checkerboard frame on GL2
 

Well, after never experiencing a "dropped frame" with my ZR40, I'm now finding out what a dropped frame looks like with my fancy GL2. I can actually pinpoint the frame, which looks like a partial checkerboard pattern in the upper left corner of the frame. It happened twice in a 45 minute taping, even though my camera has less than 5 hours total usage. I'm using Fuji tapes, and I've used a Sony cleaning cassette once. With that degree of frequency, how does anyone ever shoot a Wedding? Aren't you afraid the dreaded dropped frame may occur just as the B+G kiss? Or...is my experience abnormal? Just wondering. I like the camera, but I'm curious why others have complained about dropped frames as well, ..do you think 3 CCD cameras are more prone to dropped frames than single chip cameras?

That Sony head cleaner may be meant for "wet" lube tape, Fuji is "dry." Just a thought.

I ues Fuji tapes in my GL2. Good tapes. Here is something people have told me works - I haven't done this because I haven't had the need yet. People have sworn running a blank tape through the camera from beginning to end will clean the heads. Like striping the tape. After running the new tape through the camera - throw it away.

I have used both Sony head cleaners and Panasonic. Both work well for me. But the next time I need to clean the heads I'll try the blank tape cleaning method.

As for dropped frames, it is a rarity not the standard. If you get dropped frames every tape something is WRONG.

10-4. Thanks for that tip, i'll try the blank tape before my next shoot.

or run the cleaning tape again
 

if you ran the cleaning tape once, run it again. the directions I recall reading say to run such tapes up to 5 times before giving up and having it cleaned by Canon. You want to eject it after each cleaning and give the camera a rest for a few minutes before the second cleaning but if you are getting a mosaic pattern it's almost certain it's just a dirty head that can be fixed by cleaning and while striping a tape may help, a quick cleaning or two should do it.
btw..it won't change the fact that you have a bad frame on that same tape, but future tapes should not show the problem. My GL2 recorded bad frames right out of the box which isn't unusual. Two cleanings later it was just fine and has been fine since.
If it happens repeatedly consider the environment in which you are loading and unloading tapes and whether you are introducing dust in that process. On a recent river raft trip I refused to change tapes when one finished and I was asked to film a stretch of river because it was very windy and dusty and I knew that if I changed tapes at that moment I couldn't keep dust from getting in my GL2.

Thanks guys, GREAT feedback. I really appreciate it!