Canon Optura repair advice?

[gothika]

I've got a Canon Optura dv camera that is dead.
I'm sure it's a result of improper power polarity.
I used an aftermarket battery pack and reversed the polarity.
This usually results in burning out whatever is first in line in hte
power path.(power cap, fuse diode etc...)
I don't have any working experience with these consumer cameras and
thought it best to ask here before I open this unit up.
Does anyone here have any experience/knowledge in servicing this
problem in these units?
As always any info is appreciated.

 

[Jerry G.]

This is something that is commonly done by many people who think they can
save a few dollars. I have seen some expensive damage done by people trying
their own battery substitution. Sometimes you can be lucky, and only an
internal fuse or fuse resistor of some type is blown. Sometimes it can be
only the inverter board on the main power input side of the unit. If some
of the main processing circuits are run directly from the input voltage,
then the problem can be more serious.

You have to go to a Canon authorized service rep with this. Only if it is a
simple problem like a fuse or generic component that can be easily
determined, that the independent would be able to service himself. Canon
does not normally release service information, or sell internal parts to
non-authorized for Canon service people.

If you call Canon in your area, they can refer you to their authorized
service.

--

Greetings,

Jerry Greenberg GLG Technologies GLG
=========================================
WebPage http://www.zoom-one.com
Electronics http://www.zoom-one.com/electron.htm
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"gothika" <Vampyres@nettaxi.com> wrote in message
news:s4bp30560o344d70spic6fe1hdcic66ghg@4ax.com...
I've got a Canon Optura dv camera that is dead.
I'm sure it's a result of improper power polarity.
I used an aftermarket battery pack and reversed the polarity.
This usually results in burning out whatever is first in line in hte
power path.(power cap, fuse diode etc...)
I don't have any working experience with these consumer cameras and
thought it best to ask here before I open this unit up.
Does anyone here have any experience/knowledge in servicing this
problem in these units?
As always any info is appreciated.

 

[Ken Weitzel]

gothika wrote:

I've got a Canon Optura dv camera that is dead.
I'm sure it's a result of improper power polarity.
I used an aftermarket battery pack and reversed the polarity.
This usually results in burning out whatever is first in line in hte
power path.(power cap, fuse diode etc...)
I don't have any working experience with these consumer cameras and
thought it best to ask here before I open this unit up.
Does anyone here have any experience/knowledge in servicing this
problem in these units?
As always any info is appreciated.

Hi...

No experience at all with Canon's, so can't help at all
there. Sorry.

I do however play a lot with Olympus's and wanted to throw
in my quick little suggestion, if I may?

If you do take it apart, be very very scared of that
flash cap. Bad news. I'd rather hold on to a flyback
than come into contact with that thing!

Take care.

Ken

PS

Not the first "thing" in the path, but rather the
weakest "link" in the entire chain.

 

[gothika]

On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 15:39:41 GMT, Ken Weitzel <kweitzel@shaw.ca>
wrote:

gothika wrote:
I've got a Canon Optura dv camera that is dead.
I'm sure it's a result of improper power polarity.
I used an aftermarket battery pack and reversed the polarity.
This usually results in burning out whatever is first in line in hte
power path.(power cap, fuse diode etc...)
I don't have any working experience with these consumer cameras and
thought it best to ask here before I open this unit up.
Does anyone here have any experience/knowledge in servicing this
problem in these units?
As always any info is appreciated.


Hi...

No experience at all with Canon's, so can't help at all
there. Sorry.

I do however play a lot with Olympus's and wanted to throw
in my quick little suggestion, if I may?

If you do take it apart, be very very scared of that
flash cap. Bad news. I'd rather hold on to a flyback
than come into contact with that thing!

Take care.

Ken

PS

Not the first "thing" in the path, but rather the
weakest "link" in the entire chain.

Thanks for replying anyway.
You're most certainly right about weakest link.
I've had this happen on my eng/broadcast field units years ago and
in most cases it'd be a diode or the first cap off the power feed.
This has gotten my thinking in a fixed rut inregards to this type of
breakdown. I often forget how consumer gear is often designed poorly
or deliberately to go south easily.(Miss the early days when most
cameras had circuit breaker protection.)
I'm often more leery about going into consumer than I am pro gear.
If I don't get any answers here I may just opt to give it to a local
video repairman I know, he's got tons more experience on these smaller
cameras.

 

[gothika]

On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 09:31:19 -0500, "Jerry G." <jerryg50@hotmail.com>
wrote:

This is something that is commonly done by many people who think they can
save a few dollars. I have seen some expensive damage done by people trying
their own battery substitution. Sometimes you can be lucky, and only an
internal fuse or fuse resistor of some type is blown. Sometimes it can be
only the inverter board on the main power input side of the unit. If some
of the main processing circuits are run directly from the input voltage,
then the problem can be more serious.

You have to go to a Canon authorized service rep with this. Only if it is a
simple problem like a fuse or generic component that can be easily
determined, that the independent would be able to service himself. Canon
does not normally release service information, or sell internal parts to
non-authorized for Canon service people.

If you call Canon in your area, they can refer you to their authorized
service.

Thanks for the reply Jerry. Yes your right this is a common mishap.
I shoot professionally and have to hire many shooters to cover an
event.
I had several packs I'd built for this camera that worked fine.
The problem was the new guy I'd hired. He'd used up all the battery
packs and was to lazy to go back to my filed van to get fresh packs.
He worked at a local tv station in his home town and hooked up the
unit to a belt pack he used on on of the stations eng filed units.
It had both variable volt settings and reversible polarity and this is
where he screwed up.
I won't be using him again.
I'm used to servicing pro gear but that said consumer equipment can
oft' times be harder to service than a good 3chip broadcast
camera.(I've had a Sony DXC 3000 that I've been using since 88 and
have only had to replace the chips once.)
Just thought I'd ask here and see if there was someone who could help
me out. I know how difficult oem's can be about service info.
Thanks again