hi, I was starting to capture some footage I shot with a different camera on my handycam. As soon as I put it in it started making this funny, high pitched grinding noise. I closed it anyway (probably bad idea) and started to play it. The picture came up but it was very jittery and distorted, not like with a dirty head, but very weird and jumpy, even the color was distorted. I've never seen anything like it. The camera stopped playing after a while and displayed the message "C-13-01" or maybe it was, "C-30-01" I don't really know because I took the tape out quikly and have been too scared to put it back in. Please help.
thanks
-alex

You don't say what camera you were using. Look in the back of your camcorder manual for a description of error codes. On the PDX-10 these are listed under the heading of "Self-diagnosis display" in the "Troubleshooting" section. It explains that codes begining with the letter C are user-serviceable and codes beginning with E are not.

I don't see either a c-13 or c-30 prefix, but there are the following:

C:31:xx
C:32:xx

> A malfunction other than the above that you can service has occured.

> Remove the cassette and inset it again, then operate your camcorder.

> Disconnect the power cord of the AC power adaptor or remove the battery pack.
After reconnecting the power supply, operate your camcorder.

Ok, I took the casette out and played it on a DV deck, it was fine. And I put it back in the camera and that was also fine. So I don't know what went wrong, hopefully it won't happen again. And sorry for being so vague.
-alex

On another camera I had something similar.
Turned out to be condensation. The camera has an inbuilt protection against moisture.