Canon ES65 won't accept tapes?
 

Hi all! Recently acquired a fantastic condition canon es65 but I’m running into a frustrating error with it. The tape carriage works perfectly when empty (and seems rather strong) but when I insert a hi8 tape into it and close the door it makes a subtle clicking (almost an electric sensor like sound, not mechanical whatsoever) and the carriage doesn’t descend even a fraction of a mm. Then after five seconds it times out and pops the door back open. I’ve completely disassembled it and it’s spotless internally and reassembled easily, even the zif’s were a pleasure to deal with. Any ideas or suggestions? My instincts tell me it’s some off/faulty sensor but my vintage camera knowledge is far less than my electronics component knowledge lol.

Thank you!

Welcome. :)

Does this camcorder have a line TBC?

If no TBC, not good for conversion use, but only retro shooting use

For Video8 and Hi8, both Sony 8mm formats, only Sony cameras tend to be regarded as quality. Not any of the other camera makers, not even Canon.

I have to question what the ES65 even does. I'm not familiar with this specific model. The "Canon museum" states "8mm", but that's just a tape size. Was it Video8, Hi8, or Digital8 format?

To write "8mm" is to call a mechanic and say "I have a car". When he asks "what model", you answer "black". :laugh:

It wasn't until DV format that Canon really became a stand-out brand for video gear. Those Canon DV cameras are some of the best ever made for that format.

Thanks for the reply! 😊

The es65 is a hi8, appears to be a later model for them yet is sadly not a digital8. Likely a more budget minded model at release though as it lacks an external screen and just has the eyepiece. As for the TBC… I have no idea hahaha, and frankly not even sure how I would be able to tell.

I’ve been on the lookout for a Sony trv330 but my goodness have they gotten expensive. I got the canon for $30 on Facebook marketplace so it was worth the gamble. If I can’t get it to at least play tapes I’m going to convert it to a digital system using a drone dvr and sell it for those looking for the vintage ccd quality but not have to deal with antiquated storage mediums.

Hi8 camcorder line TBCs are a menu item, simply turned on and off.
No menu item, no TBC.

I checked the manual for the alternate version of this camera (G20Hi, which is also Hi8) and it does confirm the presence of a TBC:

I saw that G20Hi was claimed as a mere alias, but do be careful. Camera makers like Canon and Nikon were really bad about geographic differences in cameras. I would not be 100% certain the ES56 is truly 100% 1:1 without having both to compare.

Fair point, so I decided to go to an archived version of the Canon website from 2001, and it confirms the TBC’s presence without any doubt.