[Peter Brereton]

This company have received nothing but praise from others on this forum who have had Canon CCD problems. They are Canon approved and are able to carry out free of charge CCD replacement...give them a call!

Peter Brereton.
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Plymcare (Video)
Marshall Road
Plymton
Plymouth
Devon
PL7 1YB

Tel: 01752 303 555
Fax: 01752 303 553
Web: www.plymco.co.uk

Thanks to all who have put the information on this site about the black screen problem. I have sent mine to be repaired free of charge, without the website I would have spent a lot of money repairing or replacing my camcorder.

I'd just like to say for all those who are in Britain that there's no need to contact canon, just phone plymcare, (see Peter Brereton's post above) and explain your situation. They're extremely helpful. I sent mine (MV600i) off friday 6 jan and they've confirmed it is a CCD problem. They're waiting for the parts, so could be 3 to 4 weeks. Isn't the internet fantastic

Camcorder was away less than a week (cost £3.93 to post recorded delivery to Canon) now fixed and not charged one penny - invoice stated 'goodwill payment' which covered almost £80.00 costs.......can't be happier!

although they forgot to include my battery! but after contacting them another one is on its way

I'm so pleased I found this website!

Thanks to this forum, I shall be contacting Canon and "Plymcare" to find out what to do next.
My camera is also about 20 months old, with the same problem, I contacted Jessops in Nov 2005 and was told it could be £150 to repair. The camera has had less than 10 hours use and was bought after me always buying Canon for its quality, (A1, EOS 650, and now 10D)
I hope this doesnt mean that quality is no longer an issue with Canon as I'm sure it will affect sales in future. It will certainly make me think if I dont get it repaired as for £300+ after 10 hours use this makes it one of the dearest cameras on the Planet.
Good luck everyone.
Will let the forum know how this goes, Cheers

in defence of canon on the quality issue: they were using third party components for the camcorder ccds (Sony as it happens, usually have the highest reputation for quality) so i don't think it necessarily follows that Canons camcorders are of any less quality than anybody elses, however your AE1 was a fairly simple machine compared to your 10d, so less to go wrong, that said your Ae1 can still take the same quality of photographs as an EOS1v or Nikon F6, in 25 years will your 10d be able to keep up with present day cameras?

Where I would not defend canon was their denial of any issue.

[vonhosen]

Originally Posted by Roy Mallard

in defence of canon on the quality issue: they were using third party components for the camcorder ccds (Sony as it happens, usually have the highest reputation for quality) so i don't think it necessarily follows that Canons camcorders are of any less quality than anybody elses, however your AE1 was a fairly simple machine compared to your 10d, so less to go wrong, that said your Ae1 can still take the same quality of photographs as an EOS1v or Nikon F6, in 25 years will your 10d be able to keep up with present day cameras?

Where I would not defend canon was their denial of any issue.

Got to agree with that synopsis Roy

Hi again

I dont wish to be misunderstood about my feelings over Canon products, indeed, I bought my 10D just before the 20D came out and still have all of my other Canon cameras which are all used from time to time and I am more than happy with all of them. My disapointment is with the response from Jessops where I was told that it would be expensive to repair and probably not worth doing. No mention of a common fault etc. This after 10 hours use would be disturbing to say the least. I found out from another dealer that it is indeed a common problem and then found this forum. The camera is now on its way to Plymcare who have been very helpful.

point taken, Jessop guarantee the product for a year, after that then its a manufacturing issue. Jessops should have known, but would we really be surprised if Canon hadn't let on given past form?

I also have the BLACK SCREEN problem with my canon MV-600, Many thanks for the information about the free repair by Plymcare, i have been in contact with them today and also sent the camera to them, I should get it back in about ten days. Excellent thanks Peter

...and everything appears ok. I sent my MV600i to Plymcare Jan 6 2006, and I got it back today Feb 8. I sent a cheque for £50, but that wasn't cashed, so many many thanks go to this forum.

Hi all, sorry for the late update on the Canon MV600 faulty CCD problem. Thanks to all who helped with the petition, which I sent to
Watchdog. I had a response, saying that they have the complaint on file. I recommend to anybody who has a Canon MV600 which has failed
around to 18 month / 2 year period to take the issue up with the retailers directly. I did this with Jessops, quoting the sale of goods act to
them (especially the section about reasonable use ) and they were helpful. It took a while, but eventually they sent the camera back to Canon, and they fixed it free of charge.
Hope this is helpful to anyone who has the same problem,
Cheers.

[howardtay]

Well I joined you all 3 days ago when my MV650i went blank, I returned from a holiday in Australia and Singapore and after examining the Canon website I read that the problem with the CCDs could be caused by hot or humid climates, question: how does humidity snap wires? even if they are thinner than a human hair.

Anyhow, I emailed Canon and they phoned me up and instructed me to send the camcorder to one of their Service Centre's, the nearest one to me is Videotech in Ashton Under Lynne, I have done this which cost approximately £5.00 insured so it looks as though Canon will honour their email, and fix my MV650i which is 2 years old. We shall see...

While I'm here, does anyone know how to improve night shooting with the MV650i, mine is grainy and if I select night mode the shots are very jerky, my Sharp analogue veiwcam was better at this, although the daylight shots with the MV650i are the best ever.

Hi Guys.
Well I sent the camera to Plymcare and had it back in 6 days repaired with my cheque uncashed. My thanks to all at Plycare for their help and well mannered attitude, and indeed to all contributors to this forum.
Best wishes and good luck to you all.

Regards Keith

Hi Just add me to the list of people having BIG PROBLEMS with CANON (MV6i) camcorder.I have this model for 2 years, and I used it four or five times.First of all I had a sirous problem with "tape eject" message.The camcorder was in guaranty and it has been fixed by changing the motor drive, belt ,etc. The problem still remain and the message "tape eject" appears when I have a long time to use the camcorder.
Before 2 day I tried to record and I ascertained the "black screen problem", and a noisy sound (maybe broken iris).
Box score of all above. DO NOT BUY CANON CAMCORDER.

NOTE: I am an electronic engineer and I know how to handle sensitive electronic devices.

Chaps,

I have four of these cameras at work and they've actually been very sturdy. Given that I work in a school they take some pretty harsh abuse.

But the one camera which has only been used twice is the one that's developed this CCD problem. I phoned a few repair places to see if anyone was interested and was quoted £100+ by all of them which is barely the cost of the camera itself these days.

Then I found this Plymcare information.

Awwwww ... you guys ...

Hi,
im from Germany.(so my english is not the best) But i maybe can help u with the CCD problems of your cannons. I have bought my mv600 28 month ago. Last week i tried to record something but i only had a BLACK SCREEN. Playen recorded Movies is no problem for the cam... but recording is impossible.. --> So i made a tel. Call to CANON GERMANY. They told me that the CCD Sensors of the MV600 are from Sony and have very often Problems with that chips. So CANON GERMANY told me to go to a service station and let them take a look on the Cam. If it is the problem with the CCD sensor (from Sony) its repaired for free!!!!! They told me that the Sensors are very often damaged after about 2 years. So.... go to CANON Service Station (near where u live) and tell them to repair the Sony CCD sensor... and if they think its the sensor that is damaged they send it to CANON (of your country).... then u wound pay anything... Okay, i hope i could help u ... Greeting from Germany

MV600i
Serial Number 174656310170
About 2.5 years old, and about 25 hrs footage filmed with it.

Same black screen problem as mentioned here (working fine in all other respects than being able to film anything!). I'm also getting the small red icon that was mentioned by some here; it appears near the centre of the screen, but it goes away after maybe 10 minutes or so. (My crude hand-drawn rendition of it is attached.)

Anyway, many thanks to the people on this fine forum for their useful advice; this was by far the best source of information on this problem that I've come across, and I will get in touch with Plymcare soon. I took the camcorder to a Canon repair centre, and was told that "if replacement ccd required which is not uncommon on this model" I'd be paying about £140. I'm glad I decided to mull it over. Thanks again.

hi panicked canon user with another blacked out camcorder mv600, luckily thanks to the information here theres now "light" at the end off the tunnel (and the saving off a £100+) contacting canon works but get ready for some phone jokeys denying the problem, remember to mention this site and that canon know about the problem
also the info you get e-mailed asks for proof of purchace, i'm sending mine without reciept (who keeps reciepts after 2yrs?) i'll post later and let you all know, if they still fixed it

[howardtay]

Just got off the telephone with Videotech in Ashton Under Lynne, who are fixing my 2 year old Canon MV650i, and they have informed me that the CCD part has arrived and I should get my camcorder back next week. No charge!!!

I sent the camcorder to them on 14/02/06 so turn round time about 1 month.

The internet and this forum has saved me a lot of money, thanks

My MV650i serial number is: 154643331787

Also glad to have come across this forum and thread. Have just discovered that both my own camera 630i and my brothers 600 are both suffering from The Black Screen of Death.

I contacted Canon via the support form on their site and have received a reply that to me seems to be a bog standard 'your camera sounds like it could have a fault return to your local service centre for repair'. No acknowledgement of the major problem that seems to exist, or offer of free repair, they seem to be working along the lines that if they can get away with it they will make you pay for a repair which is quite clearly their fault.

Have always trusted and recommended Canon in the past, now I have lost all faith in this company and their products. Am about to take this further with Canon to ensure both cameras are repaired free of charge.

20/03/2006 Update

After calling Cannon and telling them I had visited this forum and knew there are issues with the CCD's on their cameras, they admitted the problem and told me to send the cameras off to Plymcare. I was told if it was the CCD repair would be free of charge. I mailed both mine and my brothers camera to Plymcare Special Delivery on Thursday 17th which guaranteed delivery by 1pm on the Friday 18th.

This morning Monday 20th I received both cameras back fully repaired free of charge. Now that is what I call excellent service. Well done and thanks Plymcare!

Just to follow up on my last post (just a few messages up):

I got in touch with Plymcare directly by phone (rather than speaking to Canon), and posted the camcorder off to them (using "Special Delivery Next Day Service", which worked out at £6.95 - it automatically includes insurance for up to £500, which was fine) on Thursday. Plymcare didn't require any proof of purchase, or cheque, to be included; just the camcorder itself, a note of the problem; and return address, of course. If the CCD was at fault, they'd fix it free of charge; if there was another problem, they'd phone me.

Anyway, it arrived back today (Tuesday), in working order. Five days, and that's with the weekend in the middle, was good turnabout, I thought. (Incidentally, the mystery flashing red icon that I mentioned in my previous post has also gone, whatever it may have signified.)

Well done, Plymcare! And credit to the people of this forum for directing me, and others, to an effective solution.

I had exactly the same problem with my MV600. It is apparently such a common problem with the MV600 that Canon Australia offer the option of leaving your "broken" camera with them and for an additional $150AUD you can get the new MV850i. I did that, but found the 850i very user unfriendly. Also, the MV600 would simply plug & play when I connected it to my PC to edit my videos using the Microsoft supplied MovieMaker. The MV850i wasn't recognised by MovieMaker on my PC, whereas it WAS on my son-in-law's PC - go figure, eh! Canon Australia can't help and Microsoft draws a blank stare and an "I've got no idea" answer. Do I have to go back to a MV600i again and risk the burned out CCD again????? Cheers from Down Under.

[howardtay]

On Tuesday 28.03.06 I received my MV650i back and repaired with a new CCD from Videotech in Ashton Under Lynne, I sent it to them on 14.02.06

So not the fastest, but at least at no cost except postage at 5.00.

Once again I thank this forum which has saved me a lot of money, thanks

[Pdman]

I must add my name to the number of you praising Plymcare. Rang them Tuesday morning, posted the MV600I that lunchtime, returned Thursday afternoon, good as new. Thats what I call service, all for zero pounds!

You can add me to the list. I got 3 hours out of the Cam Corder, thats something like £150 per hour. Playback is fine, but when recording the viewer and the recording show stipey images of what ever you are pointing at.

Got quote from reputable high street camera company for £170. Will probably invest in a new Camcorder soon if i get good advice for about £400

Peter

I have had a broken MV600i in the cupboard for a year now, and decided to buy a new one, when i found this site and thread, I took the advise of Peter Brereton and called Plymcare, very helpful, packaged camera and sent it off, arrived back fixed 2 days later, no charge!, what service, fantastic, new battery (£10.99 http://bargainbasementbatteries.co.uk/) and i am up and running again

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Plymcare (Video)
Marshall Road
Plymton
Plymouth
Devon
PL7 1YB

Tel: 01752 303 555

These people are customer care !

Hi, thankgod I looked on here! We realised our MV600 had died on us about a week or so before our second child was born, so we bought a new one & forgot about the old broken one. Now we are emmigrating I was going to put it on ebay & was just looking at reviews on it to see if I could ind the spec. I found a review & someone said they had this black screen of death & it was called CCD, so I did a search on it & found this site. I have contacted Plymcare & sending mine off in the next couple of days. Now I can sell it in full working order. Thanks everyone!

Sara

[Creamstick]

I took my two year old MV630i out of the box today to record my 6 month old daughter in her walker (for the first time - adorable!). Only to find that while I could play back previous tapes (I've only used it twice - once to record my nephew's christening, and on xmas day last year for my daughter's first xmas), I couldn't get any picture - the infamous black screen of death.

I did a Google search and found this thread - how glad am I?!

I now have a reference number, and am sending the camera to Plymcare tomorrow for a free repair - magic!

[TraceyJ]

Originally Posted by Peter Borzsony

Playback is fine, but when recording the viewer and the recording show stipey images of what ever you are pointing at.

I'm having the same problem with my MV650i - vertical coloured stripes that shimmer. I'm guessing it's either an early symptom of the black screen problem or something similar? Any views please?

Edit to say I've now read this thread in full and have seen others have had similar problems with the vertical "noise". I'll contact plymcare - thanks for all the posts and advice.