Sony's C:32:11 Error Strikes Yet Another Poor Innocent VidCam

This has got to be the most recent perfect example of planned obsolescence.

I purchased this Sony HC-48 Camera 3 years ago to replace the Canon that was stolen.

It has performed pretty decently and I've transferred a few of the miniDV tapes to DVD but have a pile of them as the current laptop lacks a firewire port and its a pretty time-consuming activity.  So I have a pile of family video tapes that continues to slowly grow as I just don't use the camera very often, generally I'm taking video snippets with my Canon SD-1000 as its video transfer process is simplicity itself, but I do on occasion use the Sony HC-48.

Until today.

The tape had run just about out last week and I decided to change it in prep for some more video at an upcoming family event.

I removed the tape and all was well, unwrapped the new tape and put it in the machine...and it would not close.  Instead I got the dreaded C:32:11 error.  Apparently my camera has broken from a lack of use, or just from the first tape removal in  months.

The C:32:11 error seems ubiquitous with Sony Mini-DV cameras - Like here, here, and heck, Google shows over 1.6 million hits for the query.  Not a strong recommendation for the build quality if the darn thing can break just sitting in a case being left unmolested.  So I really can't recommend a Sony MiniDV to anyone given this experience.

So I'm now in the market for a new video camera. I'm looking for either an internal hard drive or expandable flash memory type, probably NOT a Sony, and definitely not a miniDV. So if you have a recommendation, and if it happens to fit in an Ikelite underwater Case, I'd love to know about it.