Samsung VP-L870 - Manual

Precautions and Safety Instructions Precautions regarding the battery pack ENGLISH 6 ✤ Make sure that the battery pack is charged before shooting outdoors. ✤ To preserve battery power, keep your camcorder turned off when you are not operating it. ✤ When your camcorder is in CAMERA mode, if it is lef...

Precautions and Safety Instructions Precautions when Recording or Playback using LCD ENGLISH 7 1) High precision technology is used to manufacture the LCD display. However, there may be some tiny black specks(red, blue or green in colour) that constantly appear onthe LCD display. These specks are no...

Getting to Know Your Camcorder Features ENGLISH 8 Your camcorder has many features available when recording or during playback. Snap Shot (VP-L850/L850D/L870 only) The Snap Shot function allows you to take a still picture as well as time limited audio. (see page 48) PIP (VP-L850/L850D/L870 only) The...

Getting to Know Your Camcorder Front View ENGLISH 9 1. Lens (see page 68) 2. REC SEARCH (REW) REC SEARCH works in STANDBY mode. (see page 24) REW works in PLAYER mode. (see page 55) 3. PLAY/STILL (LIGHT) (see page 54) PLAY/STILL works in PLAYER mode.LIGHT works in CAMERA mode.(VP-L850/L850D/L870 onl...

ENGLISH Getting to Know Your Camcorder 10 14. MENU ON/OFF (see page 26) MENU ON/OFF works in CAMERA and PLAYER mode. 15. ENTER (MF) (see page 26) ENTER works in MENU mode. MF works in CAMERA mode. 16. UP/DOWN dial (VOLUME) UP/DOWN dial works in MENU mode. (see page 26) VOLUME works in PLAYER mode. (...

Getting to Know Your Camcorder Rear View ENGLISH 11 25. ZOOM (see page 30)26. Cassette Compartment27. Hooks for Shoulder Strap (see page 17)28. AUDIO/VIDEO out (see page 53) 29. LENS Cap30. Hand Strap (see page 16)31. POWER Switch (see page 18) - CAMERA : Select to record.- OFF : Select to turn off ...

Getting to Know Your Camcorder OSD (On Screen Display) ENGLISH 12 ✤ You can turn the OSD on/off by setting the Display menu on/off. ✤ The TITLE, DATE/TIME, EASY and CUSTOM functions can be operated even after the OSD is turned off. ✤ The OSD is displayed in the viewfinder and the LCD monitor. a. Zoo...

Getting to Know Your Camcorder OSD (On Screen Display) ENGLISH 13 j. Time (see page 42) Shows the time the recording was made. k. Title (see page 44) Shows the title of the recording. It is superimposed on the scene. l. Self diagnosis (see page 64) (TAPE!, TAPE END!, PROTECTION! ) Checks the operati...

Getting to Know Your Camcorder Accessories Supplied with Camcorder ENGLISH 14 Make sure that the following basic accessories are supplied with your camcorder. Basic Accessory 1. AC Power Adapter. (see page 18)2. AC cord. (see page 18)3. Battery Pack. (see page 19)4. Audio/Video Cable. (see page 53)5...

Getting to Know Your Camcorder Remote Control (VP-L850/L850D/L870 only) ENGLISH 15 START/ STOP SELF TIMER ZERO RETURN STILL COUNTER RESET WIDE TELE DISPLAY 6 12897 11 4512 10 3 Description of Parts 1. Start/Stop (see page 23)2. Self Timer3. Still (see page 55)4. WIDE (see page 30)5. TELE (see page 3...

ENGLISH Preparing 16 Adjusting the Hand Strap and Shoulder Strap 1 START/ STOP SELF TIMER ZERO RETURN STILL COUNTER RESET WIDE TELE DISPLAY 3 START/ STOP SELF TIMER ZERO RETURN STILL COUNTER RESET WIDE TELE DISPLAY 2 WAIT-10S SELF-30S CAMERA 1. Set the power switch to CAMERA mode. 2. Press the Self ...

ENGLISH Preparing 17 Lithium Battery Installation Shoulder Strap ✤ The Shoulder Strap allows you to carry your camcorder with complete safety. 1. Insert each end of the strap into the hooks on the camcorder.2. Put the end of each strap through the buckle, adjust the length of the strap, then pull it...

Preparing Connecting the Power Source ENGLISH 18 ✤ There are two ways to connect to a power source.- Using the AC Power Adapter : used for indoor recording. - Using the Battery Pack: used for mobile/outdoor recording. To use the AC Power Adapter 1. Connect the AC Power Adapter to the AC power cord.2...

How long will the battery last for shooting? ✤ Depends on how often you are likely to use the zoom feature during recording. Recharging the Battery Pack 1. Attach the battery pack to the camcorder. 2. Connect the AC Power Adapter to an AC cord and connect the AC cord to a wall socket. 3. Connect DC ...

ENGLISH Preparing 20 Using the Battery Pack ✤ The continuous recording times given in the table are approximate. Actual recording time may differ depending onusage. Notes: ✤ The battery pack should be recharged in a room temperature that is between 0 ° C and 40 ° C. It should never be charged in a r...

ENGLISH Preparing 21 Display of Battery Level ✤ The battery level display indicates the amount of power remaining in the battery pack. 1. Fully charged2. 10~40% consumed3. 40~60% consumed4. 60~80% consumed (prepare a charged one) 5. 80~95% consumed (change the battery) 6. 100% consumed (camcorder wi...

Preparing Inserting and Ejecting a Cassette ENGLISH 22 ✤ There are several cassette types, depending on:- Colour system used - Recording/playback time. - Hi8/8mm (VP-L800/L850/L850D/L870 is Hi8) Inserting and Ejecting a Cassette ✤ Check to see if the battery pack is in place or AC adapter is connect...

Basic Shooting Making your First Recording ENGLISH 23 Please make these preparations before shooting. ■ Have you connected a power source?(Battery Pack or AC Power Adapter) ■ Did you set power switch to CAMERA position? ■ Have you inserted a cassette? (see page 22) ■ Open the LCD monitor and make su...

ENGLISH Basic Shooting 24 b. To stop shooting, press the red START/STOP button again.When recording stops, STANDBY will bedisplayed on the LCD. When a cassette is loaded and the camcorder is left in STANDBY mode for over 5 minutes without being used, it willturn off automatically. To use it again, p...

Basic Shooting Tips for Stable recording ENGLISH 25 ■ While recording, it is very important to hold the camcorder correctly. ■ When recording, clip the LENS cap on the hand strap to avoidthe risk of the lens cap swinging into shot. (refer to figure) Recording with the LCD display 1. Hold the camcord...

Basic Shooting Adjusting the LCD ENGLISH 26 MENU LCD ADJUSTDIS ..............................OFFD.ZOOM ......................OFFPIP ..............................OFF DISPLAY ......................ONWHITE BAL. ................AUTOWL.REMOCON ............ON NEXT: MENU MENU LCD ADJUSTDIS ..................

Basic Shooting Adjusting Focus of the VIEWFINDER ENGLISH 27 9. Turn the UP/DOWN dial to adjust the LCD colour setting. 10. Press the ENTER. ■ For further adjustment, repeat steps 7, 8, 9. 11. Press the MENU ON/OFF button to exit the menus. Notes: ■ If you don't press a button within 30 seconds, the ...

Basic Shooting Playing back the tape on the LCD ENGLISH 28 ✤ You can watch a recording on the LCD display. ✤ Make sure that the battery pack is in place. 1. Hold down the tab of the power switch and push the switch to select PLAYER mode. 2. Insert the tape you wish to play. 3. Open the LCD display a...

ENGLISH Basic Shooting 29 Adjusting the LCD during PLAY The procedure for adjusting the LCD display in PLAYER mode is the same as that for adjusting it in CAMERA mode,except that the power switch must be set to PLAYER instead of CAMERA.Please refer to page 26. Controlling the sound from the speaker ...

Advanced Shooting Zooming In and Out ENGLISH 30 ✤ Zoom is only available in CAMERA mode. ✤ Zooming is a technique that lets you magnify the size of the subject in the picture.For a more professional looking recording, don't use the zoom function too often. ✤ There are two zoom speeds to suit differe...

✤ Digital Zoom is only available in CAMERA mode. ✤ Magnification above 22x is achieved using digital technology. ✤ The picture quality deteriorates as you go towards the “T” side. ✤ It is recommend that you use the DIS (VP-L850/L850D/L870) feature with the DIGITAL ZOOM for picture stability.(see pag...

ENGLISH 33 Advanced Shooting EASY Mode (for Beginners) ✤ Even a beginner can easily make a recording using the EASY mode. ■ The EASY mode only operates in CAMERA mode. 1. Set the power switch to CAMERA mode (see page 18). 2. By pressing the EASY button, all the functions of the camera will be set to...

CUSTOM-Creating your own customized recording settings ENGLISH 34 Advanced Shooting ✤ You can customize the settings and save them for future use. ■ The CUSTOM function only operates in CAMERA mode. 1. Set the power switch to CAMERA mode. (see page 18) 2. Press the MENU ON/OFF button, to bring up th...

ENGLISH 36 Advanced Shooting MF/AF (Manual Focus/Auto Focus) ✤ The MF/AF function works only in CAMERA mode. ✤ In most situations, it is better to use the Automatic Focus feature, as it enables you to concentrate on the creativeside of your shooting. ✤ Manual focusing may be necessary under certain ...

ENGLISH 37 Advanced Shooting BLC BLC only works in CAMERA mode.Back lighting exists when the subject is darker than the background, such as when: - The subject is placed in front of a window. - The person to be shot is wearing white or shiny clotheso beshot is wearing white or shiny clothes and is p...

ENGLISH 38 Advanced Shooting PROGRAM AE (Automatic Exposure) ✤ The PROGRAM AE function only works in CAMERA mode. ✤ The PROGRAM AE modes allow you to adjust shutter speeds and aperture to suit different recording conditions. ✤ There are 6 automatic exposure modes. 1. AUTO mode ■ Auto balance between...

ENGLISH 39 Advanced Shooting Setting the PROGRAM AE(Automatic Exposure) mode 1. Set the power switch to CAMERA mode. (see page 18) 2. Press the P.AE button, the ( ) symbol will be displayed. 3. Press the P.AE button until the appropriate symbol is displayed. ( ➔ ➔ ➔ ➔ ) ■ No Display : Full Auto mode...

ENGLISH 40 Advanced Shooting DSE (Digital Special Effects) in CAMERA mode ✤ The digital effects enable you to give a creative look to your recording by adding various special effects. ✤ Select the appropriate digital effect for the type of picture that you wish to shoot and the effect that you wish ...

ENGLISH 41 Advanced Shooting Selecting and recording DSE effects 1. Set the power switch to CAMERA mode. (see page 18) 2. Press the DSE button, GHOST or SEPIA will be displayed. 3. Keep pressing the DSE button, until the desired mode is displayed. 4. Press the START/STOP button to start recording. 5...

ENGLISH 42 Advanced Shooting Setting and Recording DATE/TIME ✤ Setting and recording the date/time is only available in CAMERA mode. ✤ You can record the date/time on your recording, so you know when it was made.The date and time are recorded whenever they are displayed on the viewfinder or LCD. Set...

ENGLISH 43 Advanced Shooting 7. Press ENTER. ■ The month setting will blink. 8. Turn the UP/DOWN dial to set the desired month. 9. Press ENTER. ■ The day setting will blink. 10. You set the day, hour and minute by following the same procedures used for setting the year and month. 11. Pressing ENTER ...

ENGLISH 44 Advanced Shooting Selecting and Recording a Title ✤ Selecting and recording a TITLE is possible in the CAMERA mode only. ✤ The TITLE feature allows you to select a preset title stored in the camcorder’s memory. ✤ You can also select the language of the titles. Selecting a Language and set...

ENGLISH 45 Advanced Shooting 6. Turn the UP/DOWN dial to select the appropriate language. ■ You may select languages from ENGLISH/FRENCH/GERMAN/ITALIAN/SPANISH/RUSSIAN. 7. Press ENTER. ■ Then, the title list in the language you chose will appear. 8. Turn UP/DOWN dial to whichever TITLE you desire. 9...

Advanced Shooting Fade In and Out ENGLISH ✤ The FADE function only works in CAMERA mode. ✤ You can give your films a professional look by using special effects such as fade in at the beginning of a sequenceor fade out at the end of a sequence. To Start Recording 1. Before shooting, hold down the FAD...

ENGLISH Advanced Shooting Snap Shot (VP-L850/L850D/L870only) ✤ With the SNAP SHOT feature, your camcorder can function like a normal film camera, allowing you to take single still pictures.- The SNAP SHOT function only operates in CAMERA mode. 1. Set the power switch to CAMERA mode. 2. Press the SNA...

ENGLISH 49 Advanced Shooting White Balance ✤ WHITE BALANCE (WHITE BAL.) is a recording function that preserves the unique colour of the object in any shooting condition. ✤ You may select the appropriate WHITE BALANCE mode to obtain good quality colour of the image.- AUTO: This mode is generally used...

ENGLISH 50 Demonstration Advanced Shooting ✤ Demonstration automatically shows you the major functions that are included with your camcorder so that you mayuse them more easily. ✤ The DEMO function is only available in CAMERA mode when tape is not in the camcorder. ✤ The Demonstration operates repea...

ENGLISH 51 Advanced Recording 1. Set the power switch to CAMERA mode. (see page 22) 2. Press the MENU ON/OFF button. ■ The MENU list will appear. 3. Turn the UP/DOWN dial to D/TITLE COLOUR.......WHITE. 4. Press ENTER. ■ A list of available colour will appear. 5. Turn the UP/DOWN dial to select the a...

ENGLISH 52 Advanced Shooting Lighting Techniques 1. Eject the tape that you have shot. (see page 22)2. If you want to protect the tape against accidental erasing, move the red tab on the cassette over the hole.3. Set the POWER switch to OFF.4. Close the LENS cover.5. Remove the BATTERY PACK from the...

ENGLISH 53 Playing back the Tape Viewing on the LCD display Viewing on a TV monitor Connecting to a TV which has no Audio and Video input jack ✤ To view a tape that you have recorded. ✤ Playback function works in PLAYER mode only. ✤ There are two ways to see a tape; ■ To view on the LCD: recommended...

ENGLISH 54 54 Playing back the Tape Notes: ■ VP-L800U/L800/L850/L850D/L870 feature a monaural audio system.If your TV or VCR are stereo, connect the audio cable to the input “L” of TV or VCR. ■ You can use an S-VIDEO cable to obtain better quality pictures if you have the S-VIDEO connector on your T...

ENGLISH 55 Playing back the Tape Various Functions in PLAYER mode To view a STILL picture (Playback pause) - Press (PLAY/STILL) button during playback. - To resume playback, press (PLAY/STILL) button again. Note: Your camcorder will automatically stop if it is left for more than 5 minutes in STILL m...

ENGLISH 56 Playing back the Tape Adjusting the LCD ✤ The procedure for adjusting the LCD display in PLAYER mode is the same as the procedure for adjusting the LCD display inCAMERA mode, except that the power switch must be set to PLAYER instead of CAMERA. Please refer to page 26. Setting the Speaker...

ENGLISH 57 Playing back the Tape DSE in PLAYER mode ✤ The procedure for using DSE in PLAYER mode is the same as the procedure for using DSE in CAMERA mode,except that the power switch must be set to PLAYER instead of CAMERA. Please refer to pages 40 and 41. Note: The GHOST, STROBE, NEG., MIRROR, MOS...

ENGLISH 58 Maintenance Storing the Camcorder 1. You must detach the BATTERY PACK from the camcorder when storing. 2. Keep the camcorder in a ventilated, dry and warm place. 3. Do not keep the camcorder in a place where the temperature often changes, such as in a car. 4. Keep the camcorder in a stabl...

ENGLISH 59 ● Transferring a Digital Image through a USB Connection ✤ You can easily transfer a still image from a camera, tape, memory to a PC without additional add-on cards via a USB connection. ✤ You can transfer an image to a PC via a USB connection. ✤ If you transfer data to a PC, you need to i...

USB interface (VP-L870 only) Installing USB Media 2.0 Program ENGLISH 60 ✤ Do not connect the camcorder to PC before installing the program. ✤ If another camera or scanner is connected, please disconnect it in advance. ✤ This explanation is based on Windows ® 98SE OS. How to install the program 1. T...

USB interface (VP-L870 only) ENGLISH 61 4. The below window displays the folder to install the program. ■ Basically the program is installed in the following folder.C:\Programfiles\Samsung\USB Media 2.0 ■ Click to change the folder. 5. Connect the camcorder to PC. 6. PC finds a new hardware and inst...

ENGLISH 62 Connecting to a PC 1. Connect a USB cable to the USB port on the PC. 2. Connect the other end of the USB cable into the proper terminal on the camcorder. (USB jack) 3. Connect the audio cable to the Line input jack of the PC. If the PC has no Line input jack, connect the audio cable to th...

ENGLISH 63 Using Your Camcorder Abroad Using Your Camcorder Abroad ✤ Each country or area has its own electric and TV colour system. ✤ Before using your camcorder abroad, check the following: Power sources ■ You can use your camcorder in any country or area that uses 100V to 240V, 50/60 Hz. ■ Were n...

ENGLISH 64 Troubleshooting Check Troubleshooting Check ✤ Before contacting a service centre, perform the following simple checks.They might save you the time and expense of an unnecessary call. Self Diagnosis Display Display Blinking Inform that... Action slow the battery pack is almost discharged. ...

ENGLISH 65 Checking Troubleshooting Check ✤ If you run into any problem using the camcorder, use the following table to try to resolve the problem. ✤ If these instructions do not allow you to solve the problem, take a note of: ■ The model and serial number marked on the bottom of the camcorder. ■ Yo...

ENGLISH 66 Troubleshooting Check Symptom Avertical stripe appears when youshoot a bright subjectagainst a dark background.(candle flame, for example) The LCD image is poor. The image in the viewfinder isblurred. The tape does not move when youpress the Play, Fast Forward orRewind buttons. The pictur...

ENGLISH 67 Troubleshooting Check Moisture Condensation DEW ✤ If the camcorder is brought directly from a cold place to a warm place, moisture may form inside the camcorder, on the surface of the tape, or on the lens. In this condition, the tape may stick to the head drum and be damaged orthe unit ma...

ENGLISH 68 Specifications ✤ The design and technical specifications may be changed without notice. System VP-L800U/L800/L850/L850D/L870 Recording system Video: 2 rotary heads Helical scanning FMAudio: FM monaural system Video signal PAL colour, CCIR standard Usable cassette VP-L800U: 8mmVP-L850/L850...

ENGLISH 69 Index - A - ABROAD .....................................................................63AC POWER ADAPTER ...............................................18ADJUST (LCD) ...........................................................26AF............................................................

ENGLISH 71 Power Sources (United Kingdom Only) The main lead on the power adapter is supplied with a molded plug incorporating a fuse. The value of the fuse is indicated on the pin face of the plug, and if it requires, replacing a fuse approved to BS1362 ofthe same rating must be used. Never use the...

ELECTRONICS THIS CAMCORDER IS MANUFACTURED BY: *Samsung Electronics’ Internet Home PageUnited Kingdom http://www.samsungelectronics.co.uk France http://www.samsung.fr Australia http://www.samsung.com.au Germany http://www.samsung.de Sweden http://www.samsung.se Poland http://www.samsung.com.pl Spain...