tape in or take out

A

Ace13

Member
I'm sure this has been asked, but I couldn't find it in the archives. Is it best to always take your tape out of the camera between shoots or can it be left in? For instance, I just did a shoot last night and won't be using my camera again for a week.
 
I would always take the tape out, for security reasons if nothing else. But I would also use a new tape for a new day. It is also possible that the tape could suffer from being rapped around the tape mechanism and left for a week, but this is only a guess.
 
I leave tapes in for days at a time and nothing is done to them (it's not like they are being stretched). But it's alays a good idea to take them out so you don't forget about them.
 
On that note, should we often use the Rec Check button? Is it just for situations where you keep switching from camera to video mode to see what you're got and just wanna line up at the end of the tap perfectly for timecodes etc.

Or does it have a greater usage?
 
Leaving a tape in yoru camera is the number one worst thing that you can do to your camera short of dropping it.

With time as the tape dissintegrates, little bits flake off the surface. These flakes are what cause head clog.

Take out the tape when you arn't shooting. Always.

- Mikko
 
Yeah, I definitely know you shouldn't leave a tape in the camera for months or even years. In fact, I actually knew a guy who left a tape in a cheap camera for so long that part of the tape's images got on the heads or something crazy. Like he could watch part of the tapes footage even though the tape was taken out. I'm only talking about leaving in it between shoots. Like I had a shoot Monday the 17th and my next shoot is on Monday the 24th.
 
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