One day, a while ago, I was browsing through the electronics section of the local Goodwill (a consignment shop.) Sometimes they have ridiculously good deals on perfectly good stuff (I bought a higher-end, perfectly good tape deck which retailed for $200 for $5 once). I found a 1990 vintage Sony CCD-F77 Video8 camcorder there in perfect physical condition. A little research revealed that it was high-end for its time (you could only go higher by buying Hi8). I bought it for $15.
But it wasn't in any kind of working order. The camera function output weirdly distorted images in black and white. The microphone was really weak. The tape transports didn't work; the dew sensor always thought there was condensation on the tape. The picture in the viewfinder was incredibly unstable.
A little (more) research revealed that the problem was likely faulty capacitors. I asked for estimates from various repair shops, and the quoted price was ~$300 for all of them. I dearly want the camcorder fixed, but I think the price is a little steep. But failing to find a cheaper solution, I will use one of those shops I mentioned.
My question for you is, do you know of any good camcorder repair shops that can fix my camcorder for less and still do a good job?
08 Feb 2008, 6:47 pm
