Canon MD 205 User Manual

PUB. DIE-295

Digital Video Camcorder

Instruction Manual

PAL

Important Usage Instructions

WARNING!

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR

BACK). NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO

QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

WARNING!

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS

PRODUCT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.

CAUTION:

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK AND TO REDUCE ANNOYING

INTERFERENCE, USE THE RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES ONLY.

CAUTION:

DISCONNECT THE MAINS PLUG FROM THE SUPPLY SOCKET WHEN NOT IN USE.

The Mains plug is used as the disconnect device. The Mains plug shall remain readily operable to disconnect

the plug in case of an accident.

While using the compact power adapter, do not wrap it or cover it with a piece of cloth, and do not place it in

confined narrow spaces. Heat may build up, the plastic case may deform and it could result in electric shock

or fire.

CA-590E identification plate is located on the bottom.

Using any device other than the Compact Power Adapter CA-590E may damage the camcorder.

European Union (and EEA) only.

This symbol indicates that this product is not to be disposed of with your household waste, according to

the WEEE Directive (2002/96/EC) and your national law. This product should be handed over to a

designated collection point, e.g., on an authorized one-for-one basis when you buy a new similar product

or to an authorized collection site for recycling waste electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). Improper

handling of this type of waste could have a possible negative impact on the environment and human

health due to potentially hazardous substances that are generally associated with EEE. At the same time, your

cooperation in the correct disposal of this product will contribute to the effective usage of natural resources. For

more information about where you can drop off your waste equipment for recycling, please contact your local city

office, waste authority, approved WEEE scheme or your household waste disposal service. For more information

regarding return and recycling of WEEE products, please visit

www.canon-europe.com/environment.

(EEA: Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein)

Table of contents

Introduction ______________________________

About this Manual

Getting to Know the Camcorder

Supplied Accessories

Components Guide

Screen Displays

Preparations _____________________________

15 Getting Started

Charging the Battery Pack

Installing the Backup Battery

Preparing the Wireless Controller (

and Accessories

only)

19 Basic Operation of the Camcorder

Operating Modes

Joystick and Joystick Guide

Using the Menus

22 First Time Settings

Changing the Language

Changing the Time Zone

Setting the Date and Time

23 Getting Ready to Start Recording

Opening the Lens Cover and Adjusting the LCD Screen

Inserting and Removing a Tape

Table of contents

Video ____________________________________

26 Basic Recording

Shooting Video

Zooming: Optical, Advanced and Digital Zoom

Quick Start Function

Reviewing the Last Scene Recorded

31 Basic Playback

Playing Back Video

Returning to a Pre-marked Position

Locating the Beginning of a Recording Date

Locating the End of the Last Scene

On-Screen Displays (Data Code)

35 Advanced Function

: Special Scene Recording Programs

Flexible Recording: Changing the Shutter Speed

LCD Video Light

Self Timer

Audio Recording Mode

Audio Playback Modes

Manual Focus Adjustment

Manual Exposure Adjustment

White Balance

Image Effects

Digital Effects

External Connections _______________________

46 Connecting to a TV or VCR

Connection Diagrams

Playback on a TV Screen

Copying your Recordings to an External Video Recorder

Audio Dubbing

51 Connecting to a Computer

PC Connection Diagram

Transferring Video Recordings

Table of contents

Additional Information ______________________

53 Appendix: Menu Options Lists

FUNC. Menu

Setup Menus

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

VCR Setup (Recording Mode, TV Type, etc.)

Audio Setup (Audio Mode, Wind Screen, etc.)

Display Setup (LCD Brightness, Language, etc.)

System Setup (Beep, Power Save, etc.)

Date/Time Setup

59 Trouble?

Troubleshooting

List of Messages

63 Do’s and Don’ts

Handling Precautions

Maintenance/Others

Using the Camcorder Abroad

68 General Information

System Diagram

Optional Accessories

Specifications

Index

Introduction

About this Manual

Thank you for purchasing the Canon MD235/MD216/MD215/MD205. Please read

this manual carefully before you use the camcorder and retain it for future reference.

Should your camcorder fail to operate correctly, refer to Troubleshooting (

59).

Conventions Used in this Manual

•

IMPORTANT: Precautions related to the camcorder’s operation.

NOTES: Additional topics that complement the basic operating procedures.

POINTS TO CHECK: Restrictions or requirements regarding the function

described.

•

: Reference page number.

: Text that applies only to the model(s) shown in the icon.

• “Screen” refers to the LCD and the viewfinder screen.

• The photos included in the manual are simulated pictures taken with a still camera.

Note that unless indicated otherwise, illustrations in this manual refer to the

model.

Setting the Date and Time

Buttons and switches to be operated

FUNC.

(

30)

Open the date and time setup

screen.

Brackets [ ] and capital letters are used to refer to menu

options as they are displayed on screen. In tables in this

manual the default value is shown in boldface.

For example [ON], [OFF].

FUNC.

[

MENU]

[

DATE/TIME SETUP]

[DATE/TIME]

Blinking arrows will be displayed

around the first field of the date.

Change each field of the date and

time with the joystick (

) and

move ( ) to the next field.

Press (

Press

) to start the clock.

FUNC.

to close the menu.

Names of buttons and switches other than the joystick

are indicated within a “button” frame.

NOTES

You can also change the date format

93).

For example

FUNC.

(

Getting to Know the Camcorder

Supplied Accessories

CA-590E Compact Power

Adapter

BP-2L5 Battery Pack

(incl. power cord)

STV-250N Stereo Video

Cable

Lithium Button Battery

(CR1616)

(

incl. ferrite core)

Lithium Button

Battery (CR2025) for

Wireless Controller

WL-D85

Wireless Controller

Introduction

Components Guide

Lens cover switch (

open, closed)

26)

Left side view

(

DV terminal ( 47, 51)

MIC (microphone) terminal (

AV terminal ( 47)

39)

CHARGE indicator (

Speaker

15)

Mode switch (

Easy recording

Recording programs

Grip belt ( 18)

27)

Strap mount

Lock button

(

71)

switch (

Stereo microphone

19)

Names of buttons and switches other than the

joystick are indicated within a “button” frame

Right side view

(for example

FUNC.

Front view

Joystick (

FUNC. button (

D.EFFECTS button (

Remote sensor (

Viewfinder ( 28)

19)

Back view

20, 53)

44)

18)

28)

Dioptric adjustment lever (

QUICK START button (

30)

Start/Stop button (

DC IN terminal (

26)

15)

Backup battery compartment (

Serial number/

17)

Battery attachment unit (

LCD screen ( 23)

Cassette compartment

Cassette compartment cover

15)

(

25)

Top view

(

25)

Zoom lever (

OPEN/EJECT

Tripod socket

28)

switch

18)

(

25)

(

BATT. (battery release) switch (

15)

Names of buttons and switches other than the

joystick are indicated within a “button” frame

(for example

FUNC.

Bottom view

Introduction

Wireless Controller WL-D85

START/STOP button (

CARD –/+ buttons*

26)

DATE SEARCH

buttons (

33)

START/

STOP PHOTO

ZOOM

REW

button (

31)

CARD

PAUSE

SLOW

31)

DATE SEARCH

AUDIO DUB. button (

49)

REW

PLAY

STOP

ZERO SET MEMORY button (

PHOTO button*

33)

Zoom buttons (

28)

31)

PAUSE

SLOW

PLAY

button (

ZERO SET

AUDIO DUB. MEMORY

TV SCREEN

STOP

button (

31)

WIRELESS CONTROLLER WL D85

TV SCREEN button (

57)

Still images cannot be recorded or

played back using this model. Please

disregard these buttons.

Screen Displays

Recording Movies

Zoom (

28), Exposure

35)

(

42)

Recording program (

White balance (

Image effect (

42)

43)

38)

44)

LCD video light (

Digital effects (

Condensation warning (

Shutter speed ( 37)

Self timer ( 38)

Exposure adjustment (

66)

42)

Playing Movies

Manual focus (

41)

54)

55)

14)

Image stabilizer (

Recording mode (

Tape operation (

Time code (hours : minutes : seconds)

Remaining tape ( 14)

Remaining battery charge (

Wind screen off ( 56)

Audio recording mode (

Remote sensor off (

Backup battery warning (

Level marker ( 57)

14)

39)

17)

57)

Recording reminder (

Operating mode (

14)

19)

Audio playback mode (

40)

Speaker volume (

32)

Search function display

END SEARCH (

34)/

DATE SEARCH (

33)

Playback time

(hours : minutes : seconds : frames)

Joystick guide ( 19)

Data code ( 34)

Introduction

Tape operation

Remaining battery charge

Note that some playback and search modes are

only available when using the wireless controller

(not included with all models).

Record,

Stop,

Fast forward,

Playback,

Record pause,

• When

starts flashing in red replace the

Eject,

battery pack with a fully charged one.

• When you attach an empty battery pack, the

power may turn off without displaying the icon.

• Depending on the conditions under which the

camcorder and the battery pack are used, the

actual battery charge may not be indicated

accurately.

Rewind,

Playback pause,

Reverse playback pause,

x1 Playback (normal speed),

x1 Reverse playback (normal speed),

x2 Playback (double speed),

x2 Reverse playback (double speed),

Fast forward playback,

Recording reminder

The camcorder counts from 1 to 10 seconds when

you start recording. This is helpful to avoid scenes

that are too short.

Rewind playback,

Slow playback,

Slow reverse playback,

Frame advance,

Frame reverse,

Date search (

33),

Zero set memory (

33)

Remaining tape

Indicates the remaining time of the tape in minutes.

moves during recording. When the tape

reaches its end, the display changes to “

END”.

• When the time left is less than 15 seconds, the

remaining tape time may not appear.

• Depending on the type of tape, the remaining

time displayed may not be correct. In any case,

you will be able to record on the tape the number

of minutes that appears on the cassette’s label

(for example, 85 minutes).

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

1 Turn off the camcorder.

Getting Started

2 Attach the battery pack to the

camcorder.

Press the battery pack lightly and

slide it up until it clicks.

Charging the Battery Pack

CHARGE

indicator

The camcorder can be powered with a

battery pack or directly using the

compact power adapter. Charge the

battery pack before use.

DC IN

terminal

For approximate charging times and

recording/playback times with a full

battery pack, refer to the tables on

page 70.

Remove the battery

terminal cover before

attaching the battery

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.

BATT. switch

Preparations

on aircraft and ships, DC-AC inverters,

etc.

• You can also use the compact

power adapter without attaching a

battery pack.

• When the compact power adapter

is connected, even if a battery is

attached its power will not be

consumed.

NOTES

• The CHARGE indicator also serves as a

rough estimate of the battery charge

status.

Continuously on: Battery pack fully

charged.

ONCE THE BATTERY IS 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.

Troubleshooting (

59).

One flash at 1-second intervals: Battery

pack less than 50% charged.

• We recommend that you prepare battery

packs 2 to 3 times longer than you think

you might need.

TO REMOVE THE BATTERY PACK

Press

to release the battery

BATT.

pack. Slide the battery pack down

and then pull it out.

IMPORTANT

• You may hear some noise from the

compact power adapter during use.

This is not a malfunction.

• We recommend charging the battery

pack in temperatures between 10 °C

and 30 °C. Outside the temperature

range of 0 °C to 40 °C, 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

NOTES

Installing the Backup Battery

The battery life of the backup battery is

about one year.

the lithium button battery is not installed,

or when it needs to be replaced.

flashes in red when

The backup battery (lithium button battery

CR1616) allows the camcorder to retain

the date, time (

23) and other

camcorder settings while the power

source is disconnected. Connect a power

source to the camcorder when replacing

the backup battery to retain the settings.

Preparing the Wireless Controller

(

only) and Accessories

First, insert the supplied lithium button

battery (CR2025) into the wireless

controller.

Tab

1 Press the tab in the direction of

the arrow and pull out the battery

holder.

1 If a battery pack is attached,

remove it first.

2 Place the lithium button battery

with the + side facing up.

2 Open the backup battery cover.

3 Insert the backup battery with the

3 Insert the battery holder.

+ side facing out.

4 Close the cover.

Preparations

Accessories

TO USE THE WIRELESS CONTROLLER

Point the controller at the

camcorder’s remote sensor when

you press the buttons.

You can rotate the LCD panel 180

degrees to use the wireless controller

from the front of the camcorder.

Fasten the grip belt.

Adjust the grip belt so that you can

reach the zoom lever with your index

finger, and the ^Start/Stopbutton with

your thumb.

NOTES

WHEN YOU MOUNT THE CAMCORDER ON A

TRIPOD

• The wireless controller may not work

properly when the remote sensor is

situated under strong light sources or

direct sunlight.

• If the wireless controller does not work,

check that [WL.REMOTE] is not set to

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

[OFF

] (

57). Otherwise, replace

the battery.

longer than 5.5 mm. Doing

so may damage the camcorder.

Basic Operation of the Camcorder

Joystick and Joystick Guide

Basic Operation of the

Camcorder

Use the joystick to operate the

camcorder's menus.

Operating Modes

Push the joystick up, down, left or right

(

) to select an item or change

settings.

The camcorder’s operating mode is

determined by the position of the

switch. In 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 both operating

modes.

Press the joystick itself (

settings or confirm an action. On menu

screens, this is indicated by the icon

) to save the

The joystick can also be used in

combination with the joystick guide to

operate additional functions. Press (

)

to display/hide the joystick guide (when

recording, the joystick guide will appear

only when the mode switch is set to

). The functions that appear on the

joystick guide will change depending

on the operating mode.

Operating mode

switch

Icon display

Operation

Recording movies.

Playing movies.

Preparations

3 Select (

) the desired setting

from the available options at the

bottom bar.

Using the Menus

• The selected option will be

highlighted in light blue. Menu

items not available will appear

grayed out.

• 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.

(

For details about the available menu

options and settings, refer to the

press (

). Follow the additional

appendix Menu Options Lists (

53).

operation guides that will appear

on the screen (such as the joystick

icon , small arrows, etc.).

Selecting a FUNC. Menu Option

FUNC.

4 Press

to save the settings

and close the menu.

FUNC.

You can press

menu at any time.

to close the

Selecting an Option from the Setup Menus

FUNC.

1 Press

2 Select (

) the icon of the

function you want to change from

the left side column.

Menu items not available will appear

grayed out.

FUNC.

1 Press

Abbreviation of Menu Selections in this

Manual

2 Select (

) the

icon and press

(

) to open the setup menus.

3 Select ( ) the desired menu from

the left side column and press

In this manual, the

arrow is used to

abbreviate menu selections. Below is

an example of changing a setting using

the setup menus.

(

FUNC.

The title of the selected menu

appears on top of the screen and

under it the list of settings.

[

MENU]

DISPLAY SETUP/

]

[LANGUAGE]

Desired language

4 Select (

) the setting you want

to change and press (

FUNC.

• An orange frame will indicate the

menu item currently selected.

Menu items not available will

appear grayed out.

• To return to the menu selection

screen, select ( ) [ RETURN]

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

the currently selected option will appear

instead.

and press (

5 Select (

press (

) the desired option and

) to save the setting.

FUNC.

6 Press

FUNC.

[

IMAGE EFFECT OFF]

FUNC.

You can press

to close the

Desired image effect

FUNC.

menu at any time.

NOTES

Instead of steps 1 and 2, you can also

FUNC.

keep

pressed down for more than

1 second to open the setup menus screen

directly.

Preparations

First Time Settings

Changing the Time Zone

First Time Settings

Change the time zone to match your

location. The default setting is Paris or

Singapore, depending on the region of

purchase.

Changing the Language

The language for on-screen and menu

displays can be changed. The list of

available languages depends on the

region where you purchased the

camcorder.

FUNC.

(

20)

FUNC.

[

MENU]

DATE/TIME SETUP]

Default value

Language Set A

Czech, German, Greek, English , Spanish,

[T.ZONE/DST]

Desired time zone*

French, Italian, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian,

Turkish, Russian, Ukrainian, Arabic and

Persian.

FUNC.

* To adjust for daylight saving time, select the

time zone with the

area.

Language Set B

mark next to the

English , Malay, Simplified Chinese, Traditional

Chinese and Thai.

World Time Zones

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

FUNC.

(

20)

FUNC.

[

MENU]

DISPLAY SETUP/

destination, referring to the date and

time displayed on the screen.

]

[LANGUAGE]

Desired language

FUNC.

NOTES

• If you changed the language by mistake,

follow the mark next to the menu

item to change the setting.

• The display

that appears in some

menu screens refers to the name of the

button on the camcorder and will not

change, regardless of the language

selected.

Getting Ready to Start Recording

Setting the Date and Time

Getting Ready to Start

Recording

FUNC.

Opening the Lens Cover and Adjusting

the LCD Screen

(

20)

1 Open the date and time setup

screen.

FUNC.

Before you start recording, open the

lens cover.

[

MENU]

[

DATE/TIME SETUP]

[DATE/TIME]

Blinking arrows will be displayed

around the first field of the date.

2 Change each field of the date and

time with the joystick (

) and

move ( ) to the next field.

3 Press ( ) to start the clock.

FUNC.

4 Press

to close the menu.

Move the lens cover switch down to

to open the lens cover.

NOTES

Rotating the LCD Panel

You can also change the date format

58).

(

Open the LCD panel 90 degrees.

You can rotate the panel 90 degrees

downward.

180°

90°

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

Preparations

the LCD screen simultaneously.

Rotating the LCD panel 180 degrees

can be useful in the following cases:

• When you wish to include yourself in

the picture when recording with the

self timer.

LCD Backlight

You can set the brightness of the LCD

screen to normal or bright.

FUNC.

(

20)

•

To allow the camcorder to be

operated with the wireless controller

from the front.

FUNC.

[

MENU]

DISPLAY SETUP/

]

[BACKLIGHT]

Desired option

FUNC.

NOTES

• This setting does not affect the

brightness of the recording or the

viewfinder screen.

• Using the [BRIGHT] setting will shorten

the effective usage time of the battery

pack.

Subject can monitor the

LCD screen

NOTES

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.

Inserting and Removing a Tape

Use only videocassettes marked with

the

logo.

4 Wait for the cassette compartment

to retract automatically and close

the cassette compartment cover.

IMPORTANT

• Do not interfere with the cassette

compartment while it is opening or

closing automatically, or attempt to

close the cover before the cassette

compartment has fully retracted.

• Be careful not to get your fingers caught

in the cassette compartment cover.

OPEN/EJECT

1 Slide

fully in the

direction of the arrow and open

the cassette compartment cover.

The cassette compartment opens

automatically.

NOTES

If the camcorder is connected to a power

source, cassettes can be inserted/

removed even if the

switch is set

2 Insert the cassette.

• Insert the cassette with the window

facing the grip belt.

• To remove a cassette pull it straight

out.

3 Press the

mark on the

cassette compartment until it

clicks.

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

1 Move the lens cover switch down

Basic Recording

to open the lens cover.

2 Holding the lock button pressed

down, set the

CAMERA.

switch to

Start/Stop

3 Press

to begin

Shooting Video

recording.

Press ^Start/Stopagain to pause the

recording.

Before You Begin Recording

Make a test recording first to check if the

camcorder operates correctly. If

WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED RECORDING

necessary, clean the video heads (

2).

Close the lens cover and the LCD

panel

(

19)

2 Turn off the camcorder.

3 Remove the tape.

4 Disconnect the power source and

remove the battery pack.

NOTES

IMPORTANT

• About the recording time: By changing the

recording mode you can change the

video quality and as a result, also the

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.

available recording time (

55).

• Previous recordings overwritten by a

new recording cannot be recovered.

Before you start recording, search for

the end of the last recording (

• To protect the tape and video heads, the

camcorder will enter the stop mode (

if left in record pause ( ) mode for

4 minutes 30 seconds. To resume

recording press Start/Stop

34).

)

• 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 (

58). To

restore the power, turn the camcorder

off and then on again.

• 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.

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

to select one of the recording programs.

The Special Scene recording programs (

35) offer a convenient

way to select the optimal settings to match special recording

conditions. The [ PROGRAM AE] recording program (

the other hand, allows you to set the shutter speed you want, or

enjoy the flexibility to change other settings.

37), on

Video

Zooming: Optical, Advanced and Digital

Zoom

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

The camcorder offers three types of

zoom: optical, advanced and digital

zoom. You can also change the zoom

speed.

(

24, 57) or use the viewfinder

instead. To use the viewfinder, keep

the LCD panel closed*.

Selecting the Zoom Type

(

19)

Options

Default value

[OPTICAL] (37x,

32x)

The zoom range is limited to the optical

magnification ratio of the lens.

Adjust the viewfinder as necessary

with the dioptric adjustment lever.

* The LCD screen and the viewfinder

can be used simultaneously only

when the LCD panel is turned

[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.

180 degrees to face the subject

(

23).

[DIGITAL] (2000x)

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.

FUNC.

(

20)

FUNC.

20)

[

MENU]

CAMERA SETUP]

(

[ZOOM TYPE]

FUNC.

Desired option

FUNC.

[

MENU]

CAMERA SETUP]

NOTES

[ZOOM SPEED]

Desired option

• The zoom range of the advanced zoom

will change depending on the aspect

FUNC.

ratio of the scene (

54).

The advanced

•

NOTES

The fastest zoom speed can be achieved

zoom cannot be selected if

[WIDESCREEN] is set to [

OFF].

with the [ VARIABLE] setting.

[WIDESCREEN] set to [

ON] (16:9)

41x**,

Using the Zoom

45x*,

36x**

* The picture angle will be wider at both full

telephoto and full wide-angle.

**The picture angle will be wider at full wide-angle.

Zoom out

[WIDESCREEN] set to [

OFF] (4:3)

46x,

Not available

Zoom in

Selecting the Zoom Speed

Move the zoom lever toward W to

zoom out (wide-angle). Move it

toward T to zoom in (telephoto).

(

19)

Options

VARIABLE]

Default value

[

NOTES

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.

• Keep at least 1 m to the subject. At full

wide-angle, you can focus on a subject

as close as 1 cm.

•

You can also use the T and W

buttons on the wireless controller. The

zoom speed with the wireless controller

will be the same as with the camcorder

[

SPEED 1], [

SPEED 3]

SPEED 2],

Constant zoom speeds. [

SPEED 3] is the

or fixed at [

SPEED 3] (when

fastest, and [ SPEED 1] is the slowest.

[

VARIABLE] is selected).

Video

2 When you wish to resume

Quick Start Function

QUICK START

recording, press

again.

Within approx. 1 second, the

camcorder is ready to record.

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

NOTES

• When you wake up the camcorder from

standby mode, the following settings

will be changed automatically:

- Manual focus returns to automatic

focus (AF).

QUICK START

again the camcorder is

ready to start recording within approx.

1 second, ensuring you do not miss

important shooting opportunities.

- 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 of the [POWER SAVE] setting

(

19)

(

58). To restore the power if the

camcorder shut off, turn the camcorder

off and then on again.

• The camcorder will be woken up from

standby mode if you open the cassette

compartment cover while the

camcorder is in standby mode (standby

lamp is on).

QUICK START

1 Press

firmly.

The standby lamp flashes at first

while the camcorder is preparing and

then stays on when it enters the

standby mode.

Basic Playback

Reviewing the Last Scene Recorded

Basic Playback

(

19)

Playing Back Video

(

19)

EXP

FOCUS

1 Set the mode switch to

2 If the joystick guide does not

appear on screen, press (

display it.

) to

3 Push the joystick ( ) momentarily

toward

and release it.

1 Holding the lock button pressed

• The camcorder will play back a few

seconds of the last recording

made and return to record pause

mode.

• You can also hold the joystick

pressed ( ) toward

down, set the

PLAY.

switch to

2 If the joystick guide does not

appear on screen, press ( ) to

display it.

or (

)

3 Locate the point where you want

to begin the playback.

toward to play back the tape

(reverse or forward respectively) in

order to locate the point where you

want to start recording.

Push the joystick ( ) toward

rewind the tape or ( ) toward

to fast forward.

Video

4 Push the joystick ( ) toward

to begin the playback.

• 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.

DURING PLAYBACK

• If you turn down the volume

completely, the icon will change to

5 Push the joystick ( ) toward

again to pause the playback.

6 Push the joystick ( ) toward

stop the playback.

NOTES

• You can display the date and time of the

TO ADJUST THE VOLUME

recording (

• To protect the tape and video heads, the

camcorder will enter the stop mode (

if left in playback pause ( ) mode for

34).

During the playback of a scene:

FUNC.

)

4 minutes 30 seconds. To resume the

playback push the joystick ( ) toward

[

SPEAKER VOLUME]

Adjust (

FUNC.

) the volume

Special Playback Modes

To enter most special playback modes you need to operate the buttons on the

wireless controller²(

12). There is no sound during the special playback modes.

Operation on the camcorder

Initial mode

Special playback mode

or on the wireless controller

Fast playback

Normal playback

: Push the joystick ( ) toward

) toward and hold it down.

(

REW

: Press and hold

: Press

Reverse playback

Normal playback

Playback pause

Normal or reverse

playback

1 frame reverse/advance

Frame-by-frame playback

Slow playback

: Press

: Press and hold

SLOW

: Press

Double speed playback

Normal or reverse

playback

: Press

Return to normal playback Special playback mode

: Push the joystick ( ) toward

PLAY

: Press

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

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

The wireless controller is included only with the

Returning to a Pre-marked Position

Locating the Beginning of a Recording

Date

If you wish to return to a particular

scene later, mark the point with the zero

set memory and the tape will stop at

that point when you rewind/fast forward

the tape. This function is operated with

the wireless controller.

You can locate the change of the date/

time zone with the date search function.

(

19)

Press

controller.

on the wireless

(

19)

• Press more than once to search for

further date changes (up to 10 times).

STOP

1 While recording or during

playback, press

ZERO SET MEMORY

• To cancel the search press

at the point you wish to return to

later.

• The time code changes to

“0:00:00 ”.

• Press ^{ZERO SET MEMORY}again to

cancel the memory.

NOTES

• The date search function will not detect

recordings shorter than 1 minute per

date/time zone.

• Date search may not function if the data

code is not displayed correctly.

2 If you marked the zero memory

while recording, set the

camcorder to

mode. If

you marked the zero memory

STOP

during playback, press

3 Press

to locate the zero mark.

• If the tape counter shows a

negative number, press

instead.

•

appears and the camcorder

rewinds/fast forwards the tape.

• The tape stops at or near the zero

mark, disappears and the

correct time code will be displayed

again.

NOTES

If there are blank sections between

recordings, the zero set memory may not

work correctly.

Video

Locating the End of the Last Scene

On-Screen Displays (Data Code)

After playing back a tape, use this

function to locate the end of the last

scene recorded in order to continue

recording from that point.

The camcorder keeps a data code

containing the date and time of

recording. You can select the data to be

displayed.

(

19)

(

19)

Options

OFF]

No data code display.

DATE], [ TIME]

Default value

POINTS TO CHECK

[

Stop the playback before using this

function.

[

FUNC.

(

20)

Displays the date or time when the scene was

recorded.

FUNC.

[

DATE & TIME]

[

END SEARCH]

[EXECUTE]

Displays both the date and time of the recording.

• “END SEARCH” appears.

• The camcorder rewinds/fast forwards

the tape, plays back the last few

seconds of the recording and stops

the tape.

FUNC.

(

20)

• To cancel the end search push the

FUNC.

joystick ( ) toward

[

MENU]

DISPLAY SETUP/

]

NOTES

[DATA CODE]

Desired option

FUNC.

• End search cannot be used once you

remove the cassette.

• If there are blank sections between

recordings, the end search may not

work correctly.

•

You cannot use the end search

to locate the end of a scene that was

audio dubbed.

Advanced Function

NOTES

Advanced Functions

• Do not set the mode switch to

during the actual recording of a scene;

the brightness of the picture may

change abruptly.

: Special Scene Recording Programs

• [ PORTRAIT]/[ SPORTS]/

[

BEACH]/[ SNOW]

- The picture may not appear smooth

during playback.

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 36.

• [ PORTRAIT]

- The blur effect of the background

increases the more you zoom in (

T).

• [ NIGHT]

- Moving subjects may leave a trailing

afterimage.

- Picture quality may not be as good as

in other modes.

(

19)

- White points may appear on the

screen.

POINTS TO CHECK

- Autofocus may not work as well as in

other modes. In such case, adjust the

focus manually.

Mode switch:

FUNC.

20)

• [ SNOW]/[ BEACH]

- The subject may become

overexposed on cloudy days or in

shaded places. Check the image on

the screen.

(

FUNC.

[

PROGRAM AE]

Desired recording program

FUNC.

• [ FIREWORKS]

- To avoid camcorder shake, we

recommend using a tripod.

Video

[

PROGRAM AE]

[

BEACH]

The camcorder

sets the aperture

and shutter

speed.

Use this mode to

record on a sunny

beach. It prevents

the subject from

being underexposed.

[

PORTRAIT]

[

SUNSET]

The camcorder

uses a large

aperture, achieving

a focus on the

Use this mode to

record sunsets in

vibrant colors.

subject while blurring other distracting

details.

[

SPORTS]

[

SPOTLIGHT]

Use this mode to

record sports

scenes such as

tennis or golf.

Use this mode to

record spotlit

scenes.

[

NIGHT]

[

FIREWORKS]

Use this mode to

record in low-light

conditions.

Use this mode to

record fireworks.

[

SNOW]

Use this mode to

record in bright ski

resorts. It prevents

the subject from

being underexposed.

Shutter speed guidelines

Flexible Recording: Changing the

Shutter Speed

Note that on screen only the

denominator is displayed – [ 250]

indicates a shutter speed of 1/250

second, etc.

Use the automatic exposure (AE)

program to use functions like the white

balance or image effects, or to select

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.

1/50

To record under most ordinary conditions.

1/120

To record indoor sports scenes.

1/250, 1/500, 1/1000

(

19)

To record from within a moving car or train or to

shoot fast-moving subjects such as roller

coasters.

POINTS TO CHECK

Mode switch:

1/2000

To record outdoor sports scenes on sunny days.

FUNC.

(

20)

NOTES

FUNC.

1 Press

2 Select the [ PROGRAM AE]

recording program ( 35).

PROGRAM AE] is the default

value; proceed directly to step 3 if

you have not changed the recording

program.

• Do not set the mode switch to

during the actual recording of a scene;

the brightness of the picture may

change abruptly.

[

• [ PROGRAM AE]

- When setting the shutter speed, the

number displayed will flash if the value

selected is not appropriate for the

recording conditions. In such case,

select a different value.

3 Select the shutter speed from the

setup menus.

FUNC.

[

MENU]

- If you use a slow shutter speed in dark

places, you can obtain a brighter

image, but the image quality may be

lower, and the autofocus may not work

well.

[

CAMERA SETUP]

[SHUTTER] Desired shutter

speed

FUNC.

- The image may flicker when recording

with high shutter speeds.

- The shutter speed resets to [

AUTO]

when you set the mode switch to

or change the recording program.

Video

LCD Video Light

Self Timer

You can use the LCD video light to

record in completely dark places. For a

brighter picture, we recommend

(

19)

keeping a distance of about 20 cm -

60 cm 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

POINTS TO CHECK

Set the camcorder to record pause

mode.

and use the viewfinder instead (

28).

FUNC.

(

20)

(

19)

1 Activate the self timer.

FUNC.

[

MENU]

FUNC.

[

CAMERA SETUP]

(

20)

[SELF TIMER]

[

ON]

FUNC.

2 Press

to close the menu.

FUNC.

•

appears.

• Set [SELF TIMER] to [

cancel the self timer.

[

LCD LIGHT OFF]

LCD LIGHT ON]

OFF] to

Press (

)

Start/Stop

3 Press

on the camcorder

• The LCD display turns entirely

white when used as the video light.

Use the viewfinder instead.

• Using the viewfinder, select

[

to start recording.

• The camcorder starts recording

video after a 10-second

countdown. The countdown

appears on the screen.

LCD LIGHT OFF] to turn the

LCD video light off.

•

You can also press

START/STOP

on the wireless

controller. In that case, the

countdown will be only 2 seconds.

NOTES

Once the countdown has begun, you can

Start/Stop

press

again or turn off the

camcorder to cancel the self timer.

ABOUT THE WIND SCREEN

Audio Recording Mode

The camcorder automatically reduces

the background sound of wind (only

while using the built-in microphone).

You can turn the wind screen off when

you want the microphone to be as

You can change the quality of the audio

recording.

(

19)

sensitive as possible (

56).

Options

Default value

Using an External Microphone

[

16bit]

Records audio at the highest quality.

[

12bit]

Records audio on 2 channels (Stereo 1) leaving 2

free channels (Stereo 2) you can use for audio

dubbing.

With this camcorder you can dub audio

only using the microphone (

49).

FUNC.

Connect the external microphone to the

MIC terminal. Use commercially

available condenser microphones with

their own power supply and a cable no

longer than 3 m. You can connect

almost any stereo microphone with a

∅ 3.5 mm plug but audio recording

levels may vary.

(

20)

FUNC.

[

MENU]

AUDIO SETUP]

[AUDIO MODE]

Desired option

FUNC.

Video

Selecting the Audio Track on a Tape with

Dubbed Audio

Audio Playback Modes

You can select the audio track to play

back when playing back a tape that has

a dubbed audio track (Stereo 2) in

addition to the original recorded audio

(Stereo 1).

Selecting the Audio Channel

You can select the audio channel to

play back when playing back a tape

with audio recorded on two channels

(either stereo sound or bilingual audio

signals).

(

19)

Options

STEREO1]

Original sound only.

STEREO2]

Dubbed audio only.

MIX/FIXED]

Default value

(

19)

[

Options

Default value

[

L/R]

[

Left and right channels (stereo) / Main and sub

signals (bilingual).

[

L/L]

[

Left channel only (stereo) / Main signal only

(bilingual).

Mixed audio with the original sound and the

dubbed audio at the same level.

[

R/R]

[

MIX/VAR.]

Right channel only (stereo) / Sub signal only

(bilingual).

Mixed audio where the balance between the

original sound ( ) and the dubbed audio

) can be adjusted.

(

FUNC.

(

20)

FUNC.

(

20)

FUNC.

[

MENU]

AUDIO SETUP]

[

MENU]

AUDIO SETUP]

[OUTPUT CH]

FUNC.

Desired option

[12bit AUDIO]

Desired option*

FUNC.

* When you select [

MIX/VAR.], adjust the

mix balance with the [MIX BALANCE]

setting ( 56).

• Pushing the joystick ( ) toward

[FOCUS] again will return the

camcorder to autofocus.

Manual Focus Adjustment

4 Push the joystick ( ) toward

[BACK] 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.

(

19)

Mode switch:

POINTS TO CHECK

Adjust the zoom before you start the

procedure.

BACK

Mode switch:

FOCUS

BACK

1 Keep the joystick pushed (

)

toward [FOCUS] for more than

2 seconds.

FOCUS

•

appears.

1 If the joystick guide does not

• Pushing the joystick ( ) toward

[FOCUS] again will return the

camcorder to autofocus.

appear on screen, press (

display it.

) to

• If you operate the zoom or the

2 Push the joystick ( ) toward

[FOCUS] to activate the manual

focus.

[FOCUS] on the joystick guide will be

displayed in light blue and “MF”

appears on the screen.

joystick (

changes to

"MF" and the camcorder returns to

manual focusing mode.

2 Push the joystick ( ) toward

[BACK] to save the focus

adjustment.

3 Adjust (

necessary.

) the focus as

NOTES

• Push the joystick ( ) toward

for a farther focal distance or push

The camcorder will automatically return to

autofocus when you set the mode switch

it ( ) toward

distance.

for a closer focal

Video

4 Push the joystick ( ) toward

[BACK] 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

(

19)

The white balance function helps you

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

(

19)

BACK

POINTS TO CHECK

1 If the joystick guide does not

Recording program: [ PROGRAM AE]

appear on screen, press (

display it.

) to

Options

AUTO]

Default value

2 Push the joystick ( ) toward

[EXP].

[

[EXP] on the joystick guide changes

to light blue and the exposure

Settings are automatically set by the camcorder.

Use this setting for outdoor scenes.

adjustment indicator

neutral value “ 0” appear on the

screen.

and the

[

DAYLIGHT]

For recording outdoors on a bright day.

TUNGSTEN]

3 Adjust (

) the brightness of the

image as required.

[

For recording under tungsten and tungsten type

(3-wavelength) fluorescent lighting.

• 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 return the

[

SET]

Use the custom white balance setting to make

white objects appear white under colored

lighting.

camcorder to automatic exposure.

Image Effects

FUNC.

20)

(

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

procedure below.

(

19)

POINTS TO CHECK

TO SET THE CUSTOM WHITE BALANCE

Recording program: [ PROGRAM AE]

1 Point the camcorder at a white

object, zoom in until it fills the

Options

IMAGE EFFECT OFF]

Records with no image enhancing effects.

VIVID]

Emphasizes the contrast and color saturation.

NEUTRAL]

Tones down the contrast and color saturation.

SOFT SKIN DETAIL]

Default value

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.

[

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

close-up of a person. Note that areas similar to

the skin color may lack in detail.

- Select a zoom type other than

[

DIGITAL] (

28).

- 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

FUNC.

(

20)

FUNC.

[

IMAGE EFFECT OFF]

Desired option

FUNC.

- Subjects in a single color (sky, sea or

forest)

- Under mercury lamps and certain

types of fluorescent lights

Video

Setting

Digital Effects

FUNC.

(

20)

(

19)

FUNC.

[

D.EFFECT OFF]

POINTS TO CHECK

Mode switch:

Options

D.EFFECT OFF]

Desired option*

FUNC.

* While making the selection, you can

preview the effect on the screen.

** The icon of the selected effect appears.

Default value

[

Applying

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.

[

BLK&WHT]

Records images in black and white.

SEPIA]

[

D.EFFECTS

Press

to activate the

fader/effect.

• The icon of the selected effect turns

Records images in sepia tones for an “old”

look.

green.

• Press

[

ART], [

MOSAIC]

D.EFFECTS

again to deactivate

the fader/effect.

Select one of these digital effects to add

“flavor” to your recordings.

TO FADE IN

D.EFFECTS

Press

...

: ...in record pause mode,

Start/Stop

then press

to start recording

with a fade in.

: ...in playback pause mode,

then push the joystick ( ) toward

to fade in and start the playback.

TO FADE OUT

NOTES

D.EFFECTS

• 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.

• The camcorder retains the last setting

used even if you turn off the digital

effects or change the recording

program.

Press

...

: ...while recording, then

Start/Stop

press

to fade out and pause

the recording.

: ...during playback, then

push the joystick ( ) toward

fade out and pause the playback.

• The digital effects are not available

when [TV TYPE] is set to [NORMAL TV]

and the stereo video cable is connected

to the AV terminal.

TO ACTIVATE AN EFFECT

D.EFFECTS

Press

...

: ...while recording or in

record pause mode.

: ...during playback.

External Connections

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

an external device such as a TV, VCR, or computer.

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.

DV Terminal

• Check the type and orientation of the terminal and

make sure you connect the DV cable properly.

• Use the optional CV-150F (4 pin-4 pin) or CV-250F

(4 pin-6 pin) DV cable.

Open the LCD panel to

access.

Attaching the Ferrite Core

Attach the enclosed ferrite core before you connect the STV-250N Stereo Video

Cable to the camcorder.

Attach the ferrite core to the cable about 10 cm from

the plug end (the plug to be connected to the

camcorder) of the STV-250N Stereo Video Cable.

10 cm

Pass the cable through the centre of the core and wrap it

around the core, then close the unit until it clicks shut.

Connection Diagrams

Turn off all the devices when making the connections 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

Yellow

AUDIO

White

Red

STV-250N Stereo Video Cable

(supplied)

Output connection (signal flow ) to a high-definition TV with a DV (IEEE1394) terminal.

4-pin

CV-150F/CV-250F

DV Cable (optional)

6-pin*

* Be careful to correctly insert the 6-pin plug into the DV terminal. Inserting it in the wrong direction

can result in damage to the camcorder.

Output connection (signal flow ) to a TV or VCR with a SCART terminal.

You will need to connect beforehand a commercially available SCART adapter to the SCART terminal on

the TV or VCR and then connect the STV-250N Stereo Video Cable to the adapter.

Red

White

Yellow

STV-250N Stereo Video Cable

(supplied)

SCART Adapter

(commercially available)

External Connections

Playback on a TV Screen

Copying your Recordings to an External

Video Recorder

The quality of the playback picture will

vary depending on the connected TV

and the type of connection used.

You can copy your recordings by

connecting the camcorder to a VCR or

a digital video device. When recording

to a digital video recorder using the DV

terminal, you can copy recordings with

virtually no generation loss in video and

sound quality.

(

19)

POINTS TO CHECK

Before making the connections, select the

[TV TYPE] setting according to the TV set

to which you will connect the camcorder

(

19)

(

55).

Connecting

Connect the camcorder to a VCR or

other analog device using connection

Connecting

Connect the camcorder to the TV

following one of the connection

diagrams shown in Connection

type or , or to a DVD recorder or

other digital recording device using

connection type , as shown in

Diagrams (

47).

Connection Diagrams ( 47).

Playback

Recording

1 Turn on the camcorder and the

connected TV or VCR.

1 This camcorder: Load the

recorded cassette.

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).

2 Connected device: Load a blank

cassette or disc and set the device

to record pause mode.

3 This camcorder: Locate the scene

you wish to copy and pause the

playback shortly before the scene.

2 Start the playback of the movies

4 This camcorder: Resume the

movie playback.

(

31).

When using an analog connection

you can include in the copy also the

date/time of the original recording

NOTES

• Turn off all the devices before starting

the connections.

(

34).

• We recommend powering the

camcorder using the compact power

adapter.

5 Connected device: Begin

recording when the scene you

wish to copy appears. Stop

recording when copying is

complete.

Audio Dubbing

You can add sound to a recording using

the built-in or an external microphone.

6 This camcorder: Stop playback.

(

19)

NOTES

POINTS TO CHECK

• We recommend powering the

camcorder using the compact power

adapter.

You can only dub audio on tapes recorded

in SP mode with [ 12bit] audio

39). This function is operated with the

• When recording to a VCR using an

analog connection –connection type

47)–, the quality of the edited

(

wireless controller.

(

tape will be lower than the original.

• When recording to a digital video

recorder using the DV terminal

STOP

–connection type

(

47)–:

REW

PLAY

STOP

- If the picture does not appear,

disconnect the DV cable and restore

the connection after a short while or

turn the camcorder off and then on

again.

PAUSE

SLOW

ZERO SET

AUDIO DUB. MEMORY

TV SCREEN

- Proper operation cannot be

guaranteed for all digital devices

equipped with a DV terminal. If the

operation does not work, use the AV

terminal.

AUDIO DUB.

1 Locate the point where you want

to start dubbing audio.

Before locating the starting point,

you can also set the zero set

memory (

33) at the point where

you want the audio dubbing to end.

The camcorder will automatically

stop audio dubbing at that point.

2 Start playback and immediately

PAUSE

press

3 Press

AUDIO DUB.

“AUDIO DUB.” and

appear.

to begin dubbing.

Speak into the microphone.

4 Press PAUSE

External Connections

5 Press STOP to stop dubbing.

IMPORTANT

• Audio dubbing will stop if the tape has a

blank section or a section recorded in

LP mode or [

16bit] audio.

• The quality of the dubbed sound will not

be as good when dubbing audio to a

tape that was not recorded with this

camcorder or after having dubbed audio

over the same scene more than 3 times.

NOTES

You can connect the camcorder to a TV to

check the picture on the TV screen and

check the sound through headphones

connected to the TV.

TO SELECT THE AUDIO TRACK FOR PLAYBACK

You can select the audio track that will

be played when playing back a tape

that was audio dubbed (

40).

Connecting to

Computer

Connecting to a Computer

DV Terminal

• Check the type and orientation of the terminal and

make sure you connect the DV cable properly.

• Use the optional CV-150F (4 pin-4 pin) or CV-250F

(4 pin-6 pin) DV cable.

Open the LCD panel to

access.

PC Connection Diagram

Terminal on the

Camcorder

Terminal on the

Connected Device

Connecting Cable

Output connection (signal flow ) to a computer with a DV (IEEE1394) terminal or a DV capture board.

4-pin

CV-150F/CV-250F

DV Cable (optional)

6-pin*

* Be careful to correctly insert the 6-pin plug into the DV terminal. Inserting it in the wrong direction

can result in damage to the camcorder.

External Connections

IMPORTANT

Transferring Video Recordings

• The video transfer may not work

correctly depending on the software and

the specifications/settings of your

computer.

You can transfer recordings to a

computer using the DV terminal.

• If the computer freezes while the

camcorder is connected to it,

Equipment and System Requirements

• A computer equipped with an

IEEE1394 (DV) terminal or an

IEEE1394 (DV) capturing board.

• A DV cable. Use the optional

CV-150F (4 pin-4 pin) or CV-250F

(4 pin-6 pin) DV Cable.

disconnect the DV cable and turn off the

camcorder and the computer. After a

short while, turn them on again, set the

camcorder to

mode and

restore the connection.

• Before connecting the camcorder to the

computer using a DV cable, make sure

that no other IEEE1394 device is

connected to the computer.

• Depending on the video editing

software, you may need to set the

switch on the camcorder to a

mode other than PLAY. Refer to the

instruction manual of the editing

software.

• Video editing software.

• The appropriate driver.

A driver is preinstalled on Windows

operating systems later than Windows

98 Second Edition and Mac operating

systems later than Mac OS 9, and will

be installed automatically.

Connecting

NOTES

1 Start the computer.

• We recommend powering the

camcorder using the compact power

adapter.

• Refer also to the instruction manual of

the computer.

2 Connect the camcorder to the

computer using the DV connection

–connection type ¹(

51)–

shown in PC Connection Diagram.

3 Set the camcorder to

mode.

4 Start the video editing software.

Refer to the instruction manual of the

editing software.

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 (

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

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

FUNC. Menu

CAMERA

PLAY

Menu item

Setting options

Recording programs

[

PROGRAM AE],[ PORTRAIT],

SPORTS], [ NIGHT], [ SNOW],

BEACH], [ SUNSET],

–

SPOTLIGHT], [ FIREWORKS]

White balance

[

AUTO], [ DAYLIGHT],

TUNGSTEN], [ SET]

–

Image effects

[

IMAGE EFFECT OFF], [ VIVID],

NEUTRAL], [ SOFT SKIN DETAIL]

LCD video light

Digital effects

[

LCD LIGHT OFF],

LCD LIGHT ON]

–

[

D.EFFECT OFF], [

FADE-T],

WIPE], [

SEPIA], [

BLK&WHT],

ART], [

MOSAIC]

[SPEAKER VOLUME]

[END SEARCH]

–

Press (

) to search.

Option available only when the mode switch is set to

Additional Information

Zoom, Image Stabilizer, etc.)

CAMERA SETUP

CAMERA

Menu item

Setting options

[SHUTTER]

[

AUTO], [1/50], [1/120], [1/250],

[1/500], [1/1000], [1/2000]

[A.SL SHUTTER]

[ZOOM TYPE]

[

ON], [

OFF]

–

[

OPTICAL], [

ADVANCED], [

DIGITAL]

ADVANCED], [

[ZOOM SPEED]

[

VARIABLE], [

SPEED 3], [

SPEED 2],

[

SPEED 1]

[IMG STAB]

[

ON], [

OFF]

–

[WIDESCREEN]

[SELF TIMER]

OFF]

Option available only when the recording program is set to [ PROGRAM AE].

Option available when the mode switch is set to

set to [ PROGRAM AE]).

(only when the recording program is

Option available only when the mode switch is set to

[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 1/25.

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

OFF].

[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 [

The image stabilizer may not work well on subjects with low

contrast, with a recurring, repetitive pattern or without vertical lines.

• 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.

ON] or using the [

NIGHT] recording program.

•

[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 WSS 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 (

55).

VCR Setup (Recording Mode, TV Type, etc.)

VCR SETUP

Menu item

CAMERA

PLAY

Setting options

[REC MODE]

[TV TYPE]

[

STD PLAY], [

NORMAL TV], [

LONG PLAY]

–

[

WIDE TV]

[REC MODE]: Select the video recording mode.

• Recording in LP mode extends the available recording time on the tape 1.5 times.

• Depending on the condition of the tape (long usage, imperfections, etc.) you may notice some

video anomalies (blocky video artifacts, banding, etc.) in the playback picture when playing back

recordings made in LP mode. We recommend using the SP mode for important recordings.

Audio cannot be dubbed on tapes recorded in LP mode.

•

• If you make recordings in both SP and LP modes on the same tape, during playback you may

notice some video anomalies in the picture at the point where the recording mode changes.

• When playing back in this camcorder tapes recorded in LP mode with other devices or vice

versa, you may notice some anomalies in the playback picture or the sound may stop briefly.

[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.

Audio Setup (Audio Mode, Wind Screen, etc.)

AUDIO SETUP

CAMERA

PLAY

Menu item

[OUTPUT CH]

Setting options

[

L/R], [

L/L], [

OFF

R/R]

]

–

[WIND SCREEN]

[12bit AUDIO]

AUTO], [

[

STEREO1], [

STEREO2],

–

[

MIX/FIXED], [

MIX/VAR.]

[MIX BALANCE]

[AUDIO MODE]

–

[

16bit], [

12bit]

–

Option available only when the mode switch is set to

Option available only when dubbing audio with the built-in microphone.

Additional Information

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

when recording outdoors (only while using the built-in microphone).

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

[MIX BALANCE]: When [12bit AUDIO] is set to [

MIX/VAR.], adjust (

) the sound

balance with the joystick.

• The camcorder will retain the audio balance adjustment, however if you turn off the

camcorder, [12bit AUDIO] will be reset to [

STEREO1].

Display Setup (LCD Brightness, Language, etc.)

DISPLAY SETUP

CAMERA

PLAY

Menu item

[BRIGHTNESS]

Setting options

–

[BACKLIGHT]

[TV SCREEN]

[

NORMAL] , [

BRIGHT]

ON], [

OFF], [

ON], [

OFF]

–

[MARKERS]

[DISPLAYS]

[6SEC.DATE]

[DATA CODE]

[

LEVEL], [

GRID]

–

OFF<PLAYBK>]

OFF]

–

[

OFF], [ DATE], [ TIME],

–

[

DATE & TIME]

[LANGUAGE]

Language Set A:

], [

[ENGLISH], [

[

], [

[

], [MAGYAR], [

], [TÜRKÇE], [

]

], [

Language Set B:

[ENGLISH], [MELAYU], [

], [

[

]

[DEMO MODE]

[

ON], [

OFF]

–

The default setting is [

adapter.

The list of languages available depends on the region of purchase.

BRIGHT] when you power the camcorder using the compact power

[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.

When the date and time are displayed on the camcorder’s screen they will also appear on

a connected TV regardless of the [TV SCREEN] setting. Turn off the date/time display with

the [DATA CODE] setting (

34).

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

[DISPLAYS]: You can hide the on-screen displays to show only the playback picture on the

full screen.

• Tape operation displays appear for 2 seconds.

• Warning messages and the data code (if activated) will appear, even when set to

[

OFF<PLAYBK>].

• All on-screen displays will appear while the playback image is magnified or a digital

effect is activated.

[6SEC.DATE]: When you start playing back a tape or when the date of the recording

changes, the date and time will be displayed for 6 seconds.

[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

insert a videocassette.

System Setup (Beep, Power Save, etc.)

SYSTEM SETUP

CAMERA

PLAY

Menu item

[WL.REMOTE]

Setting options

[

ON], [

OFF

]

–

[BEEP]

[

HIGH VOLUME],

[

LOW VOLUME], [

OFF]

[POWER SAVE]

[

ON], [

OFF]

–

[WL. REMOTE]: Allows the camcorder to be operated with the wireless controller.

[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.

Additional Information

[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.

Date/Time Setup

DATE/TIME SETUP

CAMERA

PLAY

Menu item

[T.ZONE DST]

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.

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.

Power Source

The camcorder will not turn on or it turns off by itself.

The cassette compartment cover will not open or it stops halfway while you insert or remove a tape.

The LCD/viewfinder switches on and off.

- Battery pack is exhausted. Replace or charge the battery pack (

- Attach the battery pack correctly.

15).

- Use the compact power adapter.

The charge indicator flashes rapidly.

(one flash at 0.5-second intervals)

Charging has stopped because the compact power adapter or the battery pack is faulty. Consult a Canon

Service Center.

(two quick flashes at 1-second intervals)

Battery pack at least 50% charged (

16). This is not a malfunction.

Battery pack will not charge.

- Charge the battery pack in temperatures between 0 °C and 40 °C.

- 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.

- 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.

- Check that the compact power adapter is correctly connected to the camcorder.

Recording/Playback

Buttons will not work.

- Turn on the camcorder.

- Load a cassette (

25).

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 all

power sources (including the battery pack and the backup battery). This will reset all the camcorder's

settings.

flashes on the screen.

- Load a cassette (

25).

Additional Information

flashes on the screen.

- Battery pack is exhausted. Replace or charge the battery pack (

15).

flashes on the screen.

- Condensation is detected. Refer to Condensation (

66).

“REMOVE THE CASSETTE” appears on the screen.

- Remove the cassette and reinsert it (

The wireless controller will not work.

- Set [WL.REMOTE] to [ON] ( 57).

25).

- The battery of the wireless controller is exhausted. Replace the battery (

17).

Video noise appears on screen.

- When using the camcorder in a room where a plasma TV is located, keep a distance between the camcorder

and the plasma TV.

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.

The tape stops during record pause or playback pause.

- To protect the tape and video heads, the camcorder will enter the stop mode ( ) if left in playback pause

Start/Stop

(

) or record pause (

) mode for 4 minutes 30 seconds. To resume the operation press

(during playback).

(when recording) or push the joystick ( ) toward

Recording

Image will not appear on the screen.

- Set the camcorder to

(

26).

“SET THE TIME ZONE, DATE AND TIME” appears on the screen.

- Set the time zone, date and time ( 22).

- Replace the backup lithium battery and set the time zone, date and time (

Start/Stop

17).

Pressing

will not start recording.

- Set the camcorder to

- Load a cassette (

(

26).

25).

- Tape reached the end (“

- Cassette is protected (

END” appears on the screen). Rewind the tape or replace the cassette (

flashes on the screen). Change the position of the protect switch ( 64).

25).

Camcorder will not focus.

- Autofocus does not work on that subject. Focus manually (

41).

- If you are using the viewfinder, adjust it with the dioptric adjustment lever (

28).

65). Never use tissue paper to clean the lens.

- Lens is dirty. Clean the lens with a soft lens-cleaning cloth (

Sound is distorted.

- When recording near loud sounds (such as fireworks or concerts), sound may become distorted.

Viewfinder picture is blurred.

- Adjust the viewfinder with the dioptric adjustment lever (

28).

Playback

During playback there is video noise.

- Video heads are dirty. Clean the video heads (

2).

Playback does not start.

- Load a cassette (

25).

- Set the camcorder to

(

31).

- Tape reached the end (“

END” appears on the screen). Rewind the tape (

25).

No sound from the built-in speaker.

- Open the LCD panel.

- Speaker volume is turned off. Adjust the volume with the [SPEAKER VOLUME] setting (

32).

Image will not appear on the TV screen.

- Check again that the camcorder is properly connected to the TV (

47).

Tape is running, but image will not appear on the TV screen.

- TV/VIDEO selector on the TV is not set to VIDEO. Set the selector to VIDEO (

- Video heads are dirty. Clean the video heads ( 2).

48).

- You attempted to play back or dub a copyright protected tape. Stop playback/dubbing.

List of Messages (in alphabetical order)

CHANGE THE BATTERY PACK

- Battery pack is exhausted. Replace or charge the battery pack (

15).

CHECK THE CASSETTE [AUDIO MODE]

- You attempted to dub audio (

49) on a tape recorded with an audio mode other than [

12bit].

CHECK THE CASSETTE [BLANK]

- You attempted to dub audio (

49) on a tape with a blank section.

CHECK THE CASSETTE [INCORRECT TAPE SPECIFICATION]

49) on a tape recorded in HD (high definition) standard.

CHECK THE CASSETTE [REC MODE]

- You attempted to dub audio (

49) on a tape recorded in a recording mode other than SP.

CONDENSATION HAS BEEN DETECTED

- Condensation has been detected in the camcorder (

66).

CONDENSATION HAS BEEN DETECTED REMOVE THE CASSETTE

- Condensation has been detected in the camcorder (

66). Remove the cassette.

HEADS DIRTY, USE CLEANING CASSETTE

- Video heads are dirty. Clean the video heads (

2).

Additional Information

INCORRECT TAPE SPECIFICATION PLAYBACK IS RESTRICTED

- You attempted to play back a tape recorded in a different television system (NTSC) or in a recording standard

not supported by this camcorder.

REMOVE THE CASSETTE

- Camcorder stopped operating to protect the tape. Remove the cassette and reinsert it (

25).

SET THE TIME ZONE, DATE AND TIME

- You have not set the time zone, date and time. This message appears each time you turn the power on until

you set the time zone, date and time ( 22).

TAPE END

- Tape reached the end. Rewind the tape or replace the cassette.

THE TAPE IS SET FOR ERASURE PREVENTION

- Cassette is protected. Replace the cassette or change the position of the protect switch (

64).

Do’s and Don’ts

Battery Pack

Handling Precautions

DANGER!

Treat the battery pack with care.

• Keep it away from fire (or it might

explode).

• Do not expose the battery pack to

temperature higher than 60 °C. Do

not leave it near a heater or inside a

car in hot weather.

• Do not try to disassemble or modify

it.

• Do not drop or knock it.

• Do not get it wet.

Camcorder

• Do not carry the camcorder by the

LCD panel. Be careful when closing

the LCD panel.

• Do not leave the camcorder in places

subject to high temperatures (like the

inside of a car under direct sunlight),

or high humidity.

• Do not use the camcorder near strong

electromagnetic fields such as above

TVs, near plasma TVs or mobile

phones.

• Do not point the lens or viewfinder at

strong light sources. Do not leave the

camcorder pointed at a bright

subject.

• Do not use or store the camcorder in

dusty or sandy places. The

camcorder is not waterproof – avoid

also water, mud or salt. If any of the

above should get into the camcorder

it may damage the camcorder and/or

the lens.

• Charged battery packs continue to

discharge naturally. Therefore, charge

them on the day of use, or the day

before, to ensure a full charge.

• Attach the terminal cover whenever a

battery pack is not in use. Contact

with metallic objects may cause a

short circuit and damage the battery

pack.

• Dirty terminals may cause a poor

contact between the battery pack

and the camcorder. Wipe the

terminals with a soft cloth.

• Be careful of heat generated by

lighting equipment.

• Do not disassemble the camcorder. If

the camcorder does not function

properly, consult qualified service

personnel.

• Since storing a charged battery pack

for a long time (about 1 year) can

shorten its lifecycle or affect

performance, we recommend to

discharge the battery pack fully and

to store it in a dry place at

• Handle the camcorder with care. Do

not subject the camcorder to shocks

or vibration as this may cause

damage.

temperatures no higher than 30 °C. If

you do not use the battery pack for

long periods, charge and discharge it

fully at least once a year. If you have

more than one battery pack, perform

these precautions at the same time

for all battery packs.

Additional Information

• Although the battery pack’s operating

temperature range is from 0 °C to

40 °C, the optimal range is from

10 °C to 30 °C. At cold temperatures,

performance will temporarily decline.

Warm it in your pocket before use.

• Replace the battery pack if the usable

time after full charge diminishes

• Do not use spliced tapes or

nonstandard cassettes as they may

damage the camcorder.

• Do not use tapes that have been

jammed as video heads may become

dirty.

• Do not insert anything into the small

holes of the cassette, or cover them

with cellophane tape.

substantially at normal temperatures.

• Handle cassettes with care. Do not

drop or subject them to severe

impact as this may damage the

cassettes.

About the battery terminal cover

The battery terminal cover has a [

shaped hole. This is useful when you

• With cassettes equipped with a

memory function, metal plated

terminals may become dirty with use.

Clean the terminals with a cotton

swab after about 10 times of

removing and reinserting the

cassette. The memory function is not

supported by the camcorder.

wish to differentiate between charged

and uncharged battery packs.

Back side of the battery pack

Terminal cover attached

Protecting Tapes from Accidental Erasure

To protect your recordings from accidental

erasure, slide the tab on the cassette to

SAVE or ERASE OFF.

Charged

Uncharged

Cassette

REC

SAVE

REC

SAVE

• Rewind tapes after use. A slack or

damaged tape may cause video

problems and/or audio distortions

during playback.

• Return cassettes to the case and

store them upright. Rewind tapes

from time to time if they are stored for

a long time.

• Do not leave the cassette in the

camcorder after use.

Lithium Button Battery

Maintenance/Others

WARNING!

• The battery used in this device may

present a fire or chemical burn hazard

if mishandled.

Storage

• Do not disassemble, modify, immerse

in water, heat above 100 °C or

incinerate the battery.

• Backup battery: Replace with a

CR1616 battery made by Panasonic,

Hitachi Maxell, Sony, Toshiba, Varta or

Renata. Use of other batteries may

present a risk of fire or explosion.

If you do not intend to use the

camcorder for a long time, store it in a

place free of dust, in low humidity, and

at temperatures not higher than 30 °C.

•

Lithium battery for the wireless

controller: Replace with a CR2025

battery made by Panasonic, Hitachi

Maxell, Sony, Sanyo, or with

Cleaning

Duracell2025. Use of other batteries

may present a risk of fire or explosion.

Camcorder Body

• Do not insert the battery into the

mouth. If swallowed, seek medical

assistance immediately. The battery

case may break and the battery fluids

may cause internal damage.

• Use a soft, dry cloth to clean the

camcorder body. Never use

chemically treated cloth or volatile

solvents such as paint thinner.

• Keep the battery out of the reach of

children.

• Do not recharge, short-circuit or insert

the battery in the wrong direction.

Lens and Viewfinder

• If the lens surface is dirty, the

autofocus may not work properly.

• Remove any dust or dirt particles

using a non-aerosol type blower

brush.

• The used battery should be returned

to the supplier for safe disposal.

• Use a clean, soft lens-cleaning cloth

to gently wipe the lens or viewfinder.

Never use tissue paper.

• Do not pick up the battery using

tweezers or other metal tools, as this

will cause a short circuit.

• Wipe the battery with a clean dry

cloth to ensure proper contact.

LCD Screen

• Clean the LCD screen using a clean,

soft lens-cleaning cloth.

• Condensation may form on the

surface of the screen when the

temperature changes suddenly. Wipe

it with a soft dry cloth.

Additional Information

WHEN CONDENSATION IS DETECTED

Condensation

• The camcorder automatically shuts

off, the warning message

“CONDENSATION HAS BEEN

DETECTED” appears for approx.

Moving the camcorder rapidly between

hot and cold temperatures may cause

condensation (water droplets) to form

on its internal surfaces. Stop using the

camcorder if condensation is detected.

Continued use may damage the

camcorder.

4 seconds and

starts flashing.

• If a cassette is loaded, the warning

message “REMOVE THE CASSETTE”

appears and

starts flashing.

Remove the cassette immediately

and leave the cassette compartment

open. Leaving the cassette in the

camcorder may damage the tape.

• A cassette cannot be loaded when

condensation is detected.

Condensation may form in the following

cases:

• When the camcorder is moved from

an air-conditioned room to a warm,

humid place

• When the camcorder is moved from a

cold place to a warm room

• When the camcorder is left in a humid

room

RESUMING USE

The precise time required for water

droplets to evaporate will vary

• When a cold room is heated rapidly

depending on the location and weather

conditions. After the condensation

warning stops flashing, wait for 1 more

hour before resuming use.

TO AVOID CONDENSATION

• Do not expose the camcorder to

sudden or extreme changes in

temperature.

• Remove the cassette, place the

camcorder in an airtight plastic bag

and let it adjust to temperature

changes slowly before removing it

from the bag.

Playback on a TV Screen

Using the Camcorder Abroad

You can only play back your recordings

on TVs compatible with the PAL

system. The PAL system is used in the

following countries/areas:

Power Sources

You can use the compact power

adapter to operate the camcorder and

to charge battery packs in any country

with power supply between 100 and

240 V AC, 50/60 Hz. Consult the Canon

Service Center for information on plug

adapters for overseas use.

Algeria, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh,

Belgium, Brunei, China, Croatia, Czech

Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany,

Hong Kong Special Administrative

Region, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran,

Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kenya,

Kuwait, Liberia, Malaysia, Malta,

Montenegro, Mozambique, the

Netherlands, New Zealand, North

Korea, Norway, Oman, Pakistan,

Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania,

Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore,

Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain,

Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sweden,

Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey,

Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab

Emirates, United Kingdom, Yemen,

Zambia.

Trademark Acknowledgements

•

is a trademark.

Microsoft, Windows and Windows Vista are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or

other countries.

•

Macintosh and Mac OS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the United States and other countries.

Other names and products not mentioned above may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Additional Information

General Information

System Diagram (Availability differs from area to area)

CBC-NB2

Car Battery Charger

WS-20 Wrist Strap

SS-600/SS-650

Shoulder Strap

NB-2LH, BP-2L5*,

BP-2L14 Battery Pack

CB-2LWE

Battery Charger

MiniDV

videocassette

CA-590E Compact

Power Adapter

WL-85

Wireless Controller

SCART adapter

STV-250N

Stereo Video Cable

VCR

CV-150F/CV-250F

DV Cable

DVD recorder/digital device

with DV terminal

SC-2000 Soft

Carrying Case

* The BP-2L5 is not available as a separate optional accessory.

Optional Accessories

Use of genuine Canon accessories is recommended.

This product is designed to achieve excellent performance when used with genuine

Canon accessories. Canon shall not be liable for any damage to this product and/or

accidents such as fire, etc., caused by the malfunction of non-genuine Canon

accessories (e.g., a leakage and/or explosion of a battery pack). Please note that this

warranty does not apply to repairs arising out of the malfunction of non-genuine Canon

accessories, although you may request such repairs on a chargeable basis.

Battery Packs

When you need extra battery packs, select

either the NB-2LH or the BP-2L14.

CB-2LWE Battery Charger

Use the battery charger to charge battery

packs.

Charging Times

The charging times given in the following table are approximate and vary according

to charging conditions and initial charge of the battery pack.

Battery Pack →

BP-2L5

NB-2LH

BP-2L14

Charging Conditions ↓

Using the camcorder

145 min.

105 min.

155 min.

160 min.

285 min.

205 min.

Using the CB-2LWE Battery Charger

Additional Information

Recording and Playback Times

The recording and playback times given in the following table are approximate and

vary according to recording mode and charging, recording or playback conditions.

The effective usage time of the battery pack may decrease when recording in cold

surroundings, when using the brighter screen settings, etc.

Battery Pack

BP-2L5

Viewfinder

NB-2LH

Viewfinder

BP-2L14

Viewfinder

Screen Used

LCD

Maximum Recording Time

Typical Recording Time*

Playback Time

90 min.

45 min.

–

85 min.

45 min.

110 min.

125 min.

65 min.

–

120 min.

60 min.

270 min.

145 min.

–

260 min.

140 min.

315 min.

145 min.

Maximum Recording Time

Typical Recording Time*

Playback Time

95 min.

55 min.

–

95 min.

50 min.

105 min.

135 min.

55 min.

–

125 min.

50 min.

300 min.

155 min.

–

280 min.

150 min.

310 min.

145 min.

* Approximate times for recording with repeated operations such as start/stop, zooming, and

power on/off.

CBC-NB2 Car Battery Charger

Use the car battery charger to charge battery

packs on the move. The car battery cable plugs

into your car’s cigarette lighter and runs off a

12-24 V DC negative ground battery.

Shoulder Strap

You can attach a shoulder strap for more

security and portability.

Pass the ends through the strap mount and

adjust the length of the strap.

WS-20 Wrist Strap

Use this for extra additional protection for

active shooting.

SC-2000 Soft Carrying Case

A handy camcorder bag with padded

compartments and plenty of space for

accessories.

This mark identifies genuine Canon video accessories. When you

use Canon video equipment, we recommend Canon-brand

accessories or products bearing the same mark.

Additional Information

Specifications

MD245/MD225

System

Video Recording System

2 rotary heads, helical scanning DV system (consumer digital VCR SD system), digital

component recording

Audio Recording System

Television System

Image Sensor

PCM digital sound: 16 bit (48 kHz/2 channels); 12 bit (32 kHz)

CCIR standard (625 lines, 50 fields) PAL color signal

1/6-inch CCD,

approx. 1,070,000 pixels

approx. 800,000 pixels

Effective pixels (all figures are approximate values)

16:9 Movies (advanced zoom) 480,000 (T) / 710,000 (W) pixels

(other zoom types)

4:3 Movies (advanced zoom)

(other zoom types)

550,000 pixels

440,000 (T) / 690,000 (W) pixels

690,000 pixels

Effective pixels (all figures are approximate values)

16:9 Movies (advanced zoom)

(other zoom types)

4:3 Movies

440,000 (T) / 540,000 (W) pixels

440,000 pixels

400,000 pixels

Compatible Tapes

Tape Speed

Videocassettes bearing the

SP: 18.83 mm/s; LP: 12.57 mm/s

SP: 60 minutes; LP: 90 minutes

mark

Maximum Recording Time

(60 min. tape)

LCD Screen

Viewfinder

2.7 in., wide, TFT color, approx. 112,000 pixels

0.35 in., wide, TFT color, approx. 114,000 pixels

Stereo electret condenser microphone

Microphone

When two values are given, the first indicates the value at full telephoto (T) and the second indicates the value at full wide-angle (W).

Lens

f=2.6–96.2 mm, F/2.0–5.2, 37x power zoom

35 mm equivalent (all figures are approximate values)

16:9 Movies (advanced zoom)

(other zoom types)

4:3 Movies (advanced zoom)

(other zoom types)

41.7–1,877 mm

47.1–1,743 mm

44.6–2,052 mm

44.6–1,650 mm

35 mm equivalent (all figures are approximate values)

16:9 Movies (advanced zoom)

(other zoom types)

4:3 Movies

40.5–1,676 mm

45.3–1,676 mm

49.8–1,843 mm

f=2.6–83.2 mm, F/2.0–4.6, 32x power zoom

35 mm equivalent (all figures are approximate values)

16:9 Movies (advanced zoom)

(other zoom types)

40.5–1,450 mm

45.3–1,450 mm

49.8–1,594 mm

4:3 Movies

Lens Configuration

AF system

10 elements in 8 groups (1 double-sided, aspheric element)

TTL autofocus, manual focus available

Minimum Focusing Distance

White Balance

1 m; 1 cm on maximum wide angle

Auto white balance, preset white balance (DAYLIGHT, TUNGSTEN) or custom white

balance

Minimum Illumination

[NIGHT] recording program, Shutter speed at 1/6:

1.7 lx,

1.6 lx

mode, Auto slow shutter [ON], Shutter speed at 1/25:

7 lx,

More than 100 lx

Electronic

6 lx

Recommended Illumination

Image Stabilization

Input/Output Terminals

AV Terminal

∅ 3.5 mm minijack, output only

Video: 1 Vp-p/75 ohms unbalanced

Audio: -10 dBV (47 kohms load/3 kohms or less)

DV Terminal

4 pin (IEEE1394 standard), output only

MIC Terminal

∅ 3.5 mm stereo minijack

–57 dBV (with 600 ohm mic)/5 kohms or more

Additional Information

Power/Others

Power supply (rated)

Power consumption

7.4 V DC (battery pack), 8.4 V DC (compact power adapter)

2.4 W (viewfinder), 2.5 W (LCD screen, normal brightness)

2.2 W (viewfinder), 2.3 W (LCD screen, normal

brightness)

Operating temperature

0 – 40 °C

Dimensions (W x H x D)

Weight (camcorder body only)

68 x 82 x 127 mm excluding the grip belt

380 g

CA-590E Compact Power Adapter

Power input

Rated output

Operating temperature

Dimensions

100 – 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz, 0.14 – 0.08 A

8.4 V DC, 0.6 A

0 – 40 °C

46 x 26 x 70 mm

93 g

Weight

BP-2L5 Battery Pack

Battery type

Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery

Rated voltage

Operating temperature

Battery capacity

Dimensions

7.4 V DC

0 – 40 °C

530 mAh

33.3 x 16.2 x 45.2 mm

40 g

Weight

Weight and dimensions are approximate. Errors and omissions excepted. Subject to

change without notice.

Index

EASY (recording program) . . . . . . . . . . 27

End search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

6-second auto date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Abroad, using the camcorder . . . . . . . .67

Fireworks (recording program) . . . . . . . 36

FUNC. menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 53

Aspect ratio

of a connected TV (TV type) . . . . . .55

of movies (Widescreen) . . . . . . . . .54

Audio dubbing* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Audio mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Audio output channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Auto slow shutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

AV terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Grip belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Image effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Image stabilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Backup battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Battery pack

Joystick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Remaining charge indicator . . . . . .14

Beach (recording program) . . . . . . . . . .36

Beep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Joystick guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

LCD screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

LCD video light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

LP mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Compact power adapter . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Condensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

Connections

to a computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

to a TV/VCR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Manual exposure adjustment . . . . . . . . 42

Manual focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

MIC terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Microphone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Mode switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Data code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Date and time

Date format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Daylight saving time . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Time zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Date search* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Digital effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

DV terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47, 51

Night (recording program) . . . . . . . . . . 36

only.

Additional Information

Onscreen display selection . . . . . . . . . . 34

Video heads, cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Videocassettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25, 64

Viewfinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

P (recording program) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Portrait (recording program) . . . . . . . . . 36

Power save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

White balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Wide angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Widescreen 16:9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Wind screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Wireless controller* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Quick Start function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Recording mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Recording programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Recording reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Remaining tape indicator . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Remote sensor* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Reviewing movies (Record review) . . . . 31

Zero set memory* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Zoom

Advanced zoom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Zoom speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Zoom type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Screen icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Self timer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Serial number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Setup menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 54

Shutter speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Snow (recording program) . . . . . . . . . . 36

SP mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Special scene (recording programs) . . . 35

Sports (recording program) . . . . . . . . . . 36

Spotlight (recording program) . . . . . . . . 36

Sunset (recording program) . . . . . . . . . 36

Telephoto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Transferring movies to a computer . . . . 52

Tripod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

only.

Canon Europa N.V.

P.O. Box 2262, 1180 EG Amstelveen, The Netherlands

Canon UK Ltd.

CCI Service Centre, Unit 130

Centennial Park, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 3SE, England

Telephone 0870-241-2161

Canon Australia Pty. Ltd.

Info-Line: 131383

www.canon.com.au

Canon New Zealand Ltd.

Customer Care: (09) 489 0470

www.canon.co.nz

Canon Singapore Pte. Ltd

1 HarbourFront Avenue, #04-01 Keppel Bay Tower, Singapore 098632

Tel: (65) 6799 8888

Fax: (65) 6799 8882

Canon Hongkong Company Ltd

19/F., The Metropolis Tower, 10 Metropolis Drive, Hunghom,

Kowloon, Hong Kong

Canon Latin America, Inc.

Sales & Enquiries: 703 Waterford Way Suite 400 Miami, FL 33126 USA

The information on this manual is verified as of 1 January 2008.

Printed on 70% reused paper.

0115W104

PUB. DIE-295

Canon FK14 5 60 User Manual
Canon VIXIA HF M31 User Manual
Clarion PROVIDEO TTX7101 User Manual
Coleman 841 708 User Manual
Crown Boiler MWC116ELL User Manual
Follett U155 User Manual
FujiFilm FinePix REAL 3D W3 User Manual
Hifionics BRZ15D4 User Manual
Hypertec N19698NHY User Manual
JVC GR DVL309 User Manual