Cannon DC 310 User Manual

Back view

FUNC. button (

DISP. button (

22, 63)

36, 58)

Dioptric adjustment lever (

Viewfinder ( 30)

QUICK START button and standby lamp

32)

30)

(

PLAY mode indicator (green) (

CAMERA mode indicator (red) (

21)

OPEN (disc cover) switch (

26)

Start/Stop button (

DC IN terminal (

Serial number/

2 9)

19)

Top view

Battery attachment unit (

18)

RESET button (

LCD screen (

Zoom lever (

70)

25)

31)

(movies/still images) switch

(

2 1)

Tripod socket (

20)

Memory card slot

(open the cover to access) (

)

BATT. (battery release) switch (

18)

Names of buttons and switches other than the

joystick are indicated within a “button” frame

FUNC.

(for example

Bottom view

14 • Introduction

Screen Displays

Recording movies

Operating mode (

Disc specification (

21) /

Recording program (

37, 39)

White balance (

4 3 )

DVD-R,

DVD-RW ( 5)

Finalized disc mark (

Image effect (

LCD video light (

Digital effects (

Recording mode (

Disc type

DVD-R DL,

48)

Manual focus (

Image stabilizer (

Disc operation

4 1)

6 5)

Playing movies

(during playback)

Time code/Playback time

(hours : minutes : seconds)

Remaining recording time on the disc

Remaining battery charge (

17)

Wind screen off (

65)

Recording reminder

Level marker (

Scene number

Joystick guide (

67)

21)

Data code (

36)

Introduction • 15

Recording still images

Zoom (

31), Exposure

(

42)

Recording program (

37, 39)

White balance (

Image effect (

LCD video light (

Digital effects (

Drive mode (

56)

52)

Still image quality/size (

Manual focus (

41)

Number of still images available on the

memory card

Viewing still images

Self timer (

AF frame (

40)

57)

Joystick guide (

Focus/exposure automatically set and

locked ( 51)

Camcorder shake warning (

Image number ( 17)

Current image / Total number of images

Histogram ( 58)

21)

65)

Date and time of recording

Image protection mark (

58)

Manual exposure (

42)

Image size (

File size

52)

Aperture value (

Shutter speed (

39)

16 • Introduction

Disc operation

Record,

Number of still images available on the card

displayed in red: No card

Record pause,

Playback,

Fast playback,

Fast reverse playback,

Slow playback,

Slow reverse playback

Playback pause,

in green: 6 or more images

in yellow: 1 to 5 images

in red: No more images can be recorded

• When viewing the still images, the display will

always be in green.

• Depending on the recording conditions, the

number of available still images displayed may

not decrease even after a recording has been

made, or may decrease by 2 still images at

once.

Remaining recording time

When there is no more disc space available,

END” will be displayed and the recording

will stop.

“

Remaining battery charge estimate

Card access display

is displayed next to the number of images

available while the camcorder is writing on the

memory card.

• When

is displayed in red, replace the

battery pack with a fully charged one.

• When you attach an empty battery pack, the

Image number

The image number indicates the name and

location of the file on the memory card. For

example, the file name of image 101-0107 is

“IMG_0107.JPG”, stored under the folder

“DCIM\101CANON”.

power may turn off without displaying

• Depending on the conditions under which the

camcorder and the battery pack are used, the

actual battery charge may not be indicated

accurately.

Recording reminder

The camcorder counts from 1 to 10 seconds

when you start recording. This is helpful to avoid

scenes that are too short.

Introduction • 17

Preparations

This chapter describes basic operations, such as navigating the

menus, and first time settings to help you learn more about your

camcorder.

Getting Started

CHARGE

indicator

Getting Started

DC IN terminal

Charging the Battery Pack

The camcorder can be powered with a

battery pack or directly using the

compact power adapter. Charge the

battery pack before use.

For approximate charging times and

recording/playback times with a full

battery pack, refer to the tables on

page 82.

3 Connect the power cord to the

compact power adapter.

4 Plug the power cord into a power

outlet.

5 Connect the compact power

adapter to the camcorder’s DC IN

terminal.

• The CHARGE indicator starts

flashing. The indicator will stay on

when the charging is completed.

• You can also use the compact

power adapter without attaching a

battery pack.

BATT. switch

1 Turn off the camcorder.

2 Attach the battery pack to the

camcorder.

• When the compact power adapter

is connected, the power of the

battery pack will not be consumed.

Press the battery pack lightly and

slide it up until it clicks.

18 • Preparations

ONCE THE BATTERY PACK IS FULLY CHARGED

NOTES

• The CHARGE indicator also serves as a

rough estimate of the charge status.

Continuously on: Battery pack fully

charged.

Two quick flashes at 1-second intervals:

Battery pack at least 50% charged. If

the indicator flashes quickly but not

exactly in this pattern, refer to

1 Disconnect the compact power

adapter from the camcorder.

2 Unplug the power cord from the

power outlet and the compact

power adapter.

TO REMOVE THE BATTERY PACK

Troubleshooting (

70).

One flash at 1-second intervals: Battery

pack less than 50% charged.

• We recommend that you prepare battery

packs to last 2 to 3 times longer than

you think you might need.

• U.S.A. and Canada only: The

Lithium ion/polymer battery

that powers the product is

recyclable. Please call

BATT.

Press

to release the battery

pack. Slide the battery pack down

and then pull it out.

IMPORTANT

• Turn off the camcorder before

connecting or disconnecting the

compact power adapter. After you turn

1-800-8-BATTERY for

information on how to recycle

this battery.

the

switch to

, important file

allocation data is updated on the disc.

Be sure to wait until the PLAY and

CAMERA mode indicators are

completely off.

• You may hear some noise from the

compact power adapter during use.

This is not a malfunction.

Preparing the Accessories

• We recommend charging the battery

pack in temperatures between 10 °C

and 30 °C (50 °F and 86 °F). Outside the

temperature range of 0 °C to 40 °C

(32 °F to 104 °F), the charging will not

start.

• Do not connect to the camcorder’s DC

IN terminal or to the compact power

adapter any electrical equipment that is

not expressly recommended for use

with this camcorder.

• To prevent equipment breakdowns and

excessive heating, do not connect the

supplied compact power adapter to

voltage converters for overseas travels

or special power sources such as those

on aircraft and ships, DC-AC inverters,

etc.

Fasten the grip belt.

Adjust the grip belt so that you can

reach the zoom lever with your index

finger, and the

your thumb.

button with

Start/Stop

Preparations • 19

Basic Operation of the Camcorder

WHEN YOU MOUNT THE CAMCORDER ON A

TRIPOD

Basic Operation of the

Camcorder

Do not leave the viewfinder

exposed to direct sunlight as

it may melt (due to

concentration of the light by

the lens). Do not use tripods

with fastening screws longer

than 5.5 mm (0.2 in.). Doing

so may damage the camcorder.

Power Switch

Lock button

In addition to turning the camcorder on

and off, the

switch also toggles the

camcorder’s operating mode.

To turn on the camcorder: Hold the lock

button pressed down and turn the

switch to ON.

To change the operating mode: From the ON

position, turn the

switch

momentarily toward MODE and release it.

This action will toggle the operating mode

between recording (CAMERA - red

indicator) and playback (PLAY - green

indicator).

20 • Preparations

The functions assigned to the joystick

change according to the operation

mode and the camcorder’s settings.

Operating Modes

Press

to display/hide the joystick

The camcorder’s operating mode is

guide (when recording, the joystick

guide will appear only when the mode

switch is set to ). In the illustrations

of this manual, positions other than

those relevant to the function explained

are marked with a striped pattern.

determined by the

switch and the

switch. In this

position of the

manual,

indicates that a function is

available in the operating mode shown

and indicates that the function is not

available. When no operating mode icons

are given, the function is available in all

operating modes.

Depending on the operating mode,

these positions may be empty or show a

different icon than the one on the

illustration.

Joystick and Joystick Guide

Use the joystick to operate the

camcorder's menus.

When the guide contains multiple

“pages”, [NEXT] and the page number

icon ( ) will appear at the bottom

position. Push the joystick ( ) toward

[NEXT] to display the next “page” of the

guide.

Push the joystick up, down, left or right

(

) to select an item or change

settings.

Press the joystick itself (

) to save the

settings or confirm an action. On menu

screens, this is indicated by the icon

Operatingmode

Operating mode

Icon display

Operation

indicator

switch

Recording movies

on a disc

(movies)

Recording still

images on a

memory card

(Red)

(still images)

Playing movies

from a disc

(movies)

Viewing still images

from a memory card

(Green)

(still images)

Preparations • 21

items not available will appear

grayed out.

Using the Menus

• With some settings, you will need

to make further selections and/or

Many of the camcorder’s functions can

be adjusted from the menus that open

after pressing the FUNC. button

FUNC.

press

. Follow the additional

operation guides that will appear

on the screen (such as the

icon, small arrows, etc.).

(

For details about the available menu

options and settings, refer to the Menu

FUNC.

4 Press

to save the settings

and close the menu.

Options Lists (

63).

FUNC.

You can press

menu at any time.

to close the

Selecting a FUNC. Menu Option

Selecting an Option from the Setup Menus

FUNC.

1 Press

2 Select (

) the icon of the function

you want change from the left side

FUNC.

1 Press

In the index screen (VIDEO mode)

and still image index screen, the

setup menus will open. Skip to

step 3.

column.

Menu items not available will appear

grayed out.

3 Select ( ) the desired setting

from the available options at the

bottom bar.

• The selected option will be

highlighted in light blue. Menu

2 Select (

) the

icon and press

to open the setup menus.

FUNC.

• You can also hold

pressed

down for more than 1 second to

22 • Preparations

open directly the setup menus

screen.

the currently selected option will appear

instead.

• In the index screen (DVD-RW discs

in VR mode), push the joystick

FUNC.

(

) to select the

icon.

[

IMAGE EFFECT OFF]

Desired image effect

FUNC.

3 Select (

) the desired menu from

the left side column and press

The title of the selected menu

appears on top of the screen and

under it the list of settings.

4 Select (

) the setting you want

to change and press

• The orange selection bar indicates

the menu setting currently

selected. Items not available

appear in black.

• Push the joystick ( ) to return to

the menu selection screen (step 3).

5 Select (

) the desired option and

to save the setting.

press

FUNC.

6 Press

FUNC.

You can press

menu at any time.

to close the

Abbreviation of Menu Selections in this

Manual

In this manual, the

arrow is used to

abbreviate menu selections. Below is

an example of changing a setting using

the setup menus.

FUNC.

[

MENU]

DISPLAY SETUP]

[LANGUAGE

]

Desired language

FUNC.

For selections in the FUNC. menu, the

abbreviated form will always show the

initial default value. In recording mode,

its icon will appear on the left side

column when you first open the menu.

If the setting was changed, the icon of

Preparations • 23

First Time Settings

example, [JAN. 1, 2008 12:00 AM]). You

can change the date format ( 69).

First Time Settings

• You can also change the date and time

later on (not during the initial setup). To

open the [DATE/TIME] screen, press

FUNC.

and select

[DATE/TIME

Setting the Date and Time

SETUP]

[DATE/TIME].

You will need to set the date and time of

the camcorder before you can start

using it. The [DATE/TIME] screen will

appear automatically when the

Changing the Language

Options

Default value

camcorder’s clock is not set.

[

]

[MAGYAR]

[

]

[DEUTSCH] [MELAYU]

]

[

]

[POLSKI]

]

ROMANA

[ENGLISH]

[

]

[ESPAÑOL] [TÜRKÇE]

]

[FRANÇAIS]

[ITALIANO]

[

]

When the [DATE/TIME] screen appears,

the year will be displayed in orange and

indicated with up/down arrows.

]

FUNC.

1 Change (

) the year and move

) to the month.

2 2 )

(

FUNC.

2 Change the rest of the fields

(month, day, hour and minutes) in

the same way.

[

MENU]

DISPLAY SETUP]

[LANGUAGE

Desired language

]

3 Move ( ) the cursor to the [OK]

button and press

to start the

FUNC.

clock and close the menu.

IMPORTANT

NOTES

• If you changed the language by mistake,

• When you do not use the camcorder for

about 3 months, the built-in

follow the mark next to the menu

item to change the setting.

rechargeable lithium battery may

discharge completely and the date and

time setting may be lost. In such case,

recharge the built-in lithium battery

• The display

that appears in some

menu screens refers to the name of

buttons on the camcorder and will not

change, regardless of the language

selected.

(

78) and set the time zone, date and

time again.

• The date appears in a year-month-day

format only in the first setup screen. In

subsequent screen displays the date and

time will appear as month-day-year (for

24 • Preparations

Getting Ready to Start Recording

Changing the Time Zone

Getting Ready to Start

Recording

Change the time zone to match your

location. The default setting is New

York.

Opening the Lens Cover and Adjusting

the LCD screen

FUNC.

Before you start recording, open the

lens cover.

FUNC.

[

MENU]

DATE/TIME SETUP]

[T.ZONE/DST]

Desired time zone*

FUNC.

* To adjust for daylight saving time, select the

area name marked with a

World Time Zones

Move the lens cover switch down to

to open the lens cover.

Once you have set the time zone, date

and time, you do not need to reset the

clock every time you travel to another

time zone. Select the time zone to

match the local time at your

destination, referring to the date and

time displayed on the screen.

1 Open the date and time setup

screen.

Rotating the LCD Panel

Open the LCD panel 90 degrees.

You can rotate the panel 90 degrees

downward.

FUNC.

[

MENU]

[

DATE/TIME SETUP]

180°

[T.ZONE/DST]

2 Move the orange selection frame

(

) to the

time zone.

90°

3 Select (

) the area that

corresponds to the local time at

your destination and press

• Refer to the changing date and

time displayed on the screen.

• To adjust for daylight saving time,

select the area name marked with

You can rotate the panel 180 degrees

toward the lens (allowing the subject to

monitor the LCD screen while you use

the viewfinder). This is the only case

where you can use the viewfinder and

the LCD screen simultaneously.

Rotating the LCD panel 180 degrees

can be useful when you wish to include

FUNC.

4 Press

to close the menu.

Preparations • 25

yourself in the picture when recording

with the self timer.

NOTES

• This setting does not affect the

brightness of the recording.

• Using the bright setting will shorten the

effective usage time of the battery pack.

180°

Inserting and Removing a Disc

Subject can monitor the LCD screen

Use only 8 cm (3 in.) mini DVD discs

marked with the DVD-R

(including DVD-R DL) or the DVD-RW

logo

NOTES

logo. Refer also to Discs that

About the LCD and viewfinder screen: The

screens are produced using extremely

high-precision manufacturing techniques,

with more than 99.99% of the pixels

operating to specification. Less than

0.01% of the pixels may occasionally

misfire or appear as black, red, blue or

green dots. This has no effect on the

recorded image and does not constitute a

malfunction.

have b een teste d (

6).

Before inserting the disc be sure to

check that the recording surface is

clean. If necessary, use a soft lens-

cleaning cloth to remove any

fingerprints, dirt buildup or smudges

from the disc surface.

Inserting the Disc

LCD Backlight

(

You can set the brightness of the LCD

screen to normal or bright.

Pick up lens

DISP.

Hold

pressed down for more

1 Turn the

switch to ON to set

the camcorder in

than 2 seconds.

Repeat this action to toggle between the

normal and bright settings.

mode.

OPEN

2 Slide

fully in the direction of

the arrow and gently open the disc

cover completely until it stops.

26 • Preparations

Retract the grip belt under the

camcorder so it will not get in the

way of the disc cover.

initialization screen will appear when a

new DVD-RW disc is first inserted if the

switch is set to

(movies). If

the disc is already initialized, you can

start recording movies once the record

3 Insert the disc and press its center

firmly until it clicks in place.

pause

indicator appears.

• Insert the disc with the recording

side facing down (single sided

discs – label side facing out).

• Be careful not to touch the

recording surface of the disc or the

pick up lens.

Otherwise, perform the following steps

to initialize the disc.

Select (

specification and press

) the desired disc

. For a

comparison between the VIDEO and

VR specifications, see How to Select

a DVD Disc (

A confirmation message will appear

on the screen. Select ( ) [YES] and

press to start the disc

initialization, or select [NO] and

press to return and select a

5).

different disc specification.

• The disc initialization will take

approximately one minute. Avoid

moving the camcorder while the

operation is in progress.

• You can start recording movies

once the record pause

indicator appears.

4 Close the disc cover.

Do not force the cover closed if the

disc is not correctly inserted and

firmly set in place.

Removing the Disc

NOTES

The process of recognizing a disc may

take a moment. The

display will move

while the disc is being read. Wait until the

camcorder finishes recognizing the disc

before you start recording.

WHEN USING DVD-R/DVD-R DL DISCS

You can start recording movies once

the record pause

appears.

indicator

OPEN

1 Slide

fully in the direction of

the arrow and gently open the disc

cover completely until it stops.

• Do not subject the camcorder to

strong impacts while the DISC

access indicator is on or flashing.

WHEN USING DVD-RW DISCS

You need to initialize new discs before

you can start recording. The disc

Preparations • 27

• Retract the grip belt under the

camcorder so it will not get in the

way of the disc cover.

2 Open the memory card slot cover.

3 Insert the memory card straight all

the way into the memory card slot.

• It may take a moment after sliding

4 Close the cover.

Do not force the cover closed if the

memory card is not correctly inserted.

OPEN

for the disc cover to open.

2 Grab the edge of the disc and

gently pull it out.

Be careful not to touch the recording

surface of the disc or the pick up

lens.

TO REMOVE THE MEMORY CARD

First push the memory card once to

release it, and then pull the card

out.

3 Close the disc cover.

IMPORTANT

OPEN

When you slide

after making a

IMPORTANT

recording, important file allocation data is

updated on the disc before the disc cover

opens. While the DISC access indicator is

on or flashing do not subject the

• Make sure to initialize all memory cards

before using them with this camcorder

(

59).

camcorder to shocks such as forcefully

laying it on a table.

• Memory cards have front and back sides

that are not interchangeable. Inserting a

memory card facing the wrong direction

can cause a malfunction of the

camcorder.

Inserting and Removing a Memory Card

NOTES

You can use commercially available

SDHC (SD High Capacity) memory

• Compatibility with all SD, SDHC or MMC

memory cards cannot be guaranteed.

• About SDHC Memory Cards: SDHC is the

new type of SD memory card with

cards,

SD memory cards or

MultiMedia Cards (MMC) with this

camcorder.

capacities over 2 GB. Please note that

the specifications of SDHC memory

cards are different from those of regular

SD memory cards and you will not be

able to use memory cards of over 2 GB

with devices that do not support SDHC.

However, SDHC devices (including this

camcorder) are backward compatible

and support regular SD memory cards.

1 Turn off the camcorder.

28 • Preparations

Video

This chapter covers functions related to shooting and playing back

movies - from basic recording and zooming to more advanced manual

picture adjustments.

Basic Recording

The red CAMERA indicator will turn

on.

Basic Recording

3 Move the lens cover switch down

to open the lens cover.

Start/Stop

4 Press

to begin recording.

Shooting Video

• The recording starts; press

Start/Stop

again to pause the

recording.

Before You Begin Recording

• The DISC access indicator will flash

while recording and will stay on

briefly after pausing while the

scene is recorded on the disc.

Make a test recording first to check if

the camcorder operates correctly.

Since recordings made on a DVD-R or

DVD-R DL disc cannot be deleted, we

recommend you use a DVD-RW disc

to make the test recordings.

WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED RECORDING

1 Make sure that the DISC access

indicator is off.

(

2 Turn off the camcorder.

3 Close the lens cover and the LCD

panel.

4 Remove the disc.

IMPORTANT

• When recording movies, try to get a calm,

stable picture.

Excessive camcorder movement while

shooting and extensive use of fast

zooms and panning can result in jittery

scenes. In extreme cases, the playback

of such scenes may result in visually

induced motion sickness. If you

experience such a reaction, immediately

stop the playback and take a rest break

as necessary.

1 Move the

(movies).

switch to

switch to ON to set

2 Turn the

the camcorder in CAMERA mode.

Video • 29

• Observe the following precautions while

the DISC access indicator is on or

flashing. Failing to do so may result in

permanent data loss.

- Do not subject the camcorder to

vibrations or strong impacts.

• The following may take longer with a disc

in VR mode than a disc in VIDEO mode.

- The time between turning on the

camcorder and being able to record.

- The time between turning the

switch to

and the camcorder

- Do not open the disc cover and do not

remove the disc.

shutting off.

- Do not disconnect the power source or

turn off the camcorder.

- Do not change the operating mode.

Using the viewfinder

When recording in bright places it

may be difficult to use the LCD

screen. In such case, change the

brightness of the LCD screen (

NOTES

26)

or use the viewfinder instead. To use

the viewfinder, keep the LCD panel

closed*.

• About the recording time: By changing the

recording mode you can change the

recording time available on the disc

(

31).

• About the Power Save mode: To save power

when the camcorder is powered by a

battery pack, the camcorder will

automatically shut off if left without any

operations for 5 minutes (

restore the power, turn the

68). To

switch

toward MODE and release it, or turn the

switch to and back to ON

again.

Adjust the viewfinder as necessary

with the dioptric adjustment lever.

* The LCD screen and the viewfinder

can be used simultaneously when the

LCD panel is turned 180 degrees to

• When recording in very loud places (such

as fireworks shows or concerts), sound

may become distorted or it may not be

recorded at the actual levels. This is not

a malfunction.

face the subject (

26).

About the mode switch and recording programs

Set the mode switch to

to let the

camcorder adjust all the settings for you,

allowing you to just point the camcorder and

start shooting.

Set the mode switch to

The Special Scene recording programs (

to select one of the recording programs.

37) offer a convenient

way to select the optimal settings to match special recording

conditions. Conversely, with flexible recording programs (

39) you

can set the shutter speed you want, or enjoy the flexibility to change other

settings.

30 • Video

Selecting the Recording Mode

Zooming: Optical, Advanced and Digital

Zoom

Changing the recording mode will

change the recording time available on

the disc. Select XP or SP mode for

better movie quality; select LP mode for

longer recording times.

The camcorder offers three types of

zoom: optical, advanced and digital

zoom when recording movies. (In

mode only the optical zoom

The following table gives approximate

recording times with a brand new DVD

disc (on a single recording side).

is available.) You can also change the

zoom speed.

Selecting the Zoom Type

Default value

Disc type

Options

Default value

Recording mode

DVD-R,

DVD-R DL

DVD-RW

[OPTICAL] (37x)

The zoom range is limited to the optical

magnification ratio of the lens.

20 min.

30 min.

60 min.

36 min.

54 min.

108 min.

[ADVANCED] (Advanced Zoom)

In addition to the optical zoom range, the

camcorder processes the image digitally to

obtain a larger zoom range without any

deterioration in image quality. When recording

movies with a 16:9 aspect ratio, the field of view

(picture angle) will change. Refer to the table in

the NOTES section.

(

FUNC.

22 )

[DIGITAL] (2000x)

FUNC.

When this option is selected, the camcorder will

switch to digital zoom (light blue area on the

zoom indicator) when you zoom in beyond the

optical zoom range (white area on the zoom

indicator). With the digital zoom the image is

processed digitally so image quality will

deteriorate the more you zoom in.

[

STANDARD PLAY]

Desired recording mode

FUNC.

NOTES

The camcorder uses a variable bit rate

(VBR) when encoding the video data so the

actual recording times will vary depending

on the content of the scenes.

FUNC.

FUNC.

[

MENU]

CAMERA SETUP]

[ZOOM TYPE]

Desired option

FUNC.

Video • 31

FUNC.

NOTES

[

MENU]

CAMERA SETUP]

• The zoom range of the advanced zoom

will change depending on the aspect

ratio of the scene (

[ZOOM SPEED]

Desired option

66).

•

The advanced zoom cannot be

FUNC.

selected if [WIDESCREEN] is set to

[

OFF].

NOTES

The fastest zoom speed can be achieved

[WIDESCREEN] set to [

ON] (16:9)

41x**

with the [

VARIABLE] setting.

48x*,

Using the Zoom

* The picture angle will be wider at both full

telephoto and full wide-angle.

**The picture angle will be wider at full

wide-angle.

(

[WIDESCREEN] set to [

OFF] (4:3)

55x,

Not available

Zoom out

Selecting the Zoom Speed

(

Zoom in

Options

Default value

[

VARIABLE]

Move the zoom lever toward W to

zoom out (wide-angle). Move it

toward T to zoom in (telephoto).

The variable zoom speed depends on how you

operate the zoom lever: Press gently for slower

zooms; press harder for faster zooms. With this

option, the zoom speed will be faster in record

pause mode.

NOTES

Keep at least 1 m (3.3 ft.) to the subject. At

full wide-angle, you can focus on a subject

as close as 1 cm (0.39 in.).

[

SPEED 1], [

SPEED 3]

SPEED 2],

Constant zoom speeds. [

SPEED 3] is the

fastest, and [

SPEED 1] is the slowest.

Quick Start Function

FUNC.

QUICK START

When you press

the

camcorder enters the

standby mode.

In standby mode the camcorder

consumes only about half the power

used when recording, saving energy

when you are using a battery pack.

Additionally, when you press

32 • Video

QUICK START

shut-off with the [ STANDBY OFF]

setting ( 68).

To restore the power if the camcorder

shut off, turn the switch toward

again the camcorder is

ready to start recording within approx.

1 second*, ensuring you do not miss

important shooting opportunities.

MODE and release it, or turn the

camcorder off and then on again.

• If you perform any of the following

actions while in standby mode (while the

standby lamp is on), the camcorder will

be woken up from standby mode.

- Open the disc compartment cover.

* The exact time required until the camcorder

is ready to start recording may vary

depending on the shooting conditions.

(

- Change the position of the

switch.

- Turn the

switch toward MODE.

Reviewing and Deleting the Last Scene

Recorded

Even in

mode you can play

QUICK START

1 Press

firmly.

back the last scene recorded in order to

check it. If you are using a DVD-RW

disc, you can also delete the scene

while reviewing it.

The standby lamp flashes at first

while the camcorder is preparing and

then stays on when it enters the

standby mode.

(

2 When you wish to resume

QUICK START

recording, press

again.

Within approx. 1 second, the

camcorder is ready to record.

NOTES

1 If the joystick guide does not

appear on screen, press

display it.

• When you wake up the camcorder from

standby mode, the following settings will

be changed automatically:

- Manual focus returns to automatic

focus (AF).

guide, repeatedly push the joystick

) toward [NEXT] to display it.

does not appear on the joystick

(

- Manual exposure adjustment returns to

automatic exposure.

- Zoom position returns to full wide

angle W.

• The camcorder will shut off if left in

standby mode for 10 minutes, regardless

2 Push the joystick ( ) toward

• The camcorder plays back the last

scene (but without sound) and

returns to record pause mode.

• While reviewing the scene, select

the

icon and press

to return

of the [POWER SAVE] setting (

68).

to the recording mode.

You can select the length of time until

Video • 33

Basic Playback

Deleting a Scene After Recording It

POINTS TO CHECK

Basic Playback

Disc type:

DVD-RW

Playing Back the Video

After recording a scene:

1 Review the scene as described in

the previous section.

2 While reviewing the scene, select

(

(

)

and press

3 Select ( ) [YES] and press

NOTES

• Avoid any other operations on the

camcorder while the scene is being

deleted.

• You will not be able to delete the last

scene if after the scene was recorded

you changed the operating mode, turned

off the camcorder or removed the disc.

1 Move the

(movies).

switch to

switch to ON, then

2 Turn the

turn it toward MODE and release it

to set the camcorder in PLAY

mode.

• The green PLAY indicator will turn

on.

• The scene index screen appears.

3 Move (

) the selection

frame to the scene you want to

play back.

4 Press

to begin the playback.

The playback will start from the scene

selected and continue until the end of

the last scene recorded.

34 • Video

• Be sure to finalize discs to play them

TO PAUSE/STOP PLAYBACK

back on external DVD devices (

• When playing back a finalized disc,

depending on the number of scenes, it

may take a moment before the index

screen appears.

48).

5 If the joystick guide does not

appear on screen, press

display it.

6 Push the joystick ( ) toward

to pause the playback.

TO ADJUST THE VOLUME

7 Push the joystick ( ) toward

stop the playback and return to the

scene index screen.

During the playback of a scene:

FUNC.

[

SPEAKER VOL.]

NOTES

Adjust ( ) the volume

FUNC.

• Depending on the recording conditions,

you may notice brief stops in video or

sound playback between scenes.

• This camcorder can play back discs

recorded with this camcorder. Discs

recorded with other camcorders or discs

created with a computer may not play

back correctly.

• The sound from the built-in speaker will

be muted when you close the LCD panel

or while the STV-250N Stereo Video

Cable is connected to the AV terminal.

• If you turn down the volume completely,

the icon will change to

Special playback modes

Use the joystick guide to enter the special playback modes. There is no sound

during the special playback modes.

Special playback mode

Fast playback

Initial mode

Camcorder operation

Normal playback Push the joystick ( ) toward

(

) toward

Perform operation again to increase playback

speed 5x → 15x the normal speed.

Slow playback

Playback pause Push the joystick ( ) toward

) toward

(

Perform operation again to increase playback

speed 1/8x → 1/4x the normal speed.

End special playback mode

Special playback Push the joystick ( ) toward

During some special playback modes, you may notice some anomalies (blocky

video artifacts, banding, etc.) in the playback picture.

Video • 35

Deleting Scenes

FUNC.

If you are using a DVD-RW disc, you can

delete those scenes that you are not

interested in keeping.

FUNC.

[

MENU]

DISC OPERATIONS]

[DEL.ALL MOVIES]*

FUNC.

[YES]

Deleting a Single Scene

* When you are deleting the playlist, this

menu option will be replaced by

[DEL.PLAYLIST].

(

POINTS TO CHECK

Disc type: DVD-RW • VR mode

IMPORTANT

Be careful when deleting original

recordings. Once deleted, an original

scene cannot be recovered.

From the original index screen, select

) the scene to delete. To

delete a scene only in the playlist,

(

switch to the playlist first (

then select the scene.

46), and

NOTES

• You may not be able to delete scenes

shorter than 5 seconds. To delete such

scenes you must initialize the disc

FUNC.

(

47), in the process deleting all the

recordings on the disc.

FUNC.

• Do not change the position of the

[

DELETE]

[YES]

switch or the

switch while the

scene is being deleted (while the DISC

access indicator is on or flashing).

Deleting All Scenes

(

On-Screen Displays (Data Code)

POINTS TO CHECK

The camcorder keeps a data code

Disc type:

DVD-RW • VR mode

containing the date and time and other

camera data (shutter speed, aperture,

etc.) registered at the time of recording.

You can select the data to be displayed.

For details about on-screen displays for

still images, refer to Histogram and

To delete all the scenes from the original

index screen, perform the following

procedure. This will delete also the

whole playlist. If you want to delete only

the playlist (without affecting the original

recordings), switch to the playlist first

Other Screen Displays (

58).

(

46), and then continue as follows.

36 • Video

Additional Functions

(

: Special Scene Recording Programs

Recording in a very bright ski resort or

capturing the full colors of a sunset or a

fireworks display becomes as easy as

selecting a Special Scene recording

program. For details about the available

options, refer to the sidebar on page 38.

DISP.

Repeatedly press

to turn the

on-screen displays on/off in the

following sequence:

(

• All displays on

• All displays off¹

POINTS TO CHECK

Mode switch:

• All displays on

• Data code²only

• All displays off

FUNC.

However, the markers and the icons

and

FUNC.

will still appear on the screen.

[

PROGRAM AE]

Data code: Time, date and camera data at

the time of recording. The contents to be

displayed can be selected with the [DATA

Desired recording program

FUNC.

CODE] setting (

6 7).

Video • 37

[

PORTRAIT]

[

BEACH]

The camcorder

uses a large

aperture, achieving

a focus on the

Use this mode to

record on a sunny

beach. It prevents

the subject from

subject while blurring other distracting

details.

being underexposed.

[

SPORTS]

[

SUNSET]

Use this mode to

record sports

scenes such as

tennis or golf.

Use this mode to

record sunsets in

vibrant colors.

[

NIGHT]

[

SPOTLIGHT]

Use this mode to

record in dimly lit

places.

Use this mode to

record spotlit

scenes.

[

SNOW]

[

FIREWORKS]

Use this mode to

record in bright ski

resorts. It prevents

the subject from

Use this mode to

record fireworks.

being underexposed.

- Autofocus may not work as well as in

other modes. In such case, adjust the

focus manually.

NOTES

• Do not set the mode switch to

during the actual recording of a scene;

the brightness of the picture may change

abruptly.

• [ SNOW]/[ BEACH]

- The subject may become overexposed

on cloudy days or in shaded places.

Check the image on the screen.

• [ PORTRAIT]/[ SPORTS]/

• [ FIREWORKS]

[

BEACH]/[ SNOW]

- To avoid camcorder shake, we

recommend using a tripod. Make sure

to use a tripod especially in

mode, as the shutter

- The picture may not appear smooth

during playback.

• [ PORTRAIT]

- The blur effect of the background

increases the more you zoom in (T).

speed slows down.

• [ NIGHT]

- Moving subjects may leave a trailing

afterimage.

- Picture quality may not be as good as

in other modes.

- White points may appear on the

screen.

38 • Video

1 If the joystick guide appears on the

screen, press to hide it.

2 Adjust ( ) the shutter speed to

the desired value.

Flexible Recording: Changing the

Shutter Speed

Use the automatic exposure (AE)

program to use functions like the white

balance or image effects, or give priority

to the shutter speed.

Use faster shutter speeds to record

subjects moving quickly. Use slower

shutter speeds to add motion blur,

emphasizing the feel of movement.

Shutter speed guidelines

Note that on screen only the

denominator is displayed – [

indicates a shutter speed of 1/250

second, etc.

250]

1/2*, 1/4*, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30

To record in dimly lit places.

1/60

(

To record under most ordinary conditions.

1/100

POINTS TO CHECK

Mode switch:

Options

Default value

To record indoor sports scenes.

1/250, 1/500, 1/1000**

[

PROGRAM AE]

The camcorder automatically adjusts the

aperture and shutter speed to obtain the

optimal exposure for the subject.

To record from within a moving car or train or to

shoot fast-moving subjects such as roller

coasters.

[

SHUTTER-PRIO.AE]

1/2000**

Set the shutter speed value. The camcorder

automatically sets the appropriate aperture

value.

To record outdoor sports scenes on sunny days.

mode only.

FUNC.

NOTES

• Do not set the mode switch to

during the actual recording of a scene;

the brightness of the picture may change

abruptly.

FUNC.

[

PROGRAM AE]

Desired option

FUNC.

• [

SHUTTER-PRIO.AE]

- When setting the shutter speed, the

number display will flash if the value is

not appropriate for the recording

conditions. In such case, select a

different value.

TO SET THE SHUTTER SPEED

When you select [ SHUTTER-

PRIO.AE], a numeric value will appear

next to the recording program icon.

- If you use a slow shutter speed in dark

places, you can obtain a brighter

Video • 39

image, but the image quality may be

lower, and the autofocus may not work

well.

Self Timer

- The image may flicker when recording

with fast shutter speeds.

- Recording movies under fluorescent lights:

If the screen starts to flicker, select

(

[

SHUTTER-PRIO.AE] and set the

POINTS TO CHECK

: Set the camcorder to record

shutter speed to 1/100.

pause mode.

LCD Video Light

FUNC.

You can use the LCD video light to

record in completely dark places. For a

brighter picture, we recommend

keeping a distance of about 20 cm -

60 cm (8 in. - 2 ft.) from the subject and/

or using the [ NIGHT] recording

program. When you activate the LCD

video light, rotate the LCD panel to face

the subject and use the viewfinder

1 Activate the self timer.

FUNC.

[

MENU]

[

CAMERA SETUP]

[SELF TIMER]

[

]

FUNC.

2 Press

to close the menu.

•

appears.

• Set [SELF TIMER] to [

cancel the self timer.

OFF] to

instead (

30).

Start/Stop

3 Press

on the camcorder to

(

start recording.

The camcorder starts recording video

(

mode) or takes a still

mode) after a

FUNC.

image (

2 2)

10-second countdown. The

countdown appears on the screen.

FUNC.

[

LCD LIGHT OFF]

LCD LIGHT ON]*

NOTES

Press

FUNC.

Once the countdown has begun, you can

Start/Stop

press

again or turn off the

* Using the viewfinder, select [

LCD LIGHT

camcorder to cancel the self timer.

OFF] instead to turn the LCD video light off.

Closing the LCD panel will also turn the LCD

video light off.

The LCD display turns entirely white

when used as the video light. Use the

viewfinder instead.

40 • Video

• Pushing the joystick ( ) toward

[FOCUS] again will return the

camcorder to autofocus.

Manual Focus Adjustment

4 Push the joystick ( ) toward

[NEXT] to save the focus

adjustment.

Autofocus may not work well on the

following subjects. In such case, focus

manually.

Infinity Focus

• Reflective surfaces

• Subjects with low contrast or without

vertical lines

• Fast moving subjects

• Through wet windows

• Night scenes

Use this function when you wish to

focus on faraway subjects such as

mountains or fireworks.

POINTS TO CHECK

Adjust the zoom before you start the

procedure.

(

Mode switch:

POINTS TO CHECK

Adjust the zoom before you start the

procedure.

FOCUS

Mode switch:

FOCUS

1 If the joystick guide does not

appear on screen, press

display it.

Keep the joystick pushed ( ) toward

[FOCUS] for more than

2 seconds.

1 If the joystick guide does not

appear on screen, press

display it.

•

appears.

• Pushing the joystick ( ) toward

[FOCUS] again will return the

camcorder to autofocus.

If [FOCUS] does not appear on the

joystick guide, repeatedly push the

joystick ( ) toward [NEXT] to display

it.

• If you operate the zoom or the

joystick (

changes to “MF”

2 Push the joystick ( ) toward

[FOCUS].

“MF” appears.

and the camcorder returns to

manual focusing mode.

3 Push the joystick ( ) toward

[NEXT] to save the focus

adjustment.

3 Adjust (

necessary.

) the focus as

• Push the joystick ( ) toward

for a farther focal distance or push

it ( ) toward

distance.

for a closer focal

Video • 41

4 Push the joystick ( ) toward

[NEXT] to lock and save the

exposure setting.

Manual Exposure Adjustment

If you operate the zoom during

exposure lock, the brightness of the

image may change.

At times, backlit subjects may appear

too dark (underexposed) or subjects

under very strong lights may appear too

bright or glaring (overexposed). To

correct this, you can manually adjust the

exposure.

White Balance

(

The white balance function helps you to

accurately reproduce colors under

different lighting conditions so that white

objects will always look truly white in

your recordings.

POINTS TO CHECK

Mode switch: (except for the

[

FIREWORKS] recording program).

(

EXP

POINTS TO CHECK

Mode switch: (except for the Special

Scene recording programs)

1 If the joystick guide does not

appear on screen, press

display it.

Options

Default value

[

AUTO]

If [EXP] does not appear on the

joystick guide, repeatedly push the

joystick ( ) toward [NEXT] to display

it.

Settings are automatically set by the

camcorder. Use this setting for outdoor scenes.

[

DAYLIGHT]

For recording outdoors on a bright day.

TUNGSTEN]

2 Push the joystick ( ) toward

[EXP].

The exposure adjustment indicator

and the neutral value “ 0”

appear on the screen.

[

For recording under tungsten and tungsten type

(3-wavelength) fluorescent lighting.

3 Adjust (

) the brightness of the

image as required.

[

SET]

• The adjustment range and the

length of the exposure adjustment

indicator will vary depending on the

initial brightness of the picture.

• Pushing the joystick ( ) toward

[EXP] again will cancel the

Use the custom white balance setting to make

white subjects appear white under colored

lighting.

exposure lock and return the

camcorder to automatic exposure.

42 • Video

Image Effects

FUNC.

You can use the image effects to change

the color saturation and contrast to

record images with special color effects.

FUNC.

[

AUTO]

Desired option*

FUNC.

* When you select [ SET], do not press

(

FUNC.

and continue instead with the

following procedure.

POINTS TO CHECK

Mode switch: (except for the Special

Scene recording programs)

TO SET THE CUSTOM WHITE BALANCE

1 Point the camcorder at a white

object, zoom in until it fills the

Options

Default value

[

IMAGE EFFECT OFF]

whole screen and press

When the adjustment is completed,

stops flashing and stays on. The

camcorder retains the custom setting

even if you turn off the camcorder.

Records with no image enhancing effects.

VIVID]

Emphasizes the contrast and color saturation.

NEUTRAL]

Tones down the contrast and color saturation.

SOFT SKIN DETAIL]

[

FUNC.

2 Press

to save the setting

and close the menu.

[

NOTES

• When you select the custom white balance:

- Set the custom white balance in a

sufficiently illuminated place.

[

Softens the details in the skin tone area for a

more complimentary appearance. To obtain the

best effect, use this setting when recording a

person in close-up. Note that areas similar to

the skin color may lack in detail.

- Select a zoom type other than

[

DIGITAL] (

31).

- Reset the white balance when the

lighting conditions change.

- Depending on the light source,

may

keep flashing. The result will still be

better than with [ AUTO].

• Custom white balance may provide

better results in the following cases:

- Changing lighting conditions

- Close-ups

- Subjects in a single color (sky, sea or

forest)

- Under mercury lamps and certain types

of fluorescent lights

FUNC.

FUNC.

[

IMAGE EFFECT OFF]

Desired option

FUNC.

Video • 43

Setting

Digital Effects

FUNC.

(

FUNC.

[

D.EFFECT OFF]

Desired option*

FUNC. **

POINTS TO CHECK

Mode switch:

: [

BLK&WHT], [

only.

SEPIA]

* You can preview the effect on the screen.

** The icon of the selected effect appears.

Options

Default value

Applying

[

D.EFFECT OFF]

Select this setting when you do not intend to

use the digital effects.

[

FADE-T] (fade trigger), [

WIPE]

Select one of the faders to begin or end a scene

with a fade from or to a black screen.

1 If the joystick guide does not

appear on screen, press

display it.

[

BLK&WHT]

Records images in black and white.

SEPIA]

guide, repeatedly push the joystick

) toward [NEXT] to display it.

does not appear on the joystick

(

[

2 Push the joystick ( ) toward

• The icon of the selected effect

turns green.

• Push the joystick ( ) toward

Records images in sepia tones for an “old”

look.

[

ART], [

MOSAIC]

again to deactivate the fader/effect.

TO FADE IN

Push the joystick ( ) toward

Select one of these digital effects to add

“flavor” to your recordings.

NOTES

record pause mode (

), then press

to start recording with a fade

Start/Stop

in.

• When you apply a fader, not only the

picture but also the sound will fade in or

out. When you apply an effect, the sound

will be recorded normally.

TO FADE OUT

• The camcorder retains the last setting

used even if you turn off the digital

effects or change the recording program.

Push the joystick ( ) toward

while

recording ( ), then press

Start/Stop

fade out and pause the recording.

44 • Video

Managing Scenes and the Disc

TO ACTIVATE AN EFFECT

: Push the joystick (

Managing Scenes and the

Disc

)

toward

pause mode.

: Push the joystick (

while recording or in record

Creating a Playlist

)

toward

and then press

Start/Stop

record the still image.

Create a playlist to easily edit your

movies. Include in your playlist only the

scenes you prefer or change the order in

which they will be played back, without

affecting your original recordings. After

you add scenes to the playlist, you can

switch between the original scenes and

the playlist.

Adding Scenes to the Playlist

You can choose to add to the playlist all

the original scenes at once or only the

selected scene.

(

POINTS TO CHECK

Disc type: DVD-RW • VR mode

From the original index screen, select

) the scene to add to the

(

playlist. To add all scenes, there is no

need to select any particular scene.

FUNC.

FUNC.

[

ADD TO PLAYLIST]

Desired option [YES]

To delete scenes from the playlist, refer

to Deleting Scenes ( 36).

Video • 45

Switching Between Original and Playlist

Scenes

FUNC.

FUNC.

(

[

MOVE]

Move (

)

the orange marker to the scene’s

POINTS TO CHECK

new position*

[YES]

Press

Disc type:

DVD-RW • VR mode

* The original position of the scene and the

current position of the marker are displayed

at the bottom of the screen.

FUNC.

FUNC.

[

TO PLAYLIST]*

Dividing Scenes

* Appears in the original index screen. In the

playlist, [

instead.

TO ORIGINAL] appears

You can divide scenes in order to leave

only the best parts and later cut out the

rest. Remember that when you divide

scenes in the playlist, you do not affect

your original recordings.

Original index screen (original recordings)

ORIGINAL

(

POINTS TO CHECK

Disc type: DVD-RW • VR mode

PLAYLIST

Playlist index screen

From the original index screen, switch to

the playlist ( 46). From the playlist

Moving Scenes in the Playlist

index screen, select (

scene to divide.

) the

(

FUNC.

POINTS TO CHECK

Disc type: DVD-RW • VR mode

FUNC.

[

DIVIDE]

Playback of the

scene begins

to divide the scene*

Pause at the point

From the original index screen, switch to

the playlist ( 46). From the playlist

FUNC.

Press

[YES]

index screen, select (

scene to move.

) the

* You can use the following icons and fast

playback mode (

to a precise point.

35) to bring the scene

: Frame jump forward/backward.

46 • Video

Disc Playback on an External Device

NOTES

Disc Playback on an

External Device

• Very short scenes (shorter than

2 seconds) cannot be divided.

• The new scene will be added to the

playlist after the scene that was divided.

Changing the Disc Title

Before you finalize your disc, you can

give it a title¹. The disc title will be

displayed on the index screen when

playing the finalized disc in most DVD

players. You can check the disc’s title

with the [DISC INFO] menu option

Initializing the Disc

You need to initialize all new DVD-RW

discs when you first insert them into the

camcorder and you may have to

initialize them if you get the message

“UNABLE TO RECOGNIZE THE DATA”.

You can also initialize a DVD-RW disc

when you want to completely erase the

disc to reuse it or in order to change the

disc specification.

(

66).

You can change the title of DVD-RW discs

recorded in VR mode also after having

finalized them.

(

(

FUNC.

POINTS TO CHECK

Disc type: DVD-RW

FUNC.

[

MENU]²

DISC OPERATIONS]

FUNC.

[DISC TITLE]

Enter the title (up to 20

FUNC.

characters)³

[

MENU]

DISC OPERATIONS]

[SET]

[YES]

FUNC.

[INITIALIZE DISC]

Select a disc specification*

[YES]

Only when using a DVD-RW recorded in VR

FUNC.

mode. Otherwise, pressing

will open

the menu directly on the setup menus

screen.

Select one character at a time and press

to add it to the title. Select

FUNC. **

* For details about disc specifications, refer to

Disc specification on DVD-RWs. ( 5)

**Close the menu only after the screen display

[BACKSPACE] and press

to delete the

character to the left of the cursor’s position.

returns to the [

menu.

DISC OPERATIONS]

IMPORTANT

Initializing the disc will permanently erase

all recordings. The lost original recordings

cannot be recovered.

Video • 47

IMPORTANT

Finalizing the Disc

• Be sure to finalize the disc in normal

room temperatures. If the procedure

was not completed correctly due to

high temperature, let the camcorder

cool off before resuming operation.

• Place the camcorder on a table or

other stable surface before starting

the procedure. Subjecting the

To play the disc you recorded on a DVD

player, a computer’s DVD drive or other

digital device, you need to finalize it

first. You do not need to finalize the disc

to play back your recordings with the

camcorder connected to the TV.

camcorder even to slight impacts (for

example to place it on a table or to

disconnect a cable) after the

(

finalization process started may result

in permanent data loss.

• Do not disconnect the power source

while the operation is in progress. Doing

so can interrupt the process and result in

permanent data loss.

POINTS TO CHECK

Power the camcorder using the

compact power adapter or a fully

charged battery pack.

FUNC.

• Depending on the type of disc and the

disc specification, after finalizing the disc

you may not be able to initialize the disc,

edit your recordings or add new

recordings to the disc.

• Do not use this camcorder to finalize

discs that were not recorded using it.

FUNC.

[

MENU]¹

DISC OPERATIONS]

[FINALIZE]

Press

[YES]²

when the confirmation

screen appears³

NOTES

FUNC.

• The time required to finalize the disc

depends on the scenes recorded and the

remaining free space on the disc.

Only when using a DVD-RW recorded in VR

FUNC.

mode. Otherwise, pressing

the menu directly on the setup menus

will open

• After the disc is finalized,

on the playback screen.

will appear

screen.

During the disc finalization a progress bar is

displayed.

After pressing

, the [

DISC

OPERATIONS] menu will reappear.

Depending on the number of scenes, this

may take a moment.

48 • Video

NOTES

Disc Playback on External Devices

• DVD-RW discs recorded in VR mode can

be played only on VR mode-compatible

DVD players.

• Depending on your DVD device you may

not be able to play the disc.

• In order to play the disc on a computer

you need to have DVD playback

software installed and running. Also, in

order to play back a DVD-R DL you must

have a DVD drive capable of reading

dual-layered DVD discs.

After finalizing the disc with your

recordings, you can play it on DVD

players compatible with the type of disc

used (DVD-R, DVD-R DL or DVD-RW).

You cannot play back discs on an

external DVD device if the discs have

not yet been finalized.

For a summary, you can refer to the

sidebar on page 49. For details about

disc compatibility refer to the instruction

manual of the DVD player or DVD drive.

Unfinalizing the Disc - Additional

Recordings on a Finalized Disc

ON A DVD PLAYER

1 Turn on the TV and DVD player.

Unfinalize a disc to allow recording

additional movies on the disc even after

it was finalized.

2 Insert the finalized disc in the DVD

player.

3 Select the scene you want to play

from the index screen.

(

POINTS TO CHECK

Disc type: DVD-RW •

ON A cOMPUTER’S DVD DRIVE

VIDEO mode • Finalized

Power the camcorder using the

compact power adapter or a fully

charged battery pack.

1 Insert the finalized disc in the DVD

drive.

2 Run the DVD playback software.

Refer also to the instruction manual

and help modules of your DVD

playback software.

Restrictions after disc finalization

Additional

recordings

Editing

recordings

Initializing

the disc

Unfinalizing

the disc

DVD-R/DVD-R DL

–

in VIDEO mode

DVD-RW in VIDEO mode

–

DVD-RW in VR mode

–

You will need to unfinalize the disc first.

Only scenes in the playlist can be divided.

Video • 49

FUNC.

FUNC.

[

DISC OPERATIONS]

[UNFINALIZE]

[YES]*

Press

when the confirmation

screen appears

FUNC.

* During the disc unfinalization a progress bar

is displayed.

IMPORTANT

• Be sure to unfinalize the disc in

normal room temperatures. If the

procedure was not completed

correctly due to high temperature, let

the camcorder cool off before

resuming operation.

• Place the camcorder on a table or

other stable surface before starting

the procedure. Subjecting the

camcorder even to slight impacts (for

example to place it on a table or to

disconnect a cable) after the

unfinalization process started may

result in permanent data loss.

• Do not disconnect the power source

while the operation is in progress. Doing

so can interrupt the process and result in

permanent data loss.

• Only discs that were finalized using this

camcorder can be unfinalized with it.

Discs that can be unfinalized

DVD-R/DVD-R DL

–

in VIDEO mode

DVD-RW

in VIDEO mode

–

DVD-RW

in VR mode

You can record additional

scenes even without

unfinalizing the disc

50 • Video

Photos

Refer to this chapter for details on shooting photos – from capturing

and playing back images to printing them.

Basic Recording

3 Move the lens cover switch down

Basic Recording

to open the lens cover.

Start/Stop

4 Press

• Once the focus is automatically

adjusted,

will turn green and one

Taking Photos

or more AF frames will appear.

• The CARD access indicator will

flash as the still image is being

recorded.

Before using a memory card for the

first time, be sure to initialize it with

this camcorder (

IMPORTANT

59).

Observe the following precautions while

the card access display (

) appears on

(

screen, and when the CARD access

indicator is on or flashing. Failing to do so

may result in permanent data loss.

- Do not subject the camcorder to

vibrations or strong impacts.

- Do not open the memory card slot cover

and do not remove the memory card.

- Do not disconnect the power source or

turn off the camcorder.

- Do not change the position of the

switch or the operating mode.

NOTES

If the subject is not suitable for autofocus,

turns yellow. Adjust the focus manually

(

41).

1 Move the

images).

switch to

(still

2 Turn the

switch to ON to set

the camcorder in CAMERA mode.

The red CAMERA indicator will turn

on.

Photos • 51

Selecting Photo Size and Quality

FUNC.

Still images are recorded on the memory

card using JPEG compression. As a

general rule select a larger image size

FUNC.

[

1152x864] (

1024x768] (

only)

for higher quality.

Select the

[LW 1152x648] size for photos with an

aspect ratio of 16:9.

Desired image size*

Desired image quality*

FUNC.

(

* Press

to move back and forth between

size and quality selection. The number

displayed on the right corner indicates the

approximate number of images that can be

recorded with the current quality/size

setting.

Options

Image size options and the approximate

number of still images that can be

recorded on memory cards of various

sizes are given in the table below.

NOTES

When printing still images, use the

following guidelines as a reference for

selecting the print size.

Approximate number of still images on a memory card

Default value

Memory card

Image quality¹→

Image size ↓

128 MB

512 MB

1 GB

LW 1152x648

245

360

695

970 1,435 2,745 1,945

2,875

5,490

(

only)

L 1152x864

185

235

280

345

545

695

735 1,115 2,155 1,470

940 1,370 2,745 1,885

2,235

2,745

4,315

5,490

(

only)

L 1024x768

(

only)

S 640x480

585

850 1,530 2,320 3,355 6,040 4,645

6,715 12,085²

: [SUPER FINE],

: [FINE],

: [NORMAL]

This is the number of images that can be recorded. However, the maximum number of remaining

still images displayed on the screen will be 9999.

52 • Photos

Basic Playback

Image size

Recommended use

Basic Playback

LW 1152x648

To print photos with a 16:9

aspect ratio. Wide-sized

photo paper is required.

Viewing Photos

L 1152x864

To print photos up to L size

(9 x 13 cm, 3.5 x 5 in.) or

postcard size (10 x

14.8 cm, 4 x 6 in.).

(

S 640x480

To send images as e-mail

attachments or to post on

the Web.

Erasing the Last Photo Just Recorded

You can erase the still image recorded

last while reviewing it within the time set

for the [REVIEW] option (or immediately

after recording it, if [REVIEW] is set to

[

OFF]).

1 Move the

images).

switch to

(still

(

2 Turn the

switch to ON, then

turn it toward MODE and release it

to set the camcorder in PLAY

mode.

The green PLAY indicator will turn on.

3 Use the joystick (

between images.

) to move

While reviewing the image immediately

after recording:

Image Jump Function

1 Push the joystick ( ) toward

2 Select (

) [ERASE] and press

You can locate a specific image without

having to browse all of them one by one.

Photos • 53

- Do not disconnect the power source or

turn off the camcorder.

TO RUN THROUGH THE STILL IMAGES

- Do not change the position of the

switch or the operating mode.

• The following may not be displayed

correctly.

- Images not recorded with this

camcorder.

- Images edited on a computer.

- Images whose file names have been

changed.

Push the joystick (

pressed down to run quickly through

the still images.

) and hold it

Slideshow

TO SKIP 10 OR 100 STILL IMAGES

FUNC.

FUNC.

[

SLIDESHOW]

[START]

• Images are played back one after

another.

1 If the joystick guide does not

FUNC.

• Press

to stop the slideshow.

appear on screen, press

display it.

Index Screen

2 Push the joystick ( ) toward

1 Move the zoom lever toward W.

The still images index screen

appears.

2 Select (

• Move the green selection frame to

the image you want to view.

• If you have a lot of still images, you

may find it easier to browse entire

index pages instead. Move the

zoom lever toward W to extend the

green selection frame to the whole

) an image.

3 Select (

or [

) [

JUMP 10 IMAGES]

JUMP 100 IMAGES].

4 Jump (

selected and press

You can press

joystick guide.

) the number of images

again to hide the

IMPORTANT

page, and move (

) between

index pages. Move the zoom lever

toward T to return to moving

between single images.

• Observe the following precautions while

the card access display ( ) appears

on screen, and when the CARD access

indicator is on or flashing. Failing to do

so may result in permanent data loss.

- Do not subject the camcorder to

vibrations or strong impacts.

3 Press

The index screen closes and the

selected image is displayed.

- Do not open the memory card slot

cover and do not remove the memory

card.

54 • Photos

Erasing a Single Image

Magnifying Photos during Playback

(

During playback, still images can be

magnified up to 5 times.

(

1 If the joystick guide does not

appear on screen, press

display it.

2 Select (

erase.

) the image you want to

1 Move the zoom lever toward T.

3 Push the joystick ( ) toward

• The image is magnified by 2 times

and a frame appears indicating the

position of the magnified area.

• To further enlarge the image, move

the zoom lever toward T. To reduce

the magnification to less than 2

times, move the zoom lever toward

4 Select (

) [ERASE] and press

Erasing All Images

(

•

will appear for images that

cannot be enlarged.

FUNC.

2 Move (

) the frame to the

part of the image you want to see

FUNC.

enlarged.

[

MENU]

STILL IMG OPER.]

To cancel the magnification, move

the zoom lever toward W until the

frame disappears.

[ERASE ALL IMAGES]

[YES]

FUNC.

Erasing Photos

IMPORTANT

Be careful when erasing images. Erased

images cannot be recovered.

You can erase still images recorded on

the memory card. You can erase either a

single still image or all the still images.

NOTES

Protected images on the memory card

cannot be erased.

Photos • 55

Additional Functions

Options

SINGLE]

Default value

Additional Functions

[

Records a single still image.

[

CONT.SHOOT.] (Continuous Shooting),

HISPEED CONT.SHOOT. ]

Continuous Shooting and

Exposure Bracketing (Drive Mode)

(High-Speed Continuous Shooting)

Captures a series of still images as long as you

hold Start/Stop pressed down. For the number

of frames per second, refer to the sidebar on

page 56.

Take a series of pictures of a moving

subject or record the same picture in

3 levels of exposure in order to choose

later the picture you like the best.

[

AEB] (Auto Exposure Bracketing)

(

The camcorder records a still image in three

different exposures (dark, normal, light in 1/2

EV steps), allowing you to choose the shot you

like the best.

POINTS TO CHECK

Mode switch: (except for the

[

FIREWORKS] recording program).

FUNC.

FUNC.

[

SINGLE]

Desired option

FUNC.

Maximum number of continuous shots

Number of frames (shots) per second

Maximum number of continuous shots

Normal speed

High speed

3 frames

5 frames

LW 1152x648, L 1152x864

20 images

60 images

S 640x480

These figures are approximate and vary with the recording conditions and subjects.

The actual number of frames per second will be lower when

is displayed on the screen.

(camcorder shake warning)

56 • Photos

Options

Default value

CONTINUOUS SHOOTING/

HIGH-SPEED CONTINUOUS SHOOTING

[

ON:AiAF]

(Mode switch: *,

)

Start/Stop

Press

down.

and hold it pressed

Depending on the shooting conditions, one or

more AF frames out of the nine frames

available are automatically selected and the

focus is fixed on them.

Once the focus is automatically

adjusted,

will turn green. A series of

still images will be recorded as long as

you hold the button pressed.

[

ON:CENTER]

(Mode switch: *)

AUTO EXPOSURE BRACKETING

In this mode, a single focusing frame appears

in the center of the screen and the focus is

automatically fixed on it. This is convenient for

making sure the focus is exactly where you

want it.

Start/Stop

Press

Once the focus is automatically

adjusted,

will turn green. Three still

images in different exposures will be

recorded on the memory card.

[

OFF]

Select this option if you wish to record a still

Start/Stop

image as soon as you press

Automatic Focus Priority

* Except for the [ FIREWORKS] recording

program.

When the focus priority is activated, the

camcorder records a still image only

after the focus has been adjusted

automatically.

FUNC.

FUNC.

[

MENU]

CAMERA SETUP]

(

POINTS TO CHECK

Mode switch at

cannot be turned off.

[FOCUS PRI.]

Desired option

: The focus priority

FUNC.

Mode switch at : You can turn off the

focus priority and you can also select

the AF (autofocus) frame to be used.

NOTES

In the [ FIREWORKS] recording program

the focus priority is automatically set to

[

OFF].

Photos • 57

• All displays off

However, the markers and the

Histogram and Other Screen Displays

icon and

AF frames when the autofocus is locked will

still appear on the screen.

When viewing still images you can

display the histogram and the icons of

all the functions used at the time of

recording. Use the histogram as a

reference to verify the correct exposure

of the still image.

The area to the right of the histogram

represents highlights and the left side

represents shadows. A still image

whose histogram skews to the right is

relatively bright; while one whose

histogram peaks to the left, is relatively

dark.

Protecting Photos

You can protect still images recorded on

the memory card from accidental

erasure.

(

FUNC.

FUNC.

[

PROTECT]

Press

[

PROTECT]: The image selection

Shadows

Highlights

screen appears.

NOTES

FROM THE IMAGE SELECTION SCREEN

The histogram will appear also after

recording a still image, while reviewing it

within the time set for the [REVIEW] option

(or immediately after recording it, if

1 Select (

want to protect.

) the still image you

2 Press

to protect the still image.

appears on the bottom bar and

the image cannot be erased. Press

again to cancel the image

protection.

[REVIEW] is set to [

OFF]). You can

choose to turn off the histogram by

DISP.

pressing

3 Repeat steps 1-2 to protect

additional images or press ^FUNC.

twice to close the menu.

TO SELECT THE ON-SCREEN DISPLAYS

DISP.

Repeatedly press

to turn the on-

screen displays on and off in the

following sequence.

IMPORTANT

Initializing the memory card (

permanently erase all recorded still images,

even the protected ones.

59) will

• All displays on

• All displays off¹

• All displays on

• Regular displays only (removes the

histogram and information icons)

58 • Photos

You can also use the following

functions...

Initializing the Memory Card

The following functions and features

of the camcorder can be used either

for shooting video or for taking

photos. The way to set and use

them was already explained in

detail, so we refer you to the relevant

page in the “Video” section.

Initialize memory cards when you use

them with this camcorder for the first

time, or to erase all the still images on

them.

Options

[INITIALIZE]

• Quick Start (

• Zoom ( 31)

• Special Scene recording programs

3 7)

• Flexible recording programs (

• LCD video light ( 4 0)

32)

Clears the file allocation table but does not

physically erase the stored data.

(

[COMPL.INIT.]

39)

Erases all data completely.

• Self timer (

40)

• Manual focus (

41 )

• Manual exposure adjustment (

42)

(

• White balance (

• Image effects (

• Digital effects (

42)

FUNC.

FUNC.

[

MENU]

STILL IMG OPER.]

[INITIALIZE CARD]

Select the card initialization

method

[YES]*

FUNC.

* Press

to cancel the complete

initialization while it is in progress. All the

image files will be erased and the memory

card can be used without any problem.

IMPORTANT

Initializing the memory card will erase all

still images, even the protected ones. The

original still images cannot be recovered.

Photos • 59

Printing Photos

FUNC.

FUNC.

[

PRINT ORDER]

Press

Printing Photos

: The image selection screen

appears.

You can print images on the

camcorder’s memory card by inserting it

into the memory card slot of a printer

compatible with DPOF (Digital Print

Order Format). You can mark in advance

the still images you want to print and set

the desired number of copies as a print

order ( 60).

FROM THE IMAGE SELECTION SCREEN

1 Select (

) the still image you

want to mark with a print order.

2 Press

to set the print order.

The number of copies appears in

orange in the box next to the print

order symbol

3 Set ( ) the number of copies

desired and press

To cancel the print order, set (

number of copies to 0.

NOTES

• For more information, refer to the

printer’s instruction manual.

• About DPOF: DPOF is a specification that

allows you to specify the still images and

information to be printed.

) the

4 Repeat steps 1-3 to mark

additional images with print orders

FUNC.

or press

menu.

twice to close the

Print Orders

Erasing All Print Orders

You can mark in advance the still images

you want to print and set the desired

number of copies as a print order. Later,

you can easily print out the print orders

by inserting the camcorder's memory

card into a DPOF-compatible printer

that has a memory card slot. Refer to

the printer's instruction manual for the

procedure. You can set print orders for

up to 998 still images.

(

FUNC.

FUNC.

[

MENU]

STILL IMG OPER.]

[ERASE ALL

[YES]

ORD]

Selecting Still Images for Printing

(Print Order)

FUNC.

(

60 • Photos

External Connections

This chapter explains step-by-step how to connect your camcorder to

an external device such as a TV or VCR.

Connecting to

TV or VCR

Connecting to a TV or VCR

AV Terminal

Sound from the built-in speaker will be muted while

the STV-250N Stereo Video Cable is connected to the

camcorder.

Open the LCD panel to

access.

Connection Diagram

Turn off all the devices when making the connection and refer also to the instruction

manual of the connected device.

Terminal on the

camcorder

Terminal on the

connected device

Connecting cable

Output connection (signal flow ) to a TV or VCR with AV terminals.

VIDEO

AUDIO

Yellow

White

Red

STV-250N Stereo Video Cable

(supplied)

External Connections • 61

• Refer also to the instruction manual of

the connected TV.

Playback on a TV Screen

This section explains how to play back

the disc or still images with this

camcorder by connecting it to a TV. To

play back the disc with another DVD

device refer to Disc Playback on an

Copying your Recordings to an External

Video Recorder

You can copy your recordings by

connecting the camcorder to a VCR or a

digital video device.

External Device (

47).

(

(

21)

POINTS TO CHECK

Connecting

Before connecting the camcorder, select

the [TV TYPE] setting according to the TV

set to which you will connect the

Connect the camcorder to the device

following the connection diagram shown

in the previous section Co nnection

camcorder (

68).

Diagram (

61).

Connecting

Recording

Connect the camcorder to the TV

following the connection diagram shown

in the previous section Connection

1 Connected device: Load a blank

cassette or disc and set the device

to record pause mode.

Diagram (

61).

2 This camcorder: Locate the scene

you wish to copy and pause

playback shortly before the scene.

Playback

1 Turn on the camcorder and the

connected TV or VCR.

On a TV: Select as the video input the

same terminal to which you

connected the camcorder.

On a VCR: Set the input selector to

the external video input (usually

labeled LINE IN).

3 This camcorder: Resume the

movie playback.

4 Connected device: Begin recording

when the scene you wish to copy

appears. Stop recording when

copying is complete.

5 This camcorder: Stop playback.

2 Start the playback of the movies

(

34) or still images (

53).

NOTES

• We recommend powering the camcorder

using the compact power adapter.

• By default, the on-screen displays will be

embedded in the output video signal, but

• Turn off all the devices before starting

the connections.

• Sound from the built-in speaker will be

muted while the STV-250N Stereo Video

Cable is connected to the camcorder.

• We recommend powering the camcorder

using the compact power adapter.

you can change the displays by

DISP.

repeatedly pressing

(

36).

62 • External Connections

Additional Information

This chapter contains troubleshooting advice, screen messages,

handling and maintenance tips, and other information.

Appendix: Menu Options Lists

Menu items not available appear grayed out. For details about how to select an item,

refer to Using the Menus (

22). For details about each function, see the reference

page. Menu options without a reference page are explained below the tables.

FUNC. Menu

Setup menus

FUNC. Menu

CAMERA

PLAY

Menu item

Setting options

PROGRAM AE],

SHUTTER-PRIO.AE], [ PORTRAIT],

SPORTS], [ NIGHT], [ SNOW],

BEACH], [ SUNSET],

Recording programs

[

–

SPOTLIGHT], [ FIREWORKS]

White balance

[

AUTO], [ DAYLIGHT],

TUNGSTEN], [ SET]

–

Image effects

[

IMAGE EFFECT OFF], [

NEUTRAL], [ SOFT SKIN DETAIL]

VIVID],

LCD video light

[

LCD LIGHT OFF],

LCD LIGHT ON]

Digital effects

[

D.EFFECT OFF], [

FADE-T],

WIPE], [

SEPIA], [

BLK&WHT],

ART], [

MOSAIC]

[

D.EFFECT OFF], [

SEPIA]

BLK&WHT],

–

Recording mode

[

HIGH QUALITY],

STANDARD PLAY], [

LONG PLAY]

Drive mode

[

SINGLE], [

CONT.SHOOT.],

HISPEED CONT.SHOOT], [

AEB]

Additional Information • 63

FUNC. Menu (cont.)

CAMERA

PLAY

Menu item

Setting options

Still image size/quality

Size:

–

[LW 1152x648], [L 1152x864],

[S 640x480]

[L 1024x768], [S 640x480]

Quality: [ SUPER FINE], [ FINE],

[

NORMAL]

[

TO PLAYLIST]

TO ORIGINAL]

–

ADD TO PLAYLIST] [ALL SCENES], [ONE SCENE], [CANCEL]

–

MOVE]

–

DIVIDE]

–

DELETE]

[NO], [YES]

–

[SPEAKER VOL.]

[SLIDESHOW]

[PROTECT]

–

[PRINT ORDER]

[

0] - [ 99] COPIES

–

Option available only when the mode switch is set to

Option available only in the original index screen with DVD-RW discs in VR mode.

Option available only in the playlist index screen with DVD-RW discs in VR mode.

Option available only in the index screen with DVD-RW discs in VR mode.

Option available only during playback.

64 • Additional Information

Camera Setup (Advanced Zoom, Image Stabilizer, etc.)

CAMERA SETUP

CAMERA

Menu item

Setting options

OFF]

[A.SL SHUTTER]

[

ON], [

–

[ZOOM TYPE]

–

[

OPTICAL], [

ADVANCED] , [

DIGITAL]

OPTICAL], [

ADVANCED] , [

[ZOOM SPEED]

[

VARIABLE], [

SPEED 3], [

SPEED 2],

[

SPEED 1]

[FOCUS PRI.]

[

ON:AiAF], [

ON:CENTER], [

OFF]

–

[REVIEW]

[

OFF], [

8 sec], [

2 sec], [

10 sec]

OFF]

4 sec], [ 6 sec],

[IMG STAB]

[

], [

–

[WIDESCREEN]

[SELF TIMER]

ON], [

OFF]

OFF

ON ], [

AUTO], [

–

[WIND SCREEN]

[

]

Option available only when the recording program is set to

PROGRAM AE] recording program).

Option available only when the mode switch is set to

ADVANCED] when [WIDESCREEN] is set to [

Not available when [WIDESCREEN] is set to [ OFF].

(only in the

[

OFF].

[A.SL SHUTTER]: The camcorder automatically uses slow shutter speeds to obtain

brighter recordings in places with insufficient lighting.

• The camcorder uses shutter speeds down to 1/30 (1/15 in

• If a trailing afterimage appears, set the slow shutter to [

mode).

OFF].

• If

(camcorder shake warning) appears, we recommend stabilizing the camcorder, for

example, by mounting it on a tripod.

[REVIEW]: Selects the time to display a still image after it has been recorded.

•

This menu item will not be available when the drive mode (

56) is set to

[

CONT.SHOOT.], [

HISPEED CONT.SHOOT.] or [

AEB].

DISP.

• If you press

while reviewing a still image it will continue to be displayed

Start/Stop

indefinitely. Press

to return to the normal display.

[IMG STAB]: The image stabilizer compensates for camcorder shake even at full

telephoto.

• The image stabilizer is designed to compensate for a normal degree of camcorder

shake.

The image stabilizer may also not be able to compensate for all

movement when recording moving subjects.

• The image stabilizer may not be effective when recording in dark places with

[A.SL SHUTTER] set to [

ON] or using the [

NIGHT] recording program.

•

The image stabilizer may not work well on subjects with low contrast, with a

recurring, repetitive pattern or without vertical lines.

Additional Information • 65

• The image stabilizer cannot be turned off when the mode switch is set to

• We recommend setting the image stabilizer to [ OFF] when using a tripod.

[WIDESCREEN]: The camcorder uses the full width of the image sensor providing high-

resolution 16:9 recordings.

• Since the screens on the camcorder have an aspect ratio of 16:9, recordings with a 4:3

aspect ratio will appear in the center of the screen with black sidebars.

•

Playing back a widescreen recording: TV sets compatible with the Video ID-1 system will

automatically switch to wide (16:9) mode. Otherwise, change the aspect ratio of the TV

manually. To play back on a TV with normal aspect ratio (4:3) change the [TV TYPE]

setting accordingly (

68).

[WIND SCREEN]: The camcorder automatically reduces the background sound of wind

when recording outdoors.

• The wind screen cannot be turned off when the mode switch is set to

• Some low-frequency sounds will be suppressed along with the sound of wind. When

recording in surroundings unaffected by wind or if you want to record low-frequency

sounds, we recommend setting the wind screen to [

OFF

Disc Operations (Initialization, Finalization etc.)

DISC OPERATIONS

CAMERA

PLAY

Menu item

[DISC INFO]

Setting options

–

[INITIALIZE DISC]

[FINALIZE]

[VIDEO], [VR], [CANCEL]

[NO], [YES]

–

[UNFINALIZE]

–

[DEL.ALL MOVIES]

–

[DEL.PLAYLIST]

–

[DISC TITLE]

–

Option available only with DVD-RW discs.

Option available only with finalized DVD-RW discs in VIDEO mode.

Option available only in the original index screen with DVD-RW discs in VR mode.

Option available only in the playlist index screen with DVD-RW discs in VR mode.

[DISC INFO]: Displays a screen where you can verify the details regarding the disc.

• The disc information includes the disc title, the disc type (DVD-R, DVD-R DL or DVD-

RW), the disc specification (VIDEO mode or VR mode), and an icon to indicate whether

the disc is finalized ( ). Additionally, the total recorded time is displayed for non-

finalized discs.

66 • Additional Information

Still Image Operations (Card Initialization, etc.)

STILL IMG OPER.

Menu item

[ERASE ALL ORD]

PLAY

Setting options

[NO], [YES]

[ERASE ALL IMAGES]

[INITIALIZE CARD]

[INITIALIZE], [COMPL.INIT.], [CANCEL]

Display Setup (LCD Brightness, Language, etc.)

DISPLAY SETUP

CAMERA

PLAY

Menu item

Setting options

[BRIGHTNESS]

[TV SCREEN]

[MARKERS]

–

[

ON], [

OFF]

LEVEL(WHT)],

–

[

OFF], [

LEVEL(GRY)], [

GRID(GRY)]

–

GRID(WHT)],

[DATA CODE]

[LANGUAGE]

[

DATE], [ TIME],

DATE & TIME], [ CAMERA DATA]

–

[

], [DEUTSCH], [ ],

[ENGLISH], [ESPAÑOL], [FRANÇAIS],

[ITALIANO], [MAGYAR], [MELAYU],

[POLSKI], [ ROMANA ], [TÜRKÇE],

[

], [

ON], [

], [

OFF]

], [

]

[DEMO MODE]

[

–

[BRIGHTNESS]: Adjust (

) the brightness of the LCD display with the joystick.

• Changing the brightness of the LCD display does not affect that of the viewfinder or the

recordings.

[TV SCREEN]: When set to [

ON], the camcorder’s on-screen displays will appear also

on the screen of a connected TV or monitor.

[MARKERS]: You can display a grid or a horizontal line at the center of the screen. The

markers are available in white or gray. Use the markers as a reference to make sure your

subject is framed correctly (vertically and/or horizontally).

• Using the markers will not affect the recordings.

[DEMO MODE]: The demonstration mode displays the camcorder’s main features. It starts

automatically when the camcorder is powered with the power adapter if you leave it turned

on without loading a recording media for more than 5 minutes.

• To cancel the demo mode once it started, press any button, turn off the camcorder or

load a disc.

Additional Information • 67

System Setup (Volume, Beep, etc.)

SYSTEM SETUP

CAMERA

PLAY

Menu item

Setting options

[SPEAKER VOL.]

[BEEP]

–

[

HIGH VOLUME],

LOW VOLUME], [

ON], [ OFF]

10 min], [

OFF]

[POWER SAVE]

[

–

[

STANDBY OFF]

[

20 min],

–

[

30 min]

[FILE NOS.]

[TV TYPE]

[

RESET], [

CONTINUOUS]

–

[

NORMAL TV], [

WIDE TV]

[FIRMWARE]

–

[SPEAKER VOL.]: Adjust (

) the volume of the playback.

[BEEP]: A beep will accompany some operations like turning on the camcorder, the self-

timer countdown, etc. It also serves as a warning beep under unusual conditions.

[POWER SAVE]: In order to save power when the camcorder is powered by a battery

pack, it will automatically shut off if left without any operation for 5 minutes. Approximately

30 seconds before the camcorder shuts off, the message “ AUTO POWER OFF” will

appear.

[

STANDBY OFF]: Select the length of time after which the camcorder will end the

standby mode and shut off automatically.

[FILE NOS.]: Select the image numbering method to be used when you insert a new

memory card.

Images are automatically assigned consecutive image numbers from 0101 to 9900, and

stored in folders containing up to 100 images. Folders are numbered from 101 to 998.

[

RESET]: Image numbers will restart from 101-0101 every time you insert a new

memory card.

[

CONTINUOUS]: Image numbers will continue from the number following that of the

last image recorded with the camcorder.

• If the memory card you insert already contains an image with a larger number, a new

image will be assigned a number one higher than that of the last image on the memory

card.

• We recommend using the [

CONTINUOUS] setting.

[TV TYPE]: In order to display the picture in full and in the correct aspect ratio, select the

setting according to the type of television to which you will connect the camcorder.

[

NORMAL TV]: TV sets with 4:3 aspect ratio.

WIDE TV]: TV sets with 16:9 aspect ratio.

[FIRMWARE]: You can verify the current version of the camcorder’s firmware. This menu

option is usually grayed out.

68 • Additional Information

Date/Time Setup

DATE/TIME SETUP

Menu item

[T.ZONE/DST]

CAMERA

PLAY

Setting options

List of world time zones.

–

[DATE/TIME]

–

[DATE FORMAT]

[Y.M.D (2008.1.1 AM 12:00)],

[M.D,Y (JAN. 1, 2008 12:00 AM)],

[D.M.Y (1.JAN.2008 12:00 AM)]

[DATE FORMAT]: Changes the date format for on-screen displays.

Additional Information • 69

Trouble?

Troubleshooting

If you have a problem with your camcorder, refer to this section. Consult your dealer

or a Canon Service Center if the problem persists.

- Check that the compact power adapter

is correctly connected to the

camcorder.

Power Source

• The camcorder will not turn on or it

turns off by itself.

• The disc compartment cover will not

open.

• The LCD/viewfinder switches on and

off.

- Battery pack is exhausted. Replace or

Camcorder is on but is unresponsive.

- The camcorder has exceeded its

operational temperature (

appears).

Turn off the camcorder and let it cool

down before resuming use.

charge the battery pack (

18).

- Attach the battery pack correctly.

- Use the compact power adapter.

Recording/Playback

The charge indicator flashes rapidly.

Buttons will not work.

- Turn on the camcorder.

(one flash at 0.5-second

intervals)

- Load a disc (

Charging has stopped because the

compact power adapter or the battery

pack is faulty. Consult a Canon Service

Center.

Abnormal characters appear on the

screen. The camcorder does not operate

properly.

- Disconnect the power source and

reconnect it after a short time. If the

problem still persists, disconnect the

power source and press the RESET

button with a pointed item. Pressing the

RESET button resets all settings.

(two quick flashes at

1-second intervals)

Battery pack at least 50% charged

(

19). This is not a malfunction.

• Battery pack will not charge.

• The charge indicator flashes very

slowly (one flash at 2-second intervals).

appears on the screen.

- Load a disc (

- Charge the battery pack in

temperatures between 0 °C and

40 °C (32 °F and 104 °F).

appears on the screen.

- Battery pack is exhausted. Replace or

- Battery packs become hot with use and

may not charge. When the battery pack

is outside the charging temperature

range, the CHARGE indicator will flash

irregularly. The charging will start once

the battery pack temperature is below

40 °C (104 °F).

charge the battery pack (

19).

Video noise appears on screen.

- When using the camcorder close to

devices that emit strong

electromagnetic fields (plasma TVs,

cellular phones, etc.), keep a distance

between the camcorder and these

devices.

- The battery pack is damaged. Use a

different battery pack.

- If you connect a faulty power adapter or

battery pack, the CHARGE indicator

flashes approx. twice per second and

the charging stops.

Video noise appears on the TV screen.

- When using the camcorder in a room

where a TV is located, keep a distance

between the compact power adapter

and the power or antenna cables of the

TV.

70 • Additional Information

Even without a disc loaded, when

closing the disc compartment cover a

motor sound can be heard.

- The camcorder is checking if a disc is

loaded or not. This is not a malfunction.

- Load a disc that has been tested

6).

- The disc is full (“

the screen). Delete some recordings

(DVD-RW in VR mode) to free some

(

END” appears on

space (

36) or replace the disc.

Cannot open the disc cover to remove

the disc.

- Turn off the camcorder, disconnect the

compact power adapter and remove

the battery pack. Restore the power

supply and try again.

- The camcorder has exceeded its

operational temperature. Turn off the

camcorder and let it cool down before

resuming use.

- Unfinalize (

49) the disc (DVD-RW in

- The camcorder has exceeded its

operational temperature. Turn off the

camcorder and let it cool down before

resuming use.

VIDEO mode).

Even after stopping recording, the disc

access indicator does not go off.

- The scene is being recorded on the

disc. This is not a malfunction.

The disc cannot be recognized.

- The disc is dirty. Clean the disc with a

Start/Stop

The point where

was pressed

soft lens-cleaning cloth (

77). If the

does not match the beginning/end of the

recording.

problem persists replace the disc.

- The disc is not correctly loaded. Check

- There is a slight interval between

Start/Stop

the disc (

pressing

and the actual start

- Verify that the camcorder supports the

of the recording on the disc. This is not

a malfunction.

type of DVD disc you inserted (

5).

The camcorder vibrates.

- Depending on the condition of the disc,

The recording suddenly stops shortly

after starting recording.

- The disc is dirty. Clean the disc with a

the camcorder might vibrate

occasionally. This is not a malfunction.

soft lens-cleaning cloth (

77). If the

problem persists replace the disc.

- The camcorder has exceeded its

operational temperature. Turn off the

camcorder and let it cool down before

resuming use.

• The disc’s rotation can be faintly heard.

• Occasionally the operation sound can

be heard.

- The disc is activated from time to time.

This is not a malfunction.

Camcorder will not focus.

- Autofocus does not work on that

subject. Focus manually (

- If you are using the viewfinder, adjust it

with the dioptric adjustment lever

• After using the camcorder for a long

time, it becomes hot.

41).

•

lights up in red.

- This is not a malfunction. Turn the

camcorder off and let it cool for a while

before resuming operation.

(

30).

- Lens is dirty. Clean the lens with a soft

lens-cleaning cloth ( 77). Never use

tissue paper to clean the lens.

Recording

Sound is distorted.

Image will not appear on the screen.

- Set the camcorder to

mode (

- Open the lens cover.

- When recording near loud sounds (such

as fireworks or concerts), sound may

become distorted.

29).

A vertical light bar appears on the

screen.

- Bright light in a dark scene may cause a

vertical light bar (smear) to appear. This

is not a malfunction.

Start/Stop

Pressing

recording.

- Set the camcorder to

mode (

will not start

29).

Additional Information • 71

Viewfinder picture is blurred.

- Adjust the viewfinder with the dioptric

- You may not be able to edit the title if

you entered it with another digital

device.

adjustment lever (

30).

Cannot edit or delete scenes.

- You cannot edit or delete scenes on a

disc that was protected with another

digital device.

- Scenes cannot be deleted in a DVD-R/

DVD-R DL disc or a DVD-RW disc

recorded in VIDEO mode.

Playback/Editing

Playback does not start.

- Load a disc ( 26).

- Set the camcorder to

34).

mode

(

Cannot finalize the disc.

- You may not be able to play with this

camcorder, discs recorded or edited

with other DVD recorders or computer

DVD drives.

- If using a single-sided disc, check that

the disc is inserted with the label side

facing up.

- The camcorder has exceeded its

operational temperature. Turn off the

camcorder and let it cool down before

resuming use.

- When using a battery pack, make sure

it is fully charged.

- The camcorder has exceeded its

operational temperature. Turn off the

camcorder and let it cool down before

resuming use.

No sound from the built-in speaker.

- Open the LCD panel.

- Speaker volume is turned off. Adjust the

volume with the [SPEAKER VOL.]

setting (

35).

• During playback there is video noise

and the sound is distorted.

• The disc cannot be read.

- The disc is dirty. Clean the disc with a

Playing Back the Disc in an External

DVD Device

soft lens-cleaning cloth (

77).

- You may not be able to play with this

camcorder, discs recorded or edited

with other DVD recorders or computer

DVD drives.

There is a brief stop between scenes.

- Depending on the DVD player, there

might be a very short stop between

scenes during playback.

Cannot add scenes to the playlist.

- The disc is full (“

the screen). Delete some recordings to

free some space ( 36).

- You cannot add more than 999 scenes

to the playlist.

END” appears on

Disc is running, but image will not

appear on the TV screen.

- The video input on the TV is not set to

the video terminal to which you

connected the camcorder. Select the

correct video input.

Cannot divide the scene.

- You attempted to play back an

incompatible disc. Stop playback.

- You cannot edit or delete scenes on a

disc that was recorded in another digital

device.

- You cannot divide the scene if there are

already 999 scenes on the disc.

- You cannot divide original scenes.

- You cannot divide the scene if it is too

short (2 seconds or less).

The disc cannot be recognized by the

device. Or, even though the disc is read,

cannot play back the disc or the picture

is distorted.

- The disc is dirty. Clean the disc with a

soft lens-cleaning cloth (

- Finalize the disc using the camcorder

48).

77).

Cannot edit the disc title.

- You cannot add a title to a DVD-R/DVD-

(

- DVD-RW discs in VR mode can only be

played back with VR mode-compatible

DVD players. Refer to the instruction

manual of your DVD device.

R DL disc after it was finalized (

48).

- Unfinalize (

49) the disc first (DVD-

RW in VIDEO mode).

72 • Additional Information

Cannot edit my recordings or add

recordings to the disc with the DVD

device.

List of Messages (in alphabetical order)

- It may not be possible to edit or add

recordings with an external DVD

recorder on a disc recorded with this

camcorder.

CANNOT ENTER THE

MODE NOW

- The camcorder cannot enter the Quick

STANDBY

Start standby mode ( 32) while the

disc is being recognized after it was

inserted or if the remaining battery

charge is too low.

Memory Card Operation

Memory card cannot be inserted.

- Memory card is not facing the correct

direction. Turn the memory card over

CANNOT PLAY BACK

- The disc is dirty or you attempted to

play back a disc type not supported by

this camcorder (not DVD-R/RW) or a

disc that is dirty or scratched.

- This message can also appear if

condensation has formed. Wait until the

camcorder dries completely before

and reinsert it (

28).

Cannot record on the memory card.

- Memory card is full. Erase still images

(

55) to free some space or replace

the memory card.

- Memory card was not initialized.

Initialize the memory card (

- The folder and file numbers have

reached their maximum value. Set

[FILE NOS.] to [RESET] (

insert a new memory card.

- The write-protect switch on an SD or

SDHC memory card is set to prevent

accidental erasure. Change the position

of the write-protect switch.

resuming use (

79).

59).

CANNOT READ THE DISC

CHECK THE DISC

- Disc could not be read. Try cleaning it

68) and

or replace the disc (

77).

- This message can also appear if the

camcorder has exceeded its

operational temperature. Turn off the

camcorder and let it cool down before

resuming use.

Memory card cannot be played back.

- This message can also appear if

condensation has formed. Wait until the

camcorder dries completely before

- Set the camcorder to

mode

(

53).

resuming use (

- The disc may not be loaded correctly.

Try removing the disc and reinserting it

79).

Image cannot be erased.

- Image is protected. Cancel the

protection (

5 8).

(

26).

- The write-protect switch on an SD or

SDHC memory card is set to prevent

accidental erasure. Change the position

of the write-protect switch.

• CANNOT RECORD

CHECK THE DISC

- There is a problem with the disc.

Replace the disc (

- This message can also appear if

condensation has formed. Wait until the

camcorder dries completely before

appears in red.

26).

- A memory card error occurred. Turn off

the camcorder. Remove and reinsert

the memory card. Initialize the memory

card (

red.

59) if the icon still appears in

resuming use (

- The disc’s recording surface may be

dirty or scratched.

79).

List of Messages

- This message may appear when the

camcorder is repeatedly subject to

vibration.

Additional Information • 73

CANNOT USE DISC

mode that was finalized with another

digital device.

USE OF A RECOMMENDED DISC IS

ADVISED

- The disc cannot be used. We

DISC MUST BE FINALIZED TO PLAY

BACK IN COMPATIBLE PLAYERS

- Be sure to finalize the disc and check

the compatibility of the device before

playing back the disc on external DVD

recommend that you use a disc that

has been tested (

6).

CARD ERROR

- A memory card error occurred. The

camcorder cannot record or display the

image. The error may be temporary. If

the message disappears after 4

devices (

48).

LOADING THE DISC

- The disc is being read. Wait before you

start recording.

seconds and

the camcorder off, remove the card and

reinsert the card. If changes to

appears in red, turn

NAMING ERROR

- The folder and file numbers have

reached their maximum value. Set the

[FILE NOS.] option to [RESET] and

erase all the images on the memory

green, you can resume recording/

playback.

CARD FULL

- Memory card is full. Erase some images

55) to free some space or replace

card (

5 5) or initialize it (

59).

(

NO CARD

- There is no memory card in the

the memory card.

camcorder ( 28).

CHANGE THE BATTERY PACK

- Battery pack is exhausted. Replace or

NO DISC

- No disc is loaded. Insert a disc (

- This message can also appear if

charge the battery pack (

18).

26).

DISC ACCESS FAILURE CHECK THE

DISC

- There was an error when reading the

condensation has formed. Wait until the

camcorder dries completely before

resuming use (

79).

disc or attempting to write onto it. Try

cleaning the disc or replace it (

- This message can also appear if

condensation has formed. Wait until the

camcorder dries completely before

77).

NO IMAGES

- No images are recorded on the memory

card.

PRINT ORDER ERROR

- You attempted to set more than 998 still

images in the print order (

resuming use (

79).

- The disc may not be loaded correctly.

Try removing the disc and reinserting it

60).

(