Getting artifacts/image jumping towards last 5 minutes of tape
 

Hi folks

On my XL1, I normally don't record right to the end of tapes (I use Fujifilm DV tapes all the time in SP mode). However, recently I recorded right to the end and during playback I'm getting what looks like frame skipping (image jumping).

Is this normal? I don't get this for the first 55 minutes. I noticed this recently on several tapes when I went over the 55 minute mark. I tried tape cleaner but it's still there. I'll try to play the tapes back on another camera to see if I get the same problem.

The ends of tapes are often not very reliable, although 5 mins is a rather long stretch of bad tape.

Tape is cut from sheets that are basically as wide as the tape is long. The edges of the sheets...the ends of the resultant tape...are most prone to anomalies in the metal oxide coating and to kinks.

It's not the whole last 5 minutes that I'm getting problems. It's just that during this last 5 minutes, I'm experiencing random dropouts, frame skipping, etc., intermittently. If I'm lucky sometime there is no problems during the last 5 minutes.

Maybe it's not about tape. You should take your camera to service check, because tape transport mechanism can sometime be problematic.

Mr Woo,

how old is your XL1? I have the same problem on my trusty
but now rusty XL1. My dropout problem was identical to yours
a while ago, but it is now much worse than yours.
I cannot use the first five minutes of tape
and have to stop recording by about the fourty minute mark.
You can hear the camera "whirring" as the tape transport
struggles to record/pause.

This dropout issue gets worse with every use, so I can only conclude that
both you and I are in need of a new transport. That said, unless
that repair is under a grand, I'm saving my money for an XL2.

I got my XL1 back in May 2001.

I, too, am saving up for the XL2.

I'm planning to keep the XL1 as a backup/2nd camera.

As I live in Quebec, I need to ship the camera to Toronto for any repairs and I'm always a bit concerned about shipping the camera. There is a local authorized Canon Dealer here in the Montreal area but all they do is just basic camera maintenance stuff such as head cleaning, etc.

Regards

Professionals do advice against recording the entire length of a tape because of what you're experiencing.This is normal.Avoid recording to the end,irrespective of what camera you are using.

Well folks, I sent in my XL1 for repairs and the esimates came back for the following repairs:

1) Replace recorder unit (what is this?)
2) Cushion Stand (what is this)
3) General cleaning and adjustments

all for $540.00 CDN Buckaroos ($1.99 USD <grin>)

Regards