XL1s Problem - Blinking Light On All Recording Functions

[Liam Kilty]

There is an intermittant red light on all the recording functions of my XL1s preventing any shooting whatsoever. The flashing is spaced about 10 seconds apart and is not power or battery related. The playback side is not affected. If anyone has a solution to this problem I would be very grateful to hear it. Thanks.

[Chris Soucy]

Can you be a bit more specific about this "red light"?

Is this on the camera body or in the viewfinder?

If it's on the camera body, whereabouts, if in the viewfinder, ditto.

Are you saying that in record/ pause mode, pressing the record button does nothing?

Is the tape "write protected"?


CS

[Don Palomaki]

What shape is the icon? ANd where is it located on the screen?

[Liam Kilty]

The light I am referring to is actually the "Power On" light on the settings dial. This is failing to stay on and there is only a brief flash on the screen which coincides with the flash of the power light.

So I cannot record in any mode at all, but no problem with playback which rules out battery and power supply problems.

Maybe there is a circuit board that needs resetting.

Of further interest I am certain the problem started when I tried to record on a freezing cold morning if that's of any help.

Thanks

LK

[Chris Soucy]

Liam,


Edit: Liam, skip straight to post #7, the answer may lie there.


I have been unable to provoke this behaviour in my XL1s, no matter what I try, not that there are many external variables it could be.

Short of some esoteric fault with the battery (does the camera require more power in Record mode than VCR? You might want to try again, using the mains adapter, just to check) I'm afraid it would appear something has died internally.

I've tried partially and wholly undoing the lens (it powers up and flashes "Check Lens"), partially and wholly removing the tape (nope) and partially and wholly disconnecting the viewfinder (nada).

You may want to try loading a tape and playing it in VCR mode to check there isn't something gross happening with the tape drive mechanism, but that doesn't sound like much of a culprit.

Quite where that leaves you, what with Canon no longer supporting the XL1s, I'm not too sure.

The "immediate shutdown" makes me think there is a pretty serious board fault, but in what, I don't know. Whether an independent repairer could get replacement parts is a big unknown.

My recommendation, for what it's worth, is to take it to an independent repairer and get them to give you a quote (if they will).

Armed with that you can decide whether to go for the repair, cut your losses with the existing camera and buy another second hand, or bail out of the XL1s entirely and upgrade.

Sorry I can't be of more help.


CS

[Chris Soucy]

And this is so obvious I continually forget to mention it.

The XL1/ XL1s Forum dates back to somewhere around the middle/ late Jurrasic, and as such has just about anything and everything you could ever want to know about these cameras fossilised within.

It would pay to take some time (weeks?) and Google every possible combination of "XL1/ XL1s/ won't/ power/ up" etc. (all suggestions on other alternatives exceedingly welcome) and see what you "dig up".

Not a lot of help if sommat is bust, but just might point you in the right direction of what, exactly, it is.


CS

[Chris Soucy]

Er, Liam......

Can you run this past me once more, I thought I had a grasp of the situation, but on re - reading your posts, I'm not so sure.

OK, my initial interpretation was that you turned the dial to a recording setting and the light briefly flashed then went out again. Finish.

The re - read has me thinking you turn it to a recording setting, the light flashes and goes out, then continues at 10 second intervals to flash etc, each flash accompanied by a brief firing up of the viewfinder.

[I'm aware that both interpretations indicate quite a sick parrot, I'm just doing this for the sake of completeness.]

OK, hold the phone!

I've just had another play with my XL1s.

A. Turn dial from Off to Auto, start counting....

1, 2, 3 seconds - then the tape mechanism loads tape onto heads with a distinct "whirring".

4, 5 seconds - viewfinder fires up.

B. Turn dial from Auto to Off, start counting..........

1, 2, 3 seconds -tape mechanism unloads tape from heads (ditto whirring)

C. Turn dial from OFF to VCR, start counting..............

1, 2, 3, 4 seconds - Blue Screen

5 - seconds, Screen Data

There is NO tape load

(which is why I surmise your XL1s doesn't crash!)

If I press "Play", mine will load the tape onto the heads (whirring) and play - will yours?


Now, this may be a complete leap in the dark, but I'd be pretty confident in saying you have a tape drive fault OR you've done something daft with it.

How long have you had this camera?

Will it eject and load a tape properly (I'm talking about out of/ into the tape compartment)?

You haven't pressed that bit of the load mechanism which says "Don't press here" have you?

If you perform the above operations (A, B & C) does your camera do the same thing as mine?

If it doesn't, there's your answer.

If that is the case, things aren't as gloomy as first thought, tape drives are an easy fix.


CS

[Les Wilson]

<far fetched>You don't have a LANC lens controller hooked up do you? The reason I ask is that I've seen interference of the lens controller with the standby cycle.</far fetched>

[Chris Soucy]

Liam seems to have fallen into a black hole!


CS

[Liam Kilty]

No Black hole but a broken foot playing soccer!

I will try all of your suggestions and see if any solves the problem.

There was nothing connected to the camera at the time just switched
it on and the power light flashes at 10sec intervals.

Thanks
LK

[Liam Kilty]

Yes there is a brief fire up on the screen which coincides with each flash.

The tape loads and unloades no problem, and there is also no problem with playback.
Everything is fine there and the camera can be manipulated through the firewire from the computer as normal.

I have tried viewing different tapes in case there was a build up of static but to no avail.

LK

[Liam Kilty]

OK Chris,

A. Off to auto....

1 second a brief flash of the 'power' light which also coincides with the viewfinder firing up, obviously the power is there momentarily so the viewfinder should fire up. But the tape is not loading there is no whirring. 10 seconds later it tries again. I have even left it doing this for an hour but no joy.

B. Auto to Off

Nothing happens.

C. Off to VCR

Everything normal, when I press play it plays!

The camera is about 4 years old.

I hope you are right about the tape drive. I originally thought it was condensation

so I put the camera into the airing cupboard but that did not work either.

[Liam Kilty]

Hi Ernest,

No there is nothing at all connected.

LK

[Chris Soucy]

Clutching at straws now.

OK, the viewfinder works.

The tape drive works.

There ain't nought else external left, but the lens.

Try taking it off completely and see what happens.

Mine will fire up without it as normal, just flashes a couple of warning messages in the process.

If that ain't it, well, guess it's internal.


CS

[Liam Kilty]

Chris,

Yes I have tried all those things and even with a new battery but nothing!

I guess I will try to find a dealer and see if it can be fixed.

Thanks for all your help and suggestions I appreciate it.

LK