EMERGENCY! Camcorder compatible with FCE 3.0?

Almost any miniDV camcorder will work. Also, most if not all Digital-8 camcorders will also work because Digital-8 is Sony's implementation of DV using 8mm video tapes.

However, analog Hi-8 tapes played in a Digital-8 camcorder probably cannot be captured. I don't believe the camera can convert the analog recording to DV during playback.

If you have the choice, miniDV is the safer choice.

As I mentioned earlier, a Digital-8 camcorder will work ... but if you have the choice, a miniDV camcorder is a safer choice at this point.

The best results with Digital-8 require shooting in Digital-8 mode using Digital-8 cassettes. If you have or shoot Hi-8 (which is an analog mode) you may or may not be able to capture it in FCE. It is also possible to shoot Digital-8 mode on Hi-8 tapes but that is even iffier.

I have used a number of different Digital-8/Hi-8 camcorders over the years; some worked & some didn't when it came to capturing Hi-8 material. I always found it more reliable to capture Hi-8 material by using an external analog-digital converter.