Cost effective way to record without tape?
 

I'm always up against the "60 minute mark" literally by as little as 3 seconds as the speaker finishes just before my tape runs out which creates anxiety and worry beforehand to say the least.

So, what is the least expensive option/method to go "tapeless" so I can put that problem behind me?

Has it become more affordable since the last year or so?

What types of technology/systems provides a solution and what are the pros and cons of each....what has your own personal experience been with your GL-2?

Looking forward to learning.

Thanks in advance!!

There's an entire forum here dedicated to the topic. Take some time to read through Tapeless Video Recording Solutions - The Digital Video Information Network and you should find the answers to your questions.

While not tapeless, if 60 minutes is the issue, have you considered using the 80 minute tapes as an alternative?

Hi Don,

I've spent several years happily using $3-4 Maxell tapes which have done a good job in SP mode. Historically, since tapes with more time were so much more expensive I decided it wasn't feasible as being too expensive. Meanwhile.... I forgot about that possibility.

Thanks for bringing that to my attention.

Am hoping onboard drives will go down some day.

Bruce

What did you do if anything?
 

Please share your experience and advise as to the suitability of this model with your choice.

Thanks!

You can buy a lot of tape for the price of something like a Focus Firestore. (Maybe even a laptop that woud work for direct dedicatd capture.) However, the Firestore may offer important advantages in terms of size and transfer time. Depends on your specific needs.

On occasion depending on the event I use the LP mode. As for tapeless I use my IBM lappy which has a removable dvd-rom drive that I can replace with a hard drive to capture on.

As you no doubt know, using LP speed for recording carries some risk with respect to reliable playback on another machine, or even the same machine after passage of time, mainly caused by slight variances in tape path alignment and aging. Users need to evaluate the risk/benefit of 90 minutes on a nominal 60 minute tape for their situation. the 80 minute tapes have a somewhat thinnr base, so they hve a bit more risk as well.

If you're shooting something where the camera will be stationary, you can hook the GL2 up to a laptop via firewire and record directly onto an external hard drive.

I had a freelance job last year where I used my trusty old GL2 because it's easier to travel with than my JVC HD-GY110. We recorded interviews on location and the five extra minutes it took to set up the computer saved not only the wear-and-tear of camera playback but ingest time as well.

You can check instantly that you have video with proper sound recorded. I shot tape as a backup but never had to use it.