new Sony mid-grade HDV's ?
 

Anyone tried these ? As an amateur, I've grown weary of dropping $10-15 per Sony HDV and started to use the ~$3 Sony DVM-60PR tapes.

For $7 / tape :

http://taperesources.com/DV60XX-S.html

If you don't have problems with your $3 tapes, why are you interested in the ones double so expensive?

If you're interested, I only shoot €3 TDK tapes, after I was, like you, sick of spending €10 per Sony tape, it was becoming too expensive for me at that time (I was a student). So I ran a head cleaner, switched to cheaper tapes, and didn't had problems (okay, some dirty heads and a total of 2 lost tapes, but that had to do with the fact that I was using a XL1s, already 3 years in use).
Now I've shot with a Z1 for a couple of months, with cheapo tapes too. Didn't have any problems yet.

It seems that if people encounter problems with tape, it occurs with both expensive and cheap tape, that's just the nature of the beast.

I had a tape dropout on my first Sony HDV $10 tape (90% fewer errors, according to Sony). After that, I just went for the best at $15 (95 fewer errors). After spending a ton on expensive tapes, my priorities have changed again. I have not had any trouble with dropouts that I can tell with the $15 tapes, and after running out, I tried a couple of $3 Sony DV tapes. My interest is in reducing potential dropouts without spending too much. These new Sony HDV midgrade tapes are interesting, but I have not been able to find any quantification as to how they compare to their brothers.

I started using only the Sony HDV at $9, and then switch to the $3 Sony Red Premium and I had absolutly no problems with them. I always start with a 60 secs color bar and not use the last 2 mins of tape (most of the drop out happen at the beginning and end of tape). Also I only use the tapes once.

I saw these at the store today and asked the lady that work there. She told me these new ones will be the norm and sony will eventually phased out the older hdv tapes. Dunno how accurate that statment is.

I've been using $2 premium tapes I got from a certain place, have had maybe 0-1 dropouts on average per tape... it seems certain tapes will get 4-5 dropouts, while as the next 10 won't have any... After 70~ ish premium tapes I've been sticking with them.

I bought from the same place again but they haven't shipped in 3 weeks, and am currently talking to paypal to get a refund.

Regardless, most of what I shoot isn't critically important, I'd be better off buying more $2 tapes and shooting more, than buying $15 tapes...

Just my opinion...

REALLY NEW Sony HDVs
 

Last month we announced the new NEW Sony HDM63VG Professional Grade Mini DV / HDV Tape. This product is positioned between DVCAM and Consumer DV for the professional video market and is priced in the neighborhood of the consumer DVM63HD but designed for professional use.

Sony has since announced the discontinuation of its higher-grade consumer mini dv tape, the EX (Excellence). Effectively this gives Sony tape users a higher grade tape at a lower price.

Sony touts the HDM63VG as having lower dropout, fewer errors and enhanced durability vs. Panasonic AMQ. We look forward to testing and customer feedback comparing products.

In addition, Sony is offering double Rewarding Recording points on the HDM63VG for the month of April. Rewarding Recording is Sony’s free program in which you are able to receive credit towards service, parts and consumer electronics simply for making routine purchases of Sony Professional Media from an Authorized Sony Dealer. For more information visit http://www.sonyrewardingrecording.com .


The HDM63VG is in stock now in our online store.

cb

I know it is hard to part with the extra cash sometimes when buying tapes but one way to look at it is that, theoretically, it is not your money. Your client should be paying for all tape stock so you shouldn't be overly concerned about how much it costs? Just buy the good stuff. Your camcorder will appreciate it. Easy to say but hard to do when you credit card is maxxed.