First, thank you to everyone in this forum (and the creator of this awesome website) who has written about their experiences with the Panasonic camcorders. As a result of all I have read, I'm going to buy my first camcorder, and it will be a Panasonic PV GS-80. Strange, since I originally had my heart set on a Sony or Canon. But everything I have read (here and elsewhere) leads me to believe that you get the most for your money with this model. And testing it at Circuit City and talking to their salespeople (who seem pretty knowledgeable) has lead me to believe that there is no better camera at this price.

Now, given that this is a more basic model, with fewer advanced electronics, it would seem to me that you would want to make sure that the tapes you use are really good so you don't sacrifice any of the quality of image. Kind of like VCR tapes--it doesn't pay to buy cheap ones as the picture ends up grainy and the sound isn't too good.

So, anyone out there have an opinion or experience with different brands of tapes? I'm willing to spend a little more for better resolution, durability, etc.

Thanks, and I look forward to sharing my experiences with my own GS-80.



Rich Zachary
Maynard, MA

I have a Panasonic PV-GS39 so hopefully it won't be too much different. I use Sony DV tapes and they work perfect. I haven't had a problem and the quality is really good. I usually convert my tapes to DVD later, but I still use Sony tapes. Just make sure you try hard to stick to one brand as you might read in other forums that the lubricants might interfere with the camcorder's head and cause problems. Sony's are dry lubes, while Panasonic's are wet lubes (either brand works well).