I purchased my XL-1 used through craigslist a few months back, and recently got it damaged during a gig. While in any of the record modes, I cannot put in or take out the DV tape, nor can I get the menu to display or the audio meter light to come on.

I am now looking to send it in to Canon to get it repaired, but there is no serial number underneath the battery. Is it possibly located somewhere else on the camera, or am I stuck with an unfixable stolen camera?

Has anyone else on here had this problem/known someone who has had this problem? I really can't afford to lose the camera.

Hi Mark,

That is a strange situation. I don't think Canon will confiscate your camera. Give them a call and see what they advise. Contact info located here:

http://www.dvinfo.net/canon/skinny.php#service

No tag in the battery compartment with a mfgr date and barcode serial number? Odd! The battery compartment is a unit part, annotated as "no stock" in the service manual. Chris' suggestionto call Canon makes sense.

Check if there is a serial number on the lens. (It is on the black back surface of the lens in the mount.) If that is missing the camcorder may have an interesting past. But Canon can probably track the lens number if it was registered by a previous owner.

Thank you for your suggestions, guys.

I will definitely call them and inquire what to do. I just figured asking here first for any similar experiances couldn't hurt.

There is a serial number on the back of the lens, but I was searching around this board, or perhaps another, and saw that it is a different serial number. I'm hoping this isn't stolen, as I really don't want to give it up.

I will update after I've talked to Canon.

If possable check with party you purchased the Camera from They may have it. It sounds like the battery holder was replaced at one time they usualy do not have serial numbers the sitcker has to be taken from the old unit.

The lens is usually mapped to the camcorder body when shipped and initiially registered with Canon, so you might be able to use the lens serial to determine the likely body serial number - if it is the original lens.