Canon Optura 100- User Manual

Introduction 6 E Thank you for choosing a Canon Your camcorder is supplied with thefollowing accessories:- WL-D66 WirelessController Two AA batteries SS-200 Shoulder Strap Lens cap S-150 S-video Cable STV-250 Stereo VideoCable DVM-E30 Digital Video Cassette Lithium button battery DC-900 DC Coupler C...

Introduction 7 E The OPTURA featuresthe latest in portablepower technology. Offers you stunningdigital sound —16bitfor greater than CD-quality sound, and12bit for the playbackof audio-dubbedcassettes. From wide-angle to14 × telephoto — with unparalleled opticalquality. The digitalzoom more thandoubl...

Powering Your Camcorder Mastering the Basics 8 E Before operating your camera, you will need to use the power adapter to: provide power from an AC outletorcharge a battery pack Notes:• The power adapter converts current from a household power socket (100–240 V AC, 50/60 Hz) to the DC current used by...

Mastering the Basics 9 E Charging and attaching the battery pack Your battery pack was partially charged before it left the factory. It should haveenough power for you to check that your camera is working properly. However,you must charge the battery pack fully if you want it to power the camera for...

Loading a Cassette Mastering the Basics 10 E 1. Make sure that you have inserted a power source. 2. Slide the EJECT 5 5 button upwards to release the cover (the camera’s grip). • Pull the cover fully open (while holding the button upwards) and wait a couple of seconds for the cassette compartment to...

Mastering the Basics 11 E Protecting tapes from accidental erasure To protect your recording from accidental erasure, slide the tab on the cassette sothat it exposes the hole and the red mark. (This switch position is usually labeledSAVE or ERASE OFF).If you load this cassette and put the camera in ...

Basic Recording Mastering the Basics 12 E Have you completed the following steps?• Attached a power source (p. 8).• Loaded a cassette (p. 10).• Removed the lens cap and fastened the shoulder strap (p. 54).• Chosen the display: viewfinder or LCD screen (p. 15)• Adjusted the viewfinder/removed the LCD...

Mastering the Basics 13 E 5. Press the start/stop button again to pause recording. • The camera returns to record pause mode and PAUSE reappears in the display. • You can stop and restart recording as often as you like by pressing the start/stop button. 6. Turn the standby lever to LOCK. • As long a...

35 × digital zoom Turn the digital zoom on from choosing D. ZOOM at the camera menu, to morethan double the camera's zoom range. Zooming Mastering the Basics 14 E The camera’s 14 × zoom lens allows you to choose the best picture angle for each scene:• Turn the zoom control towards W to zoom out to w...

Mastering the Basics 15 E Using the LCD Screen You can choose between using the LCD screen and the viewfinder by pressing theMONITOR/FINDER button. Switching between displays You can choose the angle of thescreen that suits you best by tilting ittowards you. Changing the angle of the LCD screen 100°...

Mastering the Basics 16 E Playing back a Cassette You can use the LCD screen for instant, on-the-spot playback. The camera alsoplays back the sound track via the built-in speaker (p. 15). To play back your recordings on a TV, see p. 19. To use the wireless controller, see p. 27. Note:• To avoid acci...

Mastering the Basics 17 E Playback pause Press the PAUSE a button. To resume normal playback, press it again, or press the PLAY e button. The camera automatically goes into stop mode after about five minutes’ playback pause. Fast forward playback To play back the recording at about 9.5 times normal ...

Mastering the Basics 18 E Note:• Mosaic-like noise appears on the screen during some of the VCR modes and the sound track cannot be heard. These can only be operated from the wireless controller (p. 27) Frame Advance To play back frame by frame, press the +/ ae button repeatedly during playback paus...

Mastering the Basics 19 E Connections for Playback on a TV Screen You can connect the camera to a TV or VCR in order to play back yourrecordings. You will need to attach a power source to the camera (see p. 8). See your TV or VCR instruction manual for further details. • Use the S-150 S-video Cable ...

Mastering the Basics 20 E TV with coaxial antenna cable TV with flat twin-lead antenna cable Coaxial cable with F-connection RU-100 RF Unit VHF 4CH 3CH FROM ANT TO TV 1 2 3 RC-150 RF Adapter Cables MIC DC IN VIDEO/ AUDIO OUT REMOTE Coaxial cable with F-connection RU-100 RF Unit 300-75 ohm adapter 75...

Mastering the Basics 21 E Loosen the screws on the adapter and insert the antennacable. Tighten the screws again. 1. Connect the RF unit to the camera, using the RC-150 RF adapter cables. • The RF unit and RF adapter cables are available optionally. 2. Connect the antenna cable to the FROM ANT. term...

Mastering the Basics 22 E Tips for Making Better Videos Composition The most important element in the scene does not have to bein the center. For a more interesting picture, try to positionyour subject so it is slightly to one side. Leave some space onthe side of the frame that the subject is facing...

Mastering the Basics 23 E Picture angle Camera moves Long shot Medium shot Close-up Instead of zooming while recording, tryto choose your picture angle before youbegin. A good way to tell a story withvideo is to begin with a long shot thatestablishes the situation, and then movein with medium shots ...

Using the Full Range of Features 24 E Turning the Optical Image Stabilizer On/Off With most camcorders, even the slightest hand movements will be noticeableduring telephoto recording. However, the OPTURA’s Optical Image Stabilizerallows you to obtain steady recordings even at 14 × or 35 × magnificat...

25 E Using the Full Range of Features Selecting from the Menus Many of the camera’s advanced functions are selected from menus which appearin the display. There are two main menus: 1. Camera menu (when the camera is in record pause mode: the POWER switch set to CAMERA and the standby lever set toMOV...

Using the Full Range of Features 26 E MENU 1, 5 2, 4 3 1. Press the MENU button to open the menu. 2. Press the controller up or down to move the arrow up or down the display. 3. Press the controller to the right (towards you) to select your chosen option from the menu. • Your selected option remains...

27 E Using the Full Range of Features Using the Wireless Controller/Tally Lamp The supplied wireless controller canoperate the camera from a distance ofup to 16 feet (5 m). Point it at thecamera’s remote sensor while you pressthe buttons. The tally lamp lights up to let youknow that the camera is in...

Using the Full Range of Features 28 E Turning off the tally lamp The tally lamp lets you know that thecamera is recording. However, itsflashing may be reflected into the lensduring close-up recording, or whenrecording through glass. You may therefore decide to turn it off. TALLY LAMP••OFF (see p. 25...

29 E Using the Full Range of Features Setting the Date and Time The date and/or time display forms part of the data code. You can choose todisplay or hide it during playback (see p. 30). Set the date and time display when you first start using your camera. Install thebackup battery before you begin ...

Using the Full Range of Features 30 E A data code, containing the date and time the recording was made and othercamera data (shutter speed and exposure settings) is automatically recorded on aspecial data section of the tape. During playback, the date code can be displayed or hidden while the camera...

31 E Using the Full Range of Features Taking Still Pictures (Photo Mode) You can record still pictures like a photograph. The camera records the picture totape for approximately 6 seconds. The exposure is automatically adjusted. 1. Set the camera to photo standby mode (slide the POWER switch to CAME...

Using the Full Range of Features 32 E Searching Through Your Recorded “Photos” (Photo Search) Move quickly through still pictures recorded anywhere on a tape. • You can only use this function from the Remote Controller. 1. Press down and slide the POWER switch to VCR. 2. Press the and buttons to mov...

33 E Using the Full Range of Features Choosing the Movie Mode (Normal/Progressive Scan) The progressive scan mode can be used when you want to look at a video, sceneby scene, free from field slippage (the “blurring” that normally occurs when youpause a video). During playback, pause the video any ti...

Using the Full Range of Features 34 E Searching and Reviewing While Recording When the camera is in record pause mode, you can use record review to play backthe last few seconds of your recording and then return automatically to recordpause mode. You can quickly make sure that a scene has recorded p...

35 E Using the Full Range of Features Using the Various Recording Programs The camera provides you with a choice of seven recording programs. They usedifferent combinations of camera settings in order to adjust the exposure and otherfunctions to match the recording situation.• For simple point-and-s...

Using the Full Range of Features 36 E Use this program in places where thebackground is so bright that the subjectappears underexposed in the display —a sunny beach or ski resort, forexample. You may notice some shudderwhen recording moving subjects. Sand & Snow Spotlight This program is designe...

37 E Using the Full Range of Features Use this program to let you select the shutterspeed.The camera sets the appropriate aperture (F number) automatically to give the correctexposure. High shutter speeds are perfect for recordingfast moving subjects (such as sports action) when you want to play bac...

Negative-Positive Conversion Records a color negative of the image. Whiteappears as black, yellow appears as blue, greenappears as red, etc. Also converts a negativeimage to an ordinary positive one. This can alsobe used with the optional accessories FP-100Film Adapter and SL-49/46 Step-downConverte...

39 E Using the Full Range of Features To use the conversion program, put the camera in record pause mode and turn theprogram selector to . You can also alter the strength and tint of the colors, plus mask the edges of thepicture when using the Film Adapter (FP-100). 1. Display TINT, COLOR and MASK. ...

Using the Full Range of Features 40 E Fading In and Out Between Scenes Mosaic Fade Use the digital fader functions to start or end a scene with a fade to or fromblack. When you start recording, the imagebegins as a square dot in the middle ofthe screen which gradually expands tofill the screen. When...

41 E Using the Full Range of Features Activate the function each time you wish to use it (both before you fade in andagain before you fade out) by pressing the D.FADER button.The name of the fader is shown in the display when it is activated. 1. Put the camera in record pause mode. 2. Press and hold...

Using the Full Range of Features 42 E Notes: • You are unable to use any of the digital faders when the camera is set as follows: - Easy Recording program.- Negative-Positive Conversion program.- Tv and Av.- Photo mode. • You cannot use the mosaic fade or the window wipe if: - You have turned on the...

43 E Using the Full Range of Features WIND SCREEN•AUTO The camera has an automatic wind screen to prevent wind noise from interferingwith the sound track. (It does not operate with an external microphone: WS | is displayed). Turn it off when you want the microphone to be as sensitive aspossible. 1. ...

Using the Full Range of Features 44 E Setting the Self-Timer This is useful when you want to include yourself in the picture when recording. 1. Press the self-timer button. • SELF TIMER appears in the display. 2 Press the start/stop button. • The camera starts to record after a 10 second countdown p...

45 E Using the Full Range of Features Using a Canon Speedlite for Flash Photography (optional) For SLR-style flash photography, use aCanon Speedlite 220EX or 380EXwith the camera. Use the camera inexactly the same way as you wouldnormally in photo mode (p. 31). Turnon the Speedlite using its main sw...

Using the Full Range of Features 46 E Adjusting Exposure Manually To make the recorded image brighter,turn the EXP wheel upwards (to amaximum of +11). This may benecessary if the background is verybright, or if the subject is lit frombehind. To make the recorded image darker,press the EXP wheel down...

47 E Using the Full Range of Features Adjusting Focus Manually FlexiZone AF makes autofocus much more powerful. Using the FlexiZonecontroller, you can select any object that appears in the display, and the camerawill bring it into focus. FlexiZone AF is useful in the following situations: When your ...

Using the Full Range of Features 48 E A V /T V CTRL. FOCUS EXP PUSH Manual focus Use the FOCUS wheel to set the focus.• Turn it downwards (towards ∞ ) to move the focus further away. • Turn it upwards to bring the focus nearer. You can also adjust the focustemporarily without turning autofocusoff — ...

49 E Using the Full Range of Features Setting the White Balance The camera’s auto white balancesystem compensates for a wide range oflighting conditions. Although slightvariations are unavoidable, colors willappear natural in virtually everysituation. In some cases, you will get betterresults by set...

Using the Full Range of Features 50 E Setting the white balance manually will probably work betterthan auto white balance when shooting: Subjects with one dominant color, such as sky, sea or forest. Close-ups In rapidly changing lighting conditions In places lit by certain types of fluorescent or me...

51 E Using the Full Range of Features Editing to a VCR S-VIDEO OUT VIDEO S-VIDEO INPUT AUDIO L R VIDEO/ AUDIO OUT REMOTE 1. Find a point on your recorded cassette slightly ahead of the section you want to copy. 2. Start to play it back while you monitor the picture on the TV. 3. Start recording on t...

Using the Full Range of Features 52 E RECORDSEARCH Digital video equipment fitted with this terminal lets you edit, copy and transferdata digitally, with imperceptible loss in image and sound quality. The DVterminal is for both line-in and line-out, since a single DV cable can handle datain both dir...

53 E Using the Full Range of Features u REMOTE The m REMOTE terminal allows you to connect the camera to equipmentsuch as the ED-100 Video Editor (p. 68). Some buttons on other editingequipment may operate differently fromthose on the camera. • m (LANC) is a trademark. It stands for Local Applicatio...

Additional Information 54 E Preparing the Camera • In record pause mode, turn the viewfinder focusing wheel (focusingthe display) to suit your eyesight. • The viewfinder rotates through 80° to give a choice of shooting positions. • For extra security and portability, attach the shoulder strap before...

Additional Information 55 E Notes on Using the Batteries Charging and recording times Battery pack BP-914 Time needed for full recharge 2 hr. 30 mins Maximum recording time 1 hr. • These times vary — the safest policy is always to have two or three timesas many battery packs as you thinkyou will nee...

Additional Information 56 E Taking care of the battery pack Always attach the terminal cover.• Do not allow any metal objects to touch the terminals, as this can causea short circuit and damage the batterypack. Attach the terminal coverwhenever the battery pack is notbeing used. Installing the backu...

Additional Information 57 E Cautions:• Do not pick up the battery using tweezers or other metal tools — this will cause a short circuit. • Wipe the battery with a clean, dry cloth to ensure proper contact.• Keep the battery pack out of reach of children — if it is swallowed, contact a physician imme...

MIX SELECT••VARIABLE When you play back a tape that was recorded in 12 bit mode, you can set theaudio output to play stereo 1 (the original sound), stereo 2 (any new sound,dubbed to the tape after recording), or mix the balance between the two. To simply choose stereo1 or stereo2, you do not need to...

Maintenance Avoid high temperatures and high humidity.• Do not leave the camera inside a car in hot weather, for example.• Be careful of heat radiating from video lighting equipment.• Do not take the camera into a humid room. Avoid sudden changes in temperature.• If you take the camera from a cold p...

Additional Information 60 E Power sources• You can use the compact power adapter to operate your camera and charge battery packs in any country where the electricity supply is between 110 and240 V AC, 50/60 Hz. Contact your Canon dealer for information about plugadapters for overseas use. TV playbac...

Additional Information 61 E Condensation Condensation may form on the camera when it is moved from a cold place to awarm place. Using the camera while condensation is present can damage both thetape and the camera. Condensation may become a problem: When the camera is taken from an air-conditioned r...

Additional Information 62 E Troubleshooting Cause and/or what to do about it • The camera is not switched on (p. 12, 16). • The cassette is not loaded or is set for erasure prevention (p. 10-11). • The tape has reached the end.• The battery pack is exhausted or not properly attached (p. 8, 9, 55). •...

? ? The camera won’t focus. Note:Some subjects are not suitable for autofocus. In these situations, you will often getbetter results using manual focus (see p. 47). Focus on something which is aboutthe same distance away, lock the focus, and then point the camera at your original,hard-to-focus subje...

Additional Information 64 E Miscellaneous Cause and/or what to do about it • The video heads need cleaning (p. 60). • The video heads need cleaning (p. 60). • The TV/VIDEO selector on the TV isn’t set to VIDEO (p. 19) • If connected using the optional RF unit the video channel has not beenselected. ...

Additional Information 65 E The OPTURA System Diagram (Availability differs from area to area) BP-911, BP-914,BP-924, BP-927Battery Pack WL-D66Wireless Controller MiniDVVideo Cassette CB-900 Car BatteryAdapter CA-900 Compact Power Adapter CH-900 Dual Battery Charger/Holder TV VCR Antenna TL-55 Tele-...

MM-200 Stereo Mixing MicrophoneThe MM-200 mixes live sound andmusic, so you can create the idealsound track for your video productions. FS-55U Filter SetUltraviolet, neutral density and circularpolarizing filters to help you takecontrol of difficult lighting conditions. Additional Information 66 E O...

Additional Information 70 E Finding Your Way Around OPTURA Viewfinder focusing wheel (P. 54) Strap attachment bar(P. 54) Program selector(P. 35) POWER switch(P. 12) D. FADER button (P. 41) Stereo microphone Zoom control(P. 14) Start/stop button(P. 12) Standby lever(P. 12) Tally lamp (P. 28) Remote s...

Additional Information 73 E Screen Displays To display the date and time on aconnected TV, press the wirelesscontroller’s DATA CODE button. Press the wireless controller’s TVSCREEN button to see the otherdisplays on the TV screen. (Thedisplays appear white on-screen.) Theywill not be added to any re...

Additional Information 74 E F1 / 3 2 2 0 0 0 1 A N . 1 , 1 9 9 8 J 2 : 0 0 AM Playback pause(forward and reverse)(p. 17) Slow playback(forward and reverse)(p.18) × 2 playback (forward and reverse) (p. 18) × 1 playback (forward and reverse) (p. 18) Photo Search(p. 32) Photo search iscomplete Zoom dis...

Additional Information 76 E Appears each timeyou turn the poweron, until you set thedate and time (p. 29). Appears when thebattery pack isexhausted (p. 9, 55). Appears when thetape has reached theend. Refer to page 11. Appears when youpress the 2 (record) button if the DV cableis not connectedproper...

Additional Information 77 E Specifications OPTURA Power Supply (rated): 7.2 V DCPower Consumption (while recording with the AF turned on):7.1 W Television system: EIS standard (525 lines, 60 fields)NTSC color signal Video recording system: 2 rotary heads, helical scanning DV system (Consumer digital...

Additional Information 78 E Index Å Abroad, Using the Camera, 60Accessories, 6, 66Adapter, AC, 8AE Programs, 35Audio Output, 58Audio Recording and Playback, 44Audio/Video Terminals, 19Auto, 36Autofocus, 47Av/Tv CTRL, 37, 38 ı Backup Battery, 56Basic Recording, 12Battery Pack, 9 Ç Cables, 6, 19Casset...