To Clean or Not to Clean???

[Macphilia]

Hey Folks,

I don't do too many paid gigs and I just got another - a web video shoot.

About a year ago, I had a paid gig and shot on a borrowed DVX, which apparently was dirty, thus, most of the footage was unusable (dropped frames). You can imagine how mortified I was - one of the worst times of my life, seriously....

I have my own DVX now with 170 hours and have only used PQ tapes. I don't use it too much and keep it stored in a case.

Question: is it smart to periodically clean the heads with a cleaner tape or running a blank tape all the way through, as insurance? Or should I trust the camera and playback every now and then on the set?

All I know is that the dirty head indicator did not appear on that fateful day, so I don't want to trust it.

And thoughts? Basically, I'm asking what you all do before really important shoots to ensure your tape heads will/are perform(ing) well....

:dankk2:

 

[mikkowilson]

Cleaning the heads only helps when they are dirty. So no, don't clean your heads unless you need to.

Trusting the camera blindly is taking a little bit of a risk though. Frequent "head checks" are the tool of the trade. After shots (or with a small test shot before rolling on that big critical event), hit that "Rec Check" button - the camera will roll back and play the last couple of seconds of video on the tape, confirming that all is well (or showing the clog so you know it's time to clean).

- Mikko

 

[Macphilia]

Thanks for the reply, Mikko.

I won't clean my heads and I'll do what you recommend. After that horrible day, I now record about 30 seconds prior to any shoot and review the footage. Also, as you suggest, I periodically "REC CHECK."

I'm glad to hear that I'm following protocol.

Peace!