Will play recorded tapes but when recording now it will record audio but there is no picture, and yes i have removed the lens cap

If the iris is opening to let light in, that light is not being changed to a picture signal or that picture signal is not
going into the camera circuits, What you see in the viewfinder is what is being recorded, Make sure that no cables have been left plugged in to the camera and turn the power on and off several times, I have seen the iris stick when cameras were not used for a while. The iris is inside or behind the lens and closes completely when you turn the camera off, If it is stuck, SOMETIMES it will open with repeated tries of turning it off and on or even removing the battery and putting it back in. And maybe it is just the vibration of opening and closing the battery compartment door or the slight vibrations of pushing the power button repeatedly. If it sticks once, it will stick again. This is not a repair, just a way to get those one time pictures' before.

Well the cheapest way is to go into record mode, cap the lens with the black lens cap and record a 'black' picture on the tape. This will erase all the pictures on the tape and leave you with a 'black' screen on the whole tape.

Is the lens cap on?

remove the lens unit and there is one iris on ur camera that was not open .u remove that part and cleaned well then it will okk

It is probably a problem with the lense. it might be malfunctoining. If it's still under warrenty i suggest taking it back and getting a new one. Or there might be some dirt or dust inside the cameralense.

If it plays back pre recorded tapes then there is nothing wrong with that section of the unit. Does it playback audio and not picture or does it not playback anything.
Also, when trying to playback a recording what is seen of the screen? Snow(black and white dots or wiggly picture?

The unit uses two separate circuits to record and playback tapes. Is any thing else connected to the unit while you are recording? If you are using anything plugged into other ports on the recorder it may not see the camera input causing it to not record anything..

Assuming you don't see any video through the viewfinder, it could be that the CCD has died on that camcorder. It happens, though not frequently.

If the video though the viewfinder is clear, there might be some sensor on the lens ring to indicate a lens cap, or an automatic lens cap not properly disengaging when put in record mode. 

Use a head cleaner tape (available on eBay most likely) and clean the recording heads.

You may have a problem with the image sensor device (CCD). From October 3, 2005 through October 2, 2007, Sony will repair, free of charge, affected products exhibiting the above-mentioned problem where it is caused by the image sensor device. Sony will also cover the cost of shipping and handling from and to addresses within the United States and US Territories for service to correct this issue. To see if you have this problem: Power On your camcorder (make sure the battery is fully charged). Check the LCD screen and verify that the display icons are turned on. If you cannot see the icons, press the Display button until the icons are visible. Put a tape in the camcorder. With the lens cap off, record some video. NOTE: Be sure to speak during the recording so the video will contain your voice. Rewind this section of the tape (using tape counter to verify start of your recording). Play back the recorded video and use the LCD screen on the camcorder to view it. You should hear the audio you recorded and the Display icons/text will still appear. If your camcorder is affected by this CCD issue, the picture will either be extremely distorted, or there will be no visible picture (just a blank LCD screen with the display icons still visible).