Reusing your tapes

bownut

bownut

Active member
I've committed myself to the Panny MQ. I read in the description of this tape that is can withstand the back and forth, playing and replaying of heavy editing. Because they're so expensive I want to reuse them for shooting. I shoot mostly stock footage type stuff and family video.

When I worked in TV news as a one-man-band, we reused our tapes over and over and over. I don't remember how many times, but we did. We shot on DVCAM with DV tapes (not mini DV). Anyway, just wondering what people have experienced.
 
In the grand scheme of things, tape is cheap. I wouldn't reuse a tape unless you're just screwing around. The risk of dropouts and head clog is higher the more you reuse a tape.
 
Horse is, as usual, correct. I wouldn't re-use a tape because I'm deathly afraid of dropouts. I would re-use a tape if I were just shooting some family video or something; non-professional stuff I guess. But it that were the case I wouldn't be using MQ's or even a DVX, I'd probably just use some crappy mini-dv cam I bought a Wal-Mart with some equally crappy tape.

Just because the tape can withstand it doesn't mean you should do it.
 
No, even black is recorded video (which adds 1 more use to the tape). It might help timecode issues, but not dropouts.
 
I would never reuse a tape for a paid gig, or anything that may be sold or broadcast or cut into a movie. I know if I were the client, I wouldn't want to see my footage delivered on a used tape.

For family video...I doubt your family would cry if there was a drop out or a time code break. I also doubt you need to shoot Panny MQ tapes for family videos when the $3 stock will suffice.
 
Mini-DV tapes not only have a significantly narrower track width, they run at a much slower speed than DVCAM tapes. It's a consumer format, so was never designed to be as robust as more pro formats. So it doesn't take much of a particle to clog the heads and cause dropouts. As everyone else recommends, don't reuse tape, but buy cheaper stock if you have to. Just don't mix wet and dry lube tapes.
 
When I worked in TV news as a one-man-band, we reused our tapes over and over and over. I don't remember how many times, but we did. We shot on DVCAM with DV tapes (not mini DV). Anyway, just wondering what people have experienced.
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Hehe, that's what we do as well. Our DVCAM camcorders are like 8 years old and have been used every single day for 1-4 hours each and we can still re-use 124 min. dvcam tapes in them for at least 50 times until the first drop-outs appear. Of course for important stuff I'd rather use a new tape as well, and if you give the tapes directly to the customer then of course you need to use new tapes!

However I once had a bad experience with a brand new DVCAM tape. It was a festival of dropouts because the tape was flawed... happens once in a lifetime with sony dvcam tapes, but it can happen...
 
Master Quality is for the Master Copy- the one that gets archived. To reuse this tape, will cause stretching, the magnetic particles to come loose, causing drop outs and head clogs. The reason news teams reuse tapes, is because they use a heavier duty cam, and the tapes run $8-10 for an 8 minute DVCAM, to $22 for an hour of DigiBeta, and I believe prices can go up from there. They need to cut costs, and don't care as much? That sound about right?
 
the tapes run $8-10 for an 8 minute DVCAM, to $22 for an hour of DigiBeta, and I believe prices can go up from there. They need to cut costs, and don't care as much? That sound about right?
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8 Minute DVCAM? I don't know if these exist, but we use 124 minute DVCAM which are about 25 Euro a piece. I'm not sure if DigiBeta are only 22$ for a 60 minute tape. I guess they are more expensive (at least in Europe)

And yes, in news (at least in regional news) we don't care as much about drop-outs for our usual stuff. I mean if you shoot 30 minutes for a 3-3.30 minute piece and there's one drop-out, what the heck. Chances are very low this drop-out will be exactly during the crucial part of an interview, and even that can be "fixed" by a journalistic work-around.
As soon as there has been a drop-out, then the tape is thrown away immediately, of course.

However when there's something more important than just the daily news, like when the pope is in town, then I only use new tapes as well. Also when the tape is for a customer (they pay for a new tape, so they get a new tape!)
 
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I've only needed MiniDV tapes, but really got a shock as I cruised through some of the other formats out of curiosity. I swear I saw somebody selling used tapes for quite a price, I just don't remember the format. I think it was like $60 a tape? As I did a quick price check last night, I found those 8 minute tapes listed at that price.
 
to get the angle on my concern. Wich tape is best to protect the camera most? I don't have dropout-issues as a problem (never had one either). Just wan't the best/cleanest/nicest tape so my camera feel good =).
so wich tape should I use?
 
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