What is the best brand of MiniDV Tapes?

What brand of MiniDV tapes should I use for my Canon XL2?

• I have been using Sony Premium tapes and every once in a while I will use a Sony MiniDV head cleaner. I stay away from cheap brands and stick to Sony because I know you are supposed to use just one kind and stick to it. But is there a better type than the ones I have been using? I haven't had problems I just want what's best for my XL2. And I heard that the size of the tape matters cause whatever brand tapes can be larger (too large) for certain cameras and cause jams, and I heard Sony tapes can be oily. So should I switch? And if so what should I switch to? thanks!

• Answer:

  I too have heard the same thing about the Sony tapes, although I don't think that it would hurt the camera or cause any issues. Also yes, you should pick 1 brand a stick with it and switch as little as possible. This is because each manufacture uses a slightly different type of coating on the tape and mixing can cause problems if its done a lot. Personally on my XL2 I find that any tape, so long as it's a quality brand, is fine. Personally I always use Panasonic's tapes but that's only because I get a sweet deal on them. Really so long as it is a tape from a reputable manufacture you should be fine. You might want to consider the Panasonic as I find that they are cheaper, but only for the price reason. Never EVER use the extended length tapes though (the ones that are actually longer (90/120), not the LP mode) as these tapes get their extra length at the cost of their thickness and therefore quality. They tend to break and have issues much more often.