Hello Patrick
I use a Canon MVX-100i for the moment. To minimize the wear on the rec/playback video head, I wind the DV tape to its very end and put the DV-cam in rec mode. Now it stops all mecanical parts and says: END OF TAPE. But this doesn't affect the Firewire pass-through that I use.
Software for the stop motion scanning is: Scenalyzer Live 4.0 (really good)
Try this, it might work on your cam too.
Good luck!
Those cursed camcorders!
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BK
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I have been using a Sony TRV9 camcorder as a player/recorder for the past 5 years now and the camcorder is still going strong. Would have thought too that using it often as a camera outdoors would wear it out quicker than as a VTR only with lots of stop and go cycles on the head drum and loading spindles/brakes.
Not had the problem of dropouts at the beginning of the tapes but I always record some black for 30 seconds or so at the beginning just in case I needed the preroll for editing. It is not advisable to use mixed brands of tapes in the same deck as the different formulation residuals can cause a chemical reaction and gum up the heads. You shouldn't rewind tapes in a warm deck/camcorder, a rewinder would be best to save wear and tear on your machine and the tape.
Bill
Not had the problem of dropouts at the beginning of the tapes but I always record some black for 30 seconds or so at the beginning just in case I needed the preroll for editing. It is not advisable to use mixed brands of tapes in the same deck as the different formulation residuals can cause a chemical reaction and gum up the heads. You shouldn't rewind tapes in a warm deck/camcorder, a rewinder would be best to save wear and tear on your machine and the tape.
Bill
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flatwood
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We always did that with DAT (digital audio tape) tapes when we were mixing audio to that format. I dont know what the science is behind it but I do know that when you're doing something that really counts you dont want to take any chances - once burned, twice shy.Patrick wrote:.......most 'drop outs' and other defects occur in the first minute of recording on a minidv tape.....
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audadvnc
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It's not just tape; have you noticed that the first and last few seconds of film on a reel are also dirtier than the middle of the reel?
As for machine wear in VTR vrs playback mode? A camcorder is two machines on one frame; a camera and a recording deck. They use the same power supply but are otherwise mostly independent of each other. The recording deck accepts a video input from the camera (or outside source) and put it on the tape. As Evan says, the transport experiences more stresses during rewind and fast forward than during play/record, so concievably your heads may wear down faster if you use your camcorder as an editing deck. But you have to wind back your tapes to look at them, otherwise the tape works as Write Only Memory (R) and you never see the results. What's the fun in that? Don't worry about head wear - use your camcorder until it breaks, then get another one - by then we'll have all switched to HDTV anyway.
As for machine wear in VTR vrs playback mode? A camcorder is two machines on one frame; a camera and a recording deck. They use the same power supply but are otherwise mostly independent of each other. The recording deck accepts a video input from the camera (or outside source) and put it on the tape. As Evan says, the transport experiences more stresses during rewind and fast forward than during play/record, so concievably your heads may wear down faster if you use your camcorder as an editing deck. But you have to wind back your tapes to look at them, otherwise the tape works as Write Only Memory (R) and you never see the results. What's the fun in that? Don't worry about head wear - use your camcorder until it breaks, then get another one - by then we'll have all switched to HDTV anyway.
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"It is not advisable to use mixed brands of tapes in the same deck as the different formulation residuals can cause a chemical reaction and gum up the heads."
By 'mixing brands,' it should be noted, this means Sony with any other brand. If you use Sony tapes, you should always use Sony tapes. If you use another brand, don't start using Sony. Sony has a 'wet' (greasy) lubricant that forms a sticky residue when other tape brands are used. They may or may not still use it - most of this information is anecdotal and was never officially confirmed by Sony. Anyway, I recommend not using Sony tapes to start with. They're more expensive and aren't any better.
By 'mixing brands,' it should be noted, this means Sony with any other brand. If you use Sony tapes, you should always use Sony tapes. If you use another brand, don't start using Sony. Sony has a 'wet' (greasy) lubricant that forms a sticky residue when other tape brands are used. They may or may not still use it - most of this information is anecdotal and was never officially confirmed by Sony. Anyway, I recommend not using Sony tapes to start with. They're more expensive and aren't any better.
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MovieStuff
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We have a Sony DSR25 for our telecine business and we have run every conceivable tape stock through you can imagine. They all work fine. We have done the same thing on all three of our DV camcorders (Sony, Panasonic, Canon). They all work fine. Dunno what the truth is but I haven't seen any difference in performance from one tape to the next.Evan Kubota wrote:most of this information is anecdotal and was never officially confirmed by Sony. .
Roger
I'm really intrigued by this apparent 'tape incompatibility' in MiniDv. I read so much on the Internet about the dangers of using Sony tapes and other brand tapes in the same camera. Though I also read a number of user experiences of people who have used tapes by Sony, Panasonic, Fuji etc in their camera with no problems at all.
On the other hand, I also read online postings by people who have used a certain brand of tape in their MiniDv cameras for a quite a while and then switching over to another brand (Sony or vice versa) and found that their cameras' tape heads are gummed up.
It's very difficult to make a proper assessment when there is so much contradiction in peoples' experiences.
On the other hand, I also read online postings by people who have used a certain brand of tape in their MiniDv cameras for a quite a while and then switching over to another brand (Sony or vice versa) and found that their cameras' tape heads are gummed up.
It's very difficult to make a proper assessment when there is so much contradiction in peoples' experiences.