Emergency: S O T, have to change tapes!

epirb wrote on 7/14/2005, 11:08 AM
The HDV tapes Inormally use are on back order, and I have run out of them and still have one more tapes worth of footage to get.
I purchased the same brand "Sony" , but I'm wondering if I should run the tape cleaner first, I havent used it yet, been using the same kind of tapes since start and have had no drop outs.

Do I just use the tape and not clean first or what.
it will only be this one tape then Ill be using my original ones after the come in.
Got to shoot this today,no choice.

Comments

GaryKleiner wrote on 7/14/2005, 11:48 AM
It's not clear what you normally use. Is it a different tape from Sony? If so, you have no problem.
Spot|DSE wrote on 7/14/2005, 12:00 PM
Ummmm, yeah, it is an issue. If he's been using Sony, (and he has, cuz I've got two of his tapes) it can be potentially a huge issue. Depends on which Sony's you bought. If it's the consumer Sony, clean before and after use. Brian Taylor at Sony claims the consumer (colored shells, sold at Walmart/Kmart) are just repacks....don't use em. If you HAVE to, then clean before and after...Can you get standard DVCAM sony tapes in mini? They're the same shell and lube.

epirb wrote on 7/14/2005, 2:45 PM
the ONLY tapes by sony I could find localy and I purchased 2(in case one was defective) is the DVM60EXML
they are a black w red case,
But just in case I will follow the advice of cleaning before and after.
Serena wrote on 7/14/2005, 4:22 PM
You didn't say which tape you have been using. The Sony PHDVM-63DM tapes are fine; made for HDV as well as DVCAM.

see the thread: OT: what tapes for HDR-FX1/ZU
kkolbo wrote on 7/14/2005, 4:37 PM
Eprib,
Ia msorry I didn't see this sooner. Horizon Media Express in town stocks the DVCAM minis that would work for you. I use the ones you bought (black shell, red label) and the DVCAM ones in my PD150 all of the time without ever needing a clean. The FX1 may be more sensitive, but Horizon will carrty whatever you need and in an emergency I can help get them to you.
epirb wrote on 7/14/2005, 9:01 PM
yes Serena Im sorry I didnt mention that,
they are the DVM63HD's I have been using.

Thanks anyway Keith for the heads ups ,unfortunatly here in Sarasota there's no real pro-video places, the closest to that is Wolf camera and they wont stock the tapes and if I ask them to order them for me they want a fortune. Does Horizon have a website that I might be able to order them from in orlando and have them shipped here?
I normally get them from B&H, but I found a place online that was slightly cheaper...neadless to say they are on backorder : (

Oh Well water under the bridge now...just finished the shoot.
I cleaned before using the tape, and will transfer tonights shoot to file tomorrow, then clean again, and wait for my other tapes to get then then PTT the orig M2t to a new tape for archive.
Thanks for all the help guys.... and sorry for the phone call Spot but I was desparate... the boat is leaving in the am and this was the last chance to finish my shoot.

Spot|DSE wrote on 7/14/2005, 9:14 PM
Eric, if you called me, I didn't get it. I'm in Singapore, now leaving for Malaysia....my cell doesn't work here. Drop me a note if you can't get this going again, because I can help you with some supplier sources that can overnight.
Quryous wrote on 7/18/2005, 9:33 AM
Something interesting is going on. I've eMailed several wholesalers lately to buy stock for various websites. Quite a few different Sony TYPES of tape are comletely unavailable from most of the sites. The new HiDef tape, EXM, EXML, and others seem to be the worst. This sort of thing typically happened in the past when Sony was about to introduce a new product to replace an old one, or was about to introduce a new package to make it look like they were updating the product. That last is supposedly a way to let customers know which product is the "Freshest". It also makes the new versions more expensive. Like the difference between EXM and EXML, only a wrapper change.

The same thing happened about 3 years ago with batteries. A real pain. There just WEREN'T any for about 6 weeks.