VIXIA HF M50 outdated firmware and broken LCD screen hinge

[Chicarican]

I've had this camcorder for some time now mostly in storage, barely unused. I recently brought it out and went through the motions of relearning how to use it and all seemed fine until I was trying to figure out why it wouldn't connect to my Mac Studio. That's problem no. 1. Is the firmware too old for the newer Mac OS 15? I couldn't find anything on this online. 

Problem no. 2, next day when I opened the LCD panel, it made crackling sounds and now won't stay closed. it flops open. I'm assuming the "door" hinge broke. The screen still works and still auto turns on & off when opened and manually closed. Considering that this is an old camcorder, I'm assuming Canon won't repair it, or won't repair it for cheap. Is there a DIY option? Or, is a rubber band to will keep it closed the only option? 🙁

I look forward to the community's responses and suggestions. 

TXS!

[NatalyaP]

Greetings Chicarican,

Per review, the VIXIA HF R50 camcorder has reached the end of its service life. Our facility no longer performs repairs on this model as well as parts no longer being available. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide DIY information to repair your equipment. An alternative option would be the Canon Upgrade Program.

The Canon Upgrade Program option allows you to replace your current Canon equipment with a new or refurbished Canon equipment at a discounted price. For more information on the Canon Upgrade Program, please call our Sales Department at 1-866-443-8002 from Monday - Friday between 9:00 am to 9:00 pm ET. Be sure to have your serial number for your Canon equipment available at the time of your call.

Regarding the issue with connecting the camera to your computer, firmware updates and software updates are not available for this camcorder for newer operating systems since the camcorder has reached the end of its service life. The best option would be to look into the Canon Upgrade Program to replace your current camcorder.

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

Can you confirm the actual model number of your product?  

I see an R50 and M50.   I see firmware available for the M50, but upgrading a damaged or defective device is risky. I guess in this case you have little to lose.  

https://www.usa.canon.com/support/p/vixia-hf-m50?srsltid=AfmBOop3LmwE1o0ER48blcwO5KgvHdOhl2VmTFS_DD3...

Either way, both devices are over a decade old making repair very unlikely. 

The upgrade program is a great option.  You'll get a small discount and free shipping.  Check out the R50V.  This is a video centric hybrid camera that also takes 24MP still images.  Body only is $699.  You can buy it with a lens for $929.

https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/eos-r50-v-camera-rf-s-14-30mm-f4-6-3-is-stm-pz-lens-kit

[Chicarican]

Thank you for your response. It's a HF M50 not R50 camcorder. Old tech that I kept for nostalgic purposes. I can still record to SD cards and be able transfer the recordings to my new desktop. The broken LCD panel that won't close is an annoyance but it still responds to turning on and off when manually opened and closed. Since I can't get it repaired, an elastic band will have to do until it finally conks out on me. Thanks again.