View Full Version : Switching tape brands with XL2


Marco Leavitt
June 28th, 2007, 12:36 PM
I recently bought a used XL2 for which the original owner meticulously used only Canon tapes. I'm a believer in brand fidelity too, but sheesh, that's the worst possible brand he could have picked! I'm not knocking the quality, but those tapes are almost impossible to find and are shockingly expensive. Do I really have to have the camera professionally cleaned before switching brands, or can I just make the switch and hope for the best? There's no reason to use Canon tapes in Canon camcorders is there?

Bill Hamell
June 28th, 2007, 02:17 PM
Just clean the heads and use the brand you want.

Bill

Richard Alvarez
June 28th, 2007, 02:24 PM
I concur, run a tape head cleaner through, and switch to your preferred brand. Check it after a few tapes run through to see if it needs another cleaning, and then clean thereafter 'as needed'.

Bill Hamell
June 28th, 2007, 02:33 PM
I'll add this run a test before you record anything important clean and test!! :-)

Bill

Jay Gladwell
June 29th, 2007, 06:48 AM
CAUTION: Only clean your heads when you have to!

Cleaning tapes use a very fine abrasive. Each time that tape is dragged across the heads it "polishes" them, removing not only the dirt but a fine layer of the heads themselves. Cleaning heads with tape is both constructive and destructive. Too much cleaning can ruin the heads.

Each cleaning should last 10 second at the most!

USE SPARINGLY!

Andy Joyce
July 1st, 2007, 03:31 PM
Yep, tapes can be quite different. Sony tape's lube has been the worst at gunking up the heads and causing the wonderful "venetian blinds" effect all too often.

I have had very good luck with Panasonic. I'm surprised that they don't have a DVX only chip in them, he he he.

Anyway, even the retail outlets around here have had great deals on Panasonic 8 packs (or was it a 10 pack?). That brand has my vote.