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Activity Forums Cinematography Tapes and Heat

  • Tapes and Heat

    Posted by First Last on June 3, 2010 at 8:54 pm

    Anyone know what the safe operating temps are for tape (DVCPRO HD)?

    I found a brochure printed by Maxell that references the SMPTE RP-103 (Recommendation Practice for Professional Video Tapes) that says the safe operating conditions/temps are from 63F to 77F…

    Go fly fishing.

    First Last replied 15 years, 11 months ago 4 Members · 4 Replies
  • 4 Replies
  • Mark Suszko

    June 3, 2010 at 9:38 pm

    Outdoors, touch the black parts of the top of your camera with bare fingers. If you can’t do that comfortably, I promise, the tape is too hot. Heat is not nearly as bad as humidity.

  • Ryan Mast

    June 4, 2010 at 4:59 pm

    Absolutely right about the humidity.

    I’ve shot for hours in the sun in up to 90 F without issues in Sony HDV and Canon DV cams.

    One week I ran media for a summer camp with 80 F heat, but near 90% humidity and it shut down the tape transport on all of our cameras. Except the Sony A1U, but that one later died of a creeping corrosion from moisture damage…


    Meteor Tower Films
    We make music videos, design video for live theater, and build interesting contraptions.

  • Steve Wargo

    June 7, 2010 at 8:59 pm

    We shoot when it’s 116 in the shade and have never had a tape failure.

    We have had human failure in broad proportions but tape, not at all. What is your situation?

    Steve Wargo
    Tempe, Arizona
    It’s a dry heat!

    Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
    5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
    Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
    2-Sony EX-1 HD .

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  • First Last

    June 17, 2010 at 4:50 pm

    As an update, we used Panasonic DVCPRO tape outdoors in 118F without any problems.

    Go fly fishing.

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