Gray screen-flashing "lens cap"

I have a three year old JVC camcorder model numberGR-SXM260U that worked great one day and flipped the next. I don't think it got dropped or anything like that. When I turn the cam on as if to record something, the screen remains gray and flashes a red "lens cap" momentarily over the "pause" display. The lens cap has been lost for two years so that cannot be right! please help if you can. Thank you.

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