Fuzzy Camcorder Image...What Caused It?

Reader Sujatha writes: I need some help with my Samsung camcorder, which I bought a year and half ago. I have not used the camcorder except for once and left the batteries in it. After quite some time I am trying to use it, but there is "grain" on the picture. What causes this? There is a wedding coming up, and I would like to use my camcorder.

I highly doubt the battery is causing any problem. With a rechargeable battery (and any remotely recent alkaline battery) you no longer have to worry about batteries leaking inside electronics, even if they go unused for years.

My first suggestion would be to try different media: If this is a MiniDV camcorder, your tape may be disintegrating. Try a new tape and see if the problem goes away.

If that doesn't help, I suspect the problem you have is a very common one, especially if you live in a humid part of the world: Fungus growing inside your camera lens. This web site has some pictures of what fungus looks like and how to detect it, but really, just look into the lens in good light. If you see something spidery growing inside, you've got yourself a fungus problem.

Fungus is incredibly difficult to remove, so you may be out of luck if it's severe. Again, check the above web site for suggestions on how to deal with the infestation, but taking the camcorder to a camera shop for a professional cleaning is probably your best bet (and even that's a long shot). It's possible there's just dirt on the lens or dust on the CCD sensor inside the camera. The former is easy to remedy with any home lens cleaning kit; the latter is not and requires professional help.

Meanwhile, consider doing what you can to keep your cameras safe from fungus in the future: Store your camera in a cool, dry place, and use silica gel packets (they need to be freshened periodically) in your camera bag if you can't avoid humidity. Of course, try to keep it out of dusty, dirty environments whenever possible.

Readers may have other suggestions on dealing with this issue. Got any advice for keeping a camcorder working well? Sound off!