Z5U Problem...seen anything similar?

[madhorizons]

I was playing back some footage captured over the weekend and there was a split second gap in the tape, almost like a super-fast start/stop, although it wasn't touched. I've had this happen once before, but was an older tape that I thought was the culprit, but this was a new tape.

Anyone had anything similar happen before, be it Sony or other cam w/ MiniDV based media?

[vegas06]

Sounds like you experienced a dropout.
With DV, dropouts appear as macro blocking or artifacts on the frame. With HDV dropouts appear as 1-2 second blank frames (your gap in the footage).

[bill totolo]

I always recorded to the MRC1K CF reader, never had a dropout. Sounds tape based, if that helps.

[madhorizons]

Thx for the feedback. Any way to prevent those? Is it a functional problem of the camera or one of those "nature of the beast" type of things?

I'm probably going to go to the CF reader soon....just the thought of it makes me happy...especially when I get a firewire CF reader.

[Galleddrim]

Using HD rated MiniDV tapes to record HDV is supposed to reduce the likelihood of drop outs.

[madhorizons]

I almost use those exclusively now. I haven't had any more issues since that one time. It may have just been a bad tape. **shrug**

[Gweilo66]

You happy with the z5? woudl you buy it again if in the market now? Seems HDV has fallen out of favor with some.