XL2 main fuse blown -- FU-1000 culprit!
 

I know this has been posted before, but i think it wise to repost because i have now had this experience twice in less than 2 months.

Bought XL2 at Zotz from Brian March 3. It blew main fuse with FU-1000 CRT viewfinder on it.
Being the sport he is, Brian took the camera back and replaced it with a brand new one. I called canon and they 'knew noting about FU-1000 incompatabilities' (i suspect they just always blame the customer and say they removed a lens while camera on etc, etc).

New XL2 in hands. Shooting with FU-1000 on it before heading off for important work where i cant have this thing blowing. With camera on, 16x manual lens, following all the rules, PUT IT IN STANDBY AND POOF!
That was it! This was the EXACT same thing i did that blew it last time, but just couldnt remember (repressed memory from trauma???).

This has been mentioned a couple times in posts, but if you dont know to look for it you wont know about it. So here i sit, no new camera or FU-1000 (sent in with camera at canons demand) to use on my XL1 in the meantime. I am also looking at eating the $40 shipping charge on top of it all. And, the FU was just serviced at canon a few months ago (because i accidently pulled the FU plug out from my XL1 and it blew the FU fuse) so its fine.

Just warning the community about this.

SO, NEVER, EVER, EVER PUT YOUR XL2 IN STANDBY WITH AN FU-1000 B/W VIEWFINDER ON IT.

greg

Wierd. I do it all the time (XL2, Manual Lens and FU1000) and never had problems.

It gives a sad new meaning to the "F.U." in FU-1000.

That was in bad taste.

DJ

<technician mode on>

If you think for a moment about the commonality in Gregory's situation, it is that two different cameras have been adversely affected by the same FU-1000 unit. I have the same set up and have never blown the fuse by going to standby. I suspect the FU-1000 that Gregory has is defective, hence the reason Canon wanted it sent in with the camera this time.

The truth is, this shouldn't happen and it should be okay to put the camera in standby without a fuse blowing. But, I think this is more an individual v/f issue than a widespread camera body issue.

<technician mode off>

None the less, proceed with caution at your own risk.

-gb-

I 've put mine into standby many times and never had a problem (20x lems, fu 1000). Now my WA 3x lens is a different story. In 14 months, it's been back to Canon 3 times?
Fingers crossed...
Bruce Yarock

I have suffered the main fuse blowing (same setup FU1000 & XL2). I always powered down the camera before removing lenses or changing v/fs but perhaps I was a little quick. When you you power down there is still some activity in the camera (you can here the tape mechanism for example). So now, not only do I power down, I unplug the CH910 or pull out the battery before changing anything.

I have a theory: The FU-1000 is a small CRT-monitor, right? It contains of a cathode-ray tube, lots of coils consuming current. It takes some time after shutting down before all current vanish from these coils. If you disconnect anything before the currentflow has ceased, I would guess that this could blow a fuse?

Any comments?

- Per Johan

When the FU-1000 is plugged, or unplugged, the power has to be off completely, do not put the camera in standby mode.

If it's the same viewfinder, then maybe the viewfinder has a problem. I often put the camera in standby and haven't had a problem (16 Manual lens, FU-1000). Send the viewfinder to Canon and have them check it out.

Also, before you turn the camera on, make sure that the viewfinder plug is firmly seated and pushed all the way in. Check by pushing it it each time before you turn the camera on. It's best to keep it plugged in all the time.

Wait a few seconds after turning the camera power off. Some video cameras need about 6-10 seconds for the various mechanisms and electronics to power down.

Haven't used the 3x lens, heard it was a dog. Sorry Bruce.

interesting variety of responses
 

yes, it is possible i have a problem with my fu. thing is , as i said, it was just to canon maybe 6 weeks before.
worth restating: i unplugged nothing at all from the xl2. plug firmly in place.

i really want to remain optimistic that this is going to work for me, so i shall continue with my using of the fu/xl2 combo and hope for the best.

thanks, encouraged to hear of people absolutely sure they put their xl2 in standby w/ the fu-1000 on and no problems.

I have had no problem with the FU-1000. Always power of before you attach or disconnect anything to the XL2.

No Power Getting to my XL2
 

I was just about to film and put my panasonic miniDV tape in my XL2 when I discovered that nothing happened when I put my tape in...the camcorder was dead!

I had just used the XL2 two days before and it worked fine. I booted up my battery pack. The one I use is the one I got from Zotz Digital and it has about 8 hours on two batteries, it was fully charged.

I tried plugging the XL2 in with the coupler to an outlet, not using the batteries, to no avail.

I couldn't go to VTR mode or any other, the light didn't come on at all.

I've tried everything I can think of, but can't seem to fix this.

I'm going to take the cam to Canon, but I thought I'd ask this forum about this problem. The cam is a little under one year old and I'm surprised that I would have problems like this. I had to return my first XL2 because the 20X lens was defective, so this is my second one. I'm discouraged.

Does anyone know the reasons why the power wouldn't be getting to the camcorder? is it the coupler, or a fuse, or what could it be? is there any way I could try something myself to fix this? Thanks to anyone who can help me!

Likely that the internal fuse is blown. Bad news is that it isn't user replaceable. A call or trip to Canon is probably in order.

-gb-

Greg:

That's what Brian at zotzdigital told me, but isn't this unusual for a newer XL2? I've had it a little under a year, and haven't used it constantly....pretty light usuage to blow a fuse I would think. Is this common? what causes it? It's been pretty humid here, could that cause this? and if they fix it will it be ok? I'm sort of loosing confidence in this camcorder. I've always loved Canon products, but as I mentioned before, I had to return the first one because of a defective lens and now this....makes me shakey with this camcorder. What do you think? Sorry, but I could use feedback right now. I'm feeling pretty unhappy about this.

One more thing: I read on another thread about a sony camcorder and battery issues, someone asked about the little cadmium coin type battery you put in for the date and time, etc., and if that expired, would it cause the camcorder to not power up? I wondered about this and asked Canon and the fellow said know, but this is the only thing I haven't tried yet. Anyone have any suggestions about this?

No, that wouldn't give you any power issues. That battery just keeps the date and time, and preserves some camera settings.

There was at least one thread a while back about the fuse issue, and I think that everyone managed to come to a consensus as to what was causing it. I know that doesn't help you now though. Sorry.

Hi Jarrod,

I read through that whole post. Still not sure what caused it with my XL2 tho'. Sounds like it's a problem, or weakness with this system. I guess I'll find out what it is and what caused it when I go to Canon with it.

Fu-1000?
 

Lucinda,

Just to clarify, because I don't think you've said: do you use the FU-1000? If not, this would seem to be the first blown fuse reported on this board without an FU-1000 on the cam.

I've been hoping since I first read of this problem a while back that the CRT viewfinder was to blame, and that I would therefore have no problems since I use the stock VF. If we can rule out the FU-1000 connection, then this suddenly begins to look like a much more systematic problem with the camera's electrical system. That thought scares me. I know, paranoid. But I can't help it.

Anyway, I hope you get your cam back in one piece, and that you don't have to spend anything on the repairs.

Good luck.

I stand corrected. There's at least one other case that involved hot-plugging the firewire.

Lucinda, any connection there to your situation?

I'm afraid I'm just going to have to start powering down any time I connect or disconnect anything, even the freakin' composite cable. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Jarrod,

Hate to be an ignoramous, but what's FU-1000?.....I don't use the firewire connection on my XL2, just the SVHS and the rca cables, audio and sometimes video. I've connected to a dvd player to see if I could get a larger better image and that was horrendous and then I now have a JVC video monitor and I connect with the SVHS cable, just for the video monitoring.

I'm afraid it could be an electrical problem too. I have no way of knowing. I do know that the battery pack, the big one I have on the back that I got from Brian at ZotzDigital, and the AC connection don't work..in other words for some reason I'm not getting any power. I hope it's some easy fix and if not that they can fix it and I don't have to go back and back as some people have had to on this forum.

Ugh!

Tell me what you mean tho' about the FU-1000? sorry I don't recall that right at the moment.

The FU-1000 (world's worst model number) is the optional monochrome CRT viewfinder for the Canon XL camcorder series. It is notorious for being the primary cause of blown master fuses in the XL2. That's why Jarrod was asking about it.

Thanks Chris. No, I use the viewfinder that came with the XL2 and the 20X lens. I read about that on the post about the blown fuses......

If this is an electrical problem isn't that covered under the warranty?

Unless they try to say it was your fault somehow, which would technically void the warranty... Fortunately, I've only heard of that happening once, and it was very early on in the camera's existence.

What could you possibly do to make it your own fault?

Well, one of the guys in another thread said Canon swore that he had either removed or mounted a lens while the camera was on, and that this was the cause of the problem. Apparently, this was simply not true. They charged him $600.

But again, his fuse issue occured earlier than anyone else's, seemingly. Everyone since seems to have received free repairs.

I need to shut up, I'm just making you even more worried. Sorry. :)

You could change lenses without first powering down the camera. That would cross electrical contacts and possibly blow the main fuse, and yes it would be your fault.

*edit* -- Simultaneous post! -- Jinx on you, Jarrod!

D'OH! :)

OK, I'll be quiet.

Luckily, I've never changed the lens. Except for this evening when Brian Longley at ZotzDigital said that sometimes if the lens is mounted incorrectly the camcorder won't power up. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. I took it off and put it back on, but the camcorder still didn't power up.

Listen: obviously, I won't find anything out until Canon checks the camcorder. I just hate waiting for important answers, but I guess that's the name of this game. I'll certainly pass on anything of interest to this forum. Thanks again for your solicitude!

Lucinda, by all means please report back and tell us about your experience with this. We'd like to know how it goes for you. Thanks in advance,

It Was Me
 

Lucinda, I had the EXACT same issue, and kept that thread going last year for quite a while. WhileI never really figured out what was causing it, I think I have a pretty good idea and it has never come back.
I was using my camera with the firewire plugged into the computer for downloading DV into the computer. One day into a download I smelled that unique odor of electronics burning, and nothing would work. I couldn't even get the tape out of the cam. I was told it was the cable, sent the cam back to Canon, they fixed it, shot some video, downloaded it, BOOM, it happened again.
And again...

While sending my cam back to canon the last time I had my computer checked up and they said I had some sort of cross circuit in the Motherboard's 1394 circuit...I replaced the MB and from that time forward it never had a problem. I have taken several steps, tho, to make sure it won't happen again.

1: I don't want to accidentally cause the short circuit to happen again, and just leave the 1394 plugged into the back of the computer all the time.
2: I make sure the XL2 is turned off when plugging into it with the 1394 cable
3: I cross my fingers and hold my breath and say a couple prayers when plugging in.
But, the biggest reason why there has been no issue is...
4: I bought a cheapo DV cam and download all DV from there. The only time the XL2 sees the computer is when I'm uploading presets into it... (See number 3 above!)

If you want more details etc on my XL2's symptoms, I'll be happy to fill you in.

As an aside
 

The first day I ever shot with the XL2 I changed the lenses from the 20x to the wide angle while the camera was ON. Nothing happened, thankfully. Never have done that since.

Someone had just warned me about it too, but I was in a hurry at a performance and just didn't think.

Bad me. Bad me.

OK, I'm back from the Canon Customer Service Center and I do have a few observations to pass on.

I was sitting waiting for my # to be called when a fellow came in with an XL2 and several ZR cams. I motioned him over and asked why he'd come in and lo and behold! his XL2's power went dead while he was filming for a TV program, so he had to go and rent another cam. He was pretty disconsolate since he paid so much for the cam and wanted something reliable, etc., etc....he couldn't even get his tape out to use with the rented cam. Obviously I truly empathized with him.

Does this sound familiar?

So, when my number was called I mentioned to the woman behind the counter that a number of people had a problem with the power going out and both she and her fellow worker said, "No, they'd never seen a problem like this before."

Odd that they said that.

I own a number of Canon products and love the company. I like the support techs and the customer service. My questions and concerns about the XL2 are not adversarial, they are supportive: I simply want Canon to look into this issue and improve the system so that it's more reliable. The camcorder is very fine in most ways. I'm pleased with it, but this issue of powering out for whatever reason is an achilles heel for this model. I'm certain of that. I have a strong sense that peripherals could possibly strain or cause power surges.

For instance, I'm now concerned that when I used the JVC video monitor while shooting that I might have weakened the fuse, or whatever, even tho' I saw no signs of that while shooting that day or two days later when I didn't use the video monitor and just was doing some handheld work.

The camcorder has the firewire capability and the SVHS, the audio outputs, etc., and we know that we shouldn't plug into anything when the cam is on...but I'm afraid that there is a weak spot in the design of this system and I for one, want to write to Canon and urge them to look into it so that future buyers, present owners, etc., will have more reliability.

Canon says that this power out business is rare, but I don't think it is and you know what? I don't think the people who fix these systems think so either and that they are working on improving the cam for the future. It's just that they won't tell us about it for obvious reasons.

I'll let all know when I pick it up what was wrong in case any of you have similar problems.

I did read the thread about the firewire cable.....

Lucinda, thanks for letting us know how it went. There does seem to be a pretty serious pattern developing here as we hear more and more reports of power surges and blown fuses. I agree that if there were a major power problem and Canon knew about it, they'd never say anything because we'd all be warning each other like crazy and the sales would go into the cellar. This whole thing just keeps getting more and more worrisome.

By the way, how did the repairs go? Did you get your camera back, or do they still have it?

Lucinda, did you go to the Jamesburg, NJ location or the Irvine, CA location?

Hi to Both of You,

I went to Irvine today because I live in So Cal. I hope to pick it up next week but, they are closed Monday and Tuesday is the 4th. So we'll see. I really want to speak with the tech person who fixes the XL2 because I want to ask questions about compatibility issues, externals like the video monitor, etc., which shouldn't tax the system. I'm hoping they won't just have me pick it up with no opportunity to speak with the person who worked on it. I'll make sure to speak with him/her however.

Chris, why were you wondering which Service Center I went to? Just curious.

I'd like to add to this that I don't know yet why I have no power on the XL2. I'm assuming it's a power surge or fuse issue based on what I've learned here and from ZotzDigital. But I don't know yet. If it is a power surge issue, that's of real concern...I wouldn't know what to do in that case except bite me nails! and pray to the god/goddess of Canon.

In terms of power surges, I was wondering if I should use a power surge strip for the video monitor, to plug into that strip. Would that take care of power surges? I have the svhs cable going from the XL2 to the video monitor and wonder if my XL2 would be better protected using a surge strip? However, the XL2 is powered by the battery pack....

Hi Lucinda. Power surge protection shouldn't do any harm, but if your camera main fuse is blowing due to a surge through the video cable, then the video output circuit will also be fried, and I would expect the monitor to be showing some problems too. When you go to collect the camera, maybe you could ask whether anything was damaged (apart from the over-protective main fuse)?

Richard

Richard thanks for the information! The video monitor worked fine, everything did. There was no indication of a power surge, and yes I plan to ask if there was any damage to the camcorder besides a fuse blowing if that indeed is what happened. I'm just trying to think of anything that this could be and learn about it to protect the camcorder from future woes. When I asked the Canon rep at the window, about the power going out as it did and the causes, she said, "We don't know what causes it," and I asked, "You mean you have no ideas of what this could be, what could cause a power outage?" and she said, "No." I don't understand that and hope to get more clarification from a tech when I speak to one which I hope and pray I do. Thanks again Richard!

Electrical safety
 

Yeah, I am starting to get nervous too. I plug a monitor into my camera while I am shooting.. also.. I plug a hard disk recorder into the firewire port.

Should I make sure the camera is off before I plug these in? I've always done it live. Now I am thinking I should make sure the camera is off before plugging the hard disk recorder into the firewire port.

*shiver*

David

David,

I'm not sure, but I always plug in peripherals when the power is off. However, I'm not sure whether this should effect the camcorder or not.