Panasonic says its ok to use Sony tapes in DVX

J

JJ Alexander

Active member
Wanted to share this info with you all. If anyone knows for sure that this info is wrong please reply.

I called Panasonic a few days ago. I told them I was given 20 brand new Sony DVM60PRL
tapes (still in the wraping). I have only used PAN AY-DVM63MQ. No other tape has ever been in my camera.
My question was: If I use a top head cleaner in my DVX100A can I use the Sony tapes in my camera.

They e-mailed me the next day and said "Using the Sony tapes is fine and will not damage the camera"

I have read the opposite opinion here many times and trust it.

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No one ever really says dont use Sony. Just advise not to keep mixing brands like shoot an hour with a panny then pop in a sony etc. you should be fine.
 
Thanks Matt. I think somehow I got the impression that the Sony tapes had a different emulsion or somthing on the tape itself that would leave a residue on the heads that over time would cause damage. i may very well be way off the mark on this.
 
Yeah, they are right. As long as you don't continuously mix different brands of tapes and you clean the heads before you do switch brands, you should be all good in the hood.
 
There's just a ton of hearsay going around on the subject of MiniDV tapes, and a real lack of any definitive information on the subject.

I don't know of any authoritative source confirming (or denying) that Sony manufactures tapes using a wet lubricant.

I don't know of any hard evidence to indicate that any of the major manufacturers produce substantially substandard tapes (much less tapes that would directly cause or contribute to premature head failures).

Given the sheer number of anecdotal reports of problems after using one brand of tape, for a long period of time, and then changing brands, it is probably wise not to do so without first cleaning the tape mechanism thoroughly.
 
i've had no choice but to put a sony tape into my camera once and it scred it up..never again. NEVEr mix tapes..who cares if they say its ok...they arent the ones shooting projects that are important. I cant take the chance to use a diff brand tape and have my camera give me the RED X of doom(As it did when i put in a diff brand tape-once-even tho i knew not to mix but i had no choice i was out of tapes and needed to shoot)
 
saturnin said:
i've had no choice but to put a sony tape into my camera once and it scred it up..never again. NEVEr mix tapes..who cares if they say its ok...they arent the ones shooting projects that are important. I cant take the chance to use a diff brand tape and have my camera give me the RED X of doom(As it did when i put in a diff brand tape-once-even tho i knew not to mix but i had no choice i was out of tapes and needed to shoot)
Click to expand...

Did you clean the heads before using the different brand tape?
 
nope becuse i was on the road and didnt have cleaner... either way... lol.. i only stick to one brand
 
DEFINITELY stick with one brand of tapes and don't mix. I think any mfgs tapes are fine but if you start with Panny stick with Panny same for Sony. I have always used Sonys, I usually buy 50-100 at a time so I never run out and have to compromise.

I was at a shoot last year and the person who hired me has always used Sony's too but he got a deal on some Panny tapes. I didn't bring any Sony's with me because I figured he would have some. So I put a Panny in for the day and it took a professional cleaning, and multiple runs of a cleaning cassette before the camera stopped dropping frames. Frigged up one shoot as a result, not good.
 
Robert M Wright said:
There's just a ton of hearsay going around on the subject of MiniDV tapes, and a real lack of any definitive information on the subject.

I don't know of any authoritative source confirming (or denying) that Sony manufactures tapes using a wet lubricant.

I don't know of any hard evidence to indicate that any of the major manufacturers produce substantially substandard tapes (much less tapes that would directly cause or contribute to premature head failures).

Given the sheer number of anecdotal reports of problems after using one brand of tape, for a long period of time, and then changing brands, it is probably wise not to do so without first cleaning the tape mechanism thoroughly.
Click to expand...

*in Canadian voice* here is some haard evidence *FART* Ahahahahahaa!

sorry to any canadians, i had to do it.

No but seriously my hard evidence is i put a sony tape in my camera and it DROPPED THE BALLS OUT OF IT!
 
Robert M Wright said:
There's just a ton of hearsay going around on the subject of MiniDV tapes, and a real lack of any definitive information on the subject.

I don't know of any authoritative source confirming (or denying) that Sony manufactures tapes using a wet lubricant.
Click to expand...

You may have something there. A review of the subject seems to indicate that a lot of people (myself included) are trading on information that stretches back quite a few years and may no longer be relevant.


Given the sheer number of anecdotal reports of problems after using one brand of tape, for a long period of time, and then changing brands, it is probably wise not to do so without first cleaning the tape mechanism thoroughly.
Click to expand...

Yes. :thumbsup:
 
Really, it seems like a pretty cheap solution to possible problems with your heads. After all, we would all spend tons of money to fix the tape heads if we had to; why not just shoot with the right tapes to begin with?
 
joelaready said:
Really, it seems like a pretty cheap solution to possible problems with your heads. After all, we would all spend tons of money to fix the tape heads if we had to; why not just shoot with the right tapes to begin with?
Click to expand...

And just what are "the right tapes" to shoot with???
 
Thanks to all for this discussion. I sold the tapes. While the Sony tapes might have been fine I have only used Pany tapes and the risk vs. reward ratio is telling me stay safe.

All the best,

JJ
 
Good Info: http://www.ccdcameraservice.com.au/index.php?ID=6

Unlike VHS tapes, MiniDV tapes store data…….an incredible amount of data. The standard 60/90min tape stores approx 17GB of data (in LP) and is wrapped around a very small, highly polished aluminium drum spinning at 9000 rpm (6 times faster than VHS). To address these two issues, ultra-thin MiniDV tapes are made by a process called Metal Evaporation and a lubricant layer is normally applied to the tape to minimise head/tape friction.

Now, both the type of lubricant layer (wet or dry), as well as the chemical composition varies with different tape manufacturers, and they all leave residues on the head drum and tape path. While the lubricant itself isn’t an issue, foreign materials can be formed when one type of lubricant is combined with dust, debris and another type of lubricant, and this foreign substance ultimately clogs the recording/playback heads……..and in worst cases, cleaning tapes don’t offer much help!

There is plenty of strong evidence to suggest mixing miniDV tapes in your camera can result in frequent head clogging. Our statistics show that when multiple tape brands are used in a miniDV camera, the chances of head clogging increase dramatically. Tape brand usage feedback from customers and other service companies support this theory as well.
Therefore, we strongly advise all customers:​

DO NOT MIX MiniDV TAPE BRANDS IN YOUR CAMERA……….ONLY USE ONE BRAND OF TAPE!​
 
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