[bestamerica]

canon,,,

not samsung

[HomeoftheGoodGuys]

I have my Sony Handycam hi8/8mm camcorder.

[georgiantriangle]

The excitement is palpable! This is why we put things on video - memories! I just bought a hi8 on ebay to relive the same excitement I enjoyed with my first hi8. I can't wait to get it and film my family reunion in good old hi8 "fidelity"!

[jasonhdvideoman]

how big is 8 mm tape is

[Tlogos]

Did you end up finding the 8mm tape?

[videoholicreturns]

I don't remember!!

[jasonhdvideoman]

i got a vhsc jvc video camera

[videoholicreturns]

That's because your Canon's are DV camcorders...this was "only" hi-8, which was 80s technology!

[TaoNakamora]

Supposedly it pales in comparison to my Canon ZR 100 and my Canon ZR 950, but it sure looks a lot cooler!