HD TM900 Error Messages.

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John C
Posts: 83
Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:48 pm

HD TM900 Error Messages.

Post by John C »

I have a HD-TM900 Panasonic Camcorder.
It has just had its power dc connector repaired and I took the camera out to test it this pm. after about 20 minutes I got error messages, roughly in this sequence. I was not using a tripod. I was using image stabilisation but ended up getting the same messages whether or not I used that feature.
I started with a newly formatted SD card that had never given any trouble previously.
I also used the inboard Hard Disc but the messages still arrived
1 "Camera panning too fast", even though the camera was not on record
2 "Error occurred please turn Unit off then on again"
3 "Now repairing Data"
4 "AVCHD recording will be incompatible with 1080/50p "

Items 1 and 4 occurred occasionally
Items 2 & 3 occurred more and more frequently as the afternoon went on. In addition the camera would not switch off and I had to disconnect the battery to get it off and then switch it on again.
Weather conditions were normal temperatures.
Please what causes these reports and how do I stop them occurring in the future?.
Is there a fault in the Camera or is it my handling of it?
Will I have lost data? I was filming a Schools Rugby match so cannot check.
Kind regards, John C
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TimStannard
Posts: 1225
Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:20 pm
Location: Surrey

Re: HD TM900 Error Messages.

Post by TimStannard »

Not sure about the "panning too fast" message. I'm pretty sure I've only seen it when in record mode (Panasonic X900) but my suspicion for the other errors is that your SD card is either duff or not fast enough to keep up with the transfer rate of the camera.
Out of interest, why does the fact it was a school rugby match mean you can't check the data? Surely someone has o lok at it sometime***

***Not necessarily so: A nameless chairman of a nameless club once told me how a nameless member had once told her how he's shot so however many hours of footage on a recent holiday.

"That's going to take you some time to edit", she said.
"Oh, I won't bother editing it" came the reply.
"So you're going to just play to back as it is,then?" she asked.
"I doubt I'll ever look at it"
:roll:
Tim
Proud to be an amateur film maker - I do it for the love of it
ned c
Posts: 910
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 3:39 pm
Location: Dammeron Valley USA

Re: HD TM900 Error Messages.

Post by ned c »

I doubt that it is your handling that is the problem.

Try "resetting" the camera. There is usually a very small button that can only be pressed with a paper clip or even smaller that will reset everything. Have a look in the manual for location and directions.

Tim is right, another SDHC card should be tried. Even on older cameras I use Class 10.

If you have a card reader (very inexpensive) and connect to your computer you should be able to download the information from the card to your NLE provided the data is not corrupted.

Hope this helps

ned c
col lamb
Posts: 680
Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2007 9:51 pm
Location: Preston, Lancashire

Re: HD TM900 Error Messages.

Post by col lamb »

1 is precisely what it says and is given automatically. You can trigger it by moving the camera quickly, slow down and the message goes away

2 do not know about that one

3 there has been a write or read error, are you using the inbuilt memory or an SD card? I have had same with a faulty card and also when recording a very long continuous shot

4 standard message if you select 1080p mode of shooting, this is the progressive shooting mode as opposed to AVCHD which is 1080i

By the way I have the same camcorder
Col Lamb
Preston, Lancashire.
FCPX, Edius6.02, and Premiere CS 5.5 user.
Find me on Facebook, Colin Lamb
John C
Posts: 83
Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:48 pm

Re: HD TM900 Error Messages.

Post by John C »

Thank you all for your contributions.
I cannot tell whether I have lost any shots because I did not keep a shooting diary of shots and was shooting in 10 to 30 sec bursts throughout the match and so do not know if any shots have gone. (I have the shot of the important try!)

What was on the card and on the hard disc has gone onto the Computer, Edius 7, OK.

I switched from the SD card when the error messages appeared to the inboard hard disc and still got the same messages.

Having rested the Camera over night I got the error message this am.

In the Manual there is a warning to back up the hard disc onto a card on a regular basis , and also a warning not to shake the camera when it is in the error mode, so Panasonic seem to be aware of some sort of instability. They also warn about electric and magnetic fields but are silent on Static. When i rang their help line all they did was to tell me about the reset and then to phone the repair sub contractor if that did not work.

It was suggested to me today that there could be a build up of Static from it rubbing against woolen clothes and this has upset the electrics. I was told to put the camera, without the battery, into a warm atmosphere and leave it for 24 hours presumably to get the Static to exhaust itself.

Any comments Please?

There is a Factory reset in the menus, but I am interested in finding the causes of these messages rather than doing a work around and not knowing when they are going to arise again.

I shall try the camera again in the morning and then use the factory reset, which I have used a couple of times in the past and see what happens.

In the meantime all thoughts and ideas are very welcome.

Thank you ,

John C
col lamb
Posts: 680
Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2007 9:51 pm
Location: Preston, Lancashire

Re: HD TM900 Error Messages.

Post by col lamb »

John

Sound more like there has been a problem with the SD card which in turn has upset the inbuilt control programme. Static is a very long shock and if it had been subject to a static shock it is likely to have damaged circuitry.

Resetting will not harm the camcorder and whilst you are at it I'd check which firmware version the camcorder is using and see if there is an update available.

The general rule on using SD cards is to format them in the device you are going to use them in. Also do not format to delete the contents always select all and delete via the menu system as repeated formatting shortens the life of the card (alegedly)
Col Lamb
Preston, Lancashire.
FCPX, Edius6.02, and Premiere CS 5.5 user.
Find me on Facebook, Colin Lamb
John C
Posts: 83
Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:48 pm

Re: HD TM900 Error Messages.

Post by John C »

Col,

Thank you, I do not understand about Firmware within the Camera.

The Panasonic site does not indicate that you can update the Camera's systems.

I note your advice re the Card.

The moment of truth is at hand, Off to walk the dogs and I have prepared a test set of shots to see if I can recreate the errors without wool / fabric being present. :oops: don't worry I am not going walking in my skinny dipping suite!

KR

John C
tom hardwick
Posts: 914
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:59 am

Re: HD TM900 Error Messages.

Post by tom hardwick »

You've had lots of good advice here John and I'd agree with lots of it.
1) You can turn these messages on or off in the v'finder.
2) You can get this message if your battery runs out (or is disconnected) while in the record mode - and the files haven't been completely written to the card.
3) This happens if 2) happened, and you've attached a charged battery as a replacement.
4) This is simply to warn you that the camera can record in 1080/50p but that this is outside the AVCHD specification.

But the best advice seems to be to try another SDHC card - it really sounds as if yours may be a counterfeit one and may be a class 3 (whatever's written on it). Stick to class 10s I say.
John C
Posts: 83
Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:48 pm

Re: HD TM900 Error Messages.

Post by John C »

Thanks Tom,

I suspect that there is a deep seated problem in the electronics although I feel that the Static argument could be very persuasive.

Tell me was Cine ever like this?

The SD card came from Calumac, I have 4 of them and used them in all sorts of conditions from the heat of Zambia to the January cold weather of Belfast lough!
I have removed the Card altogether and get the same messages when using the inboard Hard disc.

Panasonic Repair Centre, DK AVS Horley Ltd, have been very helpful but had no solution and so the Camera is on its way to them. I will report in due course.

We had a professional TV film maker visit the Club last winter and I was interested to hear that data had disappeared from their SD Cards over night and they lost a whole shoot that they had left for backup until the next morning.

We should really have a RAP about backing up.

KR
John C
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