Hi, I was videoing in Alabama yesterday (and yes, it was snowing). As I was shooting, everything looked great in the viewfinder, good image, audio, color, counter ticking away, happy, happy, When I rewound the tape, NOTHING. I mean NOTHING. Just blue screen and NO time counter at all, just blank lines. Put it in a different deck, NOTHING. I remember that when my heads needed cleaning it either gave me the message or, showed distorted image in the viewfinder. This gave nothing but blue screen. Ran a tape cleaner through it, worked for one shot then nothing. It goes to Canon on Monday but does anyone have any ideas other than really contaminated heads? Thanks. Bob

Are you saying the tape RECORDED a blue signal? That when you put the tape in any other deck, it PLAYS a blue screen?

That is a curious problem. Definately not a dirty head issue. I can't think of why the camera would send that signal to the tape heads, while sending the image of the ccd to the viewfinder.

Sounds like a 'mother board' issue of some sort. Most of those, are usually a blown fuse, in which case the camera does NOTHING... no power up, no record, and most sadly no tape eject if there is one in there.

Richard, when I put the tape in another deck it was just black. It was blue while looking through the viewfinder. I found it interesting that the counter did not record, while it appaired fine in the viewfinder during record.

It goes to Canon on Monday...I'm afraid that's the only thing you can do at this point.

Canon is the solution. Sounds like the tape heads weren't even spinning, if no time track was laid down, no 'snow', no nothing. When you say you get 'black' when you play it in a deck, it's exactly the same as a blank tape, no?

Monday is MLK day... don't think that affects UPS or fedEX, but the post office will be closed.

I think your right, I will call Canon NJ either Monday or Tue and get the service number and ship it off. No sence risking it. Thanks for the replys. Bob

CUSA service center contact info here: http://www.dvinfo.net/canon/skinny.php#service