Bad Shot
 

Can someone tell me if this is a bad tape or something wrong with my vx2100? It only happen 2 times during the wedding and reception.

looks like you're recording on a "used" tape - and the prior recording is "bleeding through" on some pixel blocks - saw that a few times with my older TRV's. Probably wouldn't happen with fresh tapes, probably not technically anything "wrong" with either your tape or camera per se.

could have been a bit of 'gunk' on the heads and it came off while the tape was rolling. I get this on occassion and run a head cleaner thru. Only every once in a while though.

Dave, I always use new tapes. It only happen 2 times and for only for a split second. Maybe Don is right, the only thing is I had just used a cleaning tape a couple of days earlier. I just hope its not the Camera

Gary

I doubt it's the camera. My PD150 is over 8 yeaars old, has more hours on it than I can count but 2 or was it 3 years ago I had the heads and transport mech replaced. My 170 is 3 or 4 years old now and has a whole lot of hours since it's my primary camera and like I said every once in a while I get a dropout like that. It COULD just be THAT particular tape OR a bit of yuck on the heads. Even though you ran a cleaner tape you MIGHT want to do it again but remember to follow the directions to the letter. I think most of them say something like no more than 10 seconds at a time. Once more should do it. Sometimes the stuff just doesn't come off the first time.
I wouldn't worry too much about the camera.

Thanks Don, as always you are most helpful to me. Just another quick question... I only use sony (new) tapes in my vx2100. which tape cleaner is best to use? Right now I use one made by sony

Thanks
Gary

I would keep using the Sony. I use Panny tapes and use a Panny head cleaner. It just makes sense to me to use the same brand cleaner as tapes.

Don,

Just a follow-up. I found the reason for the bad video. After I shoot a wedding I play the tape in a small sony videocamera to get it on my PC. I also play all our church sermons on this same camera. Those heads were very dirty, so dirty I can't clean them. I used another camera and it worked prefect. By the way, what do you use to tranfer video to your computer?

Thanks Don
Gary

All you ever wanted to now about this is here:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/long-blac...ck-thread.html

Hi Gary,
Well, I've used a DSR11 until it died, then I used a JVC 1 chipper til it stopped playing in audio, then I used my PD150 and now for some reason the JVC is working again so I use that.
Since none of my cameras have ever seen anything but the Panasonic PQ tapes I feel very comfortable using any of my cameras to load in with. Hell, I forgot, I used my good old VX1000 as well. It started having some real issues and after sitting on the shelf for many many many months it decided to work again, at least for now.
Gotta love electronics!

Adam & Don,

Thanks for your help

Gary