Video cameras, once a luxury, are relatively commonplace--especially at youth sporting events. Your authors have countless hours of long-forgotten high school baseball, football, track, cross-country, swimming, and other events packed away somewhere. We've had a few problems with video cameras over the years, so we know how to do some basic repairs--and how to maintain them to avoid having to fix them.

How Does It Work?

Components of a typical video camera.

A video camera, also called a camcorder, is a portable television camera combined with a video recorder. The camera section has a lens and special charge-coupled device or CCD (a microchip with thousands of tiny light-sensitive elements containing photodiodes). The CCD separates the picture into three color images using red, green, and blue color filters over adjacent light-sensitive elements. In the recorder section, the video signal from the CCD and sound signal from the video camera's microphone are recorded on tape in the same way that a video recorder records sound. The signal is either analog (older) or digital (newer). The tape format may be VHS, VHS-C or 8 millimeter, but otherwise video cameras are very similar in function, maintenance, and repair.

Fix-It Tip

Some so-called problems are caused by built-in safety devices. For example, many video cameras will refuse to work if an internal sensor says that the air is too moist or dusty. In fact, a warning image may show up on the viewfinder or screen. If so, change conditions (if possible) before attempting to video. Canned air can assist the process.

What Can Go Wrong?

Many problems with a video camera are actually caused by incorrect operation, so check your owner's manual thoroughly before attempting any repairs. However, contacts may be dirty, batteries may fail, fuses may fail, heads become dirty or worn, and the pinch roller or capstan may be dirty. The tape-loading belt may be broken or damaged, the audio heads may be dirty, or the microphone may be damaged or defective.