zoom problem - solved (DIY)

Cosmin Rotaru · October 22nd, 2004, 06:14 AM

:))

Cosmin Rotaru · November 17th, 2004, 12:36 PM

As promised, two "hard core" pictures of my XM2:

In order to change the zoom rocker, I had to remove the lateral of the camera. For that, I had to first remove the bottom of the camera:
http://w1.226.telia.com/~u22607422/c...en_2_small.jpg

In the 2nd pic you can see the lateral part of the camera removed:
http://w1.226.telia.com/~u22607422/c...en_1_small.jpg

In the bottom halve of the pic you can see the old and the new zoom rocker. This is the part I got from canon. So, NO, there's no need to change the whole door assembly! (I don't know if I could even do that!)

BTW: the camera still works! :)

Charles King · November 17th, 2004, 12:44 PM

Boy Cosmin, you are definately a brave person. ;)

Graham Bernard · November 17th, 2004, 03:24 PM

Now, why does this remind me of THE TERMINATOR! . .. "I'll be BACK!"

. .. Grazie

Cosmin Rotaru · November 18th, 2004, 10:13 AM

wanna see my brand new TV from inside? :)

Graham Bernard · November 18th, 2004, 01:04 PM

WILL SOMEBODY STOP HIM ! - NOW !

. . The Evil Is Out there Mulder . . .

Joseph Henry · November 24th, 2004, 12:59 PM

I have had my GL2 for nearly 2 years and am just beginning to experience this zoom problem. I contacted the only Canon dealer in my city, and they have not had much experience fixing this problem. From what I've read in all the posts, I'm still not sure what to ask them to do. Should I suggest that they replace the door assembly? Or the ribbon, or both?

I have an extra warranty on my credit card purchases but this will expire for the camera in 2 months. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Cosmin Rotaru · November 25th, 2004, 05:17 AM

http://w1.226.telia.com/~u22607422/c...en_1_small.jpg
In the bottom halve of the pic you can see the old and the new zoom rocker. This is the part you should get changed. There's no need to change the whole door assembly.
The zoom rocker comes with the ribbon attached.

Lee Wm. Gaudry · January 12th, 2005, 02:12 PM

Cosmin Rotaru posted a wonderful set of instructions and photographs to help access the zoom rocker switch on the GL2. However, I am attempting the same thing on a GL1, which has a completely different on the inside door assembly.
Help?

Cosmin Rotaru · January 12th, 2005, 02:16 PM

Sorry, I have no ideea on the GL1. Does the GL1 exhibit the same problem?

Come over here and I'll help you disassemble your camcorder! :)

Lee Wm. Gaudry · January 12th, 2005, 02:47 PM

I believe it is the same problem you fixed, The Rocker feels as if something is stuck in it. It sticks when zooming in. It is very annoying. The zoom still seems to work fine, even variably, but it mechanically sticks. When it first happened, it was stuck quite hard and had to be forced to even move. I'm hoping that continued use will smooth it out.
As for bringing the camcorder over, Romania I am told is beautiful (one of my best friends hails from there). But it is rather far. (from Calgary, Canada).

Cosmin Rotaru · January 13th, 2005, 04:05 AM

A! Canada! It must be cold there, right now! :) Maybe the zoom rocker is frozen! :lol

Now, my problem was a bit different. It was nothing mechanical. The zoom rocker did not behave wrong MECHANICALY, like you describe. Maybe something got into there? I gues you've seen the pics I'
ve posted, about disassembling the zoom rocker? It shouldn't be very diferent from the GL1... hopefully! Maybe you'll manage to open the zoom rocker and clean it up.

David Woodland · January 13th, 2005, 10:21 AM

So yeah.. I am pretty sure that my zoom problem has gone away. Atleast for the time being. It seems to happen a lot more when it is humid out or hot. During the summer I had so many problems with it but now it seems to be working fine.

I may still send it in sometime while my warranty is still valid though. Just to make sure that nothing is wrong internally.

Well thats all for now, take it easy board.

Peter Butler · February 11th, 2005, 11:27 AM

I've just discovered this problem on my XM2. I've had the camera just over 2 years which by the sound of things is when it usually goes wrong.
The thing is I've hardly used the camera but I did use it extensivley in 2003 when I visited the USA. It was a road trip and I travelled some really harsh places with a lot of heat, dust and sweat and I reckon that's where it's gone wrong.

luckily I took out a 3 year warrenty so I think I'm going to let Canon sort this but this site is brilliant so i ccan show it to them before handing it over. Thanks a lot to the guys who have put a lot of thought into finding out why this was happening.

pete B

Michael Donne · April 4th, 2005, 01:27 PM

(this might appear twice as i submitted but got a 'cannot find page'.)

More thanks to Cosmin here as i would not have 'gone in' without his instructions.

I was getting a zoom outward that wouldnt stop.

I did the dismantle and clean....easy...but didnt work.

I opened up again and applied upward pressure with my finger to the copper strips on which the rocker switch sits.

Only did it on the faulty side and so gently there was no visible change to their resting position...i could feel by pressing down on them there was added resistance though.

Put back together and it works....for now anyway.

October 22nd, 2004, 06:14 AM	#31
Cosmin Rotaru Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Romania, Timisoara Posts: 453	:)) __________________ Cosmin Rotaru

November 17th, 2004, 12:36 PM	#32
Cosmin Rotaru Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Romania, Timisoara Posts: 453	As promised, two "hard core" pictures of my XM2: In order to change the zoom rocker, I had to remove the lateral of the camera. For that, I had to first remove the bottom of the camera: http://w1.226.telia.com/~u22607422/c...en_2_small.jpg In the 2nd pic you can see the lateral part of the camera removed: http://w1.226.telia.com/~u22607422/c...en_1_small.jpg In the bottom halve of the pic you can see the old and the new zoom rocker. This is the part I got from canon. So, NO, there's no need to change the whole door assembly! (I don't know if I could even do that!) BTW: the camera still works! :) __________________ Cosmin Rotaru

November 17th, 2004, 12:44 PM	#33
Charles King Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: sweden Posts: 795	Boy Cosmin, you are definately a brave person. ;) __________________ Charles 'What we perceive to be may not be what we believe to be.'

November 18th, 2004, 10:13 AM	#35
Cosmin Rotaru Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Romania, Timisoara Posts: 453	wanna see my brand new TV from inside? :) __________________ Cosmin Rotaru

November 25th, 2004, 05:17 AM	#38
Cosmin Rotaru Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Romania, Timisoara Posts: 453	http://w1.226.telia.com/~u22607422/c...en_1_small.jpg In the bottom halve of the pic you can see the old and the new zoom rocker. This is the part you should get changed. There's no need to change the whole door assembly. The zoom rocker comes with the ribbon attached. __________________ Cosmin Rotaru

November 17th, 2004, 03:24 PM	#34
Graham Bernard Old Boot Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London UK Posts: 3,633	Now, why does this remind me of THE TERMINATOR! . .. "I'll be BACK!" . .. Grazie

November 18th, 2004, 01:04 PM	#36
Graham Bernard Old Boot Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London UK Posts: 3,633	WILL SOMEBODY STOP HIM ! - NOW ! . . The Evil Is Out there Mulder . . .

November 24th, 2004, 12:59 PM	#37
Joseph Henry Tourist Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Ottawa Ontario Canada Posts: 4	I have had my GL2 for nearly 2 years and am just beginning to experience this zoom problem. I contacted the only Canon dealer in my city, and they have not had much experience fixing this problem. From what I've read in all the posts, I'm still not sure what to ask them to do. Should I suggest that they replace the door assembly? Or the ribbon, or both? I have an extra warranty on my credit card purchases but this will expire for the camera in 2 months. Any suggestions? Thanks.

January 12th, 2005, 02:12 PM	#39
Lee Wm. Gaudry New Boot Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 7	GL1 Zoom Rocker Cosmin Rotaru posted a wonderful set of instructions and photographs to help access the zoom rocker switch on the GL2. However, I am attempting the same thing on a GL1, which has a completely different on the inside door assembly. Help? __________________ Moooooo!

January 12th, 2005, 02:16 PM	#40
Cosmin Rotaru Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Romania, Timisoara Posts: 453	Sorry, I have no ideea on the GL1. Does the GL1 exhibit the same problem? Come over here and I'll help you disassemble your camcorder! :) __________________ Cosmin Rotaru

January 12th, 2005, 02:47 PM	#41
Lee Wm. Gaudry New Boot Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 7	GL1 Zoom I believe it is the same problem you fixed, The Rocker feels as if something is stuck in it. It sticks when zooming in. It is very annoying. The zoom still seems to work fine, even variably, but it mechanically sticks. When it first happened, it was stuck quite hard and had to be forced to even move. I'm hoping that continued use will smooth it out. As for bringing the camcorder over, Romania I am told is beautiful (one of my best friends hails from there). But it is rather far. (from Calgary, Canada). __________________ Moooooo!

January 13th, 2005, 04:05 AM	#42
Cosmin Rotaru Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Romania, Timisoara Posts: 453	A! Canada! It must be cold there, right now! :) Maybe the zoom rocker is frozen! :lol Now, my problem was a bit different. It was nothing mechanical. The zoom rocker did not behave wrong MECHANICALY, like you describe. Maybe something got into there? I gues you've seen the pics I' ve posted, about disassembling the zoom rocker? It shouldn't be very diferent from the GL1... hopefully! Maybe you'll manage to open the zoom rocker and clean it up. __________________ Cosmin Rotaru

January 13th, 2005, 10:21 AM	#43
David Woodland Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ky Posts: 54	So yeah.. I am pretty sure that my zoom problem has gone away. Atleast for the time being. It seems to happen a lot more when it is humid out or hot. During the summer I had so many problems with it but now it seems to be working fine. I may still send it in sometime while my warranty is still valid though. Just to make sure that nothing is wrong internally. Well thats all for now, take it easy board.

February 11th, 2005, 11:27 AM	#44
Peter Butler Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 61	I've just discovered this problem on my XM2. I've had the camera just over 2 years which by the sound of things is when it usually goes wrong. The thing is I've hardly used the camera but I did use it extensivley in 2003 when I visited the USA. It was a road trip and I travelled some really harsh places with a lot of heat, dust and sweat and I reckon that's where it's gone wrong. luckily I took out a 3 year warrenty so I think I'm going to let Canon sort this but this site is brilliant so i ccan show it to them before handing it over. Thanks a lot to the guys who have put a lot of thought into finding out why this was happening. pete B

April 4th, 2005, 01:27 PM	#45
Michael Donne Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: brighon uk Posts: 55	(this might appear twice as i submitted but got a 'cannot find page'.) More thanks to Cosmin here as i would not have 'gone in' without his instructions. I was getting a zoom outward that wouldnt stop. I did the dismantle and clean....easy...but didnt work. I opened up again and applied upward pressure with my finger to the copper strips on which the rocker switch sits. Only did it on the faulty side and so gently there was no visible change to their resting position...i could feel by pressing down on them there was added resistance though. Put back together and it works....for now anyway.