I have only had this camera for less than a week and have noticed a few of the dreaded "dropouts". I have been recording onto a Sony`s HDM-63VG tape and have recorded "over" several segments while testing this camera. I would expect NO dropouts from a brand new camera like this and their top of the line tapes. Is the "recording-over" issue possibly the cause of the dropouts? Has anyone else experienced many during their recordings? I just got rid of a Professional DV camera because of a nagging "headclog" problem and now I`m experincing tape related problems with this camera! Can someone provide any answers or solutions, thank you.....

Recording over a tape can cause the drops or it could be the tape itself. Have you tried another tape to check it? I have found over the years I generally get 1 bad tape out of a couple of hundred unfortunately you never know which tape it's going to be which of course can be a problem, but what can you do.
If it continues, you might run a head cleaner thru it (follow the directions closely) as there might be some gunk on the heads even though it's a brand new camera. Things happen during the manufacturing process, so I guess anything is possible.

The only time I have ever had drop outs on any of my canons or sony's has been on used tapes, even if they are stripped.

If its important I always use new tape!! I have not had a bad tape yet, touch wood, eh?

dale

Also, brand new cams are more prone to dropouts until the heads get "burnished." Should go away after about ten tapes. But I agree with the others -- never re-use tape.

The only problems I have ever had is with Sony expensive tapes. The straight DV tapes have worked flawlessly. Had the same issues with Hi8. Expensive Pro tape had dropouts consumer no dropouts. Should have learned my lesson but tried the 1 expensive HDV tape and had drop outs. Went back to the nice blue DV Premium tapes and have never had a problem !!!!

I only use the blue premium sony dv tapes!!!


they are pretty rock solid.

I just finished a 16 hour filming on my FX1000 Sony using only the blue premium sony tapes. NO recording dropouts, but a couple times during playback capture I noticed a dropout, but when re-recording it, the drop out was gone. Very Happy with this camera!

I used my FX1000 for weddings last season and never had any issues with dropouts - and I'm also running on Sony's blue tapes.

One of cams had dropouts, the other didn't. Still don't know what the issue was.

Thanks for all the input. The camera is now at a point where it will NOT even playback at all except for the "bluescreen" unless a headcleaner is run through! Sounds like "headclogs" to me which is exactly why I abandoned my old JVC DV-500... Only a few days old, I can`t and will not take chances, it`s going back for an exchange. From what I can see so far I do like this camera for filming wildlife but am a bit upset with this first experience!

Mine produced some intermittent drop-outs on the first couple tapes when it was new. I'd say 10-ish drop outs per tape. I was using JVC tapes, but switched to Panasonic PQ tapes. I never ran a head cleaner to it. I shot several tapes worth of footage last week. Problem seems to be resolved ..at least on the PQ tapes.

Mark G

I've used Panasonic tapes for years without a problem. I used to use the AMQ but switched to the PQ, due to the fact they are now just for archive (I use the MRC1)

When i shoot weddings i don't really notice drop outs, but when i do concerts drop outs are annoying to say the least...
In a three hour show i have at leas 5 to 10 dropouts.

I use Sony Premium tapes (the orange package with the black and red tape inside) and i have the camera over a year now.
I do clean the heads.

Any solutions / thoughts?

i shoot on average 60+ tapes between nov and march every year (horse season) using ordinary mini dv sony tapes (premium - orange pack).

you can add another 40 or so the rest of the year.

i probably have had a maximum of maybe 10 drop-outs per 100 tapes shot - most of those probably caused by dust kicked up by the race horses.

my z5 has performed drop out free through maybe 70 tapes. however, i have just started using cf cards as well and using the tape as back up, so can't comment on the last 20 or so tapes...

BTW - ALWAY use NEW tapes. for what they cost you'd have to be pretty hard up not to.....

maybe it's a good idea to send it for a check then?

I gotta say that it doesn't make any sense to test a new camera with a used tape. obviously there's a problem with the camera, but you'll never know if it was that way to begin with or whether there was something physical or otherwise on that tape which messed it up. I've found all HDV cameras to be rather free of dropouts. the only serious problem I had was with a rented Z7. recording to file is great... charlie

I am transferring a tape to the pc right now and i have 4 dropouts in the first 45min of the tape.... :(

new (if so which brand)?

if used, well.....

Always NEW tape, Sony Premium

maybe dumb question, but what environment are you shooting in? dusty?

have you tried blowing out the tape compartment with 'dry' compressed air (CAREFULLY!).

have you tried a tape from a completely different batch?

sorry can't be of more help....

You are helping! ;)

No, i have not tried that.
Shooting locations are dust free.

Maybe i should mention that the program (Vegas 8) does not refer to dropouts when i transfer. Dropped frames remains ZERO. (according to the program that is)
But what is happening is that a new file is created when this happens although scene detection is OFF
Fail on dropped frames is OFF

But instead of me ending up with a file per tape file, i end up with multiple.

When this is happening the Z5 monitor goes blue and the sound of the event stops.

So i guess that IS a dropped frame...

if the camera's going blue, then it's certainly at that end of the chain - as you rightly pointed out.

as it seems to be random, 4 in one tape(?), i'm at a loss as to what to suggest, other than a quick blow job, followed by a service if the problem remains....

good luck with it.....

Are these dropouts in the middle of a continuous shot or at the start and stop points of a shot? If the latter, make sure QUICK RECORD is off.
...i'm at a loss as to what to suggest, other than a quick blow job, followed by a service if the problem remains....Les, you may wish to take a quick look at American vernacular and possibly edit. Although I think that's a great plan until one finds a solution.

opps.... but it really would be a quick one ;-)

adam's point about position of drop-outs is also very pertinent. where are they?

Stephanos, I have had this happen a few times with my FX1 using Vegas Pro 8, 32bit. I then switched to the 64 bit version to capture and the issue went away but the 64 bit version cannot show a preview when it captures. I assumed that the issue was then one of my computer and its display during capture. From that point on I always used the 64 bit version to capture and have had no problems since but now am tapeless with the NX5U.
Try Vegas 8.1 or Vegas Pro 9 64 bit version and see if the issue goes away.
Ron Evans

further to ron's suggestion - you can always download hdvsplit and try that as well (it's 32bit). i used to use it quite regularly when i didn't have vegas on my laptop...

i have dropouts even if the camera it's previewing on it's own, or on a TV set.
Interesting thing tho is that they are not (not always at least) in the same place every time. (i.e. if i re-view a piece with a dropout it *might* not be there next time...

BTW Vegas is 9 64bit. sorry, i misspelled before...

Yes, i may have 2 to 6 dropouts at one tape in various spots.

The batch of tapes must not be an issue because i have this problem since the i bought the camera (16 months now)


I usually transfer my tapes through a Sony HDR-HC9E, but the concerts are in 25p and HC9 does not read it, so i transfer them through the Z5 directly.
Could the problem be just on the reading head/s and not in the actual recording ones? (If we assume that they are separated.)

This thread is 3 months old. Denny, if you're still around here, did you send your cam back? How did you resolve the issue?