my canon xl2 won't power on

[Fabian]

My canon xl2 would not power on. Can anybody help

[Richard]

Hi Fabian,

I'm sorry to hear that your XL2 camcorder won't power up.

If your camcorder won't power up with a fully charged battery attached, it will require service to correct this issue.  I regret the difficulty this causes.  Here's how to send your camcorder in for service:

Please ship your camcorder to the Factory Service Center shown below.  When shipping your Canon camcorder, please be sure to remove any accessories.  You are not required to send any accessories or manuals when shipping the camcorder. 

Just fill in (right on your computer) this document, print a copy for your own records (You can't save it with your information) and a copy to send with your camera:

www.usa.canon.com/app/pdf/dealer/FSC.pdf

As we do not provide RMA numbers for service, we suggest using a trackable and insurable service (i.e. UPS, Federal Express, Priority Mail) to ship your camcorder.  Please package the camcorder very securely in a sturdy shipping box to prevent damage during shipment.

Please send your camcorder to the closest of the following addresses:

Canon Factory Service
100 Ridge Rd
Jamesburg, NJ 08831

Canon Factory Service
15955 Alton Parkway
Irvine, Ca 92618

Canon Factory Service Center
12022 Canon Blvd
Newport News, VA 23606

Upon arrival at the Factory Service Center, your Canon camcorder will be logged in to our repair database and assigned a repair number.  This typically takes between 3 and 5 business days. You will be advised of the findings via email.  If the required repairs are covered by the warranty, the repairs will begin immediately, and you will not be contacted. When the repairs are complete, the camcorder will be shipped back to you via Federal Express.  The length of time for the repair will be dependent upon the nature of the repair and availability of parts, if needed.  Usually, warranted repairs are completed within approximately 7 to 10 business days of the camcorder's arrival at the Factory Service Center.

All decisions regarding warranty coverage are made by the Factory Service Center at the time of repair.  If the repair entails something that is not covered in warranty, a written estimate will be sent to you at the address that you have provided.  The repairs to your camcorder will not begin until you approve this estimate and make payment arrangements.  If, after receiving the estimate, you do not wish to have the camcorder repaired, please inform the Factory Service Center of your decision as soon as possible.  If you decline the estimate, the camcorder will be shipped back to you unrepaired.

Once you have confirmed with your shipper that the camcorder has been delivered, you are more than welcome to contact us for repair updates. Please include your name, address, and telephone number, as well as the serial number of the camcorder, in all repair status inquiries.  If you prefer to check the repair status by phone, please call the Canon Customer Care Center at 1-800-OK-CANON (652-2666).  Agents are available Monday through Friday, from 8 AM to Midnight ET, and on Saturdays from 10 AM to 8 PM ET.  Again, please have the serial number of the camcorder available when you call.

Our U.S. Factory Service Centers are unable to accept packages from or return equipment to addresses outside the United States.

[McIverArt]

Hello Richard,

I realize this is a shot in the dark since this originated back in 2012. However, it appears that Canon no longer supports the XL2 in any fashion. At least, as far as I can tell. I just recently picked up a used XL2 since my daughter is wanting to explore older media formats such as MiniDV. The seller did say it was untested, but I had hopes of it working. But it will not power on. I have done the basic troubleshooting that I am capable of doing such as swapping out the internal watch battery etc. I have not been able to get any power to the camera whatsoever. Is there a service center that Canon can recommend? I'm hesitant as I truly don't have a lot of knowledge about this camera other than operating it. And even my operating knowledge is probably pushing 15 years old. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for your time!

[kvbarkley]

Careful, it is getting more and more difficult to get DV footage onto a computer with the demise of FireWire. It *can* be done on a Mac, but more and more developers are dropping DV import support. (I am looking at you, Adobe!)

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

Agree with kvbarkley.  I would have strongly discouraged this purchase.  The XL2 is actually 20 yrs old.  Service, support and performance is limited.  MiniDV tapes are also difficult to come by and costly.  On last check, Windows clipchamp still supports import, but you'll need a desktop with a FireWire card to do it and it's not something that's going to last forever.  I suggest you strongly reconsider is endeavor.  

[McIverArt]

Thank you both for the quick replies. We have already embarked on this journey. Luckily it was only $100. Not that $100 is nothing. On the bright side, if I do manage to get it running, I have a plethora of MiniDV tapes and sad to admit it, a plethora of firewire cables as well amongst other equipment. I am an equipment hoarder 100%. I do already have two other 3CCD camcorders that do work (kind of). A Sony TRV900 and a Panasonic one that I'm blanking on the name of. These two are what sparked the interest of my daughter. She also loves the "found footage" genre movies and wants to include this type of stuff in her movie/s. We argue about doing it in post all the time but she likes the idea of authentic footage for those purposes. But anyway, thank you for the warnings. I do appreciate it. Hoping I can find some kind of solution to get something out of this.