My trusty Canon MVX 250i mini DV camcorder is on the blink. The zoom control seems to continually want to zoom in whether you are recording or on playback. Now my question is do I go to the expense of seding it off for repair or do I look for another newer camcorder?

The MVX250i has turned out some wonderful results and I have been pleased with its facilities and performance (except the fact that in order to get to the manual controls you need to open the screen) but with newer technology and advances in specifications is it worth repairing only to find another fault developing within a short space of time?

What camera do you suggest to replace the 250i? It need to be something with facility for the addition of a wide angle lens (currently using a Tama digital pro SW 0.45X 37mm) and at least as good a resolution and clarity as the 250i.

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated as I have lost touch with the current market.

Thanks

My friend has his c corder repaired recently and the place he went usually charge a flat fee of about £100 plus parts. The plus parts bit can be the killer - a f wire board for one of my sonys a while back was 400 quid - I got another camera off e bay for 500 instead.

If if was my camera I would try a few things myself. First - give it a good shake / slap, that might sort things out for a bit. Maybe take it apart and have a fiddle - you have nothnig to lose by trying.

Failing that I would get a new one. Cameras get better all the time so I dont think you would be dissapointed.

Assuming the fault is mecahnical (with the zoom control) rather than electronic... It would probably by a case of opening up the cam and seeing whats wrong with the Zoom toggle, however, if it's a faulty lens motor or chip then might be a bit more troublesom

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It's not about what camera you use or how much it cost.

It's about what you shoot,
how you shot it,
and how you edit it :P