Which tape is better?
AY-DVM63PQ Professional Series Tape
AY-DVM63MQ Master Series Tape

I don't know, but Fuji miniDV is very good. I just read that http://www.thetapehouse.com verifies this.

Sam,
Do a Search on this one. It's an extremely frequent topic and we probably have dozens of threads and hundreds of posts on tape.

The short answer: the MQ series is the best. The PQ series is damn close.

cool thanx.

I've Tried sony, fuji, panasonic and some others.
I've had head clogs and drop out with everything but fuji mini dv
tape... I will never change.

It seems all manufacturers have different amounts and types of lubrication.. fuji seems to keep the heads clean and no problems with drop out..

I've used Fuji Betacam SP tapes for about 15 years and have never had a problem. Since starting to shoot DVCAM, I have used Sony DVCAM tapes for almost 3 years and have had no problem. I'm still using Fuji Betacam tapes for dubs, but using Sony DVCAM for shooting and for the DVCAM masters we make.

When i buy a minidv tape i ususally go for the best deal, but i would like to know what are the actual differences.
Thank, stefano

Stefano

The "best deal" usually means cheap tape; and cheap tape means there's a greater chance for glitches, drop-outs and breakage. Tape is the single least expensive item in the production chain, so why not buy the best you can possibly afford. Sony Excellence or Sony Premium; Panasonic Master Quality or Professional Quality. Those are the top four. Don't mix brands. Hope this helps,

Thank you Chris,
I am now mostly practicing but i do film a few important events.
so you think that quality tapes worth the money ?
I know tapes are the cheapest items in the production chain but i buy many...
Are there better tapes for dark or indoor environments?
Stefano.

What's everyone's opinion of the Sony Premium Tapes in the blue packaging?

I have never had a problem w/ the premiums in my gl2.
actually thats a lie, i did have to send my cam back once b/c of some noise but i think it had more to do w/ the heads than the tape b/c im still using those tapes and havent had a problem.

Do you really think that cheap tapes can ruin camera head?

Yes, I think so. But the mixing of tape is more dangerous I think. Just pick a good one and stick with it.

Years ago I used cheap JVC tapes, and the heads were always gummed up. So I had to use my head cleaner many times, thus wearing down the heads. When I switched to Fuji, I hadn't had to use the cleaner even once. (Knock on wood.) :-))

Is it worth spending twice as much Sony "Excellence" miniDV tape as opposed to Sony "Premium" miniDV tape?

This is a post more suited for the Long Black Line forum. Here's some things you might want to know:

A- There is very little good information on tapes and tape quality.
B- maybe because of A, people tend to obsess over which tape they get. This leads to long threads that aren't very helpful.
C- In the past, mixing tape brands was a bad idea. In like 1997, Sony and Maxell reformulated their tapes so this wouldn't be a problem. You'd expect mixing tapes to be ok by now. But if you want, you could stick with one brand. If you buy bulk this isn't much of a problem.
D- As far as quality goes, good tape should have less dropouts in SP mode and less in LP mode (LP mode causes more problems). For stuff shot in SP mode (normal 60min slow play mode), the majority of people do not experience dropouts with whatever tape is cheapest. For them, tape quality makes no difference.
E- One viewpoint: In the rare case you do get a dropout, it ain't that bad. Visual dropouts are fixable with Photoshop magic. Audio dropouts are rarer and not fixable, but they are very short and wouldn't be that bad.
F- I have never seen any evidence Sony Excellence tape will lead to less dropouts compared to Premium tape.
G- Another viewpoint: Spend your money on stuff you KNOW makes a difference. i.e. having more tape, better gear, etc. The risk of bad tape is low (low chance + low damage), and chances are all tape is pretty much the same (since no one seems to have evidence showing one tape brand is less prone to dropouts than another brand).

Hi,

I found many different types of Pana Tapes on B&H, which would you prefer?
I have been using the "AY-DVM60EJ3P (3 or 5 Pack bundle).
What about this:
AY-DVM60XJ 60 Minutes Mini DV Professional Video Cassette
AY-DVM63MQ 63 Minutes Mini DV Master Quality Video?

I do remember hearing and from reading that you shouldn't really mix the
tapes form different Brands, because of the Lubrication or something like that.
But within the Brand should be no Problem correct?
Hey want the best for my XL1s :D

Thanks

Shaggy

I have moved you thread to our tape forum. Please take a look
around this forum because this question has been asked A LOT
here already. Thank you.

Hey,

The recent tape drop out thread got me thinking about using a consistant brand of professional tape for my newly purchased XL2. I would like to buy a bunch in bulk but am very conflicted over which brand to choose, also which grade. I'd say quality and dependability outweigh price. What are your recommendations? So far I think these may be a good choice? http://store.yahoo.com/protape/mini-dv-63-panasonic-pro.html

Thanks

I've moved your thread to the tape forum. Your question has
been asked a lot already, please take a look at what is here
in this forum. It all depends on who you talk to. Some swear
by Sony, others will never use it for example. Etc. etc.

I have heard many horrible stories about Sony wet lube type DV tapes(especially the ones with chips inside).

PANASONIC AY-DVM63MQ(master quality)tapes seem to be the least trouble free and stanard dry type tapes used amonst many professionals.

what kind of Mini DV Cassette tapes would you use on FX-1 use when you buy one?

Would you buy expensive special Sony HDV tapes(over 15 dollars a tape, wet type) or use regular mini DV tapes you have been using?

Chris: I've moved your thread to our tape forum since it really has
nothing to do with the Sony FX-1 camera. Please take a look
around in this forum as well, your question must have been asked
a million times by now.

Hi everybody

I do weddings with my VX-2100 and I always use the "Sony DVM-60EX 60 Minutes Excellence" with no problems so far. This tape from B&H costs about $8.00.

Doea any body know what is the practical difference of this tape with the cheaper sony "DVM-60PR Premium" $4.00? Does any body use the cheaper one for weddings, e.t.c?

Does it really worth of giving the extra $4.00?

Thank you in advance.

I have always used Sony DVM-60PR Premium and never had a problem. I order 100 at a time which drops the price down to $3.49 per tape.

I always used the premiums as well. Since last Feb, I has used well over 60 tapes with no problems at all in a variety of different cameras.

Go for the Premiums unless you're a habitual tape-swapper and you need the in-built chip to keep track of your timecode. There's some thought around that the Excellence tapes will be slit from the middle of the tape stock ribbon while the Premium get the slightly less even edge, but even so, Mini DV in SP has proved to be very reliable and dropouts are certainly not a major industry problem.

tom.

i use premiums for my 150, and panasonics for my 950, just so i know which camera it was shot with without having to play it back or read whats written on it etc.

ive used the Panasonic PQ series for my sony cams and have never had an issue.. for the Z1, i use the Pansonic MQ's and again, no issues..

i NEVER change tape brand though

Sam,
Do a Search on this one. It's an extremely frequent topic and we probably have dozens of threads and hundreds of posts on tape.

The short answer: the MQ series is the best. The PQ series is damn close.



I Used the MQs and the PQs the same quality different price, i use the XH-A1..

It's not like you get crispier image or higher resolution by using the MQ.. right?

Arthur.

It's not like you get crispier image or higher resolution by using the MQ.. right?

Right. In digital as long as the tape doesn't stretch, shed its oxide or get mouldy in the humidity then the picture and sound quality will be the same whatever you record onto. In DV you can shoot LP, SP or DVCAM, they're all the same quality.

tom.

I stopped worrying about mixing tape brands in cheap camcorders awhile ago, at first with a couple older consumer miniDV cameras, and more recently with my HV20. I haven't experienced any noticeable difficulties as a result.

I use the Canon Master Tapes. They are expensive (about $22.00 each) but I have never had a problem. At the same time, this is the only tape i've ever used so I dont have anything to compare it to.

Those pricey Canon tapes have got to be fantastically high-margin cash cows for Canon (assuming they sell at least enough volume that low-volume production costs don't eat the profit). It wouldn't shock me to find out they're simply re-branded Sony HDV tapes, with both Sony and Canon laughing all the way to the bank.

I don't see many people on here using Maxell tapes. Is there any particular reason? That's all I've ever used and they haven't given me problems. They are readily available everywhere and can be had for quite cheap.

Greg

I use Maxell tapes often. Never had a problem with them. Sam's club (which is convenient for me) sells multi-packs of the regular Maxell miniDV tapes, that work out to well under $3/ea, and B&H sells the Maxell Pro miniDV tapes for $5/ea.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/308134-REG/Maxell_303140_M_DV63PRO_63_Minute_Mini.html