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Camcorders
Introduction
Technology
Formats
Features
Media
Video camcorder models

Camcorder Operation Guide

Checking accessories
Getting Started
Recording Basics
Playback Basics
Recording Options
Playback Options
Editing
Still Images
Computer Operations
Troubleshooting
Battery

Checking Accessories

Your camcorder box should have most of these accessories included in addition to the camcorder.

Owner's manual, AC power adaptor, battery, audio/video connecting cable, remote control, shoulder strap, lens cover, media for still images, USB cable, cd-rom with software for home computer.

Getting Started

The first thing to do after unpacking your camcorder and accessories is to charge the battery. Insert the camcorder battery into the camcorder, then plug the AC power adaptor into the wall outlet and plug the other end into the camcorder DC IN jack. Set the CAMERA/VCR control to the OFF position and the charging light should go on indicating the battery is charging. Your owner's manual should tell you how long the battery should be charged. Some camcorders have an indicator to check the battery charge status. 

On most camcorders you will need to set the date and time. Every brand of camcorder (and even within the same brand of camcorder) uses a different navigation method to control the settings and functions needed to operate the camera. Learning how to navigate thru the various menus and controls is part of coming up to speed with your new camcorder. Your owner's manual is invaluable here, as it will explain how to initially setup your camcorder, including date, time, language, exposure, recording mode, audio mode and other settings. 

Recording Basics
To record, always remember to open the lens cover. Make sure your battery is charged. Make sure any write-protect switch is set to allow recordings on your media. 

Load your recording media into the camcorder. In the case of video tape, push the eject button to open the cassette port door, then push a cassette into the transport, properly oriented. Usually you will also push down the cassette tray to get the sequence started which loads the cassette and wraps the tape around the read/write head. Then close the  cassette loading door. In the case of DVD, just load a disc into the disc transport and close the media door. 

Perform any required media initialization (usually DVD). Next, set the CAMERA/VCR control to the CAMERA position. Then open the LCD panel or use the viewfinder. In the case of video tape, you may need to adjust the recording position to the spot on the tape last recorded so you do not record over previous video. If you are recording indoors or low-light conditions, you may need an external light source to illuminate your subject. Remember in addition to the video, you are also recording the sound all around you. Finally, press the button START/STOP (or REC). Use the zoom control to adjust the subject in the picture. "W" is wide and "T" is telephoto. When finished recording, press the START/STOP (REC) button again. You should see indicators on the viewscreen such as tape counter, date/time, record mode.

Playback Basics
To play back your video, set the camera to the VCR mode. You will have controls such that all the functions to control playback are available such as REWIND, PLAY, STOP, PAUSE, FAST-FORWARD or in the case of DVD, scene selection via menu thumbnail selections. To view your video on a television, connect the camcorder to the TV with the A/V cable (yellow, red, white) or S-video and use the AC power adaptor instead of the battery. Use the TV remote control to select the proper video source for the camcorder. Using the remote control for the camcorder allows you to control playback functions from across the room while you sit in your easy chair and enjoy your video. Camcorders can record excellent sound along with the video pictures to create a very vibrant experience, particularly during playback if you connect the audio to a stereo receiver/amplifier and use good speakers.

Recording Options
Self-timer recording allows you to record yourself in the scene along with all else in a unattended mode. A ten second delay before recording starts allows you to enter the scene.

Most adjustments for recording such as white balance, exposure control, focus and the like are done automatically by the camcorder. If you desire to make adjustments manually, you can do this by setting the required options up in the menus. An example is 16:9 mode. If you have a wide-screen television, you may want to set your camcorder to wide mode before recording. Interval recording or frame by frame recording are other options which are available on today's camcorders.

You can record programs from a TV or VCR by connecting the A/V cable to the audio/video OUT jacks on the source device such as a VCR and the camcorder A/V jack or you can use a Firewire/iLink (IEEE 1394) cable for digital recording. 

Audio can be added to a previous video recording you did on your camcorder if not recorded in 16-bit (1 stereo hi-quality) audio mode. The 12-bit mode (2 stereo but lower quality) allows this.

Playback Options 


Editing


Still Images
Most camcorders have the capability to record still images in addition to moving images. The PHOTO mode captures still pictures on removable flash media or on tape or disc. You may also be able to capture a video frame onto the flash media. By pressing pause or freeze frame and snapping a shot of the image, you can capture a particular part of your video for later printing or archiving. Camcorder capability for still images is quite good in some models but not yet up to the capability of top-of-the-line digital still cameras. When you are ready to print your pictures, just remove the flash media from the camcorder and go to a retail store for one-hour prints or just print at home on your computer printer.

Computer Operations
Digital video camcorders can be connected to your home computer to view images recorded on tape or disc media and the still images recorded on flash memory, tape or disc. When connecting to a computer with a USB port, you will need to make sure you have the proper software driver, usually found on the cd-rom supplied with your camcorder. The cd may also contain viewing software you can use to view video on your computer. Load the supplied cd into your computer's cd/dvd drive tray and install the software. The video viewing software program will control the camcorder and allow you to view your video recordings. You can copy your video to the computer's hard disk and you can then email your video to family or friends over the internet. Make sure you have enough disk space for your video. One of the things to check before buying your camcorder is to make sure your computer operating system is compatible with the camcorder.

Trouble-Shooting
Many of the problems you may experience with your camcorder are due to power,  battery or AC, or the camcorder settings. Certain settings do not allow some camcorder functions to happen. For example, the battery will not charge if the CAMERA/VCR switch is in any position other than OFF. The battery also will not charge if it is not installed properly in the camcorder. Another example, the auto-focus function does not work. The focus may be set to manual mode. The remote control does not work....check the battery in the remote, also check to see that remote is turned ON in the camcorder settings. These are all common sense things to check and you may fix the problem right away.

Other problems could be more complicated. Dirty read/write heads can create picture problems when recording and the solution here is to buy an appropriate cleaning cassette and clean the heads. If you still cannot get a good picture after cleaning, you may have to replace the heads. More serious problems involve a malfunction of the camcorder itself. Some camcorders have a RESET button which may clear the problem. If this does not work, check your owner's manual for solutions and finally, if you believe you have a service issue, call customer service. The number should be in your owner's manual. Check for an authorized service center in your area. You may be able to get your camcorder repaired locally.

Maintenance of your camcorder involves things such as not letting foreign and possibly damaging contaminants such as sand, dust water, dirt and the like get inside your camcorder. Also avoid shock, such as dropping your camcorder. Clean your camcorder with a soft cloth, remove fingerprints from the lens, eject the media every so often and charge the battery. Remember, extreme temperatures can cause problems, either hot or cold. Also, video tape can be affected by strong magnetic fields. Keep your distance.

Battery
Many camcorders use a small lightweight lithium-ion rechargeable battery. Battery power is limited and therefore your operation time is limited. Battery packs can operate camcorders for 2 to 11 hours depending on which battery pack is used and how it is used. Battery performance degrades in colder temperatures. Always conserve battery power. Turn the camcorder off when not in use. Using the viewfinder instead of the LCD screen will allow longer recording times because the LCD screen uses more power. Do not expose the battery to water. Have fully charged spare battery packs ready in case you run out of power.