JVC Digital Video Camera GR-DX78, Instructions Manual

Page 1: ...age on the World Wide Web for Digital Video Camera For Accessories http www jvc co jp english cyber http www jvc co jp english accessory INSTRUCTIONS GETTING STARTED 6 VIDEO RECORDING PLAYBACK 15 DIGITAL STILL CAMERA D S C RECORDING PLAYBACK 21 ADVANCED FEATURES 27 REFERENCES 45 TERMS Back cover DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERA To deactivate the demonstration set DEMO MODE to OFF 墌 pg 27 29 The camcorder illu...

Page 2: ...imply pressing the BACK LIGHT button brightens the image darkened by backlight 墌 pg 33 You can also select a spot metering area so that more precise exposure compensation is available 墌 pg 33 Spot Exposure Control Navigation Function The Navigation Function helps you check tape contents by making thumbnail images on a memory card 墌 pg 35 E Mail Clip Recording You can record video clips on the memo...

Page 3: ...d Caution on Replaceable lithium battery The battery used in this device may present a fire or chemical burn hazard if mistreated Do not recharge disassemble heat above 100 C or incinerate Replace battery with Panasonic Matsushita Electric Sanyo Sony or Maxell CR2025 Danger of explosion or Risk of fire if the battery is incorrectly replaced Dispose of used battery promptly Keep away from children ...

Page 4: ... result in a fatal electrical shock NEVER guess or take chances with electrical equipment of any kind it is better to be safe than sorry Before Using This Camcorder Make sure you only use cassettes with the Mini DV mark Make sure you only use memory cards with the mark or This camcorder is designed exclusively for the digital video cassette SD Memory Card and MultiMediaCard Only cassettes marked a...

Page 5: ...ng File Information 23 Removing On Screen Display 23 ADDITIONAL FEATURES FOR D S C 24 E Mail Clip Recording 24 Dubbing Still Images Recorded On A Tape To A Memory Card 24 Resetting The File Name 24 Protecting Files 25 Deleting Files 25 Setting Print Information DPOF Setting 26 Initialising A Memory Card 26 ADVANCED FEATURES 27 MENUS FOR DETAILED ADJUSTMENT 27 Changing The Menu Settings 27 Recordin...

Page 6: ...he LCD Monitor The LCD monitor cannot be rotated downward direction from the position illustrated above Rotating to the wrong direction may cause a malfunction Make sure to rotate to the correct direction ATTENTION Be careful not to cover h k and p during shooting Be careful not to cover g during playback Correct direction for opening Correct direction for closing ...

Page 7: ...tor DC 墌 pg 11 Y Digital Video Connector DV IN OUT i Link 墌 pg 38 39 i Link refers to the IEEE1394 1995 industry specification and extensions thereof The logo is used for products compliant with the i Link standard Indicators D POWER CHARGE Lamp 墌 pg 11 15 E Tally Lamp 墌 pg 15 29 Other Parts c Viewfinder 墌 pg 13 d LCD Monitor 墌 pg 15 16 e Battery Pack Mount 墌 pg 11 f Grip Strap 墌 pg 13 g Speaker 墌...

Page 8: ...ng Icon 墌 pg 21 24 c E Mail Clip Recording Indicator 墌 pg 24 d Memory Card Remaining Time For E Mail Clip Recording 墌 pg 24 e E Mail Clip Recording Time 墌 pg 24 f Auxiliary Microphone Level Indicator Appears when an optional microphone is connected 墌 pg 30 AUX MIC During Both Video And D S C Recording a Operation Mode 墌 pg 12 b Night Scope Indicator 墌 pg 32 Gain Up Mode 墌 pg 28 c LED Light Indicat...

Page 9: ... Extension Cable for optional microphone 墌 pg 10 for connection f USB Cable g Core Filter large for USB Cable 墌 pg 10 for attachment h Core Filter small for Audio Extension Cable 墌 pg 10 for attachment i CD ROM j Cable Adapter k Battery Mount Cover Already attached on the camcorder l Remote Control Unit RM V720U m Lithium Battery CR2025 for remote control unit n Memory Card 8 MB Already inserted i...

Page 10: ...filter reduces interference 1 Release the stoppers on both ends of the core filter 2 Run the cable through the core filter leaving approx 3 cm of cable between the cable plug and the core filter USB cable Wind the cable once around the outside of the core filter as shown in the illustration Audio Extension cable Wind the cable twice around the outside of the core filter as shown in the illustratio...

Page 11: ...ng use Be sure to use it only in well ventilated areas Using the optional AA V100 AC Power Adapter Charger you can charge the BN V107U V114U battery pack without the camcorder However it cannot be used as an AC Adapter After 5 minutes has elapsed in Record Standby mode with the cassette inserted the camcorder will automatically turn off its power supplied from the AC adapter In this case the batte...

Page 12: ...geable Lithium Battery If the camcorder is not used for approx 3 months the clock s lithium battery will become discharged and the date time stored in memory will be lost When this occurs first connect the camcorder to an AC outlet using the AC Adapter for over 24 hours to charge the clock s rechargeable lithium battery Then perform the date time setting before using the camcorder Note that the ca...

Page 13: ... fingers 1 Set the Power Switch to M or PLAY while pressing down the Lock Button located on the switch 2 Open the LCD monitor fully 墌 pg 15 To adjust the brightness of the viewfinder pull out the viewfinder fully and set PRIORITY to FINDER 墌 pg 27 29 3 Press MENU The Menu Screen appears 4 Press or to select n and press SET The CAMERA DISPLAY Menu appears 5 Press or to select BRIGHT and press SET T...

Page 14: ...er cover fully and remove the cassette A few minutes later insert it again When the camcorder is suddenly moved from a cold place to a warm environment wait a short time before opening the cassette holder cover The provided memory card is already inserted in the camcorder at the time of purchase 1 Make sure the camcorder s power is off 2 Open the card cover MEMORY CARD 3 To load a memory card firm...

Page 15: ...墌 pg 17 To turn the tally lamp or beep sounds off 墌 pg 27 29 Tape Remaining Time Approximate tape remaining time appears on the display h m means the camcorder is calculating the remaining time When the remaining time reaches 2 minutes the indication starts blinking The time required to calculate and display the remaining tape length and the accuracy of the calculation may vary according to the ty...

Page 16: ...zoomed in in the auto focus mode the camcorder may automatically zoom out depending on the distance between the camcorder and the subject This will not occur when TELE MACRO is set to ON 墌 pg 28 Journalistic Shooting In some situations different shooting angles may provide more dramatic results Hold the camcorder in the desired position and tilt the LCD monitor in the most convenient direction It ...

Page 17: ...the time code indication does not move smoothly The time code is displayed only when TIME CODE is set to ON 墌 pg 30 Recording From The Middle Of A Tape 1 Play back a tape or use Blank Search 墌 pg 18 to find the spot at which you want to start recording then engage the Still Playback mode 墌 pg 17 2 Set the Power Switch to A or M while pressing down the Lock Button located on the switch then start r...

Page 18: ...n the camcorder searches in the forward direction If the beginning or end of the tape is reached during Blank Search the camcorder stops automatically A blank portion which is shorter than 5 seconds of tape may not be detected The detected blank portion may be located between recorded scenes Before you start recording make sure there is no recorded scene after the blank portion A Remote plug Not c...

Page 19: ...ensor The transmitted beam s approximate effective distance for indoor use is 5 m NOTE The transmitted beam may not be effective or may cause incorrect operation when the remote sensor is directly exposed to sunlight or powerful lighting Buttons And Functions A Infrared beam transmitting window Transmits the beam signal The following buttons are available only when the camcorder s Power Switch is ...

Page 20: ...utton T To zoom out press the Zoom Button W 3 You can move the image on the screen around to find a particular portion of the picture While holding down SHIFT press Left Right Up and Down To end zoom press and hold W until magnification returns to normal Or press STOP 8 and then press PLAY U during video playback NOTES Zoom can also be used during slow motion and still playback Due to digital imag...

Page 21: ...ed setting 1 Set INT SHOT to ON 墌 pg 27 30 INTERVAL and appears 2 Set INT TIME to the desired shooting interval 墌 pg 27 30 3 Set the Power Switch to A or M while pressing down the Lock Button located on the switch 4 Press SNAPSHOT First shot is taken after 2 seconds The O indicator appears while the snapshot is being taken The clock icon turns while waiting for the next shot is being taken The nex...

Page 22: ...uto Playback If you press 3 during Auto Playback files are displayed in descending order If you press 5 during Auto Playback files are displayed in ascending order 3 To end Auto Playback press 8 You can view video clips 墌 pg 24 stored in the memory card 1 Perform steps 1 3 in Normal Playback Of Images 2 If the image playback IMAGE screen appears press SELECT The MEMORY SELECT screen appears 3 Pres...

Page 23: ...ITY Picture quality IMAGE only TIME Playback time E MAIL CLIP only PROTECT When set to ON the file is protected from accidental erasure 墌 pg 25 Press the INFO Button again to close the Information Screen NOTE With images shot with other devices or processed on a PC QUALITY will be displayed 1 Display the playback screen of normal images 墌 pg 22 2 Press MENU The Menu Screen appears 3 Press or to se...

Page 24: ...is camcorder are compatible with MPEG4 Some MPEG4 files stored with other devices cannot be played back with this camcorder Still images can be dubbed from a tape to a memory card 1 Load a cassette 墌 pg 14 2 Load a memory card 墌 pg 14 3 Set the VIDEO MEMORY Switch to VIDEO 4 Set the Power Switch to PLAY while pressing down the Lock Button located on the switch 5 Set COPY to ON 墌 pg 27 30 6 Press 4...

Page 25: ...ection from all files stored in the memory card 4 Press or to select CANC ALL and press SET The PROTECT screen appears 5 Press or to select EXECUTE and press SET To cancel selection select RETURN Previously stored files can be deleted either one at a time or all at once 1 To delete the file for images display its playback screen 墌 pg 22 for video clips display its playback screen 墌 pg 22 2 Press M...

Page 26: ...d press SET The SAVE appears If you did not change any settings in step 3 through 5 the Menu Screen reappears 7 Press or to select EXECUTE to save the setting you have just made and press SET To cancel selection select CANCEL To Reset The Number Of Prints 1 Perform steps 1 3 in To Print All Still Images One Print For Each 2 Press or to select RESET and press SET The DPOF screen appears 3 Press or ...

Page 27: ...ERA DISPLAY 墌 pg 29 o DSC 墌 pg 30 t VIDEO 墌 pg 30 n VIDEO DISPLAY 墌 pg 31 1 Press or to select the desired function and press SET The Sub Menu appears Example m CAMERA Menu 2 Press or to select the desired parameter 3 Press SET Selection is complete Repeat the procedure if you wish to set other function menus 4 Press SET The Menu Screen returns Repeat the procedure if you wish to set other functio...

Page 28: ...nt AGC The overall appearance may be grainy but the image is bright AUTO The shutter speed is automatically adjusted Shooting a subject in low or poor lighting at slow shutter speed provides a brighter image than in the AGC mode but the subject s movements are not smooth or natural The overall appearance may be grainy While the shutter speed is being automatically adjusted is displayed MANUAL Enab...

Page 29: ...n to signal the start of recording OFF Disables the remote control operations ON Enables the remote control operations OFF Automatic demonstration will not take place ON Demonstrates certain functions such as Program AE with special effects etc and can be used to confirm how these functions operate Demonstration starts in the following cases When the Menu Screen is closed after DEMO MODE is turned...

Page 30: ... shooting 墌 pg 21 VIDEO Factory preset SOUND MODE and NARRATION During tape playback the camcorder detects the sound mode in which the recording was made and plays the sound back Select the type of sound to accompany your playback picture According to the menu access explanation on page 27 select SOUND MODE or NARRATION from the Menu Screen and set it to the desired parameter STEREO Sound is outpu...

Page 31: ...s not reach the subject the Night Scope function will be activated and makes it possible to shoot the subject brighter There is a difference in the brightness of the images shot between the centre area which is illuminated by the LED Light and the surrounding areas which will be darker Since subjects are shot at a reduced shutter speed when the LED Light setting is ON they will appear slightly blu...

Page 32: ...ike photographs onto a tape 1 Set the VIDEO MEMORY Switch to VIDEO 2 Set the Power Switch to M 3 Set SNAP MODE to the desired mode 墌 pg 27 28 4 Press SNAPSHOT There is the sound effect of a shutter closing The O indication appears and a still image will be recorded for approx 6 seconds then the camcorder re enters the Record Standby mode You can perform Snapshot also during recording A still image...

Page 33: ...appear 4 Press SET The indication changes to and the iris is locked To return to automatic iris control Select AUTO in step 2 Or set the Power Switch to A The exposure control indicator and disappear To lock the exposure control and the iris After step 2 adjust the exposure by pressing or Then lock the iris in steps 3 and 4 For automatic locking select AUTO in step 2 The exposure control and the i...

Page 34: ...if the power is turned off or the battery removed These effects let you make pro style scene transitions Use them to spice up the transition from one scene to the next Wipe or Fader works when video recording is started or stopped 1 Set the VIDEO MEMORY Switch to VIDEO 2 Set the Power Switch to M 3 Set v to the desired mode 墌 pg 27 The WIPE FADER menu disappears and the effect is reserved The sele...

Page 35: ...rwise appear too dark when shooting in extremely bright surroundings such as in the snow SPOTLIGHT Compensates for subjects that may otherwise appear too bright when shooting under extremely strong direct lighting such as spotlights TWILIGHT Makes evening scenes look more natural White Balance 墌 pg 34 is automatically set to but can be changed to your desired setting When Twilight is chosen the ca...

Page 36: ...y displayed image Select ALL to delete all thumbnail images stored in the memory card at once 6 Press SET The NAVIGATION screen appears 7 Press or to select EXECUTE and press SET Press to display the previous image Press to display the next image To cancel deletion select RETURN Thumbnail images cannot be deleted during video playback CAUTION Do not remove the memory card or perform any other oper...

Page 37: ...upply instead of the battery pack 墌 pg 11 To choose whether or not the following displays appear on the connected TV Date time Set DATE TIME to AUTO ON or OFF 墌 pg 27 31 Or press DISPLAY on the remote control to turn on off the date indication Time code Set TIME CODE to OFF or ON 墌 pg 27 31 Indications other than date time and time code Set ON SCREEN to OFF LCD or LCD TV 墌 pg 27 31 To use this cam...

Page 38: ...Effects 墌 pg 20 is attempted or SNAPSHOT is pressed during playback only the original playback image recorded on the tape is output from the DV IN OUT connector When using a DV cable be sure to use the optional JVC VC VDV204U DV cable To use this camcorder as a recorder 1 Make sure all units are turned off 2 Connect this camcorder to a video unit equipped with a DV output connector using a DV cabl...

Page 39: ... the PC If the PC connected to the camcorder via the USB cable is not powered the camcorder does not enter the USB mode The date time information cannot be captured into the PC Refer to the instruction manuals of the PC and Software The still images can also be transferred to a PC with a DV connector equipped capture board The system may not work properly depending on the PC or capture board you a...

Page 40: ...o the camcorder s AV connector first set S AV INPUT to A V IN or S IN in VIDEO Menu 墌 pg 27 30 The AUX indication appears instead of MIC You can record a new scene into a previously recorded tape replacing a section of the original recording with minimal picture distortion at the in and outpoints The original audio remains unchanged Use the provided remote control or an optional remote control kit...

Page 41: ...d functions NOTES If the VCR s power does not come on in step 1 try another code from the VCR CODE LIST Some brands of VCR do not come on automatically In this case turn the power on manually and try step 2 If the remote control is not able to control the VCR use the controls on the VCR When the remote control s batteries run out the VCR brand you have set will be erased In that case replace the o...

Page 42: ...e indication Time code Set TIME CODE to OFF or ON 墌 pg 27 31 Indications other than date time and time code Set ON SCREEN to OFF LCD or LCD TV 墌 pg 27 31 When editing on a VCR equipped with a DV input connector an optional DV cable can be connected instead of the S AV Editing cable However it is necessary to connect the editing cable of the S AV Editing cable to the VCR For details see step 1 A Bl...

Page 43: ...ecord Standby mode will be cancelled and editing will not take place If there are blank portions before or after the Edit In and Edit Out points a blue screen may be included in the edited version Turning off the camcorder s power erases all registered Edit In and Edit Out points If you select Sepia or Monotone mode from Program AE with special effects you cannot use the Dissolve or Black White Fa...

Page 44: ...For a cleanly edited tape confirm and adjust the timing of the camcorder against your VCR Diagnosing VCR Camcorder Timing 1 Play back the tape in the camcorder then point the remote control at the camcorder s remote sensor and press R A EDIT ON OFF Random Assemble Editing Menu appears 2 Perform Random Assemble Editing on Program 1 only In order to check VCR and camcorder timing select the beginnin...

Page 45: ... Squeeze SQUEEZE mode 墌 pg 27 29 The light source or the subject does not include white Or there are various different light sources behind the subject HFind a white subject and compose your shot so that it also appears in the frame 墌 pg 21 32 Shooting was performed under backlit conditions HPress BACK LIGHT 墌 pg 33 The subject is too bright HSet r to SPOTLIGHT 墌 pg 35 The Sepia SEPIA or Monotone ...

Page 46: ...ay appear constantly on the LCD monitor or the viewfinder These spots are not recorded on the tape This is not due to any defect of the unit Effective dots more than 99 99 The battery s charge is low HInstall a fully charged battery 墌 pg 11 HPush in the memory card a few more times 墌 pg 14 The viewfinder is pulled out and PRIORITY is set to FINDER HPush the viewfinder back in or set PRIORITY to LC...

Page 47: ...rotection tab is set to SAVE 墌 pg 40 Appears if Insert Editing is attempted on a blank portion of a tape 墌 pg 40 Appears if Insert Editing is attempted on a blank portion of a tape Appears if Insert Editing is attempted on a tape recorded in the LP mode 墌 pg 40 Appears if INSERT I on the remote control is pressed when the erase protection tab is set to SAVE 墌 pg 40 Appears when the memory card s m...

Page 48: ...ed When an error indication appears the camcorder turns off automatically Eject the cassette once and re insert it then check if the indication clears When it does you can resume using the camcorder If the indication remains consult your nearest JVC dealer NO E MAIL CLIP STORED CARD ERROR UNSUPPORTED FILE CHECK CARD S WRITE PROTECTION SWITCH E01 E02 or E06 UNIT IN SAFEGUARD MODE REMOVE AND REATTAC...

Page 49: ...Temperature Range Specifications Charging 10 C to 35 C Operation 0 C to 40 C Storage 20 C to 50 C The lower the temperature the longer recharging takes Charging times are for a fully discharged battery pack Cassettes To properly use and store your cassettes be sure to read the following cautions During use make sure the cassette bears the Mini DV mark be aware that recording onto prerecorded tapes...

Page 50: ...ear during playback During recording or playback the Head Clog Warning indicator appears Recording cannot be performed properly In such cases use an optional cleaning cassette Insert it and play back If the cassette is used more than once consecutively damage to the video heads may result After the camcorder plays back for about 20 seconds it stops automatically Also refer to the cleaning cassette...

Page 51: ...2 channel 16 BIT Cassette Mini DV cassette Tape speed SP 18 8 mm s LP 12 5 mm s Maximum recording time using 80 min cassette SP 80 min LP 120 min Storage media SD Memory Card MultiMediaCard Compression system Still image JPEG compatible Moving image MPEG4 compatible File size Still image 4 modes 1600 x 1200 pixels 1280 x 960 pixels 1024 x 768 pixels 640 x 480 pixels Moving image 1 mode 160 x 120 p...

Page 52: ...and Viewfinder 13 15 LED Light 31 Loading A Cassette 14 Loading A Memory Card 14 M Manual Focus 32 Memory Card 14 49 Motor Drive Mode 32 N Navigation 28 35 Night Scope 32 P Picture Quality 30 Playback Sound 30 Playback Special Effects 20 Power Linked Operation 12 Program AE With Special Effects 35 R Random Assemble Editing 41 44 Recording Capacity Memory Card 21 24 Tape 15 Recording Media Selectio...