Flashing red icon in viewfinder,looks like a battery symbol with a bar through it ? but camera is working fine ?

Has the camera been switched to internal viewfinder mode? Many cameras have this feature (mine does) for people who like the old fashioned method of looking through the little viewfinder rather than using the screen on the back - saves battery too. Look for a button with a symbol that looks like a box with a vertical line on the left and right of it. press it and the screen should come back.
Hope this helps.

Look at the thumb pad on the back of your camera (see picture below, courtesy of www.cameras.co.uk). The uppermost part of it acts not only as an up key in the menu selections, but in shooting modes controls the flash (as per the lightning symbol next to it). With the camera turned on and in automatic mode (the green camera icon on the mode selector dial) just press the flash button and look at the screen. Eventually you'll get an icon of a lightning flash behind a red circle with a bar across it, this disables the flash.

Note that if you have any of the other shooting modes selected then the flash may still operate as in those modes everything is pre-selected by the camera with no or few override options.

I hope this fixes your problem, please take a moment to rate my free answer.

From what you are saying it sounds like the battery warning symbol. Have a look at page 150 onwards in the instruction manual. All the symbols are displayed there.

I had the same problem with my ZR800. After lots of searching on the net I found out what the symbol indicates. It means that the little battery that holds the memory for the clock is weak. It's under a little cover behind the main battery compartment. I put in a new one that the flashing icon is gone. I put the battery I took out into another ZR800 and the icon started flashing on it. A simple solution that Canon should have posted in the manual.

On page 24 of the manuel it shows the symbol that you mentioned below the battery symbol. It's labeled item 4. Which states "flashes in red when the lithium button battery is not installed, or when it needs replacing". I guess you need to check the lithium battery with a voltmeter to see if it's any good.

This symbol means that your backup battery needs to be replaced. It is a "button battery", type CR1616. Instructions for replacing it are in the manual, which is available to view or download here.

Hi . .  I downloaded the manual . . found I needed to replace the 3 volt lithium battery located on the underside of the hand grip for the zoom. Changed the battery . . . No red flashing icon in the viewfinder.
Cheers
Steve

That symbol means that the backup (date) battery needs to be replaced. This is a button style battery and the replacement number is CR2025. It is located in a holder that slides out of its slot on the bottom of the camera. To keep your current settings, make sure you have the normal battery installed and put the unit in STANDBY mode when changing the backup battery.

it means you have no back up battery installed to save time/date info. I know on the GL2 if you open the LCD screen there is another small plastic tab you can open and insert a relatively small battery. Do it and the icon will disappear. Otherwise its no big deal. If you dont need time/date stamps on your tapes then there is no need to install the battery unless you are just annoyed.

your battery is missing or in wrong or dead