Help with old 8mm camcorder tapes

[AmandaBMidlands]

Sorry if this is in the wrong section but I am new to this forum, but I hope someone will be able to help.

I am in the process of transferring my old camcorder tapes onto DVD but am having problems. The tapes were recorded on an old Sanyo VM-D? camera in the early 90's. I am playing them back through an Hitachi VM-E340E. Some scenes on the tapes play fine but some scenes play like they are in fast forward, even on the same tapes - (mickey mouse sound and fast running), as if they have been recorded in LP? but I don't remember the Sanyo camera having an option of SP or LP? I called in to my local Jessops and they advised I change the speed on the menu of the Hitachi, but it doesn't have that option - it only records and plays in SP. Can anyone tell me how I can transfer these tapes? Do I need a camera which plays two speeds? I would really appreciate help with this, as the tapes hold very precious memories I would dearly like to preserve. Many thanks in advance.

[zoobie]

sounds like your present cam is going wonky, too
perhaps take the tape to a camera store to test and see if it plays ok there

[AmandaBMidlands]

Thank you Zoobie, but I have tried it on another single play camera and it is the same. The Hitachi plays some scenes fine, then it will go all 'mickey mouse' for a scene which was filmed on another day and then play normally on the next scene?, so I'm at a loss how to get them to play, unless of course I can find out if the old Sanyo camcorder did have a LP facility. Do you know if some camcorders nowadays have SP & LP? The only ones I have have tried have stated in the manual that they only record and playback in SP.