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  • LPs, VHS & 35mm Film

    Advances in digital technology has taken audio/video media and photography to levels never seen before. iTunes. DVD. Photoshop. Just 20 years ago these were concepts we could only read and dream about in the pages of Popular Science magazine. Today they're a part of daily life.

    Yet there's some old school folks out there who still listen to their LP records, insisting they sound better than CDs or MP3s.

    Or those who have too much time and money invested in their VHS video tape collection to give that up for DVD.

    Digital Camera? Nah. Film is the way to go.

    So tell us....

    Which conventional "old school" media and equipment do you still use?

    LP or 45rpm Vinyl Record
    Audio Cassette
    8-Track Tape (wow!)
    Reel-to-Reel Audio
    VHS/Beta Max Video Cassette
    Standard8/Super8 Film (motion) movie camera
    35mm Film (still) Camera
    That old stuff? Forget-about-it!
    Other?


    Tell us in the poll, then elaborate in a post on which ones and why!
    52
    LP or 45rpm Vinyl Record
    15.38%
    8
    Audio Cassette
    19.23%
    10
    8-Track Tape
    0.00%
    0
    Reel-to-Reel Audio
    5.77%
    3
    VHS/Beta Max Video Cassette
    32.69%
    17
    Standard8/Super8 Film (motion) Movie Camera
    1.92%
    1
    35mm Film (still) Camera
    13.46%
    7
    Other
    11.54%
    6
    Last edited by Pomai; June 9, 2007, 04:34 AM. Reason: Shortened titled
    sigpic The Tasty Island

  • #2
    Re: LPs, VHS & 35mm Film

    I have an old Kodak box camera (the kind the photographer looks down through a shaded window that gives an inverted image of what's being photographed) which uses 620 film. I know the question you've asked, Pomai, is what "old school" devices I still use. Even though I haven't actually used the camera in quite sometime as I can't find 620 film (and I'm not going to rewind 120 film or whatever variety film that can be used in lieu of 620 film), I think I just might use it again, for old times sake, when/if I could find 620 film. The camera was one my grandfather and then father used..lot of good memories rekindled with that old camera!

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    • #3
      Re: LPs, VHS & 35mm Film

      ok.........ok..........don't know where to start. I love this stuff. This is one of my favorite topics! I am SO into analog it's not even funny. I voted for "other" 'cause I'm also into the old school synths too! As some of you may have guessed from my name and some of my posts that this is a thread right up my alley. That being said however, when I listen to music for fun, it is generally in CD form. And when I work on projects, it is generally digital recording. Though now and again, I'll still record to tape - but that is much more rare these days.

      I also voted for 35mm film 'cause I'm an amateur photographer and there is something satisfying about taking pictures with film.

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      • #4
        Re: LPs, VHS & 35mm Film

        These is STILL nothing that comes close to the sound from a 2' analog tape machine. In a best case scenario, recording to 2' analog, then dumping to digital format, edit and mix is a great way to still get the sound of analog and the flexibility of digital.

        However, after recording the "new" way, I'd be stumbling around in a 2" / mixing board setup....

        "oh, just copy and paste that....oh, nevermind....."
        http://tikiyakiorchestra.com
        Need a place to stay in Hilo ?
        Cue Factory - Music for your Vision

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        • #5
          Re: LPs, VHS & 35mm Film

          MY camcorder has tape in it still I think super 8...the reason?? Cause I can't afford a new one yet!!! My minivan had a cassette player in it as well, cause I can't afford a CD player yet!!

          THAT is the only old technology I use!

          VCR's are GONE! just sold 500 cassette tapes of hubby's for 25.00. *gasp* he nearly died.
          Just threw away his 8 track player.
          ~why do I have the feeling I may be stoned in this thread~
          Since when is psycho a bad thing??
          Sharing withother survivors...
          www.supportandsurvive.org

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          • #6
            Re: LPs, VHS & 35mm Film

            Although I have become a bit spoiled by the advances in digital technology, I still shoot and develop B/W film. There is something about it that digital cant touch.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: LPs, VHS & 35mm Film

              While I love digital technology a lot (digital cameras, iPods, iTunes, CDs, DVDs, etc.) I still have in my home practically all of my old media, though over time I have had to reduce some of it by either selling or giving it away. That said old school media that I own and still use (though not as much as new media):

              1. Vinyl Records - Fact is today I am transferring an old Kitty Wells LP as well as a Nelson Waikiki LP from vinyl to digital format to my Power Mac G4 with Final Vinyl. Thanks to the Griffin iMic device for letting me do this on the cheap. I know there are probably better audio capture cards out there these days. I even saw a turntable on sale at BestBuy that have USB outputs so that you can go directly from it to your computer. My vinyl collection is still rather large even though I have had to divest myself of some of it just to make room in my place. LPs, 45s, I have plenty.

              2. Cassette Tapes - I used to make tons of mixed audio tapes and still have many of them. Over the years I have given many away or traded. I guess my most valuable tapes these days are those that I have of a friend's live concert performance (who passed away a few years back), old family interviews, audio of old family gatherings, and many radio broadcasts from Hawaii radio stations and a few from California. I have every intention of transferring some if not all of the radio and personal tapes to digital.

              If anyone has a good Sony Tape Deck they'd like to get rid of, let me know. I'm looking for a good deck to use to transfer my audio tapes to digital. The good one I have recently broke. I have a cheaper boombox thing but it has no Dolby and doesn't play high end Type II or Type IV tapes.

              3. VHS Tape - I was a reluctant adoptee of VHS tape after my Betamax machine died in 1991. What prompted me to buy a VHS machine after going about 4 years without a VCR was the fact that I wanted to tape all of the episodes of Babylon 5 as they aired on KFVE and later TNT. And I did. I also started collecting tape again. Luckily DVD came along and I bought that a few years later. That stopped me from buying movies on VHS.

              One thing I noticed is that VHS Recorders are crappily built today vs. the ones they used to sell in the 1980s and early to mid 1990s. I guess that is the sign of a waning technology.

              4. Betamax: Back in the 1980s I have to say BETA was BETTER than VHS! I had up to 350+ Beta tapes at one time, but since I have no machine I'm on the verge of giving all of these away (spoken for already, don't ask).

              5. 35 mm & other film cameras: While the benefits of digital are great, I still cling on and use once in a while, my motley collection of 35mm and other types of film cameras. I recently even bought a used 35mm Yashica Electro 35 rangefinder camera because I always liked them and the one I used to have crapped out on me because the battery was forgotten in it and of course it leaked! Some of the cameras I own include the following:
              • Minolta X-700 35mm SLR
              • Minolta XD-5 35mm SLR
              • Minolta SRT 101 35mm SLR
              • Yashica MG1 35mm Rangefinder (broken)
              • Yashica Electro 35 Rangefinder
              • Ricoh Auto Half 35mm half frame camera
              • Kodak Instamatic 104
              • 2 Kodak Brownie Hawkeye Box Cameras (620 film)
              • Minolta Autocord TLR - uses 120 film
              • Some kind of old Contax 120 film camera with a bellows lens
              • Kodak Handle Instant Camera


              The only cameras of the bunch that I bought brand new are the Minolta XD 5 and X700. The rest were either given to me or bought used for very cheap.

              If you like film, now is a good time to stock up on used old cameras. I see a lot of them on sale at Craigslist and on eBay. We're at the point in time when a lot of people are getting rid of film cameras like how they got rid of vinyl records back in the day.

              While I haven't tried buying yet, there are a few places on the web that sell pre-rolled 620 film. Here's one: http://www.620film.com/index.htm.

              6. Other old school items that I still use:
              • Analog Television (NTSC kind, CRT tube)
              • AM / FM Radio
              • Sony Walkman Cassette Player


              7. I used to have a big ol' Akai Reel to Reel tape deck. Broken and gone, but I still have some tapes! Also used to have a home stereo that had an 8-track player built in. Gone, but I still have 2 tapes. Also have stashed away an old Atari Pong game and a 2 track "Playtape" machine called "The Hipster".
              I'm still here. Are you?

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              • #8
                Re: LPs, VHS & 35mm Film

                Wow Mel! I knew you'd really have something to say on this subject. That's an incredible collection you have/had.

                That Minolta X-700 is a beauty. Looks like a keeper. You're right about today's transition mode of professional photographers going digital. Great time to find 35 mm SLRs on the cheap. In fact, right now there's an X-700 with a few accessories bid currently at just $32.

                Shucks, wish I knew earlier that you were looking for a quality cassette tape player. Just a few months ago I had gotten rid of one by leaving it up for grabs (free) in our building lobby. I would've happily given it to you. Can't remember the exact model #, but it was a late 80's Yamaha home component single cassette unit in all-metal chassis. It had separate volume sliders for left and right channel, LED level meters, Dolby B & C, and type II and Type IV (metal) types. It worked perfectly (hardly used) at the time I got rid of it.

                It's funny to hear people refer to CRT TVs as "old school". Hey, physical size and all, I love my flat screen (not panel) Philips CRT!

                I have a bunch of stuff recorded from TV still on VHS that, while worth rewatching, aren't worth my time to transfer to DVD. With that I still use my VCR. Even for recording off TV today. When the VCR units die (I have 2), I'll probably just toss my tapes. Not even worth giving away.
                sigpic The Tasty Island

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                • #9
                  Re: LPs, VHS & 35mm Film

                  Sunday June 10 9 - 5pm don't forget
                  a $5 donation let's you in to the KHPR LPs, CDs, DVDs and tapes
                  sale. low prices and really great vintage stuff. a fund raiser
                  and they've been collecting records etc for months. call 955 8821 for
                  more info. It's a ward center upstairs.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: LPs, VHS & 35mm Film

                    Originally posted by Pomai View Post
                    a late 80's Yamaha home component single cassette unit in all-metal chassis. It had separate volume sliders for left and right channel, LED level meters, Dolby B & C, and type II and Type IV (metal) types. It worked perfectly (hardly used) at the time I got rid of it.
                    Yep, they don't make decks like this anymore. I think only Denon, JVC and Sony have 1 or 2 models each for sale. And those aren't even half as good as decks from the past.

                    As for the Minolta X700 camera, yes, this was a much coveted SLR when it was first introduced in 1981. Was in production until 1999. Mine is a keeper, still like it.

                    Originally posted by wildedrasco View Post
                    Sunday June 10 9 - 5pm don't forget
                    a $5 donation let's you in to the KHPR LPs, CDs, DVDs and tapes
                    sale. low prices and really great vintage stuff. a fund raiser
                    and they've been collecting records etc for months. call 955 8821 for
                    more info. It's a ward center upstairs.
                    I remember going to these once. They wanted to collect admission up front before they let you in to browse. What if I did not want to buy anything? That left me bitter and I never returned to the KHPR sale since. And this was about 6 years ago.

                    Better yet is the annual FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY book sale, which sadly I will miss most of since it happens the same time I go to the Big Island for a week this summer. Admission to the sale is FREE and it's open for a week at McKinley school cafeteria. Tons of books, plenty of records, CDs, tapes, etc. Enough to satisfy any bookworm and pack rat. No up front admission at the door!

                    Friends of the Library Book Sale: June 29 to July 8.
                    I'm still here. Are you?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: LPs, VHS & 35mm Film

                      I have at least a 1000 LPs and also a Linn Sondek LP12 turntable w/Ittok tone arm. Also a Nakamichi CR-3A cassette deck that I haven't touched in years but still like the warm sounding LPs.

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                      • #12
                        Re: LPs, VHS & 35mm Film

                        Which media do I *have*? Darn near all of them (except 8-track and beta). Now what do I still use? Hmmm. VHS. That's about it.

                        Now what to do with my enlargers. Especially since I retired my Minolta SRT-201 awhile back.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: LPs, VHS & 35mm Film

                          Originally posted by mel View Post
                          4. Betamax: Back in the 1980s I have to say BETA was BETTER than VHS! I had up to 350+ Beta tapes at one time, but since I have no machine I'm on the verge of giving all of these away (spoken for already, don't ask).
                          About 10-15 years ago I sold 2 of my Beta Vcrs and abou 400 beta tapes. I still have the Sony Super Beta Hifi SL-HF750 vcr tucked away in the closet. I've been meaning to sale this and my top of the line Ed-Beta Deck.
                          Last edited by kdramafan; June 9, 2007, 08:30 PM.

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                          • #14
                            Re: LPs, VHS & 35mm Film

                            Originally posted by tikiyaki View Post
                            These is STILL nothing that comes close to the sound from a 2' analog tape machine. In a best case scenario, recording to 2' analog, then dumping to digital format, edit and mix is a great way to still get the sound of analog and the flexibility of digital.

                            However, after recording the "new" way, I'd be stumbling around in a 2" / mixing board setup....

                            "oh, just copy and paste that....oh, nevermind....."
                            yeah, yeah - I hear ya there!

                            you know guys.... I have to laugh. As much as I deal with this stuff - I don't know one make/model of anything. I go by specs and tend to disregard who made it. (my brain can't hold that much info - too much pakalolo?? (sp?)) If I need details, I just go to sweetwater.com and type in "preamp" or whatever......

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: LPs, VHS & 35mm Film

                              Originally posted by acousticlady View Post

                              you know guys.... I have to laugh. As much as I deal with this stuff - I don't know one make/model of anything. I go by specs and tend to disregard who made it.
                              Just for the "record", this isn't bragging - more of a confession...... I get teased about it all the time!

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