Who makes the best tape for the GS100K? and where can I get them?

I think Fuji makes the best miniDV tape, and I've never had a bad one yet. That's my opinion though.

http://www.dvfreak.com/tape.htm

I live in Vancouver, and here Superstore and London Drugs has the best deals. Depending on where you live, I guess, try our tape sponsor.

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13238

I use TDK, as for as I know, TDK works best with Panasonic gs100k, because the lubricant they use is very similar to panasonic tape.

TDK never gave any problems. Infact i mixed TDK with Maxel, no problem.

Of course Panasonic tape on a Panasonic product, thats a perfect match!

Does the Fuji miniDV tape have the memory chip in it? ( IC chip) does it use a wet or dry lubricant? Also, Does the Fuji compare closer to the Panasonic Master Quality tapes or to the Panasonic standard miniDV tapes?

Isn't that chip for some Sony cams only? There's no mem chip. Fuji is "dry."

I have no idea, That is why I asked you:-))

Don't worry about the chip. It's for some Sony cams only. :)

Ok, The chip is out. Now, If I use a panasonic miniDV tape say something like a Professional quality 60-minute DVC (Mini DV) tape, could I still use another type from the same company like a Panasonic 63 Minute Master Quality MiniDV Tape. I can't seem to find any Fuji tape in my local stores. There are lots of Panasonic. If Fuji is a much better tape then I will just buy it on-line. Thanks for all your help!

Paul, read that link I gave you. (It's not a good thing to mix tapes.)

I did read it. I understood it as not to mix tapes of different brands. I thought you just had to stick with the same brand. You are telling me I have to use the same model as well as brand. Right?

Right. Not all brand models are the same, plus their formulas change from time to time---not so with Fuji. Fuji comes with always the lubricant. Fuji also makes other high quality media: other types of tape, photographic film, and 35mm motion picture film, to mention a few.

A big thank you goes out to Frank and the others that gave me input on this subject. I learned a big lesson today. Research all you can, ask all the questions you can and when the day is done just follow Franks advice. At least that's the way this quest took me.

Hmmm... looks like I've arrived at this thread a little too late.

I've read the dvfreak link previously and remembered that Fuji or Panasonic are the brands to buy. Couldn't find Fuji so I went for Panasonic. There was a 3-pack for around $10 and a single tape for around $6. Naturally, I bought the 3-pack.

So far, I've recorded about 3 minutes on the brand new GS100K with the cheap Panasonic tape. Should I discard the cheap ones and buy the more expensive one? Would it be okay to finish the 3-pack and then switch? Or, since mixing isn't a good thing, would it be okay to just stick with the cheap Panasonic forever?

I just want to take family videos, nothing "professional". The best quality isn't a high priority for me but good quality is. Also, I want to avoid any future problems by getting everything right from the start.

Aylwin,
You'll be laughing but here in Japan the Fujis are cheaper than Panasonic.
I was also wondering and went for TDK - again cheaper than Pana.

I'm not talking for the Pana master grade but I haven't seen in shop the higher Fuji or TDK grade. You can check specs on the makers homepages if you can read a little bit Japanese (katakana).
TDK has slightly better specs than Pana and I do believe them. TDK is old media company (only media and espesially strong in tapes).

Fuji has been top for VHS-C tapes as well.
It's a matter of preference.

In the older analog tape world I've been using always TDK never Pana. But for DV might be different - who knows.

Here:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13325

Read what Jeff wrote. :)

Fujis are actually cheaper? :) I wish they were easier to find though. Everywhere I look it's Sony. Yesterday, I'd already given up on finding either Fuji or Panasonic but then I found Panasonic at the Family Mart across the street where I live. :)

Anyway, it looks to me like not switching tapes is more important than the actual model or brand of the tape. I guess I'll just stick with this cheaper Panasonic tape for now.

By the way, Jeff mentioned dropouts in his post. What's a dropout? Does it visually look like a glitch, like a bad frame or something?

Dropped frames (misses a frame or more), dropped or scrambly audio, blocks/noisy video. All bad!

Thanks Frank, I've read quite a lot on the tape topic after I came to this forum. Before that I didn't care switching tapes but did had some block noise after long use which I thought is due to the LP mode.

Actually I didn't want to recomend TDK - it's just my opinion based on the analog tapes (digital or analog they are magnetic tapes after all).

I'll be checking Fuji too as they did had the best reputation for camcorder tapes (VHS-C). Panasonic has good reputation now for miniDV.

Both TDK and Fuji in Japan seem to have new production line - TDK comes in 3 colors and Fuji is cool white.
Many brands offer also playful transperent case tapes but looking more carefully I found they are of a bit lesse quality even from the standard tapes (specs given by makers).

Aylwin, you buy tapes from Family Mart? They should be quite more expencive there. Which is Nagoya's main electronics shop? For example for Oita it's Besto Denki (nobody in Tokyo probably have heard of that). Go and check in the main city of your prefecture. You could buy also via Internet - 10 Pana cost 3680 JPY without tax & delivery. On hat-in.com if you buy for more than 20000yen you have free shipment. They have large accessory list - go check it out.

I also read what Jeff mentioned ;)

He also said, He used TDK "SEVERAL" years ago, that means, may be when Mini dv was first introduced, I dont know! And He also asserted, Now TDK may bring better tapes(manufacturers never tell their technology or lubricant;) )

What I understand from Frank's website dvfreak.com, TDK uses similar lubricant like panasonic.

And from my experiences with TDK, I never had any bad experiences with TDK.

I am also just telling my OPINION. like how Jeff expressed his OPINION and experiences.

If any one experienced problems with TDK with current technology, then we have to completely agree!

Since TDK is a full fledged Tape manufacturer like Bogdan said, I have no other reason to shift from what I am using now as long as i had no drop outs in the past.

I did record almost 5 times on the same TDK cassette, Still giving same quality..

With my personal cams, I've only had problems with JVC tapes, and they were severe however that was many years ago. Recently, I had a brand new Panasonic dry miniDV head cleaner, and it didn't work---I mean, it would even turn, so the cam would just come up with a tape error message. Nice, huh? I should return it or exchange it for a Fuji "cleaner." :)

Now, in my early days of miniDV, when I worked almost every day shooting, I used all sorts of tape in all sorts of cams. I used what was givin to me to shoot with. The only tapes I recall which never gave us problems were Pana and Fuji. (Yes, we used TDK, Sony, Maxell, Canon, JVC---you name.) Finally the guy I was shooting for got smart and stuck with Pana. However, his 2 Pana cams were garbage, even though one of them cost a bundle (in those days).

Me? Today? I don't like taking chances. Fuji has always come through for me. Some of their pro 35mm SLR/Rangefinder colour film is also top notch---a little expensive though. VCR tapes? Yup. I tried them all. The Sony ones would break all the time. So I use Fuji Pro. Out of about 2000 or more Fuji Pro tapes, I only had 1 break on me. With the Fuji Master, I had only 1 break out of about 300.

Bogdan, thanks for the advice. I know Family Mart's not the best place to buy stuff but I had a brand new dv cam with no tape so I was desperate.

There's Besto Denki but not near where I live. There's also Eiden but they're closed this week.