If...

[Sillyname]

If I found a Canon L2 at a pawnshop, with its aluminum case and a few extras, for $529, should I get it?

Now before you answer, the tape drive mechanism in it has evidently got a slipping idler wheel, as it does not take up any tape in one direction or the other (fast-forwarding or rewinding, playing, recording, ah, blah, blah, blah, etc...)

Is it worth buying then? I contacted a camera repair shop and they guesstimated the repairs to be from $250-$350. Perhaps I should order a replacement idler wheel assembly for it and then take it to them to repair, circumventing their knack to talk me into any costly parts bill. It'll make me look like I know exactly what's wrong with it too and perhaps get them to cut me a break on repairs due to the fact that I probably would repair it myself if I had the correct tools.

Is it worth throwing money at? How does its 1/2 inch CCD stack up to a 3 CCD camera?

So many questions and hardly any information on it out there on the web...

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Deep is not the root word of depression.

[Patrick]

For gawd's sake, do NOT buy it! The purchase of any analog (Hi8 or otherwise) camcorder today is a huge mistake, especially one that requires repair. You'd be much better off buying a low-end MiniDV or a Digital8 camcorder.

[Brian Ellis]

Why do you think it's in the pawn shop? It's the only way of getting a hundred bucks or so back on inoperative equipment. Believe me, it won't stop at replacing a wheel or two. Quite frankly, as Patrick implies, anyone buying an obsolete technology needing repair in a pawn shop with no guarantee, at a price approaching what you would pay for a new camera, well.... you finish the sentence.

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Brian (the terrible)

[This message has been edited by Brian Ellis (edited 02 September 2000).]