Tampa Pro 2021: miniDV Tape Raw Footage

This past weekend was the 27th annual Tampa Pro. Usually held in March, Skatepark of Tampa decided to hold in in October this year to make up due to CoVID restrictions going on in earlier 2021.

This was my sixth Tampa Pro, however it was my first Tampa Pro where I didn’t take a single photo with a DSLR. Instead, I broke out my Canon GL1 and tried to kill as many miniDV Tapes as possible.

Unfortunately, I used a method to capture the last two videos where the quality doesn’t come out as great as it could. The last two videos were captured via a VHS recorder. The first video posted on this post was captured with the more high quality, firewire method. The VHS recorder is primarily used for convenience and the fact that it is easily compatible with my newer laptop. Computer pieces and other Apple approved dongles needed to connect a firewire to my laptop weren’t available locally, in a sense forcing me to buy the VHS recorder. I’m not a fan of the quality the S-Video VHS recorder puts out. It only records in 16:9 🤮 and butchers the quality dramatically. The audio also isn’t as great as the firewire method, but isn’t butchered as badly. My 2012 model Mac Mini still has a firewire port, however due to an outdated CPU and Ram, the newer iOS causes the computer to lag which in return messes with things such as audio syncing and tape glitches when in the capture process. Eventually, I’ll find a way to connect a firewire cable into my new Macbook Pro or upgrade my older Mac Mini. The thought of only being able to digitize my footage in a lower quality makes me itch. Enjoy!