I've been having lots of little dropouts lately - recording Pana AMQ on Sony HDV V1P - and am just about ready to try switching to Sony tape. Can I do this mid project? Does Sony tape have a different 'look'? Will a headcleaning tape be enough if I switch?

Just use the cleaning tape and things should be okay, I think with tape we will always have to accept drop outs no matter what tape we use, its the nature of the media.
The look is the same no matter what brand as its digital.
Its interesting though how often people have problems with Pana AMQs, there was a thread recently about panasnic asking for people to send tapes back to them, I wonder if there is sometimes an issue with quality control in certain batches.
I had a batch last year that were terrible for drop outs, although sometimes its worth re capturing the clip as the drop out can be caused by dust on playback head or even a computer hicup, its only if its a repeatable drop out at the same spot that you will know its the tape.
Last year I blew the firewire port on one of my Canon XH-A1's (What a stupid design firewire is!) so I sent it back under warranty for repair I also told them about the problem I was getting with drop outs so the nice people at Canon UK changed my tape mechanism as well as giving everything a good clean.
Drop outs still occur but no where near as often.

am just about ready to try switching to Sony tape. Can I do this mid project? Does Sony tape have a different 'look'? Will a headcleaning tape be enough if I switch?

Running a head cleaner (10 sec tops) when you change tape brands is a very good idea. If you'd asked me this in 1999 I'd have said you needed a tape path clean (quite a different ball game) but latterly tape manufacturers seem to have standardises on their emulsion/substrate constituents, such that the gunge buildup no longer occurs.

Does Sony tape give a different look? No. All tape gives exactly the same picture and sound quality (barring the dropouts you've experienced). There's no difference in quality between LP, SP or DVCAM (they all have the same writing speed) and all HDV runs at the same tape speed anyway.

tom.

I switched from the Panny tapes to Sony with no problems. I have the Sony head cleaning tape and plan to run it before by next project but so far have had no issues with the switch without running it.

I was getting the occasional dropout with the expensive Panny tapes and after a lot of research in forums like this one decided it only made sense to switch to the Sony tapes that I can get a 10 pack for $25 including free shipping.

I did that too after too many problems with Panasonic tapes. As mentioned, use the cleaning tape for 10 seconds max before using the new tapes. I use the Sony PHDVM, which are expensive compared to some, but I have yet to see a dropout. Tape is tape as far as the look, no difference there, it's only recording digitally.