What tapes are you using in your HC1 or FX1?

Wondering what tapes people are using in their HC1 or even FX1?

Are you using the Sony HD 63-minute tape, or some other standard good-quality tape?

After hearing of tape transport issues in camcorders in general, was curious what people are actually using.

Thanks

I am using,

Sony PHDVM-63DM's

As yet to put these through anything decent to check for dropouts etc..

I bought them from a show £7 each...

Dive safe

DeanB

I use the Panasonic DVM83MQ,DVM63AMQ miniDV and the Sony PHDVM63DM HDV-mini. The Panasonics are excellent but no chip. And they work well with the Z1, A1 and the one tape I shot on the XL-H1, no drop outs. Tried the Sony to see if HDV caused dropouts. Had a few dropouts with the normal quality Sony (which I always thought was overpriced for mediocre quality, but it has a chip). None withe PHDV.

Hi scubadru, do you have news about footage with A1? Did you try it UW? How is :-)

Maby thanks as sorry for questions :-)

ERIK

Ah, I see, there are more Sony HD tapes than just the consumer ones.

Any suggestions on reputable online dealers?

Hmmm...gets complicated quick....

The Panasonic tapes above come out at about $7.5 a piece whereas the Sony high end ones are $15 each, with the lower end Sony HD at about $12.

Thoughts on the difference?

I don't see any info in the manual that the HC1 can utilize the chip in the tape.

In Singapore the Sony HDV 63 'DigitalMASTER' tapes are a whopping S$35 each (US$ 21.60). JVC HDV tapes are only S$15 or S$14 ea for a box of 10 (US$8.6 ea). Guess what I bought for this coming w/e in Bali? I'll report back if there are any discernable differences (I have one Sony DigitalMaster tape - came with the new A1)

I've always used Sony tapes, either premium or excellence, and never really noticed a difference. I was recently donated about 18 panasonic DVM-83s with one pass on them. I have never mixed the usage of tapes and am wondering what all think about using both types of tape on one cam. In my case, a Sony A1U-Steve

Steve, some people believe that mixing is still bad but my experience has been it doesn't matter. Haven't had a dropout from the Pana Master tapes or Sony HDV. Tried a used Sony HDV and it dropped a few frames but was ok overall.

YMMV.

I use Black and Gold ....Home Brand.....

Douglas Spotted Eagle mentioned at the SONY symposium in Toronto to only use one type of tape in the camera and ensure that you keep the heads clean. I have been using the SONY DVM63 tapes at $15 Cdn., the SONY PHDVM-63DM tapes are not readily available through the stores, must be special ordered. After spending thousands on the camera, more thousands on the housing and even more thousands on the computer to edit it all, I am not about to quibble over saving a few bucks on tapes.

Yeah, think I better stick to what I have been using for eternity, Sony. Anyone want 18 Panasonics with one pass on them?

steve

Today I spent the whole day diving and filled one Digital Master $$$ HDV 63 min Sony Professional tape and guess what. Two drops out

I normaly use Panasonic DVM63 both in the HDV and Mini DV cameras and they work fine at $7AUS cheap as chips. Yes you do get the odd drop out here and there sometimes but I think it's a thing of HDV. It's has never caused me to loose a great shot. Generally it's where the camera is starting a shot.

I rememmber once I had a few Pro Mini DVCAM tapes and one of them as well had a drop out as well.

I don't think you need the $$$ unless you like the fancy boxes they come in. Find a brand and sitck with it. Panasonic's work for me.

I have alway made it a habit to use tapes that have had at least one pass - this serves to remove any loose material that may have been left on the tape from the manufacturing process.

That said - I always try to use Sony tapes in our machines.

That could be a good idea.

My HDV dropouts are generally when the camera starts to record or off/on/off/on really quick, so it's at the start of a scene. Very rare do I get one mid shot so it's no big problem.

Interesting though that the SONY PRO $$$ HDV tape had it happen.... kind of tells you something. Comes in a nice box though

It is not good to mix tapes due to them having different lubricants. Sony tapes use a wet lubricant, and most others use various dry lubricants. If you mix tapes without cleaning the heads, the mixed lubricants can gunk up the heads, causing them to stick and eventually cause major problems. It is recommended to stick with one brand of tape, but don't change tape brands without cleaning the heads first.

I use the Sony Premiums. Many people have noticed a fair number of drop outs when the cameras are new. Seems that the heads wear in and the drops become fewer. I rarely experience them despite diving and crazy 4wheeling adventures the camera has been on.

I went to Panasonic's as I was getting dropouts with Sony tapes back in 2000.

I once put in a tape from a relative's old mini dv camera and it completely stoped my 3CCD camera from viewing and recording tapes. It instantly gummed the drum so much it just would not play any tape after that.

I then put the tape in another camera and it did the exact same thing. No head cleaner would then fix it, thinking I will now have a very $$ head repair.

So I got myself a tin of $8 Xylene and carfully cleaned the head drum with a cotton bud making sure the zylene did not touch any plastic as it would of melted it.

A few minutes later and a test clean with a normal head cleaning tape the cameras came back to life.

If you do this be very carefull with using Xylene, it's very strong but it cleaned the head up perfect.

Pre-1997 (or was it 98) DV tapes used different lubricants. Manufacturers have since linked up so that problem won't occur anymore. Use fresh tapes and try not to use LP (which is now defunct with HDV),

Are you saying that the "no mixing of brands' taboo is no longer valid?