Ok so i have done a lot of research on minidv tapes for my gl2. Before i found this forum i did not even know there was more than one quality of tape. I just went and got the first ones i could find, some fujifilm right from eckerds. Now i can't help but think i am not getting all that my camera has to offer. Fujifilm, as far as i can tell only makes one kind of minidv tape.

I read an article online: http://www.taperesources.com/mini_dv_tapes.html#article5
it says that Sony DVCAM tapes are handsdown the best tape to get. They do not however compare them to any other brands. I have not had any problems, as far as i can tell, with my fujifilm but for all i know there are some.

Are there certain common problems i can see in the footage because of tape quality?

Thanks,

Julian

Is there really a best tape and if so what is it so i can stop worrying about it and buy it?

I'm not worried about buying pricey tapes i just don't want to have any dropouts or whatever when that once in a lifetime shot comes. Or have that shot ruined later because the tape wears out.

Also on a side note is it wrong to capture the DV straight from my GL2? Why would i take the tape i just recorded out, put it in a different camera and then capture it? Maybe save camera life?

well, i've been doing a lot of thinking about this lately and i've come to the conclusion that it's about data. If the data from the camera gets there reliably that's all that matters. Seems like most tapes are just fine and so called PRO or Premium tapes are simply made with higher standards so that there are less errors when manufacturing them. So really the issue here is about tape production, and who makes them best. It seems that each company has its own way and materials. So really they are not comparable to one another. Maybe a sony standard DVC is not as good as the Sony Premium DVC but both are different from any Panasonic and having a chip has no role in image quality. Really it does not matter what tape i use as long as it works correctly. This means the issue is detecting dropouts or errors. So far i think i have only had a few and they were less than a seconds and had more to do with dirty heads and weather conditions than the tape itself. Because of all this i have decide to just stick with the fujifilm tapes i have been using since the beginning. As long as i keep my heads clean and give my camera time to adjust to different environmental conditions when necessary i will not have any problems.

Hi there
I agree with you
There's no visual quality difference, so like you said, it's about reliable data collection and if you have experienced no problems, then there is nothing to worry about.
Check your tapes after a year or two or three ... and see if they are in good condition - if not, switch to something that will last, or change the enviroment they are stored in.

Using a different camera for PC capture, is exactly like you said, to help extend the life of your favourite / expensive item.

so uh yeah .... you figured it out :)

I've used Fuji brand tapes in all of my canons (xl's, gl's and some rented single chips), for the last three years without incident. Shelf-life has been good as well.