I picked up an Elura 50 package off ebay for a reasonable price. Given I need A/V input and LANC control it seemed the more affordable choice than a similar Sony model.

It worked for about 2 hours then it would no longer display any picture. If I pointed it at a bright light it would give a very dim and distorted picture.

After poking around I discovered there was a batch of bad CCD chips and Cannon stated they would fix it (for free) no matter the warranty status. I contacted Cannon and they e-mailed me a pre-paid shipping label. I asked about getting a cleaning and such and they said to put a note on the paperwork stating to call with an estimate.

I sent the camera off and in addition to the failed CCD, and cleaning I mentioned it had the remove tape error pop up more than once. Cannon received it on a Friday and shipped it back to me the following Monday. No one contacted me about the cleaning and such. I was a little frustrated at that fact.

Upon receiving it and reading the paperwork they had done a complete referb at no charge to me. Cleaning, alignment, replaced worn and broken parts in the tape system. Tape mechanism sounds totally different, everything runs smooth and quiet.

So I'm quite pleased with Cannon and my experience with their repair center.

The person I bought it from on ebay was ready to give me a complete refund. It was my decision to send it off and see what Cannon said. I think I came out better in the end.