Content Producers.. Where Do You Buy Your Accessories From?

**Lee** · 01-12-2006, 07:39 PM

Do you buy things like stands, filters, spare batteries etc from a local store or do you buy them online?

If you buy them online, do you happen to have any good store links handy?

Right now i just bought a new camera from Butterfly Photo but im wondering if its worth using some of our local photography stores for the accessories and stuff?

Regards,

Lee

**gaybucks_chip** · 01-13-2006, 06:56 AM

Stuff like DV tape I buy online, usually checking Froogle for the best deals (which change a lot and also require factoring in shipping ripoffs, which are all too common.) A lot of stuff like lighting, stands, etc, I often buy off of Ebay. For things like batteries and filters, I'll usually go to a local store.

**nickbaer** · 01-24-2006, 05:53 PM

I buy media blanks from http://www.SuperMediaStore.com

I like studio gear from http://www.Amvona.com

Hardware from http://www.TigerDirect.com

and parts from http://www.PartsStore.com

**citiboyz** · 01-24-2006, 06:19 PM

I buy DV tape at Sams Club. Most everything else from B&H Photo.

www.bhphoto.com

Originally Posted by Lee

Do you buy things like stands, filters, spare batteries etc from a local store or do you buy them online?

If you buy them online, do you happen to have any good store links handy?

Right now i just bought a new camera from Butterfly Photo but im wondering if its worth using some of our local photography stores for the accessories and stuff?

Regards,

Lee

**steven619** · 01-25-2006, 02:52 PM

They have DV tapes at Sam's?

That is cool...worth the trip and membership!

Steven

**citiboyz** · 01-25-2006, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by steven619

They have DV tapes at Sam's?

That is cool...worth the trip and membership!

Steven

Are you being sarcastic? LOL. Now if I could only get them to carry gay porn videos!

**steven619** · 01-26-2006, 05:56 PM

Not sarcastic at all...

You know how I am with DV tapes...takes me longer then I like cause I can't find any blank ones when I need them.

But I might be thinking of the wrong tapes...

Are you talking the larger format like the ones I get from you?
DV CAM

Or...
The DV tapes that are really small?

I could use a dozen of the larger ones and can never find them local when I need them.

Steven

**citiboyz** · 01-26-2006, 06:30 PM

Sams Club carries the miniDV tapes. I get DVCAM tapes from B&H Photo.

**steven619** · 01-26-2006, 09:36 PM

:coffee:

Guess I need to get online and order them from the internets....

I also saw some cool lighting on one of the links.
Although I keep telling my husband they are for "non adult" projects he just will not let me get them.

Jeff&Deaw · 02-05-2006, 11:04 PM

Hi this Deaw:

We get a lot of our stuff from B&H, especially the Mini DV's. Overseas the quality of the tape is not very good even though it's produced by Sony, etc. Also, they are a good source for getting info on the latest stuff.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home

Deaw

**hdkbill** · 03-03-2006, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by citiboyz

I buy DV tape at Sams Club. Most everything else from B&H Photo.

www.bhphoto.com

I had no idea that Sam's Club sold Mini-DV's. I'll have to check the pricing. We buy a lot of our quipment form BH Photo, but for years we have bought all of our Mini DV's and DV-Cam tapes from San Diego Audio and Video. Since we are in Palm Springs and they in San Diego, we ususally get them next day. We buy only Sony or Panasonic. Very good quality.

They are great to deal with and good pricing. Our contact there is Dennis, toll free number is 866 668-8273 and they are just getting their website up and running but it is located at http://www.sdav.com

Cheers,

Bill

**gaybucks_chip** · 03-03-2006, 04:16 PM

Do keep in mind...

I hear it endlessly debated, but in my own experience, switching between certain brands of tape can really clog up the heads on your camcorder/deck because the lubricants used on different brands can interact with one another.

We use almost exclusively Panasonic DV tapes, but when we've run out and used Sony tapes we bought locally, we almost always have to clean the tape heads within a few hours of use. Ditto JVC. But I understand that if we didn't switch and used only Sony or only JVC, then they'd work fine.

Of course the exceptionally well trained and knowledgeable people at Best Buy insisted to me there is absolutely no difference and you can interchange at will...

**hdkbill** · 03-04-2006, 01:43 AM

Originally Posted by boyfunk

Do keep in mind...

I hear it endlessly debated, but in my own experience, switching between certain brands of tape can really clog up the heads on your camcorder/deck because the lubricants used on different brands can interact with one another.

We use almost exclusively Panasonic DV tapes, but when we've run out and used Sony tapes we bought locally, we almost always have to clean the tape heads within a few hours of use. Ditto JVC. But I understand that if we didn't switch and used only Sony or only JVC, then they'd work fine.

Of course the exceptionally well trained and knowledgeable people at Best Buy insisted to me there is absolutely no difference and you can interchange at will...

Damn, now that's a new one. As much lube as we use on set, never knew that DV tapes also used lube!!:vanish:

We use Panasonic 83 minute Mini-DV tapes almost exclusively. We only use the Sony's when absolutely necessary. Seems we have the best luck with Panasonic's. But, after every shoot, we always routinely clean the heads on the cameras so we've never experineced the type of problems you are referring to.

Bill

**gaybucks_chip** · 03-04-2006, 06:15 PM

Does anyone know what recommended cleaning frequency is? I've always been afraid to clean too often (as in, maybe than every 40-50 hours of use) because I know the cleaning tapes do wear some on the heads, and those suckers are expensive to replace... but I've never heard anything I trust, only info from the aforementioned exceptionally well trained Best Buy employees

**hdkbill** · 03-05-2006, 01:41 AM

Originally Posted by boyfunk

Does anyone know what recommended cleaning frequency is? I've always been afraid to clean too often (as in, maybe than every 40-50 hours of use) because I know the cleaning tapes do wear some on the heads, and those suckers are expensive to replace... but I've never heard anything I trust, only info from the aforementioned exceptionally well trained Best Buy employees

Chip,

We clean ours every 15 to 20 hours of use. A couple of our cameras our now 5 years old and still going strong.

Bill