camcorder problems

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royalperkins
camcorder problems

I have a Sharp Hi-8 camcorder model number VL-AH50, my sister has the same camera.  The battery will not hold a charge.  I checked the contacts on the battery, the contacts on the camera, and I have replaced the battery, nothing helps.  My sisters camera does the exact same thing, and we have done evreything to hers we have done to mine new battery and all.  I'm sure it's a problem sharp is having with them but maybe I'm just overlooking something.  help

Ron Repking (not verified)
Looks like it might be time

Looks like it might be time for a new camcorder.  Sharp doesn't even list this model on their support page anymore.  There are many affordable digital camcorders on the market which will give you a better picture and enable you to easily transfer the video to your computer. 

Remember, be sure to remove your battery from the camcorder if you're not going to use it over a period of time.

florida
hi,

hi,

 

Can you help I've got a cannon MV700 the lCD & Veiwfinder are showing a blank screen - it will playback tapes ? any advice

Larry Dillon
florida, Your camcorder maybe

florida, Your camcorder maybe part of a national recall. Here is the artical and contacts at Cannon Good Luck And Please let us know how you made out??Background
In the first half of October, 2005, a number of digital camera and camcorder manufacturers issued service advisories involving a range of digital camera models (as well as some digital camcorders and PDAs that incorporate image sensors). In each case, the story was similar - CCD (image sensor) failures, particularly in conditions of high heat and humidity, led to cameras capturing images with either no picture at all, or with extreme distortion and severe purple or green color casts. An example of the latter symptom, courtesy of the Konica Minolta Europe website, can be seen further down this page. We first started hearing about this problem in late September and early October, 2005, with a significant increase in reader emails about it in the first week of October. The problem understandably caused considerable concern among our readers, with many wondering whether this was an ongoing problem that could affect current cameras.

Initial service advisories by Sony, Canon, Fujifilm and Konica Minolta were soon followed by announcements by Nikon, Ricoh, and Olympus. Affected cameras were all manufactured between 2002 and 2004, the underlying problems have apparently been found and corrected, so no cameras currently on the market are affected. (We are assured by sources that new cameras purchased today will not be affected by this problem. See the "What caused this problem" section at the bottom of this document, for a more detailed discussion of possible causes.)

We here at Imaging Resource did a little digging into the problem, and it appears that the problems trace to certain models of image sensor chips manufactured by Sony between 2002 and 2004. (Fujifilm has stated that they manufacture their own CCD chips, so it's not clear whether or not the problems with their cameras are in fact related to those of the other makers.)

What the problem looks like
The problem can take any of several forms, but all involve severe color shifts and/or severe distortions of the image. The images below show two examples (courtesy of Konica Minolta) of what the problem might look like, if your camera falls prey to it. In the early stages of the problem, the camera may still capture recognizable images, but with a washed-out appearance and a strong magenta or green tint.

(Images courtesy Konica Minolta)

(Image courtesy Tara D.S. Willgues)

What products may be affected?
Quite a number of products may develop this problem, including digital cameras, camcorders, and even PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) that incorporate an image sensor. The following is a list of affected models by various manufacturers that we are presently aware of. We will update this list as new information becomes available. We recommend that you check the site regularly for this and other breaking news.

Here are lists of the affected products, grouped by manufacturer:

Canon
Digital Cameras Camcorders
PowerShot A60
PowerShot A70
PowerShot A75
PowerShot A300
PowerShot A310
PowerShot S230 Digital ELPH / Digital IXUS V3 / IXY D320
PowerShot SD100 Digital ELPH / Digital IXUS II / IXY Digital 30
PowerShot SD110 Digital ELPH / Digital IXUS IIs / IXY Digital 30a
MV600i
MV630i
MV650i
MV700i
MV730i
MV750i
MV5i
MV5i MC
MV6i MC
ZR60
ZR65 MC
ZR70 MC
ZR80
ZR85
ZR90
Elura 40 MC
Elura 50

For repair instructions, visit the Canon USA support website. To read the specific service advisory for your model, use the pulldown menus to browse for your specific model, or simply type the model number into the box provided at the bottom of the page and click the "Search" button.
The Canon support website holds no forms or other needed documents, so you can save yourself some time (if you live in the US or Puerto Rico by just calling the Canon Customer Support line at 1-800-828-4040. Support hours are Monday-Friday 8am to 12 midnight, and Saturday from 10am-8pm. (All times EST.) Alternately, you can send email to: [email protected].

For your easy reference, here is a link to the original IR news story on the Canon advisory.

 

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