My camera is failing.... at DVinfo.net

Agus Casse · November 20th, 2003, 02:13 AM

DAmn. i got a TRV18 from sony.. and now exactly from a year of bought all the whole front module... night shot light, rec light, focus/infinit button, fader button, infrared sensor for the remote, and focus wheel, are not working...

anyone know of a utilty test software for the camera... or a secret menu to run any kind of diagnostics ?

Glenn Chan · November 20th, 2003, 04:29 PM

There is a device that plugs into the camera's LANC port and can be used to diagnose the camera for certain things like the amount of hours on the tape heads. I doubt that it would solve your problem though. Something inside is probably physically damaged (maybe a disconnected wire).

You're probably better off getting your camera repaired at a Sony repair center. There are lots of them.

Tim Frank · November 20th, 2003, 08:31 PM

I've had a TRV18 and got rid of it because the firewire stopped working. Honestly, the cheapest way to go is sell your camera on eBay with the known problems listed. You'll get more than you thought you would for it, then just buy whichever replacement camera you want. People will have things happen to their camcorder such as the tape deck will break or other various things and they will look for cameras like this to fix theirs with. Its cheaper for them and for you. You might even be able to just buy another TRV18 and replace the boards in it. I've done this with a TRV330, and a TRV530. I swapped some parts inside and I got a working TRV530!

Frank Granovski · November 20th, 2003, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Honestly, the cheapest way to go is sell your camera on eBay with the known problems listed.

...or not listed. This is what I keep telling people about why buying anything from ebay is risky. Not all sellers are forthcoming about the the item's true condition.

Tim Frank · November 20th, 2003, 10:13 PM

If you know what you are looking for...you should not have any problems. The ones who have problems are the people who think eBay is this magical place where everything is perfect, nobody tries to scam everybody and every auction is a good deal. I've had GREAT luck because I know how to buy on ebay, why are you so against it??? I got my TRV950 on eBay, along with every single other camera I have and for MUCH cheaper than I could have gotten it anywhere else.

Frank Granovski · November 20th, 2003, 11:20 PM

Quote:

if you know what you are looking for...you should not have any problems.

That's wishful thinking. I don't have anything against e-bay. I've bought a lot from there. It's just that buyers get ripped off a lot, and even a 100% positive feedback history from the seller doesn't guarantee the buyer from a bad buy or getting ripped off by a crook---never receiving the item. Didn't someone just post here that they were looking to purchase SOMEONE ELSE'S EBAY account, using some lame excuse that they can't get a checking account? This is one way how frauds occur on ebay: some crook buys someone else's account with a 100% positive feedback record and then proceeds to do the dirty deed or deeds.

Tim Frank · November 20th, 2003, 11:38 PM

The entire time I was talking about my TRV950 you kept telling me how I shouldn't buy it on eBay blah blah blah about it. Well I bought it on eBay, I paid a lot less for it, brand new, with a 128mb memory stick, memory stick reader, and camera bag, all shipped overnight. I saved about $400-$500 from buying it somewhere else. I knew what to look for in an auction and I got my stuff. Yeah there are rare circumstances wehre something doesn't go right but once again there will always be a catch or sometime the seller did fishy that should tip the buyer off. You seem to want to argue me every time I say go look on eBay or sell it on eBay about how bad it is.....I'd like to think if somebody was smart enough to post on here about it, they'd use common sense when doing something on eBay. Nothing on eBay guarentees anything but looking for the right stuff does. I bought from a seller that sells cameras...and only cameras...they have a phone number and 15,000 feedback. If something went wrong I would have another avenue to pursue besides just an e-mail.

Agus Casse · November 20th, 2003, 11:57 PM

I talk with tye sony people here in Guatemala, i was amaze how profesional they were... they will make me a 25% discount cause i bought it from them... and the problems seens to be very simple like a simple wire or board burned...

The problem is that i use my camera all the time and i dont have time to take it, but perhaps i will next week.

Frank Granovski · November 21st, 2003, 12:05 AM

Good luck. Agus. But do get it fixed soon so that Sony won't forget about you. :)

Bryan Beasleigh · November 21st, 2003, 01:09 AM

Tim, you've been real lucky so far, Frank wasn't being mean he was trying to share some real life experience.

Tim Frank · November 21st, 2003, 03:20 PM

Ah, Guatemala would present different circumstances than in the US. Frank, I forget that you're in the UK, eBay must just be more popular here and a known way to conduct these transactions. I also don't think its luck, just somebody doing their research.

Frank Granovski · November 21st, 2003, 04:05 PM

I'm in Canada, Tim. I was talking about www.ebay.com. What's the difference whether you live in Canada, the USA or Guatemala? People sell and buy through ebay from all over the world. By the way, it was an Iranian couple who had moved to the USA that started ebay. I certainly agree with you about doing the research bit, however, this still doesn't get you a guarantee that you won't get ripped off.

Tim Frank · November 21st, 2003, 04:52 PM

I'm sorry, I meant Canada, but I was thinking of how most of the other people here from the UK if not Canadian or US

Frank Granovski · November 21st, 2003, 06:00 PM

Yes, being in British Columbia, I can see why some might think I like in the UK. But living in Canada gives me the option to get better deals from our good neighbours down south. That's why I always go with what Bryan Beasleigh says about new order buying: Don't get ca'sucked with camcorder glitz, cross the damn border don't be a ditz. Selection is great and really cheap, don't have to dig deep go take the leap. :-)

Or just order online from here: http://www.bhphotovideo.com

PS: Now if I would have Manitoba listed as the place where I live, members might be asking, "Where's that? Is that 'Down-Under' or something?" :-)

Glenn Chan · November 21st, 2003, 11:09 PM

Going slightly off topic, buying from Canada sucks because:
A- Most stores don't sell to Canada
B- Even if they did, you have to pay brokerage feeds.
My old school ordered DV tapes and the brokerage fees cost nearly as much as the tapes!!!

November 20th, 2003, 02:13 AM	#1
Agus Casse Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Guatemala Posts: 322	My camera is failing.... DAmn. i got a TRV18 from sony.. and now exactly from a year of bought all the whole front module... night shot light, rec light, focus/infinit button, fader button, infrared sensor for the remote, and focus wheel, are not working... anyone know of a utilty test software for the camera... or a secret menu to run any kind of diagnostics ?

November 20th, 2003, 04:29 PM	#2
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	There is a device that plugs into the camera's LANC port and can be used to diagnose the camera for certain things like the amount of hours on the tape heads. I doubt that it would solve your problem though. Something inside is probably physically damaged (maybe a disconnected wire). You're probably better off getting your camera repaired at a Sony repair center. There are lots of them.

November 20th, 2003, 08:31 PM	#3
Tim Frank Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: TN Posts: 166	I've had a TRV18 and got rid of it because the firewire stopped working. Honestly, the cheapest way to go is sell your camera on eBay with the known problems listed. You'll get more than you thought you would for it, then just buy whichever replacement camera you want. People will have things happen to their camcorder such as the tape deck will break or other various things and they will look for cameras like this to fix theirs with. Its cheaper for them and for you. You might even be able to just buy another TRV18 and replace the boards in it. I've done this with a TRV330, and a TRV530. I swapped some parts inside and I got a working TRV530!

November 20th, 2003, 10:13 PM	#5
Tim Frank Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: TN Posts: 166	If you know what you are looking for...you should not have any problems. The ones who have problems are the people who think eBay is this magical place where everything is perfect, nobody tries to scam everybody and every auction is a good deal. I've had GREAT luck because I know how to buy on ebay, why are you so against it??? I got my TRV950 on eBay, along with every single other camera I have and for MUCH cheaper than I could have gotten it anywhere else.

November 20th, 2003, 11:38 PM	#7
Tim Frank Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: TN Posts: 166	The entire time I was talking about my TRV950 you kept telling me how I shouldn't buy it on eBay blah blah blah about it. Well I bought it on eBay, I paid a lot less for it, brand new, with a 128mb memory stick, memory stick reader, and camera bag, all shipped overnight. I saved about $400-$500 from buying it somewhere else. I knew what to look for in an auction and I got my stuff. Yeah there are rare circumstances wehre something doesn't go right but once again there will always be a catch or sometime the seller did fishy that should tip the buyer off. You seem to want to argue me every time I say go look on eBay or sell it on eBay about how bad it is.....I'd like to think if somebody was smart enough to post on here about it, they'd use common sense when doing something on eBay. Nothing on eBay guarentees anything but looking for the right stuff does. I bought from a seller that sells cameras...and only cameras...they have a phone number and 15,000 feedback. If something went wrong I would have another avenue to pursue besides just an e-mail.

November 20th, 2003, 11:57 PM	#8
Agus Casse Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Guatemala Posts: 322	I talk with tye sony people here in Guatemala, i was amaze how profesional they were... they will make me a 25% discount cause i bought it from them... and the problems seens to be very simple like a simple wire or board burned... The problem is that i use my camera all the time and i dont have time to take it, but perhaps i will next week.

November 21st, 2003, 12:05 AM	#9
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Good luck. Agus. But do get it fixed soon so that Sony won't forget about you. :)

November 21st, 2003, 01:09 AM	#10
Bryan Beasleigh Trustee Join Date: May 2002 Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,922	Tim, you've been real lucky so far, Frank wasn't being mean he was trying to share some real life experience.

November 21st, 2003, 03:20 PM	#11
Tim Frank Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: TN Posts: 166	Ah, Guatemala would present different circumstances than in the US. Frank, I forget that you're in the UK, eBay must just be more popular here and a known way to conduct these transactions. I also don't think its luck, just somebody doing their research.

November 21st, 2003, 04:05 PM	#12
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	I'm in Canada, Tim. I was talking about www.ebay.com. What's the difference whether you live in Canada, the USA or Guatemala? People sell and buy through ebay from all over the world. By the way, it was an Iranian couple who had moved to the USA that started ebay. I certainly agree with you about doing the research bit, however, this still doesn't get you a guarantee that you won't get ripped off.

November 21st, 2003, 04:52 PM	#13
Tim Frank Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: TN Posts: 166	I'm sorry, I meant Canada, but I was thinking of how most of the other people here from the UK if not Canadian or US

November 21st, 2003, 06:00 PM	#14
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Yes, being in British Columbia, I can see why some might think I like in the UK. But living in Canada gives me the option to get better deals from our good neighbours down south. That's why I always go with what Bryan Beasleigh says about new order buying: Don't get ca'sucked with camcorder glitz, cross the damn border don't be a ditz. Selection is great and really cheap, don't have to dig deep go take the leap. :-) Or just order online from here: http://www.bhphotovideo.com PS: Now if I would have Manitoba listed as the place where I live, members might be asking, "Where's that? Is that 'Down-Under' or something?" :-)

November 21st, 2003, 11:09 PM	#15
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	Going slightly off topic, buying from Canada sucks because: A- Most stores don't sell to Canada B- Even if they did, you have to pay brokerage feeds. My old school ordered DV tapes and the brokerage fees cost nearly as much as the tapes!!!