MiniDV tape?
- Thread starter JitCam
- Start date
Dick Campbell
Veteran
better quality tapes mean less dropouts or possible defects. it never hurts to stay with the OEM recommendation. whatever brand you pick, stay with it, do not mix different brands in the same camera. something to do with the lubricants, so I'm told.
Take_1
Well-known member
Dick Campbell said:
Exactly right. Use quality tape. Panasonic or Sony it doesn't matter. But DON'T mix them. If you have no choice, run a cleaning tape through the camera each time you switch, but I wouldn't be too excited to do that very often as it will shorten the life of your heads.
Ernest_Acosta
Well-known member
Yes, to be honest I only used Panasonic master tape in my dvx. Now that I have the HVX, I use the same tape if I'm not shooting HD.
Take_1
Well-known member
The lubricant issue is not an issue that exists as a camera problem. It is strictly an issue that is inherent to the manufacturing formula of the tape itself. Each company that manufactures its own unique tape formula, will not play nicely with another manufactures' unique formulation of tape. Sony, Panasonic, Fugi etc.zerobytes said:
Unique chemicals (and materials) of every brand of tape, over time, are slowly left behind on the heads and rollers of your camera/deck. When you change brands of tape (new chemicals and materials), without first cleaning the heads from the proceeding brand... mix. The interaction of the two chemical/material formulas can create a gooey substance. This can give you dropouts, continuous visible and or audible noise and in the worst of cases ruin your original field tape or camera/deck.
If you use multiple brands of tape you must clean the heads before switching brands (removal of the unique chemicals and materials). This applies to cameras AND to decks. DV , BetaCam SP etc.
Choose a brand of tape in which you are confident of its performance and stick with it. Your choice should also consider that your brand is easy to access on the weekend when nearly everyone is closed when you realize that you forgot to get enough during the week. (it happens)
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i bought and used about an HOUR of Fuji film tape from walgreens before reading the warnings on this forum about tape. i bought some panasonic PQ's. SO, can anyone confirm if switching from Fuji tape to PQ's is safe without a pro cleaning? thank you so much for your help, i need to shoot in 2 days and am stressing over the answer!
Jim Anderson
Well-known member
Yes, he is right. Choose Panasonic or Sony. Don't use the lower grade types. I just almost lost a key scene to a defective tape in the HVX shooting 4 x 3 30P. It was Sony DVM60EXL. Usually I never have a problem but now I am going for a higher grade to be safe ($9.95) from taperesources.com or Sony Mastering tape. Don't take a chance unless the shoot isn't important. Panasonic also has a new higher quality tape. As mentioned, choose one and never change brands.
Take_1
Well-known member
Jim Anderson said:
Exactly. I have been using the SONY DVM60PRL for at least 4 years. The things are darn near bullet proof. Lots of people here love Panasonic's MQ's or AMQ's.
Pick either brand, whichever is easiest for you to get on a regular basis. Then stick with it.
Justyn
Veteran
Also never shoot with old stock too. Some clients insist on bringing their own tapes and sometimes they are old tapes and I just say... hell no to that. On my old cameras it was almost like a disease with these things... passing along bad artifacts and mojo.. plus so many people buy one tape and use it ove rand over over and over again.. I inherited a cam from my bro and that was what he did. Repeatedly re-recorded over the same tape....since the very first day...
Iused to be a AMQ only elitist.... but then i had to use mixed brands one day. and it was Completely fine. ive been using mixed brands for like 6 months with no problmes at all. Then again the mix was between JVC tape, Panasonic tape, and AMQ's. No Sony in there. so maybe thoes brands are semi compatible.