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  1. Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Hacienda Heights, CA
    Search Comp PM
    Hi guys. Another newb here. I have had this Panasonic camcorder for almost 8 years now. I used it about 3 times in all. A tape has been stuck inside for about 8 years. I haven't needed it for a while because I dropped out of filmmalking. Now I want to start documenting stuff in my life. So instead of buying a new camera I was going try and get this old one fixed. So I called this repair guy a few miles from me and he said that it was going to be at least $250 for labor. Really? To get a tape out? I forgot to mention there is slight distortion when i playback the tape that's stuck in there. It's only at certain points though. It happens at the same point each time. It could be the tape. What do you guys think? Is $250 worth it?

    Little more detail: When I try to eject the tape I can can hear it buzzing trying to get the tape out, sadly with no result.
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  2. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Republic of Texas
    Search Comp PM
    Is the camcorder really broken, or is it simply a matter of a stuck tape? I've retrieved stuck camcorder tapes by removing the tape-loading cover with a small Philips-head screwdriver. If you're afraid of messing it up, try taking it to different camera shops until someone will agree to do it on the cheap. If the problem is recurrent with different tapes, then the culprit may indeed be camcorder, not tape. In that case, yeah, it'll set you back that kind of money.
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  3. Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Hacienda Heights, CA
    Search Comp PM
    Thanks for the reply. Well when I power on the camcorder I still get an image. I assume it's not dead. I don't know if that means anything. I don't want to try to fix this thing myself. The ejector mechanism that spits out the tape seems pretty sensitive. This ejector component comes completely out of the camera when when ejecting a tape. I remember it looking pretty sensitive with little gears moving and everything. There is a "do not press here" label there. Hmmm.
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  4. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Republic of Texas
    Search Comp PM
    Get your fingernails under the ejector door of the camcorder, turn on the device, and when it starts to make ejection noises, give a little pull to "help" it eject a little ways. The tape is probably tangled in the path around the tape heads, but if you can get it partially ejected, you can cut the tape and pull out the cartridge. However, if you cannot even get the ejector door partially opened, follow my previous post. Yes, there are delicate parts, but they are not eggshell delicate. A little prodding won't hurt.
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