I just bought a HV30 and would like some opinions on which tapes would be best value for money for HD recording. I'm going on vacation next week and would appreciate informed opinion from people with the experience with this camera.

Thanks

Costco sells a 10 pack of Sony premiums for about $22 or so.

And stick with the same brand after and forever. I use Sony tapes and have never had an issue.

Thanks for your suggestions.

I bought the tapes at Costco ($16 on sale) for a pack of 10.

Do the Sony Premium Tapes capture HD images well? Is there a reason to buy the HD tapes that usually sell for a lot more?

Sunil

Tape rules:

Don't waste your money on HDV tapes. There is no difference in picture quality between these and regular MiniDV tapes -- it's all digital. Sony Premiums are fine and can be had online for a little over $2 each.

Tape manufacturers often say that HDV tapes are built to higher standards than regular MiniDV tapes. That's frequently claimed but so far no one has ever presented any statistical evidence, anywhere, that this is so.

Even if it is true you need to do a cost-benefit analysis to decide if overpaying for all your tapes is worth the reduced chance of a dropout, especially if such dropouts are easily cut around (as they are in all the shooting I do). If it's a once in a lifetime event and you want to maximize your chances of having every frame be perfect, then the more expensive tapes may be worth it for you.

When I first started shooting DV I used the TDKs available at Costco for about $2.50 each. I used a couple of hundred without a dropout or any other problem. Later I switched to the Sony Premiums because even with shipping they were cheaper. I’m on my fourth case of 100 and have had maybe three dropouts total in two years. Costco now sells the Sony Premiums instead of the TDKs.

Don't mix tape brands. Sony uses a different lubricant than others and switching could gum up your heads. Run a cleaning tape for 10 seconds and then pick one brand and stick to it.

Never re-use your tapes. They should go through your camera exactly twice: once when you shoot and once when you capture.

Re: Adam Gold's rules, I live by these same rules...

Amen, bruddah!

I am so glad I joined and posted to this group. I have a 2 week trip to start next week and have taken 12 miniDV tapes. I'm hoping for a new beginning in amateur videography. Thank you for the rules.