Which tape is better?
 

Which tape is better?
AY-DVM63PQ Professional Series Tape
AY-DVM63MQ Master Series Tape

I don't know, but Fuji miniDV is very good. I just read that http://www.thetapehouse.com verifies this.

Sam,
Do a Search on this one. It's an extremely frequent topic and we probably have dozens of threads and hundreds of posts on tape.

The short answer: the MQ series is the best. The PQ series is damn close.

cool thanx.

tape ?
 

I've Tried sony, fuji, panasonic and some others.
I've had head clogs and drop out with everything but fuji mini dv
tape... I will never change.

It seems all manufacturers have different amounts and types of lubrication.. fuji seems to keep the heads clean and no problems with drop out..

I've used Fuji Betacam SP tapes for about 15 years and have never had a problem. Since starting to shoot DVCAM, I have used Sony DVCAM tapes for almost 3 years and have had no problem. I'm still using Fuji Betacam tapes for dubs, but using Sony DVCAM for shooting and for the DVCAM masters we make.

Which MiniDV ?
 

When i buy a minidv tape i ususally go for the best deal, but i would like to know what are the actual differences.
Thank, stefano

Stefano

The "best deal" usually means cheap tape; and cheap tape means there's a greater chance for glitches, drop-outs and breakage. Tape is the single least expensive item in the production chain, so why not buy the best you can possibly afford. Sony Excellence or Sony Premium; Panasonic Master Quality or Professional Quality. Those are the top four. Don't mix brands. Hope this helps,

Thank you Chris,
I am now mostly practicing but i do film a few important events.
so you think that quality tapes worth the money ?
I know tapes are the cheapest items in the production chain but i buy many...
Are there better tapes for dark or indoor environments?
Stefano.

What's everyone's opinion of the Sony Premium Tapes in the blue packaging?

I have never had a problem w/ the premiums in my gl2.
actually thats a lie, i did have to send my cam back once b/c of some noise but i think it had more to do w/ the heads than the tape b/c im still using those tapes and havent had a problem.

Do you really think that cheap tapes can ruin camera head?

Yes, I think so. But the mixing of tape is more dangerous I think. Just pick a good one and stick with it.

Years ago I used cheap JVC tapes, and the heads were always gummed up. So I had to use my head cleaner many times, thus wearing down the heads. When I switched to Fuji, I hadn't had to use the cleaner even once. (Knock on wood.) :-))

Which Tape?
 

Is it worth spending twice as much Sony "Excellence" miniDV tape as opposed to Sony "Premium" miniDV tape?

This is a post more suited for the Long Black Line forum. Here's some things you might want to know:

A- There is very little good information on tapes and tape quality.
B- maybe because of A, people tend to obsess over which tape they get. This leads to long threads that aren't very helpful.
C- In the past, mixing tape brands was a bad idea. In like 1997, Sony and Maxell reformulated their tapes so this wouldn't be a problem. You'd expect mixing tapes to be ok by now. But if you want, you could stick with one brand. If you buy bulk this isn't much of a problem.
D- As far as quality goes, good tape should have less dropouts in SP mode and less in LP mode (LP mode causes more problems). For stuff shot in SP mode (normal 60min slow play mode), the majority of people do not experience dropouts with whatever tape is cheapest. For them, tape quality makes no difference.
E- One viewpoint: In the rare case you do get a dropout, it ain't that bad. Visual dropouts are fixable with Photoshop magic. Audio dropouts are rarer and not fixable, but they are very short and wouldn't be that bad.
F- I have never seen any evidence Sony Excellence tape will lead to less dropouts compared to Premium tape.
G- Another viewpoint: Spend your money on stuff you KNOW makes a difference. i.e. having more tape, better gear, etc. The risk of bad tape is low (low chance + low damage), and chances are all tape is pretty much the same (since no one seems to have evidence showing one tape brand is less prone to dropouts than another brand).