"Hughy" <nobody@spamcop.net> wrote in message news:m6Oqb.1043$aT.177@news-server.bigpond.net.au...

> "David Ruether" <rpn1@no-junk.cornell.edu> wrote in message

> news:bodr1r$5fd$1@news01.cit.cornell.edu...

>

> > Assuming dust-free gear with clean tape path and head drum, 5 passes

> > seems VERY conservative as a maximum (I have played some Sony tapes

> > MANY more times than this with no dropouts). BTW, be careful mixing

> > tape brands, ESPECIALLY the Pan wet-lube types with all others...

> Hi David,

>

> I've often seen posts advising Sony's do much better .... but I'm stuck

> with some 500 odd Pana and Canon tapes, with not even one Sony tape. I

> guess available passes depends on how the tape is used, too. If a cam is

> repeatedly held in record pause for 5 minutes at a time before again

> hitting the go button, then there will be many areas of tape with a great

> deal of wear compared to other sections. I'd imagine that this type of

> treatment would get very few passes.

>

> On the other hand, if the cam is switched off completely between rushes,

> tape wear should be much more uniform and perhaps tapes can be re-used

> for many more passes. This is the way we try to operate, although I

> often wonder about repeatedly powering up the camera and the

> expansion/contraction component stress this causes.

>

> I haven't seen any posts on this, although I haven't googled for them.

>

> Regards,

> Hughy.

I don't know how Panasonic, etc. tapes wear (or aging) compared with Sony,

though I often walk a trail with the DV camera engaged in record mode, just

shooting the occasional clip (and sometimes having the camera auto-shut-down

as a result). While this leaves the tape in contact with the spinning heads and

should wear spots on the tape, I have never noted an ill effect on the tape from

this (though head wear is likely increased as a result - but the lack of notable

effect on the tape may indicate that the head effect is also minimal...). In all this,

it is useful to remember that only about two manufacturers supply the tape of

*all* brands, so mixing two brands may not actually be mixing two different

tapes - but there remain LOTSA unanswered questions about Mini-DV tape!

I feel it is safest NEVER to switch brands, since this offers the lowest risk,

but others may find other courses equally safe...

--

David Ruether

d_ruether@hotmail.com

http://www.David-Ruether-Photography.com