Is Mini-DV the same as HDV tapes?

Are the tapes really the same? I thought some were made to be better quality so that there is more assurance of non-drop out happening when shooting.
 
You can record either format on either type of tape. Sure there are varying grades of tape, but it's still the same basic tape system. It's not like HDV tape only records HDV footage and can't be used for DV footage, etc.

Or, put another way, the tape transport is identical, and either tape can be used to record either format. Obviously with HDV's dropout handling you'll want to have the very highest-quality tape you can possibly get to protect against any potential dropouts. Sony and JVC have introduced tapes with the "HDV" label on them, but there's nothing about it that makes it specific for HDV, it's just better quality tape. You could probably use a Sony Digital Master Series DVCAM tape just as effectively, or a Panasonic AMQ.
 
Thanks Barry. When my fx1 comes in this week,I'm going to run it through some tests with different tapes. I guess it's better to always use a superior tape, but the cost here in Canada is crazy. At B&H in New York, the HDV tapes are 13 dollars Canadian. Here they are 26!
 
I bought a five pack of the Sony HDV tapes they have for sale on B&H, but I haven't used them yet. I did go buy some cheap Sony tapes to use for testing and everyday stuff.

I'm beginning to shoot a doc here in a few weeks and all the footage for that project will be shot on the HDV specific tapes. I couldn't see going up to the "Digital Master" tapes that run $16 each personally. But the HDV tapes for $10.29 each aren't so bad.

This is a self-funded project after all.

I do know that you should stick with one brand of tape because of the lubricants used in the tapes however. I thought Sony tapes would be my best bet for my Sony camera.
 
Yes, stick with one brand, and as always, use the very best tape you can. This is more important in HDV than it was in DV, because HDV dropouts affect six to 15 frames, where DV dropouts were usually limited to just one frame and could be easily repaired -- something you can't do with HDV dropouts.

So it's vital to do everything you can to avoid HDV dropouts in the first place. That means using the very best tape you can.
 
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