As the topic says. What I'm looking for is a small mini-dv camcorder that has a broken tape mech but still works as a camera. Preferably a PAL one.

The reason is that with the aerial video I've been playing with I'm running up against the limitations of resolution of a small board camera, or more likely the optics. Camcorders usually have very good cameras and optical systems, so the idea is to get a cheap broken one, strip out all the un-necessary crud to make it smaller and lighter, and stick that in the plane. A 3 cdd one would be a godsend! I'm also looking on ebay, but of course things there often go for silly money.

Anyone out there able to help?

By the way, if you're interested, here is a sample of the current video.

pca

Good to see you got the vibration problem fixed on this one. Can't wait to see the final product (hopefully) next year at the empeg meet.

I'll check my local Mac/video shop sometime this week to see if they have any broken ones around that do what you need.

Mounting the camera on a block of high-density foam rubber solved the vibration issues completely. The images are now about as good as can be achieved given the hardware.

pca

Patrick,
I don't know about the technicalities of the thing, but I have the camera that 12-14 years ago, Sony sold to attach to a Video Walkman. It's quite light, but as you say, you can probably strip it down, it's not auto focus and the Walkman packed in a while back.
so - you're welcome if it helps.

Have you seen this:

http://www.rctoys.com/eyecam.php

It would appear that you have a brain juice leak.

Well, I finally managed to get a few faulty camcorders, but now I'm running into another problem - I keep fixing the damn things!

I mean, here I get a perfectly good broken camcorder, and fifty screws and half an hour later it's working fine. Then, of course, I can't bear to strip it for bits since it works

I've done three in a row like that now...

pca

Send me one and I'll send you back a broken one and an interesting tape of its last seconds of life...

<evil grin>

-Zeke

LOL!

So, there is such a thing as being too good at fixing stuff!

Abit BP6?

I have one of these and it's worked flawlessly for a good 4 years or so.