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Note: this camcorder was first sold in Aug 2003. There may be newer versions available.
Canon GL2
Canon GL2
F
HQ Grade: F
A is outstanding and exceptional, rated in the top 10% of camcorders.
B means they are good, with some standout features.
C means they are mediocre, and probably more trouble than they are worth.
D & F mean they are absolutely awful or old. Avoid at all costs.
  • 3 out of 5
"Problems with Start/Stop Rewind/FF"
  • 3 out of 5
"Great Camera Quality but not dependable"
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Question Answered!
michael thomason 0 pts
October 14, 2006 5:23 PM
1 people rated this question helpful, 1 people rated this question not helpful Subscribe for Email Updates for this Question

does the canon gl-2 have a zoom control design flaw

I have search the web and found that the GL-2 resell at a greatly reduced price and usually because the zoom control is inoperative. Is this a common problem and is it expensive to fix?
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Answers This question has been answered!
Mike Dombrowski 31 pts
December 24, 2006 2:28 AM
1 people rated this answer helpful, 0 people rated this answer not helpful
 
I own 3 Canon Gl2 cameras and all 3 have given me zoom problems. I am very dissappointed at the cheap design of the rocker control. I have taken very good care of my equipment. I also have a canon Xl-1 and Gl-1 with no zoom problems. Canon repair refused to acknowledge that anyone else had a problem.
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Dave Gordon 0 pts
January 2, 2007 5:55 PM
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I work at a cable TV station in Olympia. We have a dozen of the GL1s and Gl2s. All have been sent to Canon for repair--the rocker switch sticks, causing complete loss of the primary zoom control.

Keep in mind these cameras are around 4-6 years old and recieve a lot of use/abuse from volunteer TV people. HOWEVER I bought a new GL2 for my wife Chirstmas 2002. She rarely uses it, and just this month (Dec. 2006) the same zoom malfunction occurred.

My guess is that the contacts i nthe rocker switcher get corroded, or the lubricant dries up. This is the only thing I think that would be in common with such a large quanity of cameras, plus my own home unit.
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Noel 0 pts
March 17, 2007 2:06 PM
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My GL2 has recently displayed the same problem. Is this a manufacturer defect?
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Georgia Lopresti 10 pts
March 25, 2008 3:29 PM
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When my zoom rocker started getting bad, I started
researching and found that you can send it to Canon
and they will fix it for about $250, but you can also
order the part for about $20 including shipping and
install it yourself. Email me at phinocle@msn.com and
I will send you a PDF on how to repair and fix it
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Bob in Carolina 0 pts
December 24, 2008 8:36 PM
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One of several very kind and helpful posts on what seems to be a common problem with GL2 camcorders.
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Tony in Florida 0 pts
March 7, 2009 9:16 PM
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I recently bought a GL2 from a friends Pawn Shop. He only checks for power up and a few other basic functions. The GL2 I bought would not zoom from the rocker or the controls on the top grip so I was concerned that Georgia Lopresti's fix might not work. The Lithium (memory) battery was dead too- replacing the lithium cell re-enabled the top controls so I went ahead and ordered the rocker. The people at Canon asked how many I wanted (they must be selling a lot of them). The part came in a few days and the PDF I got from Georgia walked me through the repair in about an hour (being very careful to not damage anything else). After a quick prayer...re-attached the battery and the camera works like new. Thanks so much to Georgia, If not for the above post I would have been using the top control only.
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