I have always used a sony vx2100 with sony premium tapes (dvm60pr3) with almost no problems, I also have a Panasonic dvx100 with about 30 hours on it and have used Panasonic tapes for it untill now. (ay-dvm63mq)

Thing is I want start using Sony tapes with the dvx100 because I have a lot of new Sony tapes that I want to use first.

I know that sony and pana tapes have a different kind of lubricant and that it's not recommended to mix them all the time, from what I read it's usually said to choose a brand and just stick with it, wether it is a panasonic or sony tape but I might be wrong here.

Does anyone have any experience in switching from Panasonic to Sony tapes with a dvx100, would I risk getting a cleaning tape message?

I don't want to take the camera in to get the heads cleaned because the camera can't handle the "wet" tapes from Sony since it is used to the "dry" panasonic tapes, if I know it might cause a problem I rather buy some extra Pana tapes to be sure.

Hi Noa

I bought a second-hand DVX100 last year with 19 hours on the clock. No idea which tapes had been in it before but I loaded it with my Sony stock straight off. Within the first hour of recording I got the dreaded red circle with the X (dirty heads). My heart sank but I ran a cleaning tape anyway (once) and since then it has been fine on the Sony's with no problems what so ever (50 hours later). Whether it was just a coincidence I will never know but that's my experience.

If you plan to use Sony's in the long run the you may as well start now. Play with it for a good hour recording and see what happens before you do a gig.

Hope thats of some help

Thanks Dan for the tip, maybe it would be best to run the cleaning tape once before I switch to Sony tapes. Will try that and film 2 to 3 hours and see what happens.
I have to be sure anyway before I use the camera for a paid job.