"remove cassette" warning on ZR100

Tape mechanism problems can be quite complicated. This will require disassembling the camera to repair and can usually be done fairly inexpensively. However, it's not a user serviceable problem and will need to be repaired by a qualified service technician.

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If your camcorder experiences an error, you may be presented with a ?Remove the Cassette? message. There are several reasons that this message may appear, but it is essentially a safety warning that is designed to protect the camcorder and/or tape from damage. The camcorder?s tape drive mechanism is made up of many precision components that, once damaged, may cause further problems if the mechanism continues to operate. When a problem is detected the safety mechanism is activated. The ?Remove the Cassette? warning and the camcorder?s safety mode may be activated by a variety of conditions such as: 1. Condensation is detected ? If condensation is detected by the camcorder, the ?Remove the Cassette? warning may occur. 2. Component failure ? If an electrical or mechanical component in the camcorder fails, the safety mode may activate to prevent any further damage to the camcorder. 3. Sand or grit damage ? The camcorder?s tape drive mechanism consists of many tiny gears. Sand or grit can cause a gear to jam and stop turning. This will cause the camcorder's safety mode to activate. 4. Impact damage ? If a camcorder is accidentally dropped or bumped against a hard surface, it is possible that a misalignment of the tape drive mechanism may occur. 5. Liquid damage ? If either the camcorder or the tape is exposed to water or any other liquid, a variety of malfunctions may result. Please avoid this situation. 6. Improper videotape insertion ? If a tape is forced into the cassette compartment, or if the cassette compartment is pressed down while the tape is loading, damage may occur to the tape drive mechanism. Please refer to the User's Manual. 7. Damaged or defective tape ? If a tape becomes damaged, please discontinue its use. Operational Recovery Steps Depending on the conditions that caused this message to appear, it is possible that the camcorder operation may recover. Please follow these steps: 1. Eject the videotape Insert a new or known good videotape. If the message does not persist, it is possible that the tape was damaged. If the camcorder still displays the message with a new tape, please proceed to step 2. 2. If condensation had been detected causing the Remove the Cassette warning, remove the cassette, and allow at least one hour for the moisture to dry. If the "Remove the Cassette" message continues, the camcorder may require service. Please contact Canon USA's Tech Support Center at 1 (800) 828-4040. Technical support hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 12:00 midnight; and Saturday 10:00am - 8:00pm (all times EST). Alternatively, if electronic support is preferred, please send your email to [email protected].

Most of the time this happens is when the tape in in the save mode. check to see if this is the case before inserting.

Your camera is experiencing condensation - your LCD should have a flashing image of a red droplet (this is a condensation warning). REMOVE THE CASSETTE to avoid damaging it.

Another cassette CANNOT and SHOULD NOT be loaded when condensation is detected.

Leave the cassette compartment open - its takes an hour until the water droplets evaporte. After the condensation warning stops flashing, wait for 1 more hour before resuming use.

Usually a chime happens when you open the plastic cover just before it opens. If you plug it into the electrical outlet does it eject that way?

Same here. I guess I will have to call Canon also. What a drag.

CASSETTE ,DUE TO DEW & MOISTURE , HUMIDITY DAMAGE IN TAPE CAN CAUSE THIS PROBLEM.

I have a Canon ZR 10 And it does say remove cassette often and recently it eat the tape and destroyed our recordings.
Does this have something to do was the round small battery in the front part of the camcorder?

Is this a consumer complaint I feel uncomfortable because we have alot of Cassettes recorded and we are afraid to play them because it might chew them up.
There is a mini cassette player that can play the cassetes ????

Need Help!!!! What am I going to do ??? [email protected]

I have one doing the same thing. I called Cannon and the told me I would have to send it in for service. Now after reading that about 10 other folks having the same issue, I think Cannon has some issue with the ZR100.

When pouring a chilled beverage into a glass, water droplets may form on the surface of the glass. This happens because the air around the glass is rapidly cooled down, and moisture in the air adheres to the surface of the glass. This phenomenon is called condensation. This kind of condensation may also occur with camcorders. If you continue to use the camcorder with condensation on it, it could damage the camcorder. Condensation may form on the camcorder in the following cases: (1) When being moved from a cold place to a warm place (2) When being used in a rapidly-heated cold room (3) When being used in a humid room (4) When being moved from an air-conditioned room to a warm, humid place When condensation occurs: The camcorder stops operating automatically after its power lamp flashes. The warning message "CONDENSATION HAS BEEN DETECTED" appears and the condensation-warning icon below starts flashing. Condensation-warning icon If a cassette is loaded, the warning message "CONDENSATION HAS BEEN DETECTED" and "REMOVE THE CASSETTE" appear and the cassette-warning icon starts flashing. Cassette-warning icon If a cassette is loaded in the camcorder, remove the cassette immediately and leave the cassette compartment open. If condensation is detected, the POWER switch and cassette-removing switch will be activated. Leaving the cassette in the camcorder may damage the tape. A cassette should not be loaded into the camcorder when condensation is detected. How to avoid condensation Unload the cassette and place the camcorder in an airtight plastic bag when moving to locations where temperatures vary. Allow time for the camcorder to adjust to temperature changes slowly before removing it from the bag. Resuming use Allow at least one hour before resuming use; more time may be required for heavier condensation. When condensation has been eliminated, turn the camcorder on. After the condensation-warning icon stops flashing, wait one hour before resuming use.