Mini DV Tape Question...

J

janekim143

Member
Does it matter on which tapes you use?

I just got my rebates tapes for my DVX100a (model #AY-DVM63AMQ) and was wondering if this is fine?

Do I need to continue to use the same ones or is it ok to switch brand tapes in the future?
 
Tape brands do matter. Sony uses a dry lubricant while Pansonic and Canon use a wet lube. Mixing the different tape types will cause problems with premature buildup on the heads and dropouts will occur.

Typically, the dry lube Sony tapes will cause less buildup and the DVCAM tapes which are more robust will have less dropouts than any standard DV tape.

You can switch brands, but you need to stick with whatever type you use and not switch again.

Prior to a change you should have the heads cleaned - either by using the cleaning cassettte or, taking to a pro shop and having them clean the heads.

If you can afford it and want to minimize dropouts as much as possible and have the best tape possible, the Sony Digital Master which was designed for HDV use is the best out there - and also the most expensive. Try "Tape Resources" on the web for really good pricing on anything media related.
 
To my knowledge & from reading numerous threads here on www.dvxuser.com, I have come to believe that Sony is the only brand that uses the wet lub type for their miniDV tapes. Pansonic, Fuji, Canon & the others all use dry lubs. However, people say that the best quality tapes are from Fuji as they give consistently good results. But my advice is to just stick to one brand of tape throughout.

If you started using Sony tapes, then keep using Sony tapes. If you us Panasonic tapes, then use only that brand of tape. Don't change brand. I've read articles of horror stories when tape brands were mixed & used in the same camcorder. It ruined the entire read/record head of the camcorder & resulted in very costly repairs. Generally, it is not advisible to use a mixture of tape brands as each tape uses different lubricants & can clog up the read/record head.

Do a search on this forum & I'm sure you'll find more related articles.

With regards as to how often to use the tape head cleaner, my advice will be to use it sparingly, only if your video experiences drop-outs or fuzzy/grainy images.

The reason being that the tape cleaner has to come into contact with the camcorder's read/write head & this causes friction, which in the long run will wear the read/write head down. So, use it only sparingly, only if neccesary. Also, read the instructions that come with the tape head cleaner. If I remember correctly, never let the tape cleaner run for more than 30 seconds....but you have to check that out for yourself.

Hope this helps.

Andrew
 
i just read another article that says that i should use only the panasonic mq63 tapes since im using a dvx100a, any feedback on this?
 
Tape brand is your main concern. I only use the Panasonic tapes (MQ63) since that is what I started with. I use the MQ rather than the cheaper ones because for the price difference I don't see the sense in not using the better quality tapes. They're around $5 a tape.

But to answer your question, no you don't HAVE to use the Panasonic tapes because you have a Panasonic camera. It IS important to use a QUALITY tape and then stick with it.:beer:
 
So, you're not supposed to switch brands, but say I want to use a higher quality tape of the same brand (I just bought three Sony Premium DVC which is the back of the tape leads me to believe it's an entry level quality tape), is that a problem?
 
It shouldn't be a problem. The main difference when going up in brands pretty much comes down to tape quality and not really the lubes
 
this is all news to me. i have been buying whatever's on sale since i got my dvx. mostly i use the regular grade tdk's because they are cheap at costco. i haven't had any problems. i looked thru the dvx manual as well as BG's dvx book and nothing about sticking to one brand of tape. not even a note about using premium tapes. the only thing in the manual about tapes at all suggests using the paasonic tapes (all cam manuals suggest tapes of same brand as cam). if the tape issue that big of a deal then why is it not mentioned in the manual or more importantly in what would be considered the dvx bible?
 
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