This is no different than buying a new car and having to take it in to fix a bug. There will be occasional units that slip out with a defect from time to time.
Over the last 7 years I've had my GL1 and GL2 in for service a two or three times each (not bad considering the abuse that gets heaped on them shooting weddings and events)
Canon service has given me free service on a few occasions even though the equipment or service warranty had expired. They've screwed up a few times and not fixed the problem right first time, but unfortunately thats also the same thing as taking your car in to get it fixed as well. People are human and they make mistakes.
My A1 works fine so far ythough I've only used it for one gig.
Andy

No way. We're talking about *one* person who has an issue. The majority of folks are saying that they're not having any trouble at all. This thread is not going to be a "sticky" unless a lot of people are experiencing a problem, and so far that's not the case.

I'm very much against F.U.D. (fear, uncertainty and doubt), and if I stickied this thread then I would be guilty of spreading F.U.D., which would not be fair to anybody. Steven's particular issue seems to be one of a kind so far. Let's not lose our heads, please (heh) -- thanks in advance,

Cheers to that Chris. Mine has operated perfectly.

I had a GL-2 for over three years, as well as two one-chip Canons. They all gave this error once in a awhile but reinserting the tape once took care of it and it was never a problem. I was somewhat disappointed by the drop out rate that I started seeing after about 20 hours on the heads on two of these cameras. The GL-2 never got bad but I would see one or two drop outs per tape even after a factory service.

I hope things go somewhat better with the A1 I have on order.

By the way I just sold my GL-2 on ebay for $1400. I am amazed with the way the value has held up on these cameras. I paid maybe $2400 for the camera and a wide angle lens three years ago. To refer to another thread on this topic, I told my wife how much I got for the GL-2 but am being a bit vague about how much the A1 will cost :)

GL2 vs A1 Tape Mechanisms
 

I have used a GL2 for the past 3.5 years and ran hundres of tapes through it. I did have a tape handling related problem once and it was handled under a Mack warranty. I know some one else said the tape mechanisms are the same in these two cameras, but they sound very different to my ear.

I too have had my GL2 for at least three years now and have recorded in hundreds of tapes. I have never had any issue other than the occasional request for a head cleaning tape to be inserted.

Other than that the GL2 was never let me down.

I just took ownership of an XH-A1 two weeks ago though and just got back from Hawaii and my first real use of the A1. I recorded 11 tapes worth of the parties and bbq's I was attending. I just got it all captured last night and the stuff I've looked at so far is outstanding even in the low light shots.

I loved my GL2 but I knew I'd be getting a A1 when I saw the announcement.

So this shouldn't be a cause for concern as it is something which happens rarely and can be fixed easily. There is one solution though : Firestore.........

There should be no concern at this point, but if more users complain, then there might be issues of concern.

I am just happy to have such a fabulous cam.

I haven't had any problem. I thought at first the cassette didn't want to eject, but the door was pushing up against the hand strap that was too tight and hadn't opened all the way.

Well there are at least 2
 

I have an identical problem to Steven's, except that it doesn't matter what mode my camera is in. The tape is frequently rejected (This happens with JVC, Canon, and Panasonic Tapes) on first insertion. However, the tape is always accepted if you just shut the door the 2nd time. A minor annoyance, and I just haven't had a chance to have it checked out by Canon.

So by no means is this an isolated incident, and I feel that it is being under-reported, simply because it is an annoyance but doesn't prevent users from using their cameras. I have used mine for 2.5 months now, and finally decided to search if others were having similar problems.

Regarding the following statement by Adrian Paul Spiteri:

"I am lucky and have a repair facility locally. I got to know the tech in the process of figuring out the problem. Basically according to the tech the pinch rollers have to be replaced. It is part of the tape drive mechanism. The tech told me that the motors try to place a specific amount of tension on the tape as it is pulled over the heads. I guess the pinch rollers are a little set of gears that help keep the pressure constant. If the pressure varies just the tiniest bit it stops and wants to eject the tape because it thinks the tape has ended or something."

I am the one quoted in that statement. After the GL2 fiasco I swore off ever getting a Canon as well but the A1 changed my mind. Every time I insert the cassette I wonder if it will pop up again on me. I am really hoping it is a different or updated tape mechanism. I don't want to go through the hassle again....at least my local tech has an idea of how to get it fixed though. Whoever had the original problem in this post, if you are located in the middle of the US, there is a repair facility here in Wisconsin that is familiar with the problem in GL2s and may have an idea of how to fix it...especially if still in warranty.

Hi Nick, you are being careful and making sure to push the tape transport chassis before actually shutting the door, right?

Yes I am closing the loading mechanism before the door. I'd hope I wouldn't overlook the big yellow, do not press, and press here labels. (I first thought it was some sort of user error, but after shutting the mechanism in a variety of ways, with various tapes, I can guarantee that it is a mechanical problem. However I am still at a loss as to why the tape is always accepted upon the 2nd closing). I submitted the problem to Canon, and I'll post an update here if they tell me anything interesting. Now I just need to plan a week or so where I can part with it for repair.

Man, I apologize for asking you that question, but you'd be surprised how many people miss that step.

I had this problem on an out of warranty gl2 some years back. The warning almost always cleared up if I just removed the battery. Started intermittent and then became consistent almost every time I rewound the tape, and often at the beginning of a tape. Sometimes had to remove the battery 2 or 3 times before the error cleared.

As a last resort before sending it back to Canon I followed some instructions I found here about dripping some lens cleaner onto a particular cog in the tape transport. This worked immediately but the problem came back after a day or two. After half a dozen applications the problem went away and never returned.