Good blank Hi8 tape brands?

[nogorge]

hi, i'm looking for tape recommendations for my Hi8 camcorder (Sony CCD-TRV815).
i've been using two 120-minute Fuji MP Hi8 tapes the seller bundled with the camcorder when i got it -- it's been a while since i've gotten them, i figure it might be time to get some new tapes.

i've read about avoiding ME tapes in general and not mixing brands without cleaning the heads, but are there any brands i should steer clear of?
i'm not doing any professional work with them.

[dpalomaki]

Older post with no response?

MP tape is more robust than ME. ME has slightly better frequency response but is more prone to dropouts. Old MP tape stock might have aged better,

Over the years tape factories have come and gone with a given factory output appearing under several brands. And who made what changed over time. Which currently available brand is best is a good question given how long ago Hi8 and 8mm fell out of favor. It may boil down to running tests to see what your camcorder likes best. In any case I would look at mainstream brands

The incompatible lubricants issue was resolved in the 1990s and will likely come up only if old tape stock is involved. The problem was resolved when Sony changed their lub formulation. However sticking with one brand is probably a safe bet and clean heads only when needed. If ingesting several different brands of tape it may be best to do all of one brand and then switch to the next brand.

I mostly used FUJI MP and Sony ME for camera work toward the end on my Hi8 work, rarely reused tape, and linear edited to S-VHS and later DV before I switched to shooting MiniDV and later HDV.

You may have to go with what you can find at a price point you can afford.