Hey all,

I just picked up a camcorder at a yard sale two days ago, and the
thing works perfectly except for one thing... the viewfinder displays
a bright vertical line and what little of the actual video that can be
seen looks both rolled and squished, so that it takes up about 1/3 of
the normal space and is pretty distorted. As it is, it CAN be used,
but it makes getting proper focus a bit difficult and playback is a
total wash. I'm basically going on the concept that the fault is
inside the viewfinder circuitry itself, and since I have an old
beat-to-hell Memorex camcorder with a perfectly functional viewfinder,
I was thinking it might be possible to transplant the one to the
other. Both feature a single four pin connector head to connect the
viewfinder to the camera, and in fact both have the same set of four
wires; one white, and three grey. I am a little worried that simply
connecting them straight up will kill something, and that sort of moot
anyways becauseI slipped up bigtime and accidentally ripped the four
wires out of the connector head on the Memorex viewfinder while trying
to desolder it, and so I really need to know what the common signal
assignment is to these devices before I can procede.

The models are as follows:

Nikon VN-300 8mm camcorder (this is the one to repair)

and

Memorex CRD0050 VHS-C camcorder (this is the "organ donor")

I have absolutely no qualms about removing the existing viewfinder and
replacing it half assed (glued in place is fine) with this Memorex
viewfinder, I only just need to know that it is workable before I do
something potentially damaging to the good camcorder. Also, as stated
before, the existing viewfinder is obviously getting video signal, as
what IS there is clearly representative of what the camera is being
aimed at; it just is highly distorted. Playback to a TV is spotless...
very nice video both from the camera directly as well as from recorded
video. Also as stated before, the Memorex's viewfinder never gave me a
single problem, and it would have made a nice cheap solution to my
video needs had it not had serious mechanical issues in the tape
mechanism. It's fate shall be as a simple video camera after I strip
the unneccesaries out of it, which will shortly follow the transplant
project if I can swing it.

So... all info anyone can give me would be VASTLY appreciated!! Even
if it's just to point me to repair manuals, then that too would be
great!!

Thanks in advance!

Rick

"The usual approach of science of constructing a mathematical
model cannot answer the questions of why there should be a
universe for the model to describe. Why does the universe go
to all the bother of existing?"

- Stephen Hawking

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