HELP! Tape won't unload!

Ben

Member
Hey Guys!

When I wanted to start my DVX-100 today, the camera-button blinked and there was a red message on the screen that said:

1)
AUTO OFF - S REEL LOCK

2)
AUTO OFF - UNLOADING LOCK

The tape won't come out no matter what I do, I can't even switch to the Player-Mode to see if there's something wrong with the tape. All there is, is the red blinking-camera light. Does anyone have a clue if I can fix this myself? Or do I have to sent in the camera to Panasonic and wait for two moths ?

Very, very desperate,

Ben
 
Re: HELP! Tape won't unload!

so you left a tape in the cam when it was powerd down for a period of time? ..thats a no-no .. it shouldnt jam the mech, but its bad for the tape. anyhow, make sure the tape door is closed all the way..lightly push it in a bit to be sure whe you power it up . you can also try to rewind the tape a bit when its in cam mode. just hold the stick in the rewind position and watch the time code. it may hav jammed somehow in the head machanism. also try a new battery or using the power adaptor. it could be a potential power issue.
 
Re: HELP! Tape won't unload!

Unless someone has a better suggestion, I'd say to hit the "reset" button on the side. Couldn't possibly hurt at this point.
 
Re: HELP! Tape won't unload!

Thanks for your fast replies, guys.

I tried to reset for some times but the problem remains.

It isn't a power problem, I tried both battery and the power adaptor.

I can't rewind in cam-mode. It won't even let me see the menu.

Any more Ideas ??
 
Re: HELP! Tape won't unload!

put it in a warm dry place for a day, and then try again. you could have condensation on the board somehow.
otherwise send it in for service.. :-/
 
S Reel Lock error message

S Reel Lock error message

Ben, sorry to hear about your problem. I was wondering if you were able to correct this because I had the same error message on my DVX-100P this past weekend while shooting a wedding. The "Auto Off - S Reel Lock" message came suddenly, without warning. I was able to get my tape out, but was unable to continue shooting. The tape was pulled out in a loop from the cassette shell when I took it out of the camera. I rewound the tape and reinserted it into the camera, only to have the same error message and problem reoccur. I tried this about five times before giving up. If anyone knows how to fix this, or can tell me/us what the "S Reel" is, it'd be greatly appreciated.
 
im having the same problem....

Im getting "AUTO OFF

UNLOADING LOCK"

then the camera shuts down on its own. The battery is fine. the tape wont eject.

This sucks. Please help!
 
this sounds really scary.

i've never had any problem like that, this is the sort of thing you worry about happening in the middle of a shoot!

did you guys use only the mq tapes?

matthew
 
This just happened to my camera, same error messege and so far I have not been able to find a solution other than taking the camera to a service center.

definitely not the best situation

any other ideas out there?
 
What happens if you try eject the tape with the power off? (But the battery or power supply in, of course.)

Warning: it *might* eject the tape cassette, but leave the tape itself tangled up inside, if there's a real problem, and not just the system thinking there is. Assuming it ejects it at all.

Then again, if you can't get the tape out, it's not much use to you anyway...
 
I am having the same problem with my little over a year old HVX-200. Unloading lock auto off. There is no tape in the deck, but it will not open. It moves up and down but never actually opens. This camera actually has 0hrs on the heads. The first time I went to use the tape the error started. I was told by panasonic that the error is possibly from lack of use and probably a lubricant problem. They said that the only solution was to send the camera to a repair center. $130.00 for the repair centers evaluation + shipping, etc..... If any one has any suggestions or solutions please let me know. Thanks
 
Yet another victim of the blue screen of horror!

I get the message, nothing happens. Can't film, can't eject, can't do anything...

Has anybody yet had an answer or solution to this?
 
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