I am getting the EJECT message again. This time the head cleaning did not seem to work. The camera is 4 days over the 1 year warranty period and I really don't want to have to send it back to Canon. Does anyone feel that changing the tape manufacturer will help? Recording operations are fine, just can't Rewind!

Thanks!

What tape brand are you using?

I having a similar problem after switching from sony to Panasonic tape, eject message and won't rewind. The camera actually ate one tape. I haven't tried switching back yet, as I would rather stick to the panasonic tapes if I can. If/when you sort things out keep us posted please.

http://www.dvfreak.com/tape.htm

Cheap tape, mixing tape, and not protecting your cam from dust and dirt can dirty heads on any cam---from Sony cams to Pana cams to Canon cams.

Rob - I am using TDK tapes.

Colin - Ate one of mine also. Did you send it back?

Phil

Haven't sent it back, as it's an intermittant fault and I am travelling/working away from where I bought it at the moment.
To help keep dust out I have been using electrical tape to seal up the tape door, so I don't think that dirt is the problem. The camera is virtually new (3 tapes thru it, a maxell, and 2 sonys), so all I can think is the change of tapes, the panasonics are the "dry" ones without the metal particles.
I am going to clean up the heads and then start over using only the panasonics and hopefully that will fix it.

Just to let you know, I had the same problem, cam would not rewind or fast forward tapes, and it ate a few. Only tapes I've ever used are the Panasonic 63PQ prof's. Sent the cam back three days before the warranty ran out last year, seems to be fine now.

Mike

I had the same problem with my GL2. Drove me nuts! I ended up having to send it to Canon twice for repair under warranty last year. Second time was a charm and they fixed it. I haven't had a problem with the EJECT message since. I don't think your problem is related to switching brands of tapes, although it is a good thing to stick with one!

John

Well, I've got one more important thing to film, then I guess it goes back. I have been using the TDK's exclusively but maybe I'll try another brand and see what happens. There was another thread somewhere in the forum that said Fuji products were a good choice!

Phil

I have a Canon XM2 (PAL version of GL2) and have the same problem: "REMOVE THE CASSETTE" warning when I rewind.
It is 10 months old and I have only used Sony miniDV tapes so far.
I have also read other forums on the web and learned that this is a common problem about this Canon camera (and also some other models). It seems like a technical problem with the head and unfortunately looks like the only solution is to sent it to repair...
People at other forums even trying to get organized to make Canon to do a recall on these units and offer a free repair and replacement!

OH REALLY !! ! ! "People at other forums even trying to get organized to make Canon to do a recall on these units and offer a free repair and replacement!" . . .

Ali please give link and Group and where and when you saw this .. . I'm very very interested . . as others will be who read your post . . .

Best regards

Grazie

Graham, this is the link:
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/bbs/t38981.html
but there is no serious organization about it yet...

I haven't had any rewinding or Eject problems but I did send both of our GL2s to Canon for annual maintenance recently. Canon replaced the idler gear and drive assemblies on both cameras. I did not ask for these changes and there was no extra charge. Are these the kind of parts that could lead to the problems some of you are having? Any hardware experts?
Bob

Well, my beautiful new camera definitly is sick. I can't rewind any of the 4 tapes that I have put thru it now. Looks like it will have to go back. Phil, did you send yours off and did the Techs know much about the problem? Costs????
Very sad and fustrated:-(((

Must be a known problem if there is an dedicated entry in Canons troubleshooting list!!
http://alpha01.c-wss.com/wsss/ApplServlet?SV=WWUCA900
Check it out, nothing left to do but send it off for servicing.

<<<-- Originally posted by Colin Rayner : Must be a known problem if there is an dedicated entry in Canons troubleshooting list!!
http://alpha01.c-wss.com/wsss/ApplServlet?SV=WWUCA900
Check it out, nothing left to do but send it off for servicing. -->>>

The link takes me to Canon, but all I get is "Error Code"?

Update: Thanks Colin, I followed your instructions below and found the reference to eject problem. Although it doesn't say much more than "send to Canon Service" :(

OK Ming, go to http://www.canon.co.nz/products/cameras/cameras_video/xm2_support.aspx then get into the troubleshooting part and you will find 2 questions in the camera operation selection, one is if you are having battery problems, the other if you are having "videocassette related problems" click and the only answer they come up with is send in for servicing. Seems strange to me that under camera operation , there are only 2 types of problems and one of them is this cassette problem. Obviously it is a well documented problem within Canon.
I love my camera, it's just a real fly in the ointment.

My GL2 just gave me the "Remove the Cassette" and "Eject" message while fastforwarding a tape (I've only recorded on Panasonic 63PQs). I swapped in another tape and it was working then I switched back in the other one and it is working for now. But my one year warranty is up in less than a week!

Should I just send it in now since the problem could get worse?

Arrg, this happened a day after reading this thread!

Cheers,
Brian "Cursed by reading this thread" Huey

Definately send it in for service. I suspect Canon is applying a fix for this issue.

Thanks for the advice, I been reading some other threads I've been finding about tape transport issues and it looks like sending it in is the only solution.

Cheers,
Brian

You've had your cammie for nearly a year? You've been using it? Send it for a good going over . .

Maintenance is a good thing in any case. Look, all we got is the option to use the Tape Cleaning Tape and to treat the cammie with care. We don't have the option to tighten up screws - screws DO come loose, tell me about it!; re-align heads - we don't have the equipment to test for this; test to see if all the circutry is A-OK; options for running Test Bench reports . . . . of yes, I was forgetting, the cammie DOES comes with that 1 year warranty . . . yer wanna have something "fail" next week, AFTER your warranty runs out? Think what you'd have felt like if you hadn't used the Warranty Trump Card. . hmmmm? Think about that one! List everything that you "feel" needs attention . .then it's logged. If something should "fail" subsequently AND it was on your list . . . I don't know about you, but here in the UK we have a further 3 months cover on any "work" that is done through an authorised Canon dealer AND any work that is recurrent is also treated with much respect - yeah?

Hope this "nudge" has helped you . . Now, the only problem you will have - if you're anything like me - will be the loss and longing and irritation of not having the cammie in your hands - if it's going to be anything like my experience, the whole 28 day void in my life, while my cammie was in the Canon Garage, really made me NOT a nice person to be around ! ! HAH ! ! !

Regards,

Grazie

I had the "Remove the Cassette" and "Eject" message happening to me today. Started happening right after a show I did last night. When I took the camera out of the case to capture the footage I noticed the door was open, the tape holder was up but the holder door wasn't open. That's when it happened. Tried a few tapes but it still didn't work. Then I just opened and closed the thing a few times, without a tape in it, and it sorted it self out. Capturing quite happily now.

When it was problematic, I was noticed that the gear mechanism wasn't sounding smooth as usual when loading or unloading tapes. Very strange.


Aaron

True True True . . . Grazie

Any suggestions for other things to list besides the tape transport and heads?

Other then that the only issue that I can think of listing is the slight vignetting I get when zoomed out and the aperture is wide open.

The camcorder is getting sent in today, I hope I can stand up to the longing you described Gracie! I'm in the middle of doing a falconry training video with my uncle at the moment but we have his VX2000 so we'll be able to forge ahead with only one camera.

Cheers,
Brian

Brian, list the vignetting if you can but I doubt you'll get much go on that one. I tried and they said it was normal. I never got to force the issue as I got busy with the camera, and then my warranty ran out :)

Aaron

Look at the "Cannot FF/RW tapes in my GL2" thread.

I've had my camera back from service now for about 2 months and I just found another problem related to the eject message.

If I close the cassette compartment without a tape, say to store the camera indefinitely, the compartment will whine and whirl as it does with a tape, but then stop momentarily and then pop back up with the eject message. I would probably have never noticed this because I almost always put a tape in, which then it works fine.

I'm curious if those who got their cameras fixed with the idler gear problem now have this problem. I guess I'll be sending it back since it's still under warranty and who knows if it will get worse.

Thanks.

Dirk,
I recently got both of my GL2s back from Canon for annual maintenance. They replaced the idler and drive gear assemblies without my request so I assume that was done for a recognized issue. I've used both cameras for several hours with no problems. I think it's not a bad idea to close the tape compartment by gently squeezing the lid and case together. I also wait for the motor to stop before closing the compartment. That's just my ounce of prevention or superstitition but no problems so far. I'd document the problem and send the camera back to Canon.
Bob

Just to let you all know, I got my camera back today, NZ$151.88,
10 days and I actually got to speak to a Tech at the Canon service centre, he would not tell me too much about the problem, but did admit that they are aware of the problem and are geared up to deal with it, i.e. the replacement parts in stock, hence the short turn around time, I guess they have done this type of repair before..........................
Fingers crossed I don't have any further problems.

First, Hi Colin! Another New Zealander here that I didn't know about.

Second, a guy I know has just been having similar problems with his XL1s. He's sent his in for repair today - he'll be happy to know Canon is onto it.

Aaron

bob
tried the closing & unclosing without a tape trick.no luck i'm afraid.

bob
tried the closing & unclosing without a tape trick.no luck i'm afraid.
james

Wow! 3 months later? .. Grazie

I have a very similar problem but I can FF/RW with no problem. My problem is that the GL2 will be recording a few seconds and then the Eject message appears. I remove and reinsert the tape an it will often continue on for a few minutes and then start giving me the message again. The real kicker is that we have a service facility locally that can repair them but they can't duplicate the problem. I went there one day and pressed start/stop for over 2 hours and got the message once. Couldn't get it to happen again so it didn't help them any. I took it home and took it to the wedding on Saturday and went outside to get setup shots of the church and within 5 minutes consistently got the message. Took it back inside and switched to a rented cam I obtained just in case. Later on my wife picked up the cam and used it for other stuff....all indoors and taped for over 3 hours with no incident. For some reason it starts appearing for me when taping outside. It shouldn't be a humidity issue because it was 65 degrees (F) and very low humidity.

I hope this is related so I can send my tech here for answers.

Philip