Hitachi VMH-38A - Camcorder, Instruction Manual

Page 1: ...ACHI HSC CANADA INC 3890 Steve Reynolds Blvd Norcross GA 30093 3300 Trans Canada Highway Pointe Claire Tel 404 279 5600 Quebec H9R 1B1 CANADA Tel 514 697 9150 HITACHI SALES CORPORATION OF HAWAII INC 3219 Koapaka Street Honolulu Hawaii 96819 Tel 808 836 3621 E145554 E72118 P4707229 Hitachi Ltd 1992 Printed in Japan KF TF N ...

Page 2: ...CORRECTION 25 POWER ZOOM 26 DIGITAL ZOOM 27 FADE IN FADE OUT 28 DIGITAL FILTER 29 ELECTRONIC IMAGE STABILIZER EIS 30 MACRO 31 SECOND CLOCK SETTING 32 DISPLAY BUTTON 33 LINEAR TIME COUNTER 33 MEMORY 34 INSTANT REVIEW 35 QUICK EDIT 35 EYEPIECE ADJUSTMENT 36 TITLE RECORDING 36 WIRELESS REMOTE CONTROLLER 39 AUDIO VIDEO DUBBING 40 RECORDING TV PROGRAMS 41 VIEWING THE PICTURE PLAYED BACK ON YOUR TV 42 S...

Page 3: ... any inside part of this unit This symbol alerts the user that important literature concerning the operation and maintenance of this unit has been included Therefore it should be read carefully to avoid any problems CAUTION TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK MATCH WIDE BLADE OF PLUG TO WIDE SLOT FULLY INSERT This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital ap...

Page 4: ... dust or sand enters the camera recorder When you are not using the camera recorder switch off the power and attach the lens cap When you shoot at a scene which contains an extremely bright object such as the sun or a light source a bright vertical bar may appear in the picture Your camera recorder is functioning properly but the solid state pickup device C C D usually causes this as an inherent c...

Page 5: ...ter 7 Batteries for Date Time and Wireless Remote Controller 8 RF Output Adapter 9 75 ohm Coaxial Cable 10 Video Owner s Manual This is a VHS cassette tape which includes instruction on how to operate your VM H38A camera recorder This tape covers the basic operations of this model and some ideas on how to make better recordings NOTES This unit uses video format cassettes It records and plays back ...

Page 6: ...should be operated only from the type of power source indicated on the marking label If you are not sure of the type of power supply to your home consult your video dealer or local power company For video products intended to operate from battery power or other sources refer to the operating instructions 6 Overloading Do not overload wall outlets and extension cords as this can result in a risk of...

Page 7: ...ilt up static charges Section 810 of the National Electrical Code ANSI NFPA No 70 provides information with respect to proper grounding of the mast and supporting structure grounding of the lead in wire to an antenna discharge unit size of grounding conductors location of antenna discharge unit connection to grounding electrodes and requirements for the grounding electrode See example below EXAMPL...

Page 8: ...d by the operating instructions Improper adjustment of other controls may result in damage and will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restore the video product to its normal operation e If the video product has been dropped or the cabinet has been damaged f When the video product exhibits a distinct change in performance this indicates a need for service 19 Replacement Part...

Page 9: ...ediately 10 An extension cord should not be used unless absolutely necessary Use of improper extension cord could result in a risk of fire and electric shock If extension cord must be used make sure A The pins on plug of extension cord are the same number size and shape as those of plug on charger B That extension cord is properly wired and in good electrical condition and C That wire size should ...

Page 10: ...rmat regardless of the position of the switch During playback the recording format is discriminated automatically and video cassettes are played back correctly regardless of the position of the switch Video cassettes recorded in the format cannot be played back by an VCR ELECTRONIC VIEWFINDER EVF POSITION ADJUSTMENT Adjust the electronic viewfinder to a position where you can see through it easily...

Page 11: ... time and remote control batteries provided immediately to prevent misplacing them For date time 1 Pull the battery holder 2 Insert the date time battery with the terminal facing up 3 Fully insert the battery hjolder into the camera recorder For remote control 1 Pull the battery holder from the remote control provided 2 Place the battery as illustrated and then attach the holder to the remote cont...

Page 12: ...n immediately for emergency treatment POWER SOURCES WHEN USING WITH THE BATTERY provided NOTE The battery must be charged before it can be used for the first time Refer to CHARGING THE BATTERY on page 14 1 Push the BATT EJECT lever in the direction of the arrow and hold it then open the grip cover 2 To attach the battery align the mark on the battery with that of the camera recorder 3 Hold the bat...

Page 13: ...hen using the AC adapter charger to power the camera recorder the battery level indicator may display This indicator is used for battery operation and has no meaning when using the Ac adapter charger to power the camera recorder WHEN USING WITH THE CAR BATTERY by using optional car battery cord Hitachi VM CC80A 1 Connect the car battery cord to the car s cigarette lighter socket 2 Connect the exte...

Page 14: ...he linear time counter is present in the viewfinder the battery level indicator is displayed in the viewfinder indicating the condition of camera recorder battery power When the battery is fully charged is displayed After several minutes the symbol will change to When the battery is very near empty the symbol will change to and start blinking You should find an alternative power source or recharge...

Page 15: ...sh such a battery before charging it 4 It takes about 4 hours to refresh a fully charged battery VM BP82G 5 Charge the battery before use and store it at normal room temperature 6 The battery should be charged at a temperature of 32 F 95 F 0 C 35 C to prevent damage 7 Do not operate the battery at temperatures below 14 F 10 C or above 95 F 35 C The battery may be damaged if operated at temperature...

Page 16: ...r Push the section of the holder marked PUSH until a click is heard The camera recorder will automatically close the top of the cassette compartment Do not press the door down or you may damage your camera recorder Removal Slide the EJECT switch and remove the cassette 8mm Video Cassette An 8mm Video Cassette has a record protect tab on the side of the cassette that can be slid to prevent accident...

Page 17: ...d pause mode 6 Now press the Start Stop button to start shooting the picture REC indication appears in the viewfinder You are now recording the picture you see through the viewfinder 7 Press the Start Stop button to stop recording Press the button again to resume recording The PAUSE indication appears in the viewfinder instead of REC in the record pause stand by mode NOTES The TAPE END indication ...

Page 18: ...R TV on page 37 11 After playing press STOP button 12 Slide the power switch to OFF and then slide EJECT switch to remove cassette 13 Always remove the power source from the camera recorder after use See POWER SOURCES on page 11 NOTE If you have a cassette tape that has already been partially recorded on and you want to record the remaining blank section see QUICK EDIT on page 31 ...

Page 19: ... the manual focus mode When FOCUS M is not displayed focusing is automatic 9 D FILTER Digital Filter Button Press for a special effect recording by changing the tone If you press this button to display in the viewfinder and start recording for example the picture will be recorded in sepia 10 Stereo Microphone Sensitive to source coming from the direction in which the camera is pointed 11 Infrared ...

Page 20: ...ded content Press PLAY button to return to normal playback mode or press STOP button to stop tape movement Also use F FWD button when setting the date time NOTE You can also visually scan forward when the camera recorder is in record pause stand by mode by pressing and holding this button 25 REW Button Press this button during stop or fast forward mode and fast rewinding starts Press the button du...

Page 21: ...ver when attaching the battery or external power adapter 36 MIC Switch This switch is used to reduce noise that occurs due to wind Place the switch in the NORM position for normal use 37 Tripod Mount Screw Use this screw to mount the camera recorder on a tripod generally available 38 BATT Battery EJECT Lever Move this lever to open the grip cover when attaching the battery or external power adapte...

Page 22: ...ton to select correct month Hold button down to advance rapidly If you go past the month you want to set press REW button When the correct month appears press STOP button 5 Press F FWD button to select correct date Hold button down to advance rapidly If you go past the date you want to set press REW button When the correct date appears press STOP button 6 Press F FWD or REW button to select year a...

Page 23: ... time the DATE button is pressed NOTE Refer to page 29 for setting the second clock To correct date time after starting the date time 1 Press and hold DATE button and then press STOP button The month starts flashing 2 Correct the incorrect digit by using F FWD REW and STOP buttons To correct date time during programming 1 Press STOP button repeatedly until the flashing cursor will be removed from ...

Page 24: ...de about 3 8 inches from the lens surface to infinity You cannot focus automatically with the following objects Focus manually 1 Objects not in the center of the viewfinder 2 Objects at far and near positions at the same time 3 Objects lit by a spotlight or neon signs etc 4 Objects behind glass with water droplets or dust on it 5 Objects with almost no difference in brightness such as a white wall...

Page 25: ...p is done during actual picture taking 4 Then zoom back the object as desired NOTE After using the manual focus press FOCUS select button to switch off FOCUS M in the viewfinder EXPOSURE CORRECTION This camera recorder is provided with an auto iris mechanism which automatically adjusts the lens aperature in accordance with the available light When the object is dark the iris opens automatically an...

Page 26: ...POWER ZOOM 26 POWER ZOOM Press power zoom switch on the W side and the picture gradually widens Press power zoom switch on the T side and the picture gradually becomes telescopic ...

Page 27: ...o X64 and adds mosaic special effect It also reduces the image width so the playback picture will just fit into a 16X9 TV screen Note Recording in the ZM 2 with 16X9 mode allows playback on a tv with a 16 9 aspect ratio If you play it on a conventional TV with the 4 3 aspect ratio the picture becomes thinner You can control the digital enlargement ratio by pressing the T or W side of the power zoo...

Page 28: ...de Each time the button is pressed the FADE mode is switched and displayed in the viewfinder The last mode selected will appear first White Fade fading in out from to a white picture Wipe Fade fading in out from to a black picture Zoom Fade fading in out while zooming FADE IN 1 Press the FADE button before recording to select the fade mode 2 Press the start stop button to start recording The pictu...

Page 29: ... then start recording Each time the D FILTER button is pressed the recording mode is switched The last mode selected will appear first Three special effect recording modes are available Notes The viewfinder in this model is of a black and white type so you cannot view the special effect color in it It is best to check the effects provided by the digital filter on your TV screen in advance before r...

Page 30: ...ing in a vehicle or recording a subject behind the window of a vehicle 1 Press the EIS button to engage the electronic image stabilizer and to display the EIS indicator Press the button again to switch off this function 2 Press the start stop button to start recording EIS corrects slight shaking of the image when is displayed NOTES Shaking of the image appears in the viewfinder with a slight delay...

Page 31: ... inch from the lens tip Press and hold W side of power zoom switch An object is auto focused NOTES Determine the size of the object by moving the camera backward and forward Be careful as the lighting tends to be insufficient when shooting in the above conditions ...

Page 32: ...n page 22 3 Select the correct hour and AM or PM and then press STOP button NOTES The minutes of the second clock can not be set They are the same as those of the first clock The first clock operates even while the second clock is being set 4 Press the DATE button to select the date time graphics you want to record The graphics change in the following order each time the button is pressed NOTES If...

Page 33: ...inder LINEAR TIME COUNTER Shows length of tape run in hours minutes and seconds Press DISPLAY button to select the linear time counter display Load a cassette into the camera recorder and perform recording or playback the counter indicates the elapsed time NOTE Counter changes to 0 00 00 when cassette is ejected ...

Page 34: ...t to return to the same point several times in a row 1 Press DISPLAY button until the linear time counter with memory is displayed 2 Start playing or recording a tape 3 At the point you want playback to start press RESET button to reset the counter to 0 00 00 M 4 Continue to play or record 5 Press STOP button 6 Press REW button The tape will be rewound to the preselected point at approximately 0 0...

Page 35: ...d pause stand by mode Recording starts again when the start stop button is pressed again QUICK EDIT The quick edit feature allows you to search for the end of previously recorded material or find a particular spot on your tape to begin your editing or recording new material Quick edit is used while the camera recorder is in the record pause stand by mode By holding down the F FWD REW or PLAY butto...

Page 36: ...r videos with the camera recorder s built in titler The titler will store 2 different title pages in memory Once a title is stored it can be displayed and recorded at anytime Each title page can contain two lines of 16 characters each The titler contains 47 different characters for creating titles Note Be sure to insert the date time battery before creating a title Creating a Title 1 Attach a powe...

Page 37: ...ated on page 33 5 After you have selected the first character press SHIFT button to move the flashing cursor to the place you want the next character 6 Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have completed the title NOTE Character may flash however it will be recorded correctly without the flashing 7 After completeing your title press PAGE button and create the title on another title page 8 After creating...

Page 38: ... If you are planning to video tape an event you must prepare your titles in advance then by pressing TITLE button superimpose the title over the scene as it s being recorded You cannot go back and record titles over existing video without erasing the previously recorded material Recording Titles on Another VCR while playing a Tape Back with the Camera Recorder 1 Connect the camera recorder and VCR...

Page 39: ...ecorder Aim the remote controller at the receiver of the camera recorder Remote controllable range Cautions on the remote controller Use the remote controller indoors When the infrared ray receiver is exposed to direct sunlight or strong light such as that from artificial lighting the remote controller may not operate correctly The remote control code of this camera recorder is VCR2 If the remote ...

Page 40: ...ed record protect tab is not closed 2 Slide the power switch to VIDEO 3 Aim the remote controller at the receiver of the camera recorder 4 Press PLAY button and then REW or F FWD button to search to the approximate area on the tape where you want to begin your dub 5 Press PLAY button again to search for the exact position that you want to stop dubbing then press PAUSE button 6 Press DISPLAY button...

Page 41: ...a recorder 3 Insert the cassette NOTE Power source must be connected to the camera recorder 4 Slide the power switch of the camera recorder to CAMERA 5 Turn on your TV or VCR and tune it to the channel you wish to record 6 Press the start stop button to start recording You are now recording the programme you can see on your TV screen 7 Press the start stop button once again to stop recording 8 Aft...

Page 42: ...ad of the VIDEO IN plug yellow 2 Connect the other end to the AV stereo output cord to AV IN OUT of your camera recorder 3 Select the LINE of your VCR 4 Slide EJECT switch on the camera recorder and then insert the cassette 5 Slide the power switch to VIDEO 6 Press PLAY button 7 After playing press STOP button Example 2 If your TV has VIDEO IN and AUDIO IN jacks 1 Connect the AV stereo output cord...

Page 43: ...erminal 3 Connect the 75 ohm coaxial cable to OUT TO TV on the RF output adapter 4 Connect the other end of the VHF antenna terminal on the TV as illustrated 5 Connect the connector cable from RF output adapter to AV IN OUT jack on the camera recorder 6 Turn on the TV and set to channel 3 unless channel 3 is one of the TV stations in your area If channel 3 is used in your area set your TV to chann...

Page 44: ...er the stop mode to protect the tape from damage FORWARD AND REVERSE SEARCH When you press F FWD or REW button during playback the tape will be played back at a speed about 9 times forward search or 7 times reverse search faster than the normal playback speed and you can easily locate a certain spot on the tape Press PLAY button to return to normal playback mode or press STOP button to stop tape m...

Page 45: ...nnect camera recorder to VCR for this purpose Camera to VCR dubbing hookup Illustration 1 Connect the AV stereo output cord to AV IN OUT of your camera recorder 2 Connect the other ends to AUDIO IN VIDEO IN of your VCR as shown in diagram above NOTE If your VCR has a single mono audio input connect either the left or right audio plug to the audio input on the VCR 3 Play the tape on the camera reco...

Page 46: ...ant to record only selected segments from a previously recorded tape Synchro edit hookup Illustration 1 Connect your camera recorder to a compatible VCR as shown above An optional synchro edit cord is required NOTE If your VCR has a single mono audio input connect either the left or right audio plug to audio input on the VCR 2 Insert the recorded tape into the camera recorder 3 Insert the blank ta...

Page 47: ...FWD or REW button When you press PLAY button the camera recorder will resume normal playback To begin copying again press PAUSE button and then the REVIEW button To fast forward or rewind the tape press STOP then F FWD or REW To begin copying again press STOP then PLAY then PAUSE to pause the camera recorder and REVIEW to begin copying 8 If you want to stop copying the tape at a certain point turn...

Page 48: ... because the operation time of the battery pack becomes shorter when the light is on 5 To remove the camera light depress the light to release the tab from the hook and then move the light in the direction of the arrow NOTES Never touch the terminal of the DC camera light with your hand or short it using metal When the camera light is on do not allow water to drop on the light When the camera ligh...

Page 49: ...e attach the front case to the camera light by aligning the marks of the front case and camera light then turn the case in the direction of the arrow NOTES Do not touch the lamp directly with your fingers It may shorten its service life When the lamp is replaced or when the front case of the camera light is removed make sure the front case is attached to the camera light properly ...

Page 50: ... button to erase it Picture is out of focus Auto Focus does not operate if a special effects filter is attached RECORDING TV PROGRAMS OFF THE AIR Symptom Check Point Correction The camera recorder can not be set to the recording mode even when the start sop button on the camera recorder is pressed Check the record protect tab on the cassette Set the power switch to CAMERA position Connect the came...

Page 51: ...uired Use the Maxell 8M CLT or similar dry type head cleaning tape to clean the video heads If the picture does not clear up after using the head cleaning tape professional cleaning by a service technician may be necessary Consult your nearest dealer or VCR service center for head cleaning PERIODIC MAINTENANCE The video camera recorder is a precision electromechanical device which will require per...

Page 52: ...rized HITACHI service facility in the continental U S A DIAL TOLL FREE 7 days a week 24 hours a day 800 HITACHI 1 800 448 2244 Hitachi Home Electronics America Inc Hitachi has made every effort to assure you hours of trouble free operation from your unit However should you require service a network of Hitachi Authorized Service Facilities has been established in all 50 states and Puerto Rico Each ...

Page 53: ...for these items you can 1 Call the toll free number 1 800 HITACHI 2 Mail to HITACHI with attached form See page 49 More Optional Accessories HOW TO ORDER U S A only BY PHONE To place an order by phone have your VISA MASTERCARD or AMERICAN EXPRESS card ready and call Hitachi s toll free number anytime 24 Hrs day 7 days a week 1 800 HITACHI BY MAIL To place your order by mail detach and mail the com...