Vixia HF M300 - White Screen of Doom??

[Slartibartfast]

The touch-screen on my Vixia HF M300 has gone completely white. As in - there is light, so obviously it is getting power. But no image, no - nothing.

No amount of turning the power on/off seems to do much, nor does wiggling the hinges on the display, twisting it 180 degrees, folding it back against the body of the cam or dancing around in circles howling at the moon do much difference either.

I am (or - WAS, it's the only camcorder I currently own) using the camcorder for a shoot tomorrow and .. well. While it does still record, there's not much point in not being able to control what you're doing. Hope someone has a suggestion / solution ... Been seraching high and low all over the Interwebs to absolutely no avail.

Just prior to the screen going white, there was an error message (that of course I did not pay much attention to -  and besides, it might have been utterly unrelated). Something with autopower being on or off.  I flipped the display forward to check the settings, then back again, and that is when it had gone blank. At first I thought it might have simply been a power issue, since the cam was running on a low battery pack at the time. Also, I was testing the built in video light, so that was on. 

The second thing I did, after plugging in the AC (so it wasn't the power, I guess) was to look for the "reset" button on the device. I am still looking. How does one do a hard reset on a canon Vixia? I feels like something one at least ought to try.

Other than the ribbon cable connecting the screen to the cam having some sort of  tear, I have few clues to what may be causing this.If the issue is NOT mechanical, might a reset of the firmware help? And if so, what is the correct way to go about this?

Does anyone know what a new ribbon cable costs, and how expensive it might get to have a technician replace it? (not feeling too confident with small screwdrivers & lectric origami ..)

And/or - Can anyone help me with compiling a list of possible causes / fixes so that I can spend the rest of the night interchangedly pulling at my hair and trying things that might work?

Thx a billion in advance for any suggestions,

/S.

[dw2]

This just happened to me as well. Took camera into delivery room for video of my first grandchild arriving. Took short clip, all working normal, turned off but when turned back on all that I had was a white screen. Camera sounds like it still functions but no way to see anything on screen. HELP PLEASE!

[Mykolas]

Hi Slartibartfast and dw2!

Thanks for posting.

There isn't a hard reset button on the camcorder that resets everything back to the defaults.  A reset can only be done from in the camcorder's menu.  If the screen is completely blank with only the backlight on, something is wrong that needs to be repaired.

The VIXIA HF M300 is no longer in service life.  Replacement parts are no longer available, so it is no longer serviced by our Factory Service Centers.  However, you do have the option to participate in the Canon Loyalty Program instead.  

The Canon Loyalty Program option allows you to replace your current camcorder for a discounted fee, plus shipping.  The original non-functioning camcorder 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 866-443-8002 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.

[dw2]

So, is my HF M30 in the same catagory as the M300?  

If I do the loyalty program - which I have only had canon products, what is the model that replaces it?  How do I retreive the video and photos on the "doomed" camera? 

dw

[Mykolas]

dw2,

The VIXIA HF M30 is not out of service life like the VIXIA HF M300 is, so it can still be repaired if you would prefer to go that route.  To start the repair process, you'll need to complete a Repair Request on our website.

You also still have the option to participate in the Canon Loyalty Program.  The replacement models available vary, so it is best to give us a call to check on what models are available and what discount will apply for your model camcorder.

As for the photos and video stored in the internal memory, the touchscreen is a necessary component in the process of transferring those to a computer from the internal memory.  If it has failed, it will not be possible to retrieve them.  If you recorded anything to an SD card instead, you can always remove it from the camera, then transfer the contents to a computer using a card reader.