Problem with XL1s

[Guy Meachin]

Hi

 

When I switch a tape to playback mode, the camera doesn't read the tape or even the timecode! Just a blue screen appears! I have cleaned the heads and tried numerous tapes but still the same problem! Any ideas what this might be? Prob have to send it back.

 

Cheers

[Guy Meachin]

Just cleaned the heads again - fine now!

[Tim Carroll]

Guy,

 

The achilles heal of the XL1S are it's heads. They are very fragile and go out of alignment very easily.

 

Rules of thumb, clean the heads every thirty to forty hours or so, and use the cleaning tape only as directed. Which means for a very short burst, something like five seconds. The tapes will wear the heads prematurely.

 

Also, never transport the camera with a tape in it. And when I say transport, I mean transport at all. If it is on a tripod, take the tape out before you remove it from the tripod. Basically take the tape out whenever you are not shooting. The problem is when the tape is in the camera, it is stretched across the heads and putting them under a certain amount of tension. Because the heads on the XL1 go out of alignment so easily, the tension from the tape, combined with the tension of bumping the camera into something, can knock the heads out of alignment.

 

Those are the two things to keep in mind with that camera. Otherwise it has been a workhorse for us and I love it.

 

-Tim Carroll

[Guy Meachin]

Thanks Tim I'll make sure I do that.