Tape Transport Broken at DVinfo.net

Kenneth Burgener · October 11th, 2010, 08:14 AM

Has anyone had problems with the tape transport system on the XH A1 ? My camera is at a fix it shop in Oklahoma and he has to send it to Canon. Alan told me that most of the gear teeth have been broken off and the entire transport system need to be fixed.

When I first sent my camera to Canon, and they charged me $900 for ????? and refused to talk with me, I swore that I would never send it back. Turns out Canon will not sell any parts or help a local repair place. So my camera is going back.

When I got my camera back from Canon the last time, I remember thinking that the tape did not come up as smooth as it use to. I guess that I am just posting this, so you can all share in my coming pain and expense. I will let you all know what happens to my camera........ may she rest in peace (or pieces)

Ken

Chris Hurd · October 11th, 2010, 09:09 AM

Just so you know, $900 is not at all an unreasonable amount for critical repairs,
nor is their service department's policy regarding 3rd-party repairs (it's okay for
discontinued products but not current ones). So I'm not quite sure what you're
complaining about. You might want to consider changing to a tapeless, flash
memory based camcorder. You could certainly switch to another manufacturer,
but the reality is that Canon USA's service policies aren't substantially different
from Sony, Panasonic or JVC.

Christopher Benes · October 11th, 2010, 01:55 PM

Yes. The tape transport stopped working on a new XH1AS five few months after purchase. Luckily it was still under warranty and Canon repaired it for free. This particular issue is somewhat of a common problem.

I also had to send a XHA1 back for repair to fix a lens that somehow came out of alignment that was causing blurriness in the footage.

Both these issues occurred after minimal use and absolutely no abuse.

Personally, I think $900 is ridiculously expensive and I don't think a switch to a non-tape system like the previous poster indicated should even have to be considered. We paid $3400 or so for these cameras and they should be reliable over time with normal use. For the tape system to fail within three years of purchase (under normal use) IMO is poor design/quality.

With that written I think the XHA1/S is a great camera with the best video quality/feature value in its price range. But one of the few issues I have with it is its durability. It's not rugged. Various items on my units have loosened over time with minimal use and no abuse. I don't think this is a camera that could handle heavy use in the field where it is jostled or bumped even lightly on a regular basis (in normal use this happens.)

Chris

Kenneth Burgener · October 11th, 2010, 08:15 PM

I think that $900 is way too much for a repair, and the worst thing is that no one at Canon would speak to me about my camera. I feel that I paid a ransom as opposed to a repair charge. Oh and my mic fell off also and several of the small outside screws rusted. I keep my camera in a sealed box, with silicon packs inside to make sure that I do not have any condensation build up inside the camera.

I will let you all know what happens to my camera. Other than the repair problems, the camera is spectacular.

Ken

October 11th, 2010, 08:14 AM	#1
Kenneth Burgener Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sanibel Florida Posts: 102	Tape Transport Broken Has anyone had problems with the tape transport system on the XH A1 ? My camera is at a fix it shop in Oklahoma and he has to send it to Canon. Alan told me that most of the gear teeth have been broken off and the entire transport system need to be fixed. When I first sent my camera to Canon, and they charged me $900 for ????? and refused to talk with me, I swore that I would never send it back. Turns out Canon will not sell any parts or help a local repair place. So my camera is going back. When I got my camera back from Canon the last time, I remember thinking that the tape did not come up as smooth as it use to. I guess that I am just posting this, so you can all share in my coming pain and expense. I will let you all know what happens to my camera........ may she rest in peace (or pieces) Ken

October 11th, 2010, 09:09 AM	#2
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,368 Images: 513	Just so you know, $900 is not at all an unreasonable amount for critical repairs, nor is their service department's policy regarding 3rd-party repairs (it's okay for discontinued products but not current ones). So I'm not quite sure what you're complaining about. You might want to consider changing to a tapeless, flash memory based camcorder. You could certainly switch to another manufacturer, but the reality is that Canon USA's service policies aren't substantially different from Sony, Panasonic or JVC. __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

October 11th, 2010, 01:55 PM	#3
Christopher Benes New Boot Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 8	Yes. The tape transport stopped working on a new XH1AS five few months after purchase. Luckily it was still under warranty and Canon repaired it for free. This particular issue is somewhat of a common problem. I also had to send a XHA1 back for repair to fix a lens that somehow came out of alignment that was causing blurriness in the footage. Both these issues occurred after minimal use and absolutely no abuse. Personally, I think $900 is ridiculously expensive and I don't think a switch to a non-tape system like the previous poster indicated should even have to be considered. We paid $3400 or so for these cameras and they should be reliable over time with normal use. For the tape system to fail within three years of purchase (under normal use) IMO is poor design/quality. With that written I think the XHA1/S is a great camera with the best video quality/feature value in its price range. But one of the few issues I have with it is its durability. It's not rugged. Various items on my units have loosened over time with minimal use and no abuse. I don't think this is a camera that could handle heavy use in the field where it is jostled or bumped even lightly on a regular basis (in normal use this happens.) Chris

October 11th, 2010, 08:15 PM	#4
Kenneth Burgener Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sanibel Florida Posts: 102	I think that $900 is way too much for a repair, and the worst thing is that no one at Canon would speak to me about my camera. I feel that I paid a ransom as opposed to a repair charge. Oh and my mic fell off also and several of the small outside screws rusted. I keep my camera in a sealed box, with silicon packs inside to make sure that I do not have any condensation build up inside the camera. I will let you all know what happens to my camera. Other than the repair problems, the camera is spectacular. Ken