RC-250 Still Video Camera - Getting Pictures Onto Computer

[GregKeck]

I have an old Canon RC-250 Still Video Camera and am trying to get my pictures off its disk to my computer.  I hook the camera up to a TV and try to play the pictures but all I get on the TV is lines.  I try switching the interlace switch and it doesn't help in either position.  I bought another RC-250 from ebay and it says it works but I have the same results.  The last time I used this was back in the early 90's and it worked great but I have new TV's and VCR's isnce then.  I've tried all my video displays and get the same results.  Any ideas?  I would be happy to send the disk to someone who can put them in JPG format?  HELP

[wq9nsc]

Your RC-250 outputs an analog composite video signal via its video out "mini-jack".  You need a television that has an analog composite video input and it will almost always be a female RCA jack that is yellow in color and a lot of modern television monitors no longer provide this input because it really isn't in use anymore.  Make sure the cable you have hooked up is the mini-jack to RCA male.

With ebay you also have to be careful that the device you bought was designed for the video standard in use in your country, NTSC in the USA and some nearby countries and PAL for most of the rest of the world.  The two aren't compatible.

Rodger

[GregKeck]

Thanks Roger - My Sony Plasma TV has a NTSC Video in and my VHS VCR and Sony Camcorder both have analog NTSC inputs.  My original RC-250 was NTSC and I don't know about the RS-250 I just got off E-Bay but it was shipped from somebody in the USA so I think it's NTSC.

[wq9nsc]

Did both of the cameras come with their own video cable?  If you are having to use the same cable that could be the issue.

Your VCR would definitely be of the right era to have the same analog composite video system so it should work with it.

I had forgotten that camera model existed.  One of my colleagues owned one and it was a very neat device during the rapidly evolving analog to digital era.

Good luck getting it sorted out!

Rodger

[g32]

Do you know whether I need to use the specific Canon RCA cable that was designed for the RC-250, or whether it's all right to use a generic RCA cable? I recently bought an RC-250 but it came with only the AC adapter with the RCA port, not the RCA cable itself.