It's nothing to do with cleaning the heads or leaving a tape in, nor what brand of tape you use. First time I got the error was in a brand new camera after 3 tapes run thru it. The second time was after 5 more tapes. It is apparently a mis alignment of some of the rollers and pins in the tape carrige mechanism. I had the whole mechanism replaced and have had no further problems. (Touch wood).

I almost always get this message when trying to rewind with my XM2. I have to resort to rewinding by shuttling. Does doing this a lot damage anything?

I have had this problem since the camera was brand new.

I have always used the same brand of tapes (Panasonic).

I have never left a tape in the camera.

I have always been extremely careful and gentle with the camera.

Has anyone else tried Cosmin's technique for fixing it?

Cosmin could you give a more in-depth description and explanation of how to do it. Do I drop alcohol with a pipette and how much? What kind of alcohol does it like best?

Maxell tapes
 

I have used maxell tapes for three years on my XL1s and never had a problem, it was when i started switching from different brands of tapes that i started getting problems. Also never use the maxell head cleaner i used it in my JVC mini DV and i had nothing but problems after with recording. I would order a Canon head cleaner.

I may be wrong, but, isn't that because this is a problem that effects the GL2 (known as XM2 in the UK)...?

I just wanted to add my experience to the morass with my GL2 (in case quantity will help any, I guess...). I've had the camera for maybe 18 months. I use it about 10 to 15 hours/month. I have the same care for my camera as Justin for the most part, although I have used about 5 JVC tapes in the camera. Other than that, it's been Panasonic (first consumer, then professional when I looked for an supplier of 80-minute tapes). I've always rewound and ejected the tape (more to prevent any type of crease in the tape). I've used a Panasonic dry head cleaner prior to my last few shoots, as I've started seeing artifacts in recorded tapes if I don't.

Anyhow, so I got that issue on my last shoot, and jumped on the 'Net real quick and saw all this information. I sent my camera to the Canon FSC in Irvine, CA. The out-of-warranty fix was $272.79, including shipping. The word from Canon was, "The GL line does not qualify for the discounted repair" that the CSR I talked to mentioned to ask for (a $50 fix). The FSC received the camera on a Tuesday, sent me an email estimate on Wednesday, which I immediately approved. The repair was completed by the next Wednesday, and I had the camera back on Friday (after a trip to Fedex because Canon did not notify me that the camera had shipped, nor did they update the Web site repair status to show "Shipped" until Friday). I was not real impressed by the FSC customer service--I could not get a straight answer about the repair progress or ETA for fixing. The lady always sounded like it was such a bother to answer the phone.

To finish up, I've rewound a tape or two, and it seems to work OK. I have a shoot this weekend, but I'm getting an FS-4 and an external rewinder. Hopefully I'll get more at least another 18 months outta this thing before it breaks again...

Thanks,
Matt

Re: Cosmin's Possible Solve
 

Hi All

I thought I should pass on the outcome of some hands on experimenting based on comments posted in this and other threads regards the "Remove Cassette" error.

To back track slightly, I bought a XM2 a few months ago which was intermittantly showing the error, a fact that was represented in the price I paid for it. However since then the problem became far worse, far too quickly, to the extent that even the rewind in play mode trick failed to work.
I have subsequently had a number of fruitless telephone conversations with the Canon (Dis-)Service Dept, who were not even prepared to give me a ball-park figure for the repair untill they had the camera in their clutches. Not even when I asked if they could give me a price for a straight replacment of the tape transporter. I was however informed that they charge £60/hr for their engineers time! ("The smaller the hammer the higher the pay" principle, I guess).

So being at the point of not having a lot to lose I thought I'd give the alcohol clean a go. I therefore probed about with a cottonwool ear bud soaked in methylated spirit. Managed to get a drop on the wheel depicted by Cosmin, then had a bit more of a poke about, giving the rubber rollers and a flat looking wheel with what looks a little like a contact breaker bit of a going over. However I then realised that a cotton bud is NOT the thing to use as it had left masses of cotton fibers attached to every hook and corner within the compartment!

Cleaned all this out, waited a while for everyting to dry off and tried a new tape.

The thing ate it, totally chewed it up as soon as it was inserted then gave me the "Remove Cassette" error!

Problem had to be drag caused by components still being damp from the alcohol so based on this, the fact that Cosmin had recommended leaving the cassette tray open over night, another post (sorry I forget from whome) regards leaving your camera out in Californian sunlight (I wish) and the fact that by now I just wanted to tourture the damned thing, I took a hair dryer to it.

Blasted away into the open cassette tray for a minute or so untill I realised that the thing had become too hot to touch (oops)!!

Let it cool, tried a tape, fastforward then full speed fast rewind NO ERROR MESSAGE!!! :-)

I have up till now only dared 3 full speed rewinds but so far so good. I have decided however to buy a Maxell rewinder to be on the safe side.

As for as whether it was the cleaning or the hairdryer that was the major factor in the fix I cannot tell. However the fact that one of the triggers for the remove cassette message is damp, the hairdryer may be worth trying. Another factor in play may be heat and bearing lubricant related?

Just be aware that things get very hot very quickly.

Hope this insight may help someone in some small way.

Regards

Gaive

Return of the Error
 

After peparing four tapes for use by fast forwarding and then a rewind (is this really of any benefit I wonder?) the fith produced the error message again 5 mins of tape before the begining at the end of the rewind.
Hand winding didn't solve the problem which got worse eventually culminating in a chewed tape.

However in the ensuing battle I have gained more insight into the workings of my nemesis, the tape transporter.

The problem appears to be tape specific, not so much manufacturer/tape lube or the like. During the couple of hours swapping tapes around I found that it was always the same tapes that were giving problems. Even to the extent that it was at the same point of the tape that the error would appear (though this may have just been a faulty tape, it was reluctant at times to hand wind). Old tapes recorded three years ago on a Sony Handicam worked OK (though I don't know how much interaction with the Canon they would endure). Others tapes would function OK after a hand crank, possibly by releasing an over tight portion of tape.

It may be that the original quality of the tape influences over-sensitive (drag?) sensors to reject the tape or the fault may be initiated by the uneven rewind which then triggers the problem. Then again there may be no over-wind and no tape quality issue, just faulty sensors. This the crux of the matter, which Canon obviously don't want to address.

It would be nice if it were possible to flash the afflicted cams to knock out the error report or at least find a way of preventing whatever sensory mechanism is in place from working.

So in summary the alcohol and hairdryer have helped but not provided a long term fix. Perhaps a more thorough clean is required? Though IMHO over sensitivity in the error reporting seems to be at the very least a contriburaty factor if not the root cause.

Keep on capturing

Gaive

Yes. That's what I'm talkin' about. See post #11 in this thread.

Arghh!
 

Hit by the same problem! Went to rewind a tape and got the error message. Trouble was the tape itself wouldn't eject. So it's now residing with Canon UK. I'm waiting to hear the bad news about the quote to fix it ... is anyone able to give me an idea?

My XM2 is 2 years old - put about 20 films through it. Last 15 have all been Panasonic.

Hello Paul, Hope your course went/is going well :)

I have not had the dreaded message (yet) but did have a problem ejecting a tape. It happened as I was attempting to change tapes before the wedding ceremony, "itwould not eject" - panic as the bride was about to walk in. Luckily I had 14 mins on the tape left (and a 2nd cam) so I waited till the 1st hymn and attempted again. No luck at all till I removed the battery and replaced, the tape came out thankfully. One thing I have noticed is if you open the tape door and do not wait for the engage to finish you can have problems so give it a few seconds.

Hi i now there has been a problem with the entire canon camcorders with this message. i have read 100s of posts about this problem. sometime you can solve this problem by using a tape head cleaner. if this doesn't work you have to send it off to canon in hong kong to get it fixed it as long as it is still proteted. Also i have noticed that this happen mostly with the NSTC version of the camcorder. I find PAL dont get these messages.

Unfortunately that is incorrect. Mine is PAL and has this problem.

Just got the quote back for Canon for my XM2:

'Unit requires tape mechanism assembly (Recorder unit, Drive Gear Assembly, and Idler gear Assembly)'.

Total cost to replace, check and ship:

$414 or £232,

Ouch!

I think my XM2 is great, but am a bit miffed that I have to pay so much for what appears to be a design fault. I also would be contacting Canon to see if this fix resolves the problem or will I be faced with the same situation in 20 tapes time?

Comments?

Paul.

Hi Paul, please find out if there is a warranty on that work and if so, what the warranty period is -- thanks,

The work is guaranteed for 6 months.

Paul.