RCA Pro845 - Manuals

Recording Tips • Make a video recording of your home and contents to store in a safe place in case of fire or theft. • Practice recording under a variety of lighting conditions. This will help you respond quickly. • Do not move the camcorder rapidly from side-to- side while recording. A steady, grad...

Table of Contents Product Registration ..............Inside Front Cover Safety Precautions ...........................................1-3 Recording Tips....................................................4• Holding the Camcorder .....................................4• Traveling Tips ...................

6 Optional Accessories To order accessories, contact your local dealer, calltoll free, or use the order form on the next page. AC025A Soft Carrying Case Custom compact softcase designedespecially to provideprotection and utilityfor your 8mm cam-corder and mostaccessories. Ruggedfabric lined with sof...

7 193983 Cable Transformer This 300-to-75 ohmtransformer is usedto connect a standard300-ohm antenna twin-lead to a standard round 75-ohm connector. AH011 Cable Transformer This 75-to-300ohm trans-former is used to connect a standard 75-ohmantenna cable, such as AH065G orAH066G, to the 300-ohm screw...

9 Optional Tripod or Monopod AC088 Tripod This tripod’s fluid-effect head provides smooth camera pan and tilt. The grooved, tubular 3-section legdesign folds down to 26" when not in use and weighs only 4 lbs. Rubber feet allow for sure footing. Cautions: Before using a tripod, make sure it is st...

First-Time Operation 10 1. Unpack the camcorder and accessories. • Save the packing materials and box in case you ever need to ship or store your camcorder. • The items shown below are packed with your camcorder. If any are missing or appear damaged, contact your dealer immediately. REFRESH POWER CH...

First-Time Operation (continued) 11 DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUSON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/STOP REFRESH POWER CHARGE DC OUT Jack DC IN 6.5VJack POWER Indicator To AC 100-240V,50/60 Hz DC Power Cord (continued on next page...

E. Put your hand in the handstrap. First-Time Operation (continued) A. Press EJECT to open the cassette compartment. 12 4. Attach the lens cap cord and adjust the handstrap. 5. Insert a cassette in the camcorder. W&K?O2@@@6K? 7@@@@@@@@@@6K?f?@6X @@@@@@@@@@@@@6X?e?@@1 W&hfW2@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@)...

AUTO SCENE SEARCH IR DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUSON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/STOP First-Time Operation (continued) 13 6. Set SCENE SELECT to AUTO. 7. Turn on camcorder and place ON/POWER SAVE lever ON. A. Press and hold th...

First-Time Operation (continued) 14 AUTO SCENE SEARCH IR SCENE SEARCH + and - Buttons Clock Cell Compartment SCENE SELECT Control Lens Tally Light Microphone Power Zoom Buttons (W and T) Accessory Shoe Remote Control Sensor Eyepiece Focus Control Electronic Viewfinder(PULL here to extend) Manual foc...

MIC VIDEO AUDIO PUSH IN AV OUT DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUS ON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/STOP First-Time Operation (continued) 15 Attach chargedbattery here DC IN 6.5V Jack (AttachDC power cord here foradapter/charger or op...

4 F.ADV (Frame Advance) Button During playback, press PAUSE, then F.ADV to view one frame at a time. Press PAUSEagain (or PLAY) to return to normal playback. 5 PAUSE Button During playback, press PAUSE to produce a stop-action picture. Press PAUSE again (orPLAY) to return to normal playback. 6 SCENE...

8 COUNTER RES (Reset) and MEM (Memory) Buttons • Press COUNTER RES to reset the time counter to “0:00:00”. • Press COUNTER MEM during recording to display amount of recording time left on the tape. • Press COUNTER MEM during playback to turn memory stop on and off. • Details are on page 33. 9 F.FWD ...

Remote Control (continued) 18 Replace Remote Battery Cell 1. Turn the remote over. Insert a pencil or paper clip in the small hole and slide it in thedirection of the arrow while removing thebattery cell holder. 2. Remove the old battery by pushing it to the front and then up. 3. Insert the lithium ...

Powering Your Camcorder 19 DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUSON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/STOP REFRESH POWER CHARGE Use the Adapter/Charger 1. Plug one end of the DC power cord into the DC OUT jack on the adapter/charger and theo...

Powering Your Camcorder 20 Rechargeable Battery The battery must be charged before it can be used the first time. Initial charging will take approximatelyone hour. When fully charged, the battery should supply about 45-65 minutes of operating time (dependingon how much you use zoom and pause, auto f...

Powering Your Camcorder 21 DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUSON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/STOP Attach the Charged Battery 1. If the DC power cord’s plug is attached to the camcorder, remove it. 2. Align the reference marks on the...

Powering Your Camcorder Note: The battery level indicator has no meaning whenyou power the camcorder with the optional car cordadapter/charger. 22 DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUSON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/STOP 1. Remove batt...

23 RCA Video Cassettes We recommend our cassettes be used with your camcorder. Use of poor quality or damaged tapes cancontaminate the video heads, resulting in snow or no picture during playback. Head cleaning is not coveredunder warranty. It is considered normal maintenance. The automatic head cle...

DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUSON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/STOP AUTO SCENE SEARCH IR Press DATE To Display in Viewfinder Button and Record on the Tape Press Once Date Only Press Again Date and Time Press Again Neither Date no...

DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUSON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/STOP Viewfinder 25 The camcorder’s viewfinder is a miniature color LCD monitor that displays the picture seen by thecamcorder. The viewfinder can also be used for vie...

26 Displays in Viewfinder start or stop recording to let you know thatthe SCENE SELECT control is set toAUTO. • These displays are not recorded on the tape. SCENE SELECT Indicators • Turn the preset program control to select one of the preset program modes. • The indicator for the mode selected will...

Displays in Viewfinder (continued) 27 LP IndicatorLP appears when you play back a taperecorded in LP speed. FADE Indicator • FADE appears when you turn on the fading feature. • FADE flashes while the camcorder is fading in or out. TAPE and TAPE END Indicators • TAPE appears when approximately five m...

AUTO SCENE SEARCH IR 28 Special Features Quick Review When the camcorder is in record pause, press andrelease SCENE SEARCH – to review the last fewseconds of recorded material. The camcorder willreturn to record pause. Note: Do not hold SCENE SEARCH –, or the camcorderwill go into camera edit. Camer...

DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUSON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/STOP 29 Special Features (continued) Auto Mode Place the SCENE SELECT control to AUTO to havethe camcorder control focus and set the shutter speedto 1/60 second. When...

DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUSON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/STOP Focusing Your Camcorder 30 To focus manually. 1. Press FOCUS ON/OFF (auto focus/manual focus) to select manual focus. MF will appear in theviewfinder. 2. Press p...

Recording Conditions When recording in a foreign country underfluorescent lighting that uses 50 Hz. electriccurrent (some parts of Europe and Asia). Use under normal conditions. For filming sporting events, football games, etc.• Colors may change if this mode is used indoors with fluorescent lightin...

DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUSON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/STOP Zooming and Fading • Press the button labeled “T” to move the lens in the telephoto (close-up) direction. • Press the button labeled “W” to move the lens in the ...

DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUSON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/STOP 33 Time Counter with Memory Stop Time Counter The time counter display shows the actual time elapsed when recording or playing back a tape. The timecounter quick...

Installation 1 Attach the white plug on one end of the included audio/video cable to the AUDIO OUT jack on theTV or VCR and the other white plug to the whiteAUDIO jack located under the AV TERMINALcover on the side of the camcorder. Note: If your TV or VCR has stereo AUDIO jacks,attach the AUDIO plu...

DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUSON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/STOP 35 Viewfinder Playback and Playback Features Stop-Action Pause • During playback, press PAUSE to “stop the action” and view one frame of the tape. • During stop-...

36 Playback on TV or VCR Using AUDIO/VIDEO IN Jacks To connect your camcorder to a TV or VCR using AUDIO/VIDEO IN jacks, use the audio/video cable thatcame packed with the camcorder. If your TV is already connected to a VCR, you can attach the camcorderto the VCR and watch what the camcorder is reco...

37 Playback on TV or VCR (continued) 1. A. Camcorder connected directly to TV monitor: Turn on the TV and tune it to the video inputchannel. B. Camcorder connected to VCR that is already connected to TV: Turn on VCR and place it inthe “line” or “camera mode”. (If your VCRdoes not have a “line” or “c...

Playback on a TV without Audio/Video Inputs 38 To connect your camcorder to a TV without audio and video inputs, you need an optional CRF800 RF outputadapter and an optional coaxial RF cable. *Optional accessories are available from your dealer or electronics supply store. Mail order form is on page...

Playback on a TV without Audio/Video Inputs (continued) Playback Operation 1. Set CHANNEL 4CH/3CH on the RF output adapter to 4CH or 3CH. 2. Turn on the TV, and tune it to channel 3 or 4 – the same channel you selected with 4CH/3CH. 3. Attach a power supply, and press and hold the small button on th...

40 Care and Maintenance Camcorder Care and Storage • Keep dust and grit from entering the camcorder’s cassette door. They are abrasive and causeexcessive wear both to the camcorder’srecording/playback heads and cassettes. • Always replace the lens cap on the lens when the camcorder is not in use. • ...

Care and Maintenance 41 Cleaning the Camcorder To clean the camcorder’s exterior, remove any power source connected to thecamcorder and gently wipe it with a clean soft cloth. Cleaning the Camcorder’s Lens To clean the camcorder’s lens, blow it with a blower brush, and then gently wipe the lens with...

42 Trouble Checks Troubles sometimes are caused by simple “faults” that you can easily correct without the help of a servicetechnician by first checking a few basic remedies. Before you call or take your camcorder to an Authorized RCA Camcorder Servicenter, look below for thetype of trouble you are ...

43 Trouble Checks (continued) Poor auto-focus operation Picture is too dark orsubject too dark. Viewfinder displays areout of focus Date and/time (or date)were recorded on tape Date and/or time areincorrect Remote control will not operate camcorder Camcorder will not recordfrom AUDIO/VIDEO INjacks. ...

Camera Section Scanning: 525 Lines/60 Fields/30 FramesImage Sensor: CCD ImagerTripod Mount: One 1/4" threaded holeLens: f: 1.8 — 12:1 (5.5-66mm) Diameter: 37 mm 44 Design Specifications General Power requirement: 6V/6.5VDCPower consumption: 6.0 WWeight: (820g)Dimensions: (119 x 111 x 210mm) Vide...

45 Consumer Assistance and Service – Pro845 Camcorder You can reach Thomson at the following number: 1-800-283-6503 (Toll free inside U.S.A.) Our toll-free camcorder number operates from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST Monday – Friday. Thomson provides a toll-free telephone number tohelp you with any pro...

46 • If you are not located near an exchange point: 1. Provide your Discover, MasterCard or Visa account number and expiration date to yourphone representative. This is for securitypurposes. If we receive your unit including allaccessories within 14 days from the date youwere provided a Return Autho...

47 To receive a replacement unit after we havereceived your unit: 1. Write the RA number on the outside of the carton used to return the unit. Make sure youinsure your shipment in case of damage orloss. 2. Carefully pack the unit along with all accessories included with your camcorder,using the orig...

48 Index Accessories, Included ...........................................10Accessories, Optional ..........................................6-9Accessory Shoe.....................................................14Accessory, Order Form .......................................7-8Adapter/Charger, Safety ...

49 Index (continued) Operation, First-Time ......................................10-15Optional Accessories ...........................................6-9Order Form, Accessory .......................................7-8PAUSE Button ............................................15,16,35PAUSE Display........