Tristan Howard
October 29th, 2013, 12:21 AM
Hi everybody,
I recently accidentally knocked over a tripod that had my Canon XL H1A on it with an HD 20x lens (5.4-108 mm; lens that came with the camera) attached to it. The camera toppled about 5 feet onto a hardwood floor.
Anyway, the camera body actually seems fine, but the 20x lens and viewfinder are damaged. VCR mode on the camera works, and the camera can record. Using EF lenses with an XL adapter also works. A lens and plastic ring inside the viewfinder shook loose, but I think I can manually fix those issues by opening things up with a tiny screw driver. By flipping up the stem that has the eye cup and loose lens, I can still use the view screen, which looks and works fine.
As for the damage to the 20x lens . . .
When I turn on the camera with the 20x lens attached, the lens itself makes a humming noise, and the warning message “CHECK THE LENS” appears before changing into a red “LENS” message that repeatedly blinks. The field of view is also skewed such that the black edge of the interior of a circle is visible on the right. Important glass components seem to have been shoved toward the left because of a hard impact to the right. On the far right, I see the black edge of some non-glass lens components. The imagery through the lens is blurred, and the lens will not focus or zoom in and out. So, things are out of alignment , and there are issues with the lens’s ability to communicate with the camera. Looking at the lens from the front, I cannot see any glass that looks broken or cracked.
As for my questions . . .
Should I try to get the lens repaired by sending it into Canon or should I look for a replacement lens? Where could I find a replacement lens? How much do you think things will cost?
I tried to find a replacement lens online and had no success. However, I did notice that used XLH1As are selling for about $2,500-$3,000, which is about half of what I paid for my setup. I know the XL cameras are discontinued, so finding some replacement parts could be difficult.
Any feedback would be appreciated. The mule deer rut is starting up in my current location, and I want to shoot it as well and sharply as possible. My EF 28-300 and 100-400 lenses do a great job, but the 20x HD lens performed fantastically in the dark dusk and dawn light when deer are most active.
Thanks,
Tristan
I recently accidentally knocked over a tripod that had my Canon XL H1A on it with an HD 20x lens (5.4-108 mm; lens that came with the camera) attached to it. The camera toppled about 5 feet onto a hardwood floor.
Anyway, the camera body actually seems fine, but the 20x lens and viewfinder are damaged. VCR mode on the camera works, and the camera can record. Using EF lenses with an XL adapter also works. A lens and plastic ring inside the viewfinder shook loose, but I think I can manually fix those issues by opening things up with a tiny screw driver. By flipping up the stem that has the eye cup and loose lens, I can still use the view screen, which looks and works fine.
As for the damage to the 20x lens . . .
When I turn on the camera with the 20x lens attached, the lens itself makes a humming noise, and the warning message “CHECK THE LENS” appears before changing into a red “LENS” message that repeatedly blinks. The field of view is also skewed such that the black edge of the interior of a circle is visible on the right. Important glass components seem to have been shoved toward the left because of a hard impact to the right. On the far right, I see the black edge of some non-glass lens components. The imagery through the lens is blurred, and the lens will not focus or zoom in and out. So, things are out of alignment , and there are issues with the lens’s ability to communicate with the camera. Looking at the lens from the front, I cannot see any glass that looks broken or cracked.
As for my questions . . .
Should I try to get the lens repaired by sending it into Canon or should I look for a replacement lens? Where could I find a replacement lens? How much do you think things will cost?
I tried to find a replacement lens online and had no success. However, I did notice that used XLH1As are selling for about $2,500-$3,000, which is about half of what I paid for my setup. I know the XL cameras are discontinued, so finding some replacement parts could be difficult.
Any feedback would be appreciated. The mule deer rut is starting up in my current location, and I want to shoot it as well and sharply as possible. My EF 28-300 and 100-400 lenses do a great job, but the 20x HD lens performed fantastically in the dark dusk and dawn light when deer are most active.
Thanks,
Tristan