Camcorders

I'm trying to resolve my new identity as a mother (with a family
heritage of home movies) with my 'training' as a preservation
administrator:  in looking at the new camcorders on the market, there
are two types available, the VHS-C (small cassette format) and 8 mm--One
'slick' clerk assured me that the 8 mm was longer lasting, but of
course, could offer no explanation why that might be so...  Do the two
use different process or materials so that one MAY actually be longer
lasting, or was this typical sales hype?  I don't have the weighty
responsibility of a research collection tied to this one, but still, it
is the kind of discussion my colleagues could help with--  So, 8 mm or
VHS-C type camcorders--what's the difference?  Will this become another
Apple vs IBM/DOS or VHS/Beta dichotomy?  Is there substantial
difference, or will it be simply a market driven decision?

All comments welcomed (and yes, there is some b & w documentation
undertaken for long permanence, too)  Ann Swartzell

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 5:53
                 Distributed: Saturday, April 25, 1992
                        Message Id: cdl-5-53-009
                                  ***