General maintenace

S

simple

Member
Hi everyone,

I just have some general questions about good paractice in maintaining
a healthy camera...

1. I was told in a shop that I should stick to one brand of tapes. Is this true and should I stick to one model too?
2. Is it okay to leave a tape in the camera when the camera is turned off and not in use, or does it put stress on the mechanism or heads?
3. Any other general maintanace tips?

Thankyou,

Sam
 
1. True
2. Leave the tape in, doesn't matter.
3. Get a UV filter for the lense and leave it on all the time. Get a lense cleaning kit for the LCD. And lastly, every night you have to do a special dance around the camera :), but that's one detail I'm keeping seret.
 
Thanks,

I have the UV filter at the moment but the annoying thing is when you point the camera towards a light source you can sometimes see the lens housing reflected in the filter. Anyone notice this?

Sam
 
never leave the tape in the camera for a long period of time, it does matter. If it's a couple of hours, no biggie but if it's over night or something then take the tape out.
 
how about the batteri? can i have it in the cam all the time or should i take it out when im not shooting?
 
t-unit said:
how about the batteri? can i have it in the cam all the time or should i take it out when im not shooting?
Click to expand...

I recommend to take the battery out while not shooting. At least the DVX battery discharges quite fast if left on to the camera. And I'm with Coffee in removing the tape from the deck, it really does matter!
 
Why or why not is it OK to leave the tape in the camera. I am interested because, as far as I know, when I remove the tape I mess up the timecode when I re-insert it and continue recording. Maybe I just don't know how to do this...

Thanks
 
With other, older equipment we always took the tape out because when the unit was off the tape remained either threaded up or partially threaded and would be touching the internal drive parts. Not good for even short term storage. Does anyone know if the A1 does this or if it completely unthreads the tape at power off? (Just by listening to the tape mechanism at power off it sounds to me as if the tape is unthreaded back into the cassette).
If the tape is not touching the heads or any drive parts (rollers, pins,etc.) it shouldn't matter. Anyone know for sure the resting position of the tape inside the A1 when off?

BTW a good tip would be to keep your A1 in a dust free and protected environment when not in use (a good camera case would do). Preventive maintenance should be considered just as important as "regular" maintenance in my book (although the two often blur together :-))
 
The tape will be partially tensioned as long as it is in the camera, but not in contact with the read/write head when the camera is off. So leaving it in the camera potentially endagers the tape (maybe could stretch it or create a bad spot), but probably not the camera. I would take it out if it is going to be more than a few hours. But if you are in the middle of a busy shooting schedule leave it in and its one less thing to worry about and less wear on the open/close mechanisms.

UV filters provide lens protection but are subject to flares. I've seen this a lot. Any glass you add to these cameras is going to degrade the results you get. Get the absolute best multi coated filter you can find and use it when you need to protect your lens. I generally leave mine off because I dont shoot in dusty/dangerous environements and the less glass in front of these cameras the better--but obiously there is a risk.
 
1. I've been using the Canon tape, supplied with the A1, all through my testing; I'd like to switch to Sony tapes in the future as I've had quite a good experience with them, and they're easier to buy. Should I take any special measures before, such as running a cleaning tape (which - Canon's or Sony one)?

2. With camcorders using touchscreen LCD (like the Sony HC1 that I used to have), the LCD was always dirty and full of my finger prints; now I'd like to keep the A1's LCD as immaculate as possible. What do I use to clean it? I just tried a soft cloth I use to clean my PC LCD monitor, but the result is awful - the LCD still looks dirty! I'm aware of special LCD cleaning kits; do you know what's so special about them? Any specific moistener?

3. The same with the lens glass: what is the best way of safely cleaning it from dust without specialized stuff, which tends to be pricey and not handy at all times? A cloth as soft as only possible will probably do, but should it be wet or dry?

4. I must admit I never was that cautious with my previous cameras - I'm now with the Canon; am I falling in love?

:)
 
Last edited:
Can anybody confirm that the tape supplied with the A1 is actually a Canon-rebranded tape by Sony? Would be nice to know I'm actually NOT changing brands (same lubricants etc) when I switch to the most popular and cost-effective Sony tapes...

BUT, I read in another thread that Sony sells wet tapes, JVC, Panasonic, TDK sell dry tapes. In the A1 manual, it's said that a DRY cleaning tape must be used - does it mean that also the Canon recording tapes are of the dry type? If so, this would contradict the claim that the Canon miniDV is actually a Sony-made tape, or can be freely mixed with Sony tapes..
 
The only tape that I absolutely know for sure that uses a "dry" lubricant is the Panasonic AY-DVM63MQ (Master Quality). 4 years ago I paid $7 each from a tape supply company, now I can buy these for $4 each from Amazon. I buy them 50 at a time, but the price is the same for 5. I get them within 3 days of ordering so it doesn't take a lot of planning ahead.
It is the ONLY tape I have ever used in my DVX100.
The film school I attended used consumer quality Sony tapes and I had several drop out and digital noise problems in the first 30 seconds of these tapes on their cameras.
Why would I pay $4 each for an inferior tape just because I can pick them up at Wal-Mart when by planning ahead I can get the best tape on the planet for the same price? Just My opinion.
P.S. Another reason for my buying 50 at a time is that I supply 3 or 4 of my friends that don't seem to plan ahead. :-)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top