miniDV tapes play compatibility between brands

[gold4knight]

Dear Sirs/Madams,

I have a question to ask.
i have canon mv500i, and i'm wondering it it will be able to playback minidv tapes recorded from a different brand of camcorders, for example, sharp or jvc or sony etc.
And if yes, will there be any problems that i should be aware of.

thank you.

[walpoo]

Hello, You should have no problems, as long as all tapes are made at Normal Play setting (even so, I imagine all brands of cameras have Long Play setting).
I have a Canon MV850i, and the only problem I have had is that the TDK brand minidv tapes grab slightly when removing same.
I am told Do Not leave the tape in the camera, as this can cause damage to the tape.
Happy shooting, Wayne (aka Walpoo)

[mikesbytes]

The manufacturers claim that there is not 100% compatibility in LP mode. However I have never seen a post about compatibility issues.

So there is a small risk that when your existing camcorder gets stolen, that your existing LP tapes won't play back on your new camcorder. So next time my camcorder gets stolen, I'll take some of my tapes to the shop to check the compatibility.

[guns1inger]

We have compatability and quality issues between cameras in LP mode all the time. Those who use the same cameras in SP mode don't have any problems at all. In this case, it is two different model cameras from the same manufacturer.