Best brand of miniDV tapes?

[Gabriel Yeager]

I'm new to all of this, so please bear with me.
I have just received my first miniDV camera Wednesday, and now I need tapes.

I have a couple of questions now.
1). What brand do you use, and what would you say is the best?
2). Is there any other tapes that are a "wet lubricant" other then Panasonic?
3). Is there really a difference in the quality on some tapes, compared to others?

Thanks,
~Gabriel~

[Glenn Chan]

A lot of these issues get re-hashed over and over, and nobody really knows anything. I would just keep a lot of tape stock on hand (because you're in trouble if you run out) and get whatever's cheap (miniDVs are <$3 online). Other factors are way more important than what tape you use (and we don't really know if brand X is significantly better).

Factors like:
checking your tapes after you shoot them
not screwing up (i.e. label your tapes)
letting the camera temperature equalize

having good content
etc.

2- Panasonic uses dry lubricant I believe... Jan Crittenden used to say otherwise, but was misinformed.

3- Picture quality is the same. miniDV records 1s and 0s on the tape. Error correction ensures that those 1s and 0s are read back correctly.

[Gabriel Yeager]

Thanks, Glenn. Sounds great. Thanks for correcting what I said about the Dry/wet lubricant. I think I'll use the Panasonic's that I have on hand.
is it sony that is the only wet lubricant? I believe that is what I just read.

Thanks,
~Gabriel~

[Jimmy McKenzie]

They are all fine.

Just use each tape twice. Once to record, once to playback. Then store it. New shoot = new tape.

[Gabriel Yeager]

Originally Posted by Jimmy McKenzie

They are all fine.

Just use each tape twice. Once to record, once to playback. Then store it. New shoot = new tape.

Thanks, Jimmy! I like the way you worded that. :D I think its time that I go out and start shooting now.

Thanks everyone!
~Gabriel~