HDR-SR12 - LCD Touch screen very dim , screen works but almost completely dark. tried increased brightness etc no help

I guess the lcd cable is bad. this is a known problem.
Sony HDR SR11 HDR SR12 Repair
Sony SR11 SR11E SR12 SR12E XR500 LCD flex cable

part:
Sony SR11 SR11E SR12 SR12E XR500 LCD flex cable
Example & service manual:
Sony HDR SR11 HDR SR12 Repair

The most likely cause for this is a damaged or defective flexible ribbon cable that connects the LCD to the camera body and can be repaired fairly inexpensively. However, it's not a user serviceable problem and will need to be repaired by a qualified service technician.

My name is Rick and I'm a professional repair technician with over 20 years in the business and have repaired many of these. I'm semi retired and work from home with little overhead so I can keep repair costs low. If you decide to have the camera repaired, please click HERE for a directory listing that suits your needs.

If this response has been of any help to you, please be sure and give a positive vote for me on FixYa.com.

My camera's backlight went dark. Occasionally it would work if I pressed just the right way, but it was basically toast.

Search ebay for an HDR-SR11 or HDR-SR12 flex cable similar to this one:

http://r.ebay.com/L4dWDQ

It's not impossible to replace, but it's definitely not for the faint of heart. Some offer a replacement service with it. I'm doing mine myself. Results to follow, maybe, if I remember to post following the repair.

Increase the brightness if back-lit is dim or if you are seeing negative kind of dark image then inverter circuit is gone in the LCD panel. It can be replaced with new one without much expense at any good laptop repair shop.

The most likely cause for this is a damaged or defective LCD or flexible ribbon cable that connects the LCD to the camera body and can be repaired fairly inexpensively. However, it's not a user serviceable problem and will need to be repaired by a qualified service technician.

My name is Rick and I'm a professional repair technician with over 20 years in the business and have repaired many of these. I'm semi retired and work from home with little overhead so I can keep repair costs low. If you decide to have the camera repaired, please click HERE for a directory listing that suits your needs.

If this response has been of any help to you, please be sure and give a positive vote for me on FixYa.com .

I think what has happened is the very thin wires Sony use between the camera and screen LCD on these new cameras has broken, when it started to go wrong it was a wire making and breaking contact, now it has gone completly.
Call Sony for help on
01256 828828 listen to options ok?
David

Hi,
A flexible board (seems like a strip in pale yellow color) worn out and it needs replacement.
The detail of part is given below:

187480611 PWB, FP-807 FLEXIBLE

This part number needs replacement.
Thanks

My camera's touch screen on my SR12E also stopped working early this month (July 2010). Just before I had had it for two years.

I tried to backup, and was really struggling since most functions are done via "the touch of the screen".

But after much frustration trying, I found out that the camera also connects to the laptop the same way by pushing the "burn to disk" button. Try also the blue "EASY" button if the other do not work.

When this is done you can start the "SONY program" to choose import media or what it is called inside the program...

Now you will get the normal menu "popping up" so you can choose to backup the content to your computer.

Beware:
What I did further after backing up was to push the "reset" button to try to maybe get the "touch screen function" back in order.

But this only resets all preferences for the camera.

It did not delete what was stored on it.

The result is now that I will have to film in "default mode" (low quality) for the rest of my holidays, and get an irritating "set-up" screen menu prompting me to input the date etc each time I start the camera and at other intervals...

So the rest of my holiday will be in SD and not HD...

It should have been possible to choose the selections (navigate the camera) via your laptop when you end up in a situation like this...and need to change my settings.

Hope my solution were helpful for being able to backup.

I think you still should check with "consumer help" in your country if you can still get a free repair when the screen stops working, since you normally will be more extensively protected by law then what the warranty tell you.

SOMEONE TURNED THE CONTRAST BUTTON ON YOUR DISPLAY, YOU JUST NEED TO READJUST BY PRESSING AND TURNING TO DESIRED CONTRAST