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Keep getting "eject' message

ahcauble
Apprentice

My very old Canon ES900 camcorder will not play any cassette.  It did a couple days ago, but now I get an "eject" message after a couple seconds.  I thought at first that it is because the camera has not been used in years, but then, it shouldn't have worked fine a couple days ago!  Then I thought that the cassettes might be "stuck"--either the tape stuck to itself or the "reels" stuck.  But the camera will not play the cassette that it did play a couple days ago.  I have read a number of posts elsewhere online that say that Canon camcorders have a real problem with the "error" message.  I have only my one experience, but it is a real problem to me as I was making DVDs of our old fmaily videos for our children for Christmas.  I would appreciate any thoughts/suggestions/fixes that anyone has.  The newest video is from 1999, so these really are old!

4 REPLIES 4

Mykolas
Authority

Ahcauble,

 

The safety mechanism is activated.  Unload the cassette and turn the camcorder off.  Turn it on again and reload the cassette.  If this does not work, then the camcorder requires service to fix this.

 

Unfortunately, the ES900 is no longer in service life and it cannot be serviced by our Factory Service Center as replacement parts are no longer available.  We would like to offer you the opportunity to participate in the Canon Loyalty Program instead.

 

The Canon Loyalty Program option allows you to replace your current camera for a discounted fee, plus shipping.  The replacement unit offered through this program carries a 90 day warranty.  The original non-functioning camera would then be returned to Canon USA for recycling using a prepaid shipping label that would be provided.  If you would like to take part in this option, please call our Sales Department at (800) OK CANON (800-652-2666) seven days a week, 8am to Midnight.  Let them know you have been working with online support and the Canon Loyalty Program was offered.  Be sure to have your serial number for your camera at the time of your call.

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I have a similar problem to Ahcauble.  I own the Canon ES900 (USA), and a cassette inside the camcorder and will not eject.  The viewer shows the word 'EJECT', but the cassette compartment will not open.  The cassette will not play, fast forward or backword.  I can not unload the cassette, and the camcorder is useless.

 

What can be done?

 

Me too hope you got help

I have a similar problem with a 10 year old MiniDV camcorder made by Sony. It is because of improper operation of electrical contact pads in a rotating mechanical switch.

 

The camcorder tape mechanism is controlled by a motor that rotates through all operations: Eject, Play, Stop, Fast Forward, Rewind. The rotating mechanical switch tells the computer which one one of these functions is currently active, and which way the mechanism motor needs to turn, to get to the next function.

 

The computer is getting incorrect signals from the position encoder switch and so it doesn't know the current position of the tape mechanism. It either tries to move to the Eject position, or it already thinks it is in the Eject position but actually isn't so it won't move the mechanism to eject.

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The camera failure seems to be caused by lubricating grease that hardens and turns into slime, and then prevents proper electrical contact of spring contact fingers in the rotating switch.

 

The solution is to take apart the camera, open up this rotating switch, and then dissolve the grease with something like rubbing alcohol. Either apply fresh grease, or just forget about it and put it back together without any grease.

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Except. Well. The camera components are all so tiny that taking it apart is an extremely difficult and delicate process, and you have no service manual so you are stuck guessing as to how to take it apart without destroying it.

 

And if you've got a tape stuck in it, it's all that much harder because there may be no way to take it apart without the tape door already open and the tape removed.

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Though there is sometimes a secret way to make it eject anyway. The door latch is usually spring operated, and so sometimes it is possible to slap the camera hard enough in a certain way to cause the release latch to pop open without damaging the tape or the mechanism.

 

It might also be possible to fit a very thin plastic or metal feeler or "spudger" into the gap of the door and manually push the door latch open. 

 

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