Panasonic NV-DS55 MiniDV camcorder repair and test

Repairing the front of this 2002 Panasonic NV-DS55 camcorder, then a first test, very much hampered by a defective battery. The camcorder came as part of this Ebay package deal: • Unboxing a collection ...
Follow me on Instagram:
/ drcassette
Check out my KZbin channel:
/ drcassette
Also check out my other KZbin channels:
/ vistavox
/ plustotal

[@Dkentflyer]

Such a great design for it's time, I am glad that you mananged to bring it back to life :)

[@BilisNegra]

Nice surprise that so cheap eBay lot is yielding more content apart from the main attraction in it that we watched recently. [Edit]: Forgot to mention this has come up on my birthday, and it was a fine treat, keep up the good work.

[@DrCassette]

Happy Birthday! :)

[@BilisNegra]

@@DrCassette Oh, that was kind. Thank you!

[@time-to-isa]

hello my friend how many gb mmc card can be installed in max this device.❤

[@dykodesigns]

Some interesting architecture on your old recordings. It looks brutalist. The MMC is a predecessor of the SD card, the difference is that it didn’t support DRM. I remember that at the time in the early 2000’s computer magazines didn’t quite like the SD format and the Sony memory stick which was also around. SD cards had DRM support mainly to satisfy the early mp3 players before the6 became common in phones and camera’s. I still have an old multi format USB 1.1 card reader from circa 2003 that supports these old and forgotten formats. In those days you even needed to install a driver to use it with Windows 98.

[@DrCassette]

The old recordings are part of a video about the demolition of the Kröpcke-Center in Hannover. This was a very unique brutalist building which is now sadly gone. You can watch the video on my other channel: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4G0eZ-sds2IY7s

[@kirahond2729]

Sick video!

[@Raptor50aus]

Nice looking camera. I finally got the HDMI in to HDV (DV) out Grass Valley converter box from the UK and it works excellent. I have recorded 2 x 1080 res movies to HDV and they looks and sound excellent.

[@terencemcculloch3294]

are you sure it's not 720, not 1080?

[@marianmiko2]

Hi Perfect Presentation And Video

[@DrCassette]

Thank you :)

[@JacGoudsmit]

You may want to open it a little further to remove the battery for the on board clock. If "F05" isn't simply meant to show which iris setting it's using, it may be an error report for a dead clock battery.

[@DrCassette]

The F05 definitely is an error message, I have seen this on other Panasonic camcorders already. The internal memory battery indeed is dead, but there was another symbol for that which showed up right after I powered up the camcorder. That battery might be able to recharge itself from the main battery, so I will give it some time.

[@Pfennigpfuchser]

I got a minidv camcorder today. When I want to film anything, my display says r.emg/eject. Every time. Is there anything I can do to fix it? Thanks

[@waterup380]

Yes it does that's how you use it with a charger and a dumby battery to use it with out a battery

[@LiviuDragon]

get a new battery the camera needs one

[@EastAngliaUK]

easy job

[@Lachlant1984]

I wonder if the reason why the camcorder was displaying the error message you saw is because the tape deck was loading or unloading a tape when the battery went completely flat.

[@DrCassette]

That is possible, though in that case the mechanism should reset itself once power is reapplied and not just sit there with an error message. I guess the fault was caused because the mechanism sat in the same position with a cassette inserted and the tape threaded up for a very long time.

[@CircuitBored]

Hi there, I recently restored a similarly small DV camcorder - A Sony DSR-PD1. It now works great but there is still one glaring flaw. The head drum is ridiculously loud - so loud that it drows out the microphone on any recorded footage! Can the drum be lubricated and if so, what sort of lubricant should I use? Have you ever lubricated a DV drum? Thanks for the cool videos!

[@DrCassette]

It seems like on the first generations of Sony MiniDV camcorders this excessive head drum noise was normal. I had the Sony DCR-PC7, the consumer version of your DSR-PD1, and it had the same noise. Even the DCR-VX1000 has this noise, it just doesn't get picked up by the microphones so much as they are further away from the mechanism. In later generations Sony seems to have implemented audio filtering to cut down on the head drum noise, but it is occasionally still coming through depending on the signal coming from the microphone. I would strongly advise against trying to apply any sort of lubricant to the head drum.

[@BilisNegra]

What was the multimedia card (MMC, a "relative" to SD) included for? 4MB? What were you supposed to store in there? Some lo-res stills?

[@DrCassette]

Yes, the camcorder can take photos either live or from what was recorded to tape and save them to the Multi Media Card in VGA resolution (640x480).

[@BilisNegra]

@@DrCassette That second function is really interesting. Makes way more sense to me than making crappy 0'3 MP photos, even for a device of that age. Sure it was very helpful to be able to do that instead of isolating a video frame in your computer.

[@NevilleStyke]

F05 is stalled head drum. It could be that the drum was a little stuck to the tape which was left in it for a long time.

[@DrCassette]

Yes, that would make sense...

[@LiviuDragon]

what resolution has this vhs camcorder i have 2 camcorders from SONY a 4K and 1K+(FHD)

[@DrCassette]

This is not even a VHS camcorder...

[@Shalom587]

Please assist, I have the same camcorder with an F05 error which indicates a mechanical fault. I also done research on the internet that the ribbon cables needs to be reseated. Now I need to remove screws to remove bottom plate. Can you please make a video to show me or just explain to shed more light on the problem my friend

[@lazza_gio]

Hey, I have the exact same one that needs repair. Would that be possible ?

[@DrCassette]

Sorry, I don't do commissioned work.

[@lazza_gio]

Why not ? Or do you know anyone that would in Europe ?@@DrCassette

[@AlexRutiaga]

preset date is 2000, that was 21 years ago, that camera can legally buy alcohol in USA

[@DrCassette]

The date of 2000 seems to be an arbitrary value, my research suggests that this camcorder came out in 2002.

[@AlexRutiaga]

@@DrCassette no beer for this camcorder yet then

[@Helderhugo]

Multimedia card is for what? it records video on the card??

[@DrCassette]

The camcorder can take photos either live or from what was recorded to tape and save them to the Multimedia Card in VGA resolution (640x480). Videos can not be saved on the memory card.

[@Helderhugo]

@@DrCassette That is what I thought.

[@12villages]

The only good thing about antic digital cameras is its optical zoom

[@waterup380]

Don't you hate it when people give you stuff already kinda broken