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Home: Video University Forums: Canon All Camcorders:
Canon GL1 EJECT TAPE error

benjamin
New User

Mar 5, 2005, 10:48 AM

Post #1 of 10 (3115 views)
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Canon GL1 EJECT TAPE error	Can't Post

Hi there,

I have a Canon GL1 (about 4 years old now) which just started saying Eject Tape whenever I put in ANY tape. It will not let me rw, ff, or play any tapes whatsoever. I have tried a variety of tapes.

The only thing I can think of as a potential source of the problem is that I left the camera in my car overnight and the cold may have effected it? (I live in Toronto, Canada - I think it may have been as cold as -15c or 5f)

Would the cold have done something to it? Either way what are my options? And if it is a repair shop type deal - any idea on what this could set me back?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated

Thanks,

Benjamin Middleton
videouniversity@gorillamedia.tv

Waldemar
Enthusiast

Mar 5, 2005, 11:16 AM

Post #2 of 10 (3104 views)
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Re: [benjamin] Canon GL1 EJECT TAPE error [In reply to]	Can't Post

You are getting the error message because the camera can not completely load a tape. This most likely an issue with the loading mechanism. Here is a question and description I had posted on another forum some time ago:

"Is it time to send my XL1s to Canon for maintenance?
Today my XL1s ate a tape in rewind.
So, I put in a brand new tape. fast forward to end, then rewind. EJECT TAPE warning at almost the same place...approx 12 min from beginning of tape.
Decided to use a tape head cleaner. Would not load. Tried another brand new tape. It would not load. It appeared the loading mechanism was encountering a block.
Ejected tape, and got little coiled spring in my lap. Compared loading mechanism to that of my GL1 and figured out where the little spring came from. Took about an hour to get that little bugger back where it belongs.
Ran the loading mechanism without a tape a few times. After a few hiccups the gears, sliders and other things actually seemed to go where they looked like they belonged.
Took another brand new tape and tried to load it. It not only loaded, but a compete fast forward and rewind encountered no problems.
Repeated the process several times. No glitches.

Should I send to Canon or no?"

You can see this little spring. Open the door of your GL1 andpress the tape eject button. Look into the tape compartment from the back. The little spring should be be in the upper right corner of the metal panels that hold the video cassette in alignment as it is loaded. If that spring is gone the metal panels can not keep the cassette in the correct vertical alignment necessary to complete the loading process, and must be sent to Canon for repair.

Here is a very sensible reply I received from my original question:

"First of all, congratulations on that successful operation. I've heard of several "self-made surgeons" who have tried the same thing as you, but lost their patient on the operating table.
Just to be on the safe side, I think you should send it in for service, which is something you should be doing once a year anyway. Don't mention this incident. They'll check the tape transport mechanism regardless. Good luck, although it sounds like you've already had plenty of good luck"
G5 1.8. Final Cut/QT Pro/iMovie/Still Life. GL1. XL1-s

pastaboy
Novice

Mar 5, 2005, 10:56 PM

Post #3 of 10 (3093 views)
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Re: [benjamin] Canon GL1 EJECT TAPE error [In reply to]	Can't Post

I JUST HAD THAT SAME PROBLEM!!!!!! And I live in Colorado, I went skiing and left the camera in the car overnight. Came home the next day and "Eject Tape" went on EVERY time I loaded a tape. In the manual it says its condensation, so I let it sit for a few hours.......nothing happend........left it over night..........nothing happened.......so what I did was I took the tape out and left the tape bay open......so heat could get into it........then I took a SMALL space heater and turned to LOW power and put it infront of the camera ( about a foot to two away) the heater never went above 65 degrees F. next morning put a tape in, prayed to god it would work, and it did. Try it out......you never know.....let me know if it works.

Fredo
Blackwater Entertainment

Waldemar
Enthusiast

Mar 6, 2005, 11:18 PM

Post #4 of 10 (3072 views)
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Re: [pastaboy] Canon GL1 EJECT TAPE error [In reply to]	Can't Post

I'm in Durango. Where are you in Colorado?
G5 1.8. Final Cut/QT Pro/iMovie/Still Life. GL1. XL1-s

pastaboy
Novice

Mar 7, 2005, 11:39 PM

Post #5 of 10 (3057 views)
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Re: [Waldemar] Canon GL1 EJECT TAPE error [In reply to]	Can't Post

Well I live in Broomfield. I go to Legacy High School.......I go skiing every weekend.......trying to get into the film industry.....make a lot of skiing/snowboarding videos, and am trying to make a 40 min movie (whenever the dam script gets written) ha ha.......

Fredo

Godspawned
New User

Mar 19, 2005, 3:55 PM

Post #6 of 10 (2981 views)
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Re: [benjamin] Canon GL1 EJECT TAPE error [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi,

I've had the same problem with my camera off and on for a while now. I live in NC and have never had my camera in the cold or etc. It seemed random for a while and I thought it might be a brand of tapes it had trouble with, but today I loaded 3 tapes in a row and got the error.

What I ended up finding out is that I get the problem when the tape is at certain places and especially at the beginning. I took my tape and manually wound it to 3-4 seconds from the beginning and it took the tape with no problems. I hit rewind and I get the "EJECT TAPE" error in red. I wind it up a few seconds again (to do this I push in the button in the middle of the bottom of the back of the tape while using a pencil eraser to turn a spindle). and it takes the tape fine. This worked for all of my tapes.

I'm still not sure what is causing the problem, but every time I can just wind the tape some (no matter where the error occurs) and it fixes it. I guess I need to get the camera serviced, but maybe my quick fix can help you out if it happens to you.

Take Care,

A

Waldemar
Enthusiast

Mar 19, 2005, 6:32 PM

Post #7 of 10 (2971 views)
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Re: [Godspawned] Canon GL1 EJECT TAPE error [In reply to]	Can't Post

All reel tapes have some things in common with respect to their transport mechanism. There has to be some resistance on the feed side of the reel to maintain a certain amount of tension as the tape is pulled to the empty reel. This is really important as the feed side reel will spin at very high speed as more and more tape is transferred to the take-up reel. Inexpensive audio cassette players once used a mechanical spring to maintain resistance. I think nowdays each reel in a cassette has a small electric motor providing the appropriate amount of resistance.

If, for some reason, the resistance on the feed side of a reel were to falter the increasing inertia of the feed reel could send tape to the take-up reel faster than it was capable of loading. A possible result would be a tangle of tape, causing a jam. The "EJECT TAPE" error message could be a result. If so, a visit to Canon factory repair is probably a good idea.
G5 1.8. Final Cut/QT Pro/iMovie/Still Life. GL1. XL1-s

vidguyz
User

Apr 13, 2005, 5:59 PM

Post #8 of 10 (2808 views)
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Re: [Waldemar] Canon GL1 EJECT TAPE error [In reply to]	Can't Post

Well, I just got nailed with this problem .... and it cost me a better portion of a fashion show shoot I was on.

By using another tape, it seemed to clear up the problem ... so I thought it might be the tape itself - it wasn't.
This new tape worked fine until I was capturing it to Premiere Pro. When I go to rewind the tape it makes it about 3/4 the way back to zero, then the GL2 beeps with that ominous 'EJECT TAPE' message. Arggghhh. Time to take the camera back to Canon Service.

I'm on my way to purchase a second GL2 and hope that I won't be doing the 'service rotate', one camera in the shop, one working camera - the shop camera returns , the working camera back to the shop.

It's a viscious cycle (LOL), but I guess it's just part of the video trade.

vidguy

Waldemar
Enthusiast

Apr 13, 2005, 9:09 PM

Post #9 of 10 (2803 views)
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Re: [vidguyz] Canon GL1 EJECT TAPE error [In reply to]	Can't Post

Yes, I believe something is odd with the tape transport mechanism. Time for Canon to look at it.
G5 1.8. Final Cut/QT Pro/iMovie/Still Life. GL1. XL1-s

David L.
New User

Apr 15, 2005, 2:06 AM

Post #10 of 10 (2793 views)
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Re: [Waldemar] Canon GL1 EJECT TAPE error [In reply to]	Can't Post

I have a GL1 going on 4 years old now and hoping I don't ever see this problem though it seems a definite "known issue" from the sheer number of complaints.