Question about Canon ZR100 Mini DV Digital Camcorder
1st it started on Halloween while I was taping my son trick or treat. It would stop recording on its own then it gave me an error saying that the tape was bad. I thought the ZR100 didn?t like just that one tape because the rest of the tapes worked fine. On Thanksgiving I had a similar situation occur. The brand of tape was the same as the one used on Holloween and the other tapes worked fine so I assumed there was so issue with the ZR100 and that brand of tapes. Finally on Christmas all of the tapes stop working. Now when I put the tape in the camcorder it does not even go down when I close the door. It just says "REMOVE THE CASSETTE" in bold red letters then ejects the tape.
Same problem appears on another thread at fixya.com
http://www.fixya.com/support/t260350-tape_acceptance
villagidit posted a solution there that worked for me.
The same problem exists apparently on the ZR200 which is where villagidit found the solution.
Basically all it involves is thumping on the side opposite the display. I tried the thump once with no effect. I gave it two more thumps and the problem went away. Not really a solution. But it was satisfactory for me to be able to get the camcorder working long enough to transfer all my DV video onto DVDR..
Seems something comes loose in these Canon camcorders (presumably a connector of some sort.) There are 10 votes for this solution on the other thread as of 5/19/2008.
Posted on May 20, 2008
Canon ZR100 kept rejecting the tape. Removed the tape and closed the display window and the tape door. Layed Canon on display side. Rapped moderately on tape door side. Now it works again. Receives the tape and functions.
I got two MV5i camcorders with the same problem on Ebay. So it is worth dismantling one of them and try to find the problem.
Try slapping the flat side of the cassette hard against something a half dozen times. You might find that this works. The tape gets tight in the cassette and the slapping loosens it. Happened all the time on audio cassette tapes and that was the solution. BTW, I've done this with MiniDV tapes and it works, too.
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Yes, Solution #2 REALLY works!
Here's how I fixed mine:
With the eject cover opened (the cassette magazine should be pushed back in place), I slapped the cover close REALLY hard.
The first about 20 times didn't work for me, so with all my anger
towards Canon, I slapped the cover close really, really, really hard on
the last try, and what do you know... IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM.
Thank all of you for sharing this accidental discovery. I just saved
myself $161 that Canon is asking for this repair. My only hope right
now is that this fix lasts...
Hope this will fix your problem too. Good luck everybody.
Posted on Dec 10, 2009
Had a ZR300, wouldn't accept the tape. Slapped cover down hard, with a fair amount of force, and guess what, it finally retracted. I would suggest this as a last resort, however. After all, these are 'antique' cams these days...lol
My Elura 100 would not eject the or play. Smacked the cassette door side hard 3 times and it ejected
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I have one doing the same thing. I called Cannon and the told me I would have to send it in for service. Now after reading that about 10 other folks having the same issue, I think Cannon has some issue with the ZR100. Of course mine is out of warranty. Everyone should call Cannon and complain.
Posted on Jun 30, 2007
I have found a solution to this problem - it seems to happen when the tape is about 50 minutes in or so. And certain brands like Sony. I don't know why, but here's how to get around this. First, in future when you are done with a tape, before you take it out, rewind it just a few seconds.
In the mean time for a tape that you are having problems with, you need to manually rewind the tape just a bit. Get a large paper clip and a medium sized regular screwdriver. Take the tape and hold it so that the round spindles spaces are facing you. The little window to see how much tape is left should be on the other side from you.
Hold the tape so that the tape cover is facing up. Between the two spindle spaces is a rectangle opening with a piece sticking up. Unbend the paper clip on one end, and slide that into the rectangle opening, and push down on the plastic button. Hold that down. While holding that down, put the screwdriver into the spindle hole on the right side (the one that goes with the window on the front) and turn the reel clockwise about one full turn.
Now put the tape into the camcorder and it should work just fine.
Posted on Dec 31, 2010
I can't believe it but, for my Canon HV20 I was getting the same "Remove Cassette" and that humidity was detected. Well, I was about to pack it up and pay the $150 to have it serviced and decided to try one last thing. I set it on its side and gave it a good hard tap. And now it's running perfect. It does have a purdy picture though.
Posted on Dec 01, 2008
Unbelievable, I thought it was a joke! It took two tries to fix it. I wasn’t sure how hard to tap it. I started with a tap like knocking on a door and was going to keep increasing the force each time until it was fixed. I was not afraid of breaking it because I was going to throw it out if I could not find a solution.
Posted on Jul 05, 2008
Actually beating the camera on the opposite side of the display works. Have not used camera for two years and was going to throw it away, I thought I would check to see if the problem had been solved and obviously it has. Thanks for the information ZR100 Owner
Posted on Aug 24, 2009
I had the same problem. Yesterday it worked perfect, today it wont take ANY tapes. Another user recommended "tapping it FIRMLY". Ive been fooling with this damn thing for about an hour with out tapping it at all. I followed his advice and gave it a whack, now its accepting tapes! They must be built in Russia or something...
Posted on Sep 21, 2008
I had this problem this weekend with an Elura 65, where the camera would not accept a tape. If you inserted a tape, it would beep a few times, the LCD screen would flash "REMOVE CASSETTE TAPE" and then it would spit the tape out. I had the camcorder stored in a ziplock bag in a cool / dry cabinet in our spare bedroom. None of the previous solutions worked for me (clean the heads, take out the batteries, remove power for 20 minutes, remove the memory card, etc).
What worked for me:
I left the main battery in, installed the small memory battery, installed the SD memory card and plugged in the power cord. I left the camera out (close to my computer), which is upstairs in my house- in a 70-75 degree Farenheight environment - for 24hrs. After 24hrs of sitting out and being plugged in to power, I suspect everything came to an ambient temperature and the camera worked fine. (you might try up to 48hrs of being warm)
I suspect that most people's cameras are having this trouble when the internal parts of the camera are not all warmed up so the camera will reject a tape because something is NOT functioning properly when cold.
If you look at the timing of these postings, you will see that most people are posting issues in the cold winter months. I won't buy another Canon Camcorder, but am appeased at it coming back to life long enough for me to download my information to my computer.
If you call the service support for Canon (which I did), they will ask you for your serial number, model, date of purchase, name, email address & mailing address. They will ask you to mial your camera along with the printed information above and detail your problem. It will take 7-10 business days for someone to contact you via email or phone.
Good luck with your camcorders!
cjammin - Cedar Park, Tx
Posted on Jan 08, 2008
We thumped it!!!!!!!!!!!! it was so aggravating and we were laughing at people but we kept reading and everyone suggested the 'thump'. and then we were unsure of your guys' definition of 'thump' so we just smacked that all on the floor, and next thang ya know..... it worked! camera got turned on! and me and my best frand can watch our videos now! thanks errboday
Posted on Jan 02, 2010
Same problem with mi but with a Canon XL1 and a Canon XL1s...
i read that a lot of people have trouble with this REMOVE CASSETTE or EJECT CASSETTE... it´s a shame for Canon. it´s not one or two models that come with this problem... amateur camcorders and professional all so.
I will NEVER have another Canon... that´s for shor... :(
SHAME ON YOU CANON
Posted on Jan 14, 2008
I had the same problem with my camera. I replaced the battery and it worked fine. I think the problem is the battery is overcharged. Once you see that the battery has fully charged, you should un-plug it.
Posted on Mar 03, 2008
OMG this hasnt workked for 2 yrs i just slapped the opposite side nd it worked on the first try wtf awesome
Posted on Mar 21, 2010
I thought you all were crazy folks, but I figured that I didn't have anything to lose. I hit it a few times and still had the eject tape issue. I ended up hitting it REALLY hard and it fixed it! Thanks to all you crazy people who thought to beat on your cameras! My issue was in the summer, but it was a rainy day. I'm so thrilled this worked!
Posted on Aug 03, 2009
Fixed my Canon Zr30mc
Turn on Camera only with power connected.
unplug the power cord
do it few times...
the message " Remove cassette" gone
Posted on Jul 13, 2008
Pues increiblemente ESA ES LA SOLUCI?N... Unos "toques m?gicos" y zas! la bendita c?mara funcion?.... debe ser como las mujeres: les das un toque m?gico y caminan bien...jajajajaj (en broma)
Posted on Nov 04, 2014
I found that I had the problem only while using Sony Mini tapes. Others like JVC were working fine. I tried opening a JVC which uses tiny screws and exchanging its tape with the defective Sony tape cartridge. Sony cartridges are lightly glued which meant breaking it apart. I thought maybe it was the brakes not working letting it go during play back. It wasn't it. With everything removed, free wheeling tape, it still rejected the modified tape setup. Put a used JVC back in - no problems. Sadly I had tapped a wedding using the Sony tape and I wanted to get it off on to my PC. A woman in Indiana who transfers video to CD on ebay, suggested I try rewinding the tape manually and retry it. So far - no rejection, we'll see. I do believe the problem is from one of the many micro switches they use to tell the internal computer when it is safe, meaning everything is working fine before proceeding. The side thumping that seems to work for some could be that switch making full contact. I found this to be the major factor in CD players, to where I had to modify the switch or even jumper it to get a CD player to work. I hope I don't have this problem with the newer camcorders using just memory. However I will never buy Canon again, shame on them.
Posted on Sep 01, 2014
I have a Canon MV5i camcorder that developed this problem. I sent it to a Canon service, they charged me a fortune to replace the entire tape drive mechanism. The camera worked for 6 months and then got the REMOVE TAPE message again. I bought a second MC5i on Ebay and it developed EXACTLTY the same problem! SHame on Cannon, MV5i costed over $1400 as new!
Posted on Apr 11, 2012
OMG! I just beat my Canon ZR100 to death and it now will accept the tape. I love the internet. Problem solved. Thanks guys. Too funny.
Posted on Nov 13, 2010
Worked for me as well. I can't explain hot it got fixed, but basically i followed the direction to thump on the side of the screen and that fixed it! :)
Posted on Jun 18, 2010
I thought the thumping should be on the *opposite* side of the screen - on the battery side. Did you hit it on the screen side? And it worked? If yes, then this grandma will try both sides.
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I just had the same problem, It would load a tape then tell me to "remove the cassete" in big red bold letters.. Then i started trying other tapes, then it eventually wouldnt even retract any more.. I was getting anoyed and started looking into service repair centers.. Not sure if the repair cost would even be worth it or just buy a new one.. So i just smacked 3 hard times on the opposite side of the display screen.. Works like a charm. Sweet!!!!
Posted on Mar 28, 2010
Problem solved by heating it up by charging and keeping the tspe door open to dry out.
Posted on Feb 20, 2010
After reviewing the manual in the troubleshooting section it mentions that if there's a radical climate change the camera can build condensation and therefore give you the error message of "remove the cassette". I just got back from the Dominican Republic and now i'm in NY where it is cold. Then again this could happen if i'm shooting outside then head indoors. Anyway I'm leaving the camera on with the tape compartment open to see if this will somehow dry the moisture and then I'll try to playback a tape. I think the blow dryer idea might work, but im at the office and don't want to take the camera home. Wish me luck people!
Posted on Jan 28, 2010
I've had this problem about 4 or 5 times. I've tried like 100s of times with different tapes and it's always that "remove the cassette" problem... but, whenever this happens, I let my camera rest for some weeks, sometimes months, and don't touch it at all. After some time, it's like the problem never occured, and it works fine again.
It's so annoying, I know. I hate my stupid cam.
Posted on Sep 16, 2008
I had the same problem. Found a solution on another fixya post. I couldn't believe this worked.
>> Turn camera on side - thump on side opposite the screen. <<
I tried doing this once with my camcorder with no effect. I tried twice more, and it fixed the problem.
Posted on May 20, 2008
While the camera is on, take out the battery.
Posted on May 11, 2008
I tried everything to fix this (condesation detected) tokk it apart, It was bone dry,. but since I bought it used with this problem it was obviosly tat it was dropped causing this issue , finaly pluged it in to warm it up , and gave it a ggod rap on the side , and whatever was loose from first drop fell back in place , works like a charm , im a beleiver ,.. thanks for who posted this , your my hero...
Posted on Jul 07, 2010
This is the reponse of Canon on their site: Recommended actions to take when the "REMOVE THE CASSETTE" or "EJECT" message appears The "REMOVE THE CASSETTE" or "EJECT" message may appear (steady or flashing) due to a problem with the camcorder that causes the safety mode to be activated. This may occur: (1) When the camcorder is damaged because: - Condensation droplets have formed inside the camcorder. (For further information about condensation, please refer to "Related Information" at the end of this page); - There has been a failure of an internal camcorder part; - The camcorder has detected sand, water, or some other foreign substance; - There has been impact damage, which can occur when the camcorder is dropped or bumped against a hard surface; - The camcorder has been operated incorrectly (for example, a tape has been forced into the cassette compartment or the cassette compartment was pressed down while the tape was loading; (2) A damaged videocassette, such as dusty or damaged tape, has been used. The following steps should be attempted when either message appears: 1. Remove and reload the videocassette, or use a new videocassette. 2. If condensation forms, the message "CONDENSATION HAS BEEN DETECTED" may appear followed by a "REMOVE THE CASSETTE" message. Also, the condensation-warning icon starts flashing. In this case, remove the videocassette, and leave the cassette compartment open in a dry place. Reload the cassette until the condensation-waning icon stops flashing. Condensation-warning icon For more information about condensation, please refer to the Related Information below. If the "REMOVE THE CASSSETTE" or "EJECT" messages continue, please contact the nearest Canon service center.
Posted on Sep 30, 2007
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REMOVE THE CASSETTE
Identical problem with my ZR100. I believe the out-of-warranty service fee is $150, excluding shipping costs, which will net either a repaired or replacement camera.
We have experienced the same thing. My wife was taping and the camera send remove the cassette. We bought new videocassettes and they will not work either. The camera beeps and will not accept the cassette.
So, what's the solution? If we're not getting the condensation message and we've tried a billion tapes, never dropped it, always took care of it...........what else can you do?
tried changing brand of tapes
"remove cassette" message appeared when i turned on the camera. After removing the tape I attempted to load another brand new tape but cassette compartment wouldn't close. It closes when empty but not when attempting to load a tape.Â
I am having the same problem with my Canon ZR200 DV Camcorder. I used it last about 3 weeks ago and it was fine. I had used it indoors at the time. Yesterday when I try to use it, gives me the "REMOVE THE CASSETTE" message on my LCD. I tried 3 different tapes (1 new and 2 old) and I still get the same message. Using the battery or power does not make a difference. Very dissapointed!!.
tried everything
after owning a canon zr10 for nearly 8 years (and taking good care of it), it has just begun to display the "remove cassette tape" error message each time i attempt to use the camera. i doubt there's any way to fix this problem, but am interested in any possible tips.
same
how can i fix this problem
i have the same
AWESOME
I WENT AND PURCHASED A NEW LITHIUM BATTERY, GOT HEAD CLEANER; Â WAS AT THE POINT OF CALLING CANON AND GOOGLED THIS. Â WORKED ON THE SECOND KNOCK...MUCH MORE THAN A THUMP. Â MY WIFE THINKS IM GENIUS. Â
I have a Canon Elura 65 with message REMOVE CASSETTE (have used this camera 3 times/1 year old); plugged in DC cord removed lithium battery, unplugged DC cord - waited a few seconds; plugged DC cord back in, replaced battery and no problems.
My Canon ZR30 says "REMOVE CASSETTE" so I take it out,. than put disk back in and start recording to have is say the same error message and stop recording. at this point it;s done it at least 10 tmes and now it won't record at all. how can I fix this?
thumping the machine worked for a while, but no more.
the thumping thing worked!!!!! thanks so much for this solution!!!
How funny, had the same problem. Have not been able to work that damn thing for months. I thumped it on the side a couple of times with no results. My girlfriend grapped it and literally beat it like a red headed step child!
Guess what......it started working right away after this beating,
That would be my advice to everyone else with the same problem
Same thing...ALL OF THE SUDDEN it started giving me the same error. Canon needs to resolve this if it is so wide spread.
About 5 years ago i bought a canon zr 300 which stopped working after a couple years. "REMOVE THE CASSETTE" it said. It would not play tapes at all. Stupidly i did not buy the extended warranty.
Also stupidly, a short while later i bought another canon this time a canon zr 850. Worked very well for a couple years, now i get the same message. "remove the cassette". This time tho I did buy the extended warranty and i have just sent it in to canon for repairs.
I can not believe that i was dumb enough to buy the second canon. If i do get it back in fixed condition, great. But i will never buy another canon. I still have the zr 300, which has been in the closet for 2 or 3 years or so.
This problem has affected too many people, and me twice! I hate canon!
I have the exactly same problem with my Canon MV5 camera. I sent it for repair, their charged me a fortune to replace the entire mechanic. Two months later - the same problem appeared.
Try slapping the flat side of the cassette hard against something a half dozen times. You might find that this works. The tape gets tight in the cassette and the slapping loosens it. Happened all the time on audio cassette tapes and that was the solution. BTW, I've done this with MiniDV tapes and it works, too.
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