camcorder viewfinder problem

[atarileaf]

Hi. I hope this is the right newsgroup for this question, if not, please
direct me to such.

Anyway, I have an older Compact VHS camcorder - JVC GR-AX940. After turning
it on and looking through the viewfinder, I see no picture either in record
or playback but a white screen. The camcorder itself still works when hooked
up to a tv. I get sound and picture just fine on the tv but glancing down
into the viewfinder just shows a white screen, so it seems there is
something wrong with the viewfinder itself. I went through the manual and
found nothing in troubleshooting and can find nothing on the web.

The camera is about 6 years old now and has worked fine up to this point.
What would cause the viewfinder to go and is there anything I can do?

Thanks

 

[James Sweet]

Hi. I hope this is the right newsgroup for this question, if not, please
direct me to such.

Anyway, I have an older Compact VHS camcorder - JVC GR-AX940. After turning
it on and looking through the viewfinder, I see no picture either in record
or playback but a white screen. The camcorder itself still works when hooked
up to a tv. I get sound and picture just fine on the tv but glancing down
into the viewfinder just shows a white screen, so it seems there is
something wrong with the viewfinder itself. I went through the manual and
found nothing in troubleshooting and can find nothing on the web.

The camera is about 6 years old now and has worked fine up to this point.
What would cause the viewfinder to go and is there anything I can do?

Thanks

Likely the mass surface mount capacitor failure is setting in, could be just
a cracked solder joint though.

 

[atarileaf]

Ok, next dumb question:

What the heck is "surface mount capacitor failure"?

I'm completely non-tech when it comes to this stuff. Could you explain what
this is in english and if its expensive to fix?

Cheers
atarileaf

 

[James Sweet]

Ok, next dumb question:

What the heck is "surface mount capacitor failure"?

I'm completely non-tech when it comes to this stuff. Could you explain what
this is in english and if its expensive to fix?

Cheers
atarileaf

It means a component which the camera contains a couple hundred of is likely
beginning to fail, and when one goes the rest are often not far behind.
Parts are cheap but it's a very labor intensive fix, you'd have to take it
in for an estimate though, if you're non-technical there's nothing you can
do.

 

[BigTom]

i opened up a panasonic one a while ago with the same problem
in the viewfinder.(didnt connect it to the tv though)
about half the capacitors i tested were bad. the rest were probably on
their way out.
i tested about thirty of them before i decided it was going to be too
much work.
i would follow James's suggestion and have a look for a cracked solder
joint or broken wire first(especially if the viewfinder is one of those
ones that move up/down.