Canon Service

[Don Palomaki]

Do other tapes play back OK. If the problem is specific to this one tape, you probably have a bad recording on the tape.

[Eric Lian]

I bought my XL-1 in '98.

After three years of light use I started experiencing banding and square pixel drop out.
I tried the cleaning tape, but it was probably too far gone for that - and I had never used the cleaning tape prior to that.

I sent my camera to Canon Repair (as recommended by the XL-1 club) and they did a bang up job. I swear the camera came back as good as new and the banding and drop-out was gone.

Maybe I'm just imagining it, but the focus seemed to respond better as well.

Total cost: $283.00. Cheaper than buying a new camera.

[Nathan Gifford]

Yeah, its very good idea to send the camera in for yearly maintenance and alignments. Someone I knew never sent their home camcorder in and when it was serviced all their old tapes would play. Yearly maintenance helps prevent that from happening.

[Glen Elliott]

My friend sent his XL-1s into Canon service because all the footage he shot started exibiting digital artifacting and no amount of running the head cleaner seemed to help.

Well 2 weeks later he got it back and it's apparently fixed. He was charged $270 for whatever service they did on it.

Now judging by that price what do you think was done- a tape transport replacement, or just a professional head clean? If you don't think his tape transport was replaced- how much is that service?

[Hugh DiMauro]

Very interesting question. I own an XL1s and if that happened to me, I'd insist on knowing the cause. Think of this old adage: Know how to do something you'll always have a job. Know why you do something, you'll always be in charge. I'd like to know the "why" concerning the artifacting with this guy's XL1s. It can happen to us, ya know.

[Glen Elliott]

It's been happening to alot of owners- well, not alot but a signifigant amount. Just browse around the forum for a bit and you'll find other XL-1 owners that are having head/cylinder problems.

[Adrian Douglas]

I first had this problem 2 years ago. Canon replaced the drum and all was well. It cost me ¥40 000, roughly US$350, but that included some mods that were required. Twelve months later the same thng happened again an Canon again replaced the drum, this time under warantee. It happened again this year but they just gave it a clean and adjust for ¥8000.

[Chris Randall]

I need to get my Canon Camera shipped off for the yearly cleaning and maintenance service. How much does Canon Charge for this? Do I pay for shipping to and from Canon, or pay just to ship it to them?

Is it worth it to have my GL1 undergo the same service? I realize that Canon only offers the cleaning and maintenance to the XL1 and XL1s cameras. I would have the GL1 serviced locally, but should I have it done as well?

Thanks,

Chris R
Edit1Media

[Ken Tanaka]

I know that others have asked this question before and an answer would probably come up with a Search.

But nobody here is a Canon service tech. It's best to just give Canon a call to get specific current answers to the basic maintenence service cost and logistics question.

Whether or not basic preventative maintenance service is worth the time and expense depends entirely on how much you use your cameras and whether or not you rely on them for contract work and/or to put food in your mouth. If you're a hobbyist or use the cameras infrequently it may not be worthwhile.

[Don Palomaki]

Cost is on the order of $100 (call Canon for the exact price) for members of the Canon XL1 users club. For others somewhat higher. Not sure what he cost is for the GL1/2. Value depends on how much you have used (and abused) the camcorder, and how citical your work is. You pay shipping both ways, althought the return shipping cost may be built into the rate.

[Nathan Gifford]

Getting heads aligned and stuff is probably well worth the bother. I have some tapes from a much older Sony system. The cam was sent in for service and the heads were aligned. Now a number of the old vids are not viewable.

[Nick Hiltgen]

I wanted to title this "canon service blows" but I've refrained from it. I own a Canon PAL XL1 I bought it off ebay and After reading the watchdog here I decided to have it specked out for general maintainence, so I called Apple. I spoke to the general canon number then the irvine branch specifically. THEY WON"T TOUCH MY CAMERA! They said if I want it serviced I have to send it to freaking England! What the heck? So I ask about a service manual I'm pretty handy with electronics they tell me to call 1800 OKCANON I call and they tell me there is no way to get a service manual for an XL-1 What the heck? SO now I'm faced with shipping the camera to England going to any number of "suggested" people to take a look at my camera or just dealing with it. If someone has a service manual/has done service on an XL1 please let me know, also has anyone ever adjusted their IRE settings' or had them adjusted for american standards? Help me Please!

[Adrian Douglas]

I'm faced with the same situation here in Japan, I have to send my camera back to Australia to have it serviced/repaired. This is nothing new and not just a Canon deal, it is also why we always advise against buying cameras from overseas.

I know this isn't very helpful to you Nick but finding a 3rd party repairer will probably be your only option.

[Nick Hiltgen]

Adrian,

Thanks, while I do understand that, Canon did sell the PAL version of the XL1 (not the XL1s) in the states, (you could get it from B and H, and a few other places to I believe) and I purchased it from someone in the US, so there was definitely no overseas to be gone, I'm still blown away but the lack of access to a service manual though. I guess a 3rd party is going to be my only option.

[Adrian Douglas]

I totally hear you about the hassles, it's never ending for me here in Japan. Did Canon actually release PAL cameras through their authorized dealers or are they sorced from overseas by the dealers? That's where your problem lays. Is the dealer you bought it from an authorized Canon dealer, if so you should have some form of legal recource.

It doesn't surprise me about the service manuals though, I don't know of any camera manufacturer, or any electronics manufacturer for that matter, that releases their manuals to the general public.