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#1 |
Regular Crew
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 47
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XH A1 Tape Preference
So my XH A1 is shipping and should be here Monday. I can't wait. In the meantime I need to order some tapes.
Is there a preferred HDV tape used by Canon XH A1 users? |
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#2 |
Major Player
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Scotland, Ayr www.amour weddingvideos.co.uk
Posts: 305
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unfortunately thats like asking what football team you support..you will get lots of different answers.
very much personal opinion based on own user experience. some swear by the panasonic AMQ tapes..some wouldnt touch them. Ive gone back to sony hdv tapes for my two canon xh-a1s due to horrible drop outs on panas recently..but try one brand, if it works stick with it others have issues with the sonys..good luck |
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#3 |
Wrangler
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I like the basic Sony tapes. They're easy to buy in bulk, and also readily available in most parts of the world. Had pretty good luck with them so far. One more thing, you can also buy the matching Sony head cleaner so everything stays in the same family. For me that all adds up to one less thing to worry about.
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"Ultimately, the most extraordinary thing, in a frame, is a human being." - Martin Scorsese |
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#4 |
Contributor
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Kansas City, MO
Posts: 4,449
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I use the Sony PHDVM-63DM tapes. They're about $16 (USD) each. I've had zero dropouts. Before that I tried out the cheaper Panasonic AMQ tapes, about half the price of the Sonys, but after several tapes we had a box of 10 and had dropouts in 5 different tapes out of that box. Later on I had a dropout out of a tape from another box. Switched to Sony, no problems at all since then.
I know one person using the basic Sony HDV tapes, the 60 minute vs. the 63 min. pro ones, and he's not had any problems. So who knows. Personally, it's worth it to me to spend the money on the best quality, as long as I have paying clients. For personal things I probably would use cheaper tape. |
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#5 |
Regular Crew
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: University Place, WA
Posts: 106
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Panasonic AMQ all the way
My personal experience: I've used Panasonic Advanced Master Quality tapes exclusively in my XH-A1 since i bought it new last year. Roughly 25-30 tapes so far, zero dropouts. Phenominal product. The case is nice too, it's not the typical hard plastic of other brands, though I don't know about the pro sony tape someone mentioned (for sixteen bucks - that's pretty steep!). The panny AMQ case is a softer more 'flexible' plastic. Meaning it will never shatter or crack. Just a nice added bonus I guess. And you can get the Panny AMQ 63 minute for about 6 bucks a pop.
I've never used other brands in one of my XH-A1 cams. There is a school of thought on this - that mixing different brands different lubricants can clog the head due to the difference in lubricant/chemical makeup - and I've gone along with that theory and have had no problems. Maybe we can convince mythbusters to do a special on tape lubricants :) Take care! Dave |
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#6 |
Regular Crew
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Posts: 166
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so are there perhaps differences in batches of the same tape? I just bought 5 boxes of panasonic 63 AMQ's and had dropouts on 14 of the tapes with a canon xh-a1. Previously I've shot 100's of hours with these tapes in a GL-2 and HV-20 with no dropouts...
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Michael A Westphal |
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#7 |
Major Player
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Lielvārde, Latvia
Posts: 326
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I use TDK Digital Master tapes, cost about 10$, zero dropouts.
They're the best price for quality in my area.
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Our Fire Films - a free film project. |
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#8 |
Regular Crew
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 86
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That has been similar to my experience 15 panny AMQ tapes, 2 useless, 2 or three with significant drop outs on my xh-a1.
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#9 |
Major Player
Join Date: May 2008
Location: HI, USA
Posts: 622
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Sony HDV 63 min. 1 little dropout after 15 hours of filming, did the 10 second head clean and no dropouts since in 5 additional hours of filming. Great quality when I have the lighting and white balance and focus.....
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#10 |
Inner Circle
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Sydney.
Posts: 2,896
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Keep it clean.
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#11 | |
Regular Crew
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Posts: 166
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Jury still out - don't rush to judgement
Quote:
I also found some unused AMQ tapes from a job I did 1.5 years ago. I recorded on them without re-tensioning. No dropouts. So I'm thinking that perhaps the batch of Panny AMQ's I recently bought had a tensioning problem within the case. It's a pain to re-tension EVERY tape before using it, but not as much of a pain as suffering with a dropout in an important shoot. Mic
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Michael A Westphal |
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#12 |
Major Player
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Lielvārde, Latvia
Posts: 326
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I just want to mention that recently I've had some dropouts in my TDK Master tapes. I'm looking to switch brands. Maybe it was just a bad batch, but...
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#13 |
Regular Crew
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 47
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Ive used sony premium and HDV for quite some time with no dropouts as of yet.
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#14 |
Regular Crew
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 93
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I don't know if anyone else has experienced this, but since I got the camera about a year and a half ago, I was recommended to use the Panny AMQ tapes by the great guys over at B&H. For about a year I had no problems.
And then I started getting the "Dirty Tape Heads, Use Cleaner" messages after about every 2-3 tapes! I was finally able to send my camera in a couple weeks ago for a check up and cleaning, and told them I used my camera for about 80 hours of recording, using only one tape brand. Canon wrote back to me in their estimation that there was "excessive build up in the drums for the amount of recording time claimed" After talking to a rep there, they suggested I use a different tape stock. Anyone else have this problem? |
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#15 |
Regular Crew
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Redmond, Virginia
Posts: 84
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Panasonic AY-DVM63AMQ
They are winners. |
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