Using Canon tapes...
 

How important is it that I use Canon tapes from my HX A1???

Does Canon sell tapes? If they do, I can pretty much assure you they don't manufacture them.

Sony, JVC, Pany, TDK,---Don't think I have ever seen Canon!?!?!

Check out the "The Long Black Line" forum here for more info on tapes.

Mike

1 Canon tape comes w/ the A1
 

Canon DigitalMaster HDVM-E63PR Mini DV Tape

yeah Canon does. They make SD and HDV tapes. I can only find the HDV tapes at those over prices electronic stores and the SD ones I've only seen on a small number of web sites for $9.95 (60mins) and $14.95 (80mins). I'm just trying to figure out if it's true that you get better performance with tapes made by the same company as the camera makers.

Interesting! But I still bet they don't make it themselves, and at $20.00 a tape, they surely will not be in my two Canons! :)

Mike

Again, check out the tape forum, but you do not need $20.00 tapes to use in your Canon. Or even $10.00 tapes for that matter.

You are just recording 1's and 0's, just like any other Mini DV camera.

Mike

we have very good luck with panasonic tapes. I remember somewhere where a sony cam had to be sent back to the factory for head repair. THe owner was told by the SONY TECH to use Panasonic tapes. The cam was using SONY TAPES before.

My guess is that Canon tapes are probably made by Fuji, but that's just a guess.

Our local tape supplier sells Panasonic's MQ tapes for just over 9 bucks each. The PQ ones are about half that. I've been using Sony DVCAM tapes (overpriced) for several years with no problem, and so has a friend I work with on documentary things. He's been racking up tape costs with a few hundred tapes used on a couple of movies, so he recently switched to the Panasonic PQ tapes (on an XL2 mostly) and has had no trouble at all. He's also getting an A1 and will probably go with the MQ. Even though they're double the cost of PQs, they're still 30-40% cheaper than Sony's DVCAMs.

I'm guessing at my typical shooting ratios, I'd use 20-30 tapes for a current project. At $9 each for MQ, that's $180 at the low end, $270 at the high end. I think that's probably worth it...but the PQ price of 4 bucks each is really tempting too, so I haven't decided yet for sure.

One of the Canon tech guys at DVExpo was recommending to me that Sony tapes be used in the XH A1 (!!!).
I couldn't stop playing with the Canons, they were very impressive.

I've always used FUJI's. DVM60 for about $4.50 each.

I just got email from a guy who uses the Panasonic PQ tapes with a Z1.

I bought the Panasonic MQ tapes online for less than $4 a piece. The Canon tape is $25 on their website.

The cheapest price I've seen on the 63 minute MQ tapes is $9.08. Are those new tapes?

Was this the part number: Panasonic AY-DVM63MQ (Master Quality Mini DV Tape)? If so, [Moderator note: non-sponsor link removed] will get you the lowest price, which is about half your price. I've been using up the last batch I purchased online (a year ago) and have not encountered any problems recording with the XH-A1.

Of course, I'd be interested in reading reviews of these tapes

Sony Mini DV HD 63 minute DVM63HD
Sony Pro Mini DV HD Digital Master HDV PHDVM-63DM

to determine if they have more longevity, or fewer dropouts.

Hey guys, our DVinfo sponsors will take care of you. Just by way of example, B&H has MQ's for $5.19, and the new AMQ tapes for $7.89.

To respond to the original question, it isn't important at all to use Canon tapes. I have always used Panasonic tapes; others have always used Sony tapes. Over in The Long Black Line forum, there are long threads with debates about whether switching brands is harmful because of possible interactions between the chemicals in different tape lubricants. There's no solid proof either way about the brand-switching issue. Most of us are cautious enough with our gear to just pick a quality brand of tape and stick with it. At $5-10 an hour, tapes are a small part of the video production budget so just buy a bunch of quality tapes from a manufacturer you trust and stick with 'em.