My baby(DVX) is DEAD!!!

D

dolby

Well-known member
I am down shooting for my DVD down in Central FL and about 2 hours of shooting my DVX went nuts. The view finder looks like it lost sync, both the VCR and Camera LEDs are on, the OIS is thumping while on and even the reset on the side of the carera is not helping.

Please help, I drove way to far to get screwed by my camera.


dolby
 
Re: My baby(DVX) is DEAD!!!

Your in Florida? is it real humid. Humidity and cameras don't play well together. Try finding a nice dry location and let it sit for a while.
 
Re: My baby(DVX) is DEAD!!!

If you're extremely careful you can use a hair dryer to help it along.

If possible, open the tape transport door and wave the hair dryer about 12" or more from the mechanism.

Use hair dryer on lowest temperature setting... do not overheat!



Lather.
Rinse.
Repeat.

Uhhhm... just kidding abouth the last three things.
 
Re: My baby(DVX) is DEAD!!!

This is a good reason to bring a hair dryer camping. I will put it in my car and run the air conditioning on it.

dolby
 
Re: My baby(DVX) is DEAD!!!

Did the camera get rained on? I live in Florida and and shoot all the time with the DVX..no problems. Maybe perhaps since my camera is always in the humid climate that it doesn't affect it.
 
Re: My baby(DVX) is DEAD!!!

No rain, it was nice out when it died....it did rain after it died, though.

I am starting to think it is cooked, it has been in the car with the AC on for 2 hours and no change. :'(

Guess I will be sending it back next week.

dolby
 
Re: My baby(DVX) is DEAD!!!

I am now back and my cam is still not working.
Has anyone dealt with Panasonic on warranties? Do I contact them or BH Photo? How long should I be without my camera?
Here is a pic of the screen when I turn it on. I can get it to go into VCR mode and the screen clears up and I can see text, but the LEDs are still both lit up on the back.
oh_no.JPG

dolby
 
Re: My baby(DVX) is DEAD!!!

Okay, that's thrashed and needs a trip to the repair shop. If you bought it recently from B&H, perhaps they can arrange a camera swap for you, so you won't really have any downtime. Otherwise, it'll need to go into Panasonic service. Good luck!
 
Re: My baby(DVX) is DEAD!!!

a week after i bought my camera from BH i went to capture some footage and the firewire was wrecked had to send it out for service this was over one month ago so ure looking at waiting quite a bit...unless ure parts are instock...but most panni parts are on back order as usual....so good luck ...i sent my camera to electronic service center in philly panasonic authorized....bh's gives you 7days and no more than 2 hours of use...pretty wack...but good luck im still waiting on my damn camera back ...
 
Re: My baby(DVX) is DEAD!!!

That is the story that I got from BH. I doubt I will be buying from them again.

I have to send it to Atlanta to have it repaired and if it takes a month to get repaired I am in trouble. Maybe the will have the parts in stock and I will get it back in a week, but that is unlikly considering the problem.

I guess all I can do is wait now.

dolby
 
Re: My baby(DVX) is DEAD!!!

Man, Dolby, we feel your pain... :(

Similar thing happened with my PD-150. Drum head went bad and got nasty pixelated artifacting in the middle of a shoot. I thought I was going to hang myself. Then I found this place called Computerworks who replaced my drum head and fixed my camera in SEVEN HOURS. Not seven days or seven weeks - SEVEN HOURS. It was back in my hands that very evening. But that's Sony. Pannie's parts seem rarer.

In any case, good luck with it... Patience is the key.

N.

p.s. Computerworks does not fix Panasonic, but for those with Sony issues: http://www.cwservice.com/sony/
 
Re: My baby(DVX) is DEAD!!!

I just got a fax from K&N electronics in Atlanta about my camera.

"Need to replace VTR CBA, POWER CBA , Viewfinder connector, drum, tripod mount plus clean and align unit. ***Circuit boards corroded and not covered by warranty***

Invoice $1890.46!!!!!!!!!

WTF???????? This camera has never gotten wet and it died while the sun was out. I can not afford to get this fixed now!. I thought I was buying a professional camera and it dies on me 5 months after getting it. What is it worth having a warranty if they company doesn't stand behind it?

dolby
 
Re: My baby(DVX) is DEAD!!!

I don't know, this does not really seem to make sense to me. With all that damage it seems there's something missing. Did you happen to lend your camera to anyone? How did you store your camera? This posts scares me...I'm still paying my camera off and if I was hit with that invoice I would freak.
 
Re: My baby(DVX) is DEAD!!!

The camera has never been loaned out and when I am not using it, it stays in a hard case. The only thing that I know that could have damaged it is the humidity down in FL. And since there is no warnings about using it in high humidity in th manual, I would expect it to be covered by the warranty. This camera has been treated like a royal baby since I got it and has been completely trouble free since I first powered it up.
This incident has made me physically sick and I don't even feel like picking up a camera anymore. (but I am sure this is just temporary)

dolby

BTW, has anyone had dealing with Panasonic warrany support in the past or know of any contact that could help me here?
 
Re: My baby(DVX) is DEAD!!!

If you live in a humid coastal area these things can unfortunatlely happen. Salt air (microscopic salty dust particles) can blow through your cam and stick there. This combined with repeated condensing humidity situations is often the reason for fatal corrosion in cams. Try to avoid salt air or agressive gasses (sulferic hydrogen...) to enter yr cam (plastic bag or tape off splits) and avoid internal condensing humidity. Preheat yr cam (hair dryer) before you leave an airconditionned area for hot humid fieldwork or let it acclimatise for a while in a closed plastic bag.
 
Re: My baby(DVX) is DEAD!!!

i'm curious - why would the tripod mount need to be replaced? strange....
(i know its probably the cheapest part, but....huh?!?)
 
Re: My baby(DVX) is DEAD!!!

[quote author=FlacaProductions link=board=Events;num=1087079962;start=15#18 date=06/20/04 at 17:01:23]i'm curious - why would the tripod mount need to be replaced?  strange....
(i know its probably the cheapest part, but....huh?!?)[/quote]

That struck me as odd too. I also womder why they didn't have it shupped to (is it Elgin?), as opposed to a subcontractor here in Atlanta.
 
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