Sony Camcorder CCD-F500E. Any help?

Hello there,

The camcorder won't record, play or do anything besides displaying the time when it is powered using the AC adpator or battery. It doesnt make any motor noise or beep but displays the turned ON led. I suspect it is related to the battery circuit itself. The time displayer is powered by a 2.5 disc-like small battery. I opened the camera and managed to take out the battery circuit.

I don't know anything about video cameras. The video camera is quite old, the person that gave it to me said its been broken for years.

Can you give me any help on this?



Post edited by: electrorat, at: 2008/01/27 17:38

Hi Ellectrorat, welcome to the forum Would it be possible to change the battery circuit completely with a new one?

Hello there Jeffie and thanks.

Well, no, it isn't possible because I don't want to spend any money on this being such an old camcorder, you see? I really don't know what elese can I do.

What cool things can be arranged using an old camcorder parts?

I will use the condenser electret microphones for sure.

Well, sometimes if something is faulty, it needs to be replaced because it can't be repaired anymore without asking if one is willing to do so. Couldn't you use your old cam like some use their old cars and sell the parts of it?

Oh, but that would ruin all the fun I can probably take out of it. I would like to build something else... Maybe use the working parts for something cool. I would have to learn how camcorders work though.

Thanks for your replies.

"I would have to learn how camcorders work though"

Yep, that definitely would help in such case.

Hello,
I just obtain the same camcorder with similar problem. It has no battery (only that button one is there). If I take 6DC power from adapter to battery contacts, camcorder only displays blinking zeros on the display. In play mode I can see white screen in the viewfinder. Main problem may be, that there is still some cassette in it, but nobody can't take it out. When eject is pushed, nothing happens. So I will try to disassemble whole cam, ant then cassette may be accessible to remove.
I also want to ask, where can I find some DC IN connector. Under the microphone there is two holes, named "MIC PLUG IN POWER" and "DC OUT". How should I understand it, while it seems to be output? In the back between video/audio out is some RFU DC OUTPUT. Does it mean, that this cam have ni DC input, or some of that outputs can also work as power input?

Hello 790511, welcome to the forum I hope you will like it here.

First off, would the following help you?

http://www.arctoseurope.gr/files/hdwf900_v11122b.pdf


If not, I will be back and start searching for a solution to the problem with you

Hello Jeffie. Thanks, but leaflet with HD CAM HDWF 900 will not help me anyhow. You really wanted to show me exactly this?

Anyhow, today I tried to dismount a covers of cam and I found out, that removing of cassete will not be so easy. I took a DC power to battery pins again, and I saw that head turns a little bit and some "motor" noise can be heard for a while.

Sorry about that, 790511, I hadn't read it myself but thought it would come in handy. My bad.

Why isn't it easy to remove the cassette, 790511? By what is it hold stuck?

It needs some movements of cassette mechanic - tape is pulled out to the head by pair of cylinders, electronically controlled. When the tape is in that work position, eject is not possible. I may try to continue disassembling whole mechanics, but no one knows, if I will be able to assemble it again
Here is a picture of what I can see now.
Those red triangular signs cylinders, holding tape and arrows shows track, where cylinders needs to move. It is not possible to move it by hand. If I use the eject lever, it just evoke a head to turn slightly.

Thank you for that photo, now I can visualize it. I would advise you to slowly disassemble the parts holding this tape stuck though because I honestly don't see another way of getting it out. Another option might be to check and try to fix the eject mechanism, but I don't expect too much success out of that. If you'd disassemble and keep track of where everything belongs - wouldn't you be able to reassemble the recorder again?

if my memory serves me right part of the power supply is inside battery theirs a microchip for voltage regulation this model camera has this problem with a high failure rate.this was a good camera in its day to bad you did not want to fix failure was cause by the customer because they leave on charger to long and chip over heats.i have seen lots of people put things on charge and for get them for days. in hot climate batterys destory them selves.the only fix this unit total replacement of the battery.

hobbist : as I mentioned, my cam is without battery. I already remove a battery contacts and replace it by connector for DC from adapter. You said, there should be some microchip in the battery, so do you mean that camera can "recognize" that it is not supplied from battery? I'd like to avoid purchase of new battery; first it will cost more, than I want to spend for such an old cam, second I would like to use it as a webcam (via TV card), so it will stand just on the table, powered by adapter.
What do you mean, could be some problem in that 3V button battery (it probably supplies a clock and settings memory). If this battery is discharged, may cam not allow me to do anything else... ?

Jeffie: it depends on what ever will I need to remove so as to reach the cassette. From this view, I can hardly know, which screw holds what. But it seems that the only way how to learn it is to try it.

790511: Your camera is having the exact same problem as mine. I can say that the problem isn't from the 3V battery as it only controls the clock display. I have the original batteries and DC adapter which is like a battery itself and connects to the two * (asterisc) like metal plugs in the photo on the first post. One is the + and another the -.

I did the same as you did and I couldn't manage to take the cassette out as well. When I turned the Camera ON it would make a small motor sound but wouldn't do anything. I tried to find a mechanical way of ejecting the tape but no luck. It is electronically controlled and seems to blocked when it has no power. I still have the camera lying around here, and I will probably work on it more when I have the time.

Maybe finding the ejecting motor itself and giving it a load would work.

So I have some news:
I finally get the cassette out. It wasn't that difficult. First I had to unscrew four screws, marked on this picture. It holds metallic part, where is cassette taken. I thought, that may be cassette was somehow harmed, and it cases that problem, but now it seems cassette is all right and problem might be somewhere else.
Now I am in this situation. You can see cassette is already out. On the display there is always a sign of low battery (why, when it is connected to the adapter? May be it produces low current?). But the great thing is, that in stand by mode I can see a picture in the viewfinder. I can control a brightness, shutter, zoom, even auto focus is working. But I have not TV card in my comp yet, so I can't try if cam provides some video output signal.
There must be some problem in the eject mechanism; if I push eject lever, picture in the viewfinder fades out, and whole cam "dies" for a while.

Great job, 790511 Those 4 screws -- it sounds so simple now you mention it

An adapter usually produces low current I think. But perhaps Hobbist knows more about that? When are you going to get your TV card?

number one sony tv camera school is a three to four course just for the basic i went to this school on gi bill for five years also i went to school for boardcast camera as large as a school bus with rca back when. number two is part of the power supply for this camera is hidden inside the battery now you removed contacts power supply is disabled sony did this to save space in the camera and the weight also better charging control when disconnected from camera.camera is know scrap iron parts machine.the only question i have if you did not want to spend any money on this unit what are your looking for i mean what the point.please explain no ticky no washie no nothing.if you want the camera to work fix it the right way.know camera system control is disabled look fore a limit switch end of tape sensors might be out.some of these had a threading belt on some models or burnt out motor for threading one motor could do all functions.debris such as lint dirt dust etc droped down in the machinics a peice of cassett plastic ???

Hello, now I have the TV card, so I can test camera's output. In viewfinder I can see nice sharp BW picture, but picture on monitor is rather corrupted. It rotates upside down, changes colors, and is quite unusable.
See captured pictures:
http://alou.info/X_kapsa/sig5.jpg
http://alou.info/X_kapsa/sig6.jpg

I've had my camera since around 1987. It did the same as your problem years ago and it has just gone again. The first time, I took it to a Sony repairer but only after I paid the bill did they tell me the internal battery is very important to the camera operating. The internal battery is 10 - 12 mm diameter, 3 volt Lithium type with international type number CR2025. If you acquire a new one, costs around 3 Euros, and the external power is in order then there is a very good chance the camera will operate correctly again. Unless there are other faults as well. When you ask the camera to do a task, like open the cassette housing, it is the small internal battery which sends the signal to the motors to do the work with the power from the large external battery. If the internal battery is no good then not command signals are sent out and nothing happens. Hope this helps, but I may be too late.

MrT, welcome to the forum I am happy you joined us.

Thank you for the information. It is not only useful for electrorat but for many more people having the same problem. Thanks again

I have the same problem of opening the cassette housing,
the little battery is good (3V), and the screen is good working.