VIXIA HF G40 - Zoom out problem, pleeeeeease help!

[serazoo]

Hello all,

I have a Canon Vixia HF G40, brand new, a few months use.

It has started to zoom out automatically..  randomly I zoom in on a shot,, randomly (not always) it decides to zoom out on its own. Extremely annoying, I literally (sometimes) must keep my hand on the zoom button to prevent it from zooming out... I really don't understand what the purpose is, if this is a configuration issue. Where the hell can I go or do to stop this from happenning ?

thanks

Sandra

[simultv]

I have two XA25s with the zoom rocker problem.  Does the compressed air trick fix it?

[Mhamilton · Accepted solution]

After the compressed air worked, I also bought some Nexxtech (the Source) aerosol Contact Head Cleaner and sprayed it in and around rocker zoom. It has worked for me, if it stops again I’ll try doing the same, cheep fix for me. Good luck, love the Camera, but this issue........

[simultv]

Thank you Mhamilton! I will try the compressed air and contact head cleaner. Much appreciated.

[simultv]

Mhamilton, thanks for the compressed air and contact cleaner tip - it worked beautifully on our XA25 camera zoom rockers! No more zooming on their own. Let's hope it works for awhile, and responds to treatment next time. ; - }

[cameraman91569]

I think I'll try this too...One of my XA25's is doing it pretty bad.  The other XA25 has done it once or twice but not like the other as it does it constantly.  Thanks for the suggestion.  

Canon, why are you denying the issue when it's happening to so many of us?

[BlankIsMyName]

I've had my Vixia HF G40 for just over a year. Used only in a studio for work.

I too, have major zoom out issues.  Canon wants me to send it in, and then they'll tell me what it will cost to fix it.

This should be a recall. I should not have to pay an extra fee for something that breaks down in so many cameras.

I'll try the compressed air solution, but will need to buy a new camera as I can't risk the experiment if it doesn't work.

[KJAanestad]

Yes, I agree 100%. Canon should recall all of their camcorders and fix the problem!

[Brenny]

I have been having the same issue lately. I called Canon a couple days ago and was told that my VIxia is no longer supported so I don't even have th option of sending it in for service. The young service rep on the phone said that they would be happy to make me a deal on a new camera however. That'll be the day!!  I use this camera for 10-20 hours per year, mostly around the holidays. I estimate that it currently has about 100 hours of use on it. I wonder how the young service rep I talked to would feel if his smart phone quit working after 100 hours of use and he was told that the phone is no longer supported by the manufacturer?

[BlankIsMyName]

Hi Everyone,

My original post is below in green for reference.

In short, after just over a year of studio only use, my zoom keeps widening without constant light pressure on the zoom rocker switch.

I tried the compressed air solution repeatedly to no avail.  I never felt like it was getting in deep enough to do anything.

I had some time and desparation so I took it apart as much as I could to see what what was going on. Photos attached.

It took some time but I got it down as far as possible without breaking anything to get the toggle switch. It was glued together so I couldn't take it fully apart.  

I blasted it with air from all directions hoping it would work.

I reassembled it carefully and found the homes of all the screws.

I plugged it in and it started up fine.

I used it at work in the studio and for the first few days, it worked perfectly!  I was so happy and relieved.

But then, sure enough, it started up again every so often.  Then more often.  Now I'm back where I started, zooming out on its own.

I don't know what to do next.  Maybe see if I can find a new toggle switch and try that.

I'd take advice on that if you have it.  Thanks.

I've had my Vixia HF G40 for just over a year. Used only in a studio for work.

I too, have major zoom out issues.  Canon wants me to send it in, and then they'll tell me what it will cost to fix it.

This should be a recall. I should not have to pay an extra fee for something that breaks down in so many cameras.

I'll try the compressed air solution, but will need to buy a new camera as I can't risk the experiment if it doesn't work.

[Inapickle]

Fortunately I have not encountered this problem on my HF-G30 or HF-G40. There again I rarely use the zoom rocker. Hate the tapping that get's picked up when using the internal mic and find it very difficult to achieve fine zoom control with it. When I do need to zoom, mostly for shooting sports, I use a LANC remote, currently a Libec ZC-LP. Something to bear in mind is that LANC remotes can also cause these problems if used improperly. The camcorder should always be powered off before connecting and disconnecting, and allowed to fully boot (until the onscreen data markers appear) before touching the remote rocker. If connected/disconnected while the camcorder is powered on it can screw-up the LANC control instruction sets, especially if the camera zoom rocker is used after disconnecting the remote, resulting in the type of behaviours described above. If the remote is inadvertently disconnected while powered on, the camcorder should be immediately powered off so that the camcorder can reset, otherwise these behaviours might persist. So it may not always be the camera rocker/switch that's to blame. 

All of this rhetoric about 'recall' is fine, but you know that's not going to happen. What I would like to know is if Canon addressed and rectified this flaky zoom switch issue on subsequent models, especially the current 4K models (HF-G50, HF-G60) ?  When I checked out an XA50 in a store the other day, the rocker mechanism did seem better designed - not as loose and 'rattley'. But have they done anything about the switch itself.