View Full Version : digital break up


Chuck Ruland
March 8th, 2004, 06:33 PM
i just finished recording a lecture on my GL2 in LP mode
right now i am playing it back and taping it onto a VHS
the tape is breaking up and getting worse as the tape progressses. should i clean the heads?
my GL2 is only 3 months old and not used much?
or should i not use LP on my camera.?

Ken Tanaka
March 8th, 2004, 06:46 PM
1. Run a cleaning tape, following the intructions on the cleaning tape -precisely-.

2. Don't use LP mode. It's a very bad bet.

It's, at best, a 50/50 proposition to recover your footage.

Chuck Ruland
March 9th, 2004, 08:12 AM
Ken
thanks for your reply
luckily this lecture was not critical but i learned my lesson
lp is bad.
did you mean for me to use a cleaning tape because on the second lp tape it got better
maybe just bad tape
thanks again
chuck

Ken Tanaka
March 9th, 2004, 11:13 AM
I recommended using the cleaner to potentially eliminate contamination from the read heads. If your write heads were contaminated when the tape was recorded the footage will not be recoverable.

Daniel Kohl
March 9th, 2004, 11:23 AM
I wouldn't recommend LP. I don't know why it is even an option.

Maybe it's good for surveillance. But that’s it.

Chuck Ruland
March 9th, 2004, 06:20 PM
i
ken
thought using a head cleaner tape was like using sandpaper
not sure if i'm that desperate yet
chuck

Ken Tanaka
March 9th, 2004, 06:32 PM
Cleaner tapes are mildly abrasive; that's how they work. But, used in moderation and per their instructions, they're a perfectly safe and absolutely essential tool for anyone who's at all serious about their shooting. Their use is by no means an act of "desparation"; it's normal maintenence.

Chuck Ruland
March 9th, 2004, 08:54 PM
thanks Ken
i'm a novice but would like to consider myself serious about
my film project
can i ask how many times you have used a cleaner tape(based on your use of course).
appreciate your response
chuck

Ken Tanaka
March 9th, 2004, 09:48 PM
I've no idea, Chuck. I've been doing this a while and have quite a few cameras. Perhaps, on average, once or twice a year per camera. But that's highly dependent on usage. Your mileage may vary.