VX2100 stopped showing any onscreen displays!
 

2 weeks ago I noticed my Sony Charger stopped charging my batteries after a few seconds...even though I knew they were very low. I'd connect them, the yellow light would come on and then go off after a few seconds. So I tried charging them on my girlfriend's charger, she has a Sony still cam that uses the same L batteries and it worked fine. Problem solved....for now.



Now this week I go to charge my batteries on my VX beings my external charger is apparently 86'd. And everything goes smoothly. I hook up an NP-960 and hit the sac. The next morning the digital read-out reads "FULL" so I take it off and put another batter on to charge. No digital readout at all. I wait, and wait...nothing. I put the original NP-960 on (that charged overnight) no digital read-out on that either?! I turn the camera on, it powers on fine but I have NO onscreen messages or menus. I hit the "display button"...nothing, I hit "menu" nothing. Toggling on and off manual iris still works because I can see the image get brighter and darker. All the buttons seem to work but no visual indication on screen. I hit "reset" on the camera and tried again...still nothing. No digital read-out on the back of the lcd, and no displays on the lcd?!



What could be the problem?! Thanks in advance everyone.

Does the 2100 have an internal 2025 style battery in it?
Maybe try removing that and wait a few minutes and re-insert?

Have you tried that battery (the one charged with the VX2100) on your PD170?

What happens if you run the camera without a battery on AC power?

Jeff, yeah I believe it does have an internal battery but I don't know how to access it. It's like like on my DVX100. I can only hope it can be that simple...though I don't know that an internal battery could effect anything but the internal clock. All my visual menus are gone. They are accessable (albiet invisibly) and they all work but no visual representation on the LCD, or viewfinder.

I might have to start thinking about sending it in for service. The trick is..do I send it now or finish the last 3 weddings of the season first? I tested the camera and it still records fine. So I can utilize it as my backup/rear-balcony static camera for now.

I have a Mack warranty on it but have hear horror stories about their service in regards to length of turn around and damaging equipment.

So it does the same thing running on AC power only?

Yes. Same thing on AC power and whatever battery I connect.

Is there any sort of reset other than the little reset button. Maybe a hard-reset?

I'm assuming that nothing happens if you push the 'Display' button on the side of the camera under the LCD?

Yeah that was the first thing I tried. I understand though- you kind HAVE to ask those questions just to week out the obvious.

What's odd was the camera worked fine during last weeks weddings. Even last night when I connected a battery to it to be charged on the camera it had the display on the outside of the LCD telling me the remaining time left, etc. As soon as I removed the batter and attached another one- the little display on the back of the LCD never came back and I turned on the cam to notice it isn't showing any data on the internal LCD or the VF. Nor or any of the menus visible. Just a clean LCD screen with no onscreen data.

They must be related- the LCD, viewfinder, and LCD "info" screen. Maybe it's a circuit that controls them all?

Mike, any other things you think I should try before I give up and send it in for service? Thanks for the insight.

Nothing I can think of. It might be worth a call to the Sony service center to see if that is something that happens to many cameras. This is the first time I've heard of this happening.

Just another sanity check. You did hold the reset button down for 10 seconds or so? All the menu items did return to their default settings?

Nothing I can think of. It might be worth a call to the Sony service center to see if that is something that happens to many cameras. This is the first time I've heard of this happening.
That's probably my best bet. If it's something simple they might be able to tell me how to get it set straight. They'd also be able to tell me if this is a service only issue.

Just another sanity check. You did hold the reset button down for 10 seconds or so? All the menu items did return to their default settings?
Yeah I tried hitting and letting go (immediately) and I tried holding it and counting to 10. Maybe I should try for 20 seconds. I left it connected to the AC w/o battery overnight just to see....nope, still isn't fixed.

It's difficult to tell if it's reverted to default settings beings all the settings are invisible but I'd have to assume so beings I heard a chime when I hit the record button. Something I surely turned off.

I'll be using it today as a balcony c.y.a camera, and more than likely for my last 2 other weddings this season. After then I can take the time to send it in if need be. Right now unfortunately I need it. It's either that or use a DVC80 as my secondary cam.