Yeah, I know, we're a bunch of dinosaurs.
In any event, I have three HDV camcorders. One of them developed an error on tape load, showing "C:31:23" on the screen (other codes may share this fix in common also). In searching the internet, some users said to just whack the camera really hard to fix it. Hmmm, don't think so...
Turns out there is a very simple fix for a common load issue. The loaded tape is pulled along by means of a rotating capstan and a small black rubber pinch roller, just like on an old analog tape recorder. The pinch roller spins on a thin shaft and is held in place with a tiny plastic collar forced on the shaft end. But apparently over time that tiny collar can split and get loose, so the pinch roller can slide up the shaft and prevent the mechanism from loading properly.
YouTube video shows a simple solution. Just replace the cracked sleeve with a similarly-sized short tube cut from the ink chamber of a common ballpoint pen!
It's an easy fix, since a needlenose pliers can access the area through the open tape transport slot without any disassembly at all. I discovered that the ballpoint tubes come in different sizes, but once sorting that out it took only a few seconds to gently urge the new sleeve on the shaft. Done.
I really, really, don't like CMOS jello effects and will probably stick with these cameras until global CMOS shutters become commonplace.
In any event, I have three HDV camcorders. One of them developed an error on tape load, showing "C:31:23" on the screen (other codes may share this fix in common also). In searching the internet, some users said to just whack the camera really hard to fix it. Hmmm, don't think so...
Turns out there is a very simple fix for a common load issue. The loaded tape is pulled along by means of a rotating capstan and a small black rubber pinch roller, just like on an old analog tape recorder. The pinch roller spins on a thin shaft and is held in place with a tiny plastic collar forced on the shaft end. But apparently over time that tiny collar can split and get loose, so the pinch roller can slide up the shaft and prevent the mechanism from loading properly.
YouTube video shows a simple solution. Just replace the cracked sleeve with a similarly-sized short tube cut from the ink chamber of a common ballpoint pen!It's an easy fix, since a needlenose pliers can access the area through the open tape transport slot without any disassembly at all. I discovered that the ballpoint tubes come in different sizes, but once sorting that out it took only a few seconds to gently urge the new sleeve on the shaft. Done.
I really, really, don't like CMOS jello effects and will probably stick with these cameras until global CMOS shutters become commonplace.