Hitachi VM-H825LA manual

For Your Safety - 1 - i Instruction Manual 8mm Video Camcorder VM-H725LA / VM-H825LA Hitachi Home Electronics (A merica), Inc. HITACHI (HSC) CA NA DA INC 3890 Steve Rey nolds Blvd., Norc ross, G A 30093 3300 Trans Canada Highway , Pointe Clair e, Tel. 770-279- 5600 Quebec, H9R 1B1, CANADA Tel. 514-697- 9150 HITACHI SA LES CORPORATION OF HAWA II, IN[...]

For Your Safety - 2 - TABLE OF CONTENTS For Your Safety ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Importan t Safeguar ds .............................................................................................................................. 6 IM[...]

For Your Safety - 3 - Connecti ng to a Television w ith a VCR Attached .......................................................................... 29 Connecti ng to a Television w ith Audio In an d Video In J acks ..................................................... 29 Connecti ng to a Television w ithout Audio In and Video In Jacks ...............[...]

For Your Safety - 4 - General Mai ntenance ............................................................................................................................. 53 Cleaning the camcor der Heads ........................................................................................................ 53 Cleaning the Lens a nd Picture T ube o f[...]

For Your Safety - 5 - WA RNING: TO PREVENT F IRE OR ELECT RIC SHOCK, MAT CH W IDE BLADE OF PLUG TO W IDE SLOT , AND FULLY INSERT PLUG. WA RNING: Many television programs and film s ar e copyrighted. In certain circum stanc es, copyright law may apply to private in-hom e videotaping of copyrighted materials. This Class B digital apparatus m eets all[...]

Important Safeguards - 6 - Important Safeguards In addition to the caref ul attention devoted to quality standards in the m anufacture of your video product, safety is a maj or f actor in the design of every instrum ent. But, safety is y our res ponsibility too. This page lists im portant inf orm ation that will help to assure your enjoyment and pr[...]

Important Safeguards - 7 - 9 A t tachments - - Do not use attachm ents unless rec omm ended by the video product m anufactur er as they may cause hazards. Caution: Maintain electrical s afety. Powerline operated equipment or ac cess ories connec ted to this unit should bear the UL listing m ar k or CSA certif ication m ark on the acces sory itself [...]

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS FOR AC ADAPTER/CHARGER - 8 - SERVICE 17 Servicing -- Do not attem pt to service this video product yourself as opening or rem oving covers may expose y ou to dangerous voltage or other hazards. Refer all servicing to qualif ied service per sonnel. 18 Conditions Requiring S ervice -- Unplug this video pr oduct fr om the[...]

Read This First - 9 - 18 Equal to or less than 100 16 Equal to or less than 150 11. Do not operate charger if it has r eceived a sharp blow, been dropped, or other wise damaged in any way ; tak e it to a qualified ser vicem an. 12. Do not disasse mble c harger: tak e it to a qualified s ervicem an when service or repair is r equired. Incorr ect rea[...]

Before You Begin - 10 - • Easy to use • 3-inch color liquid display (LCD) monitor • 24x zoom ratio • Instant zoom • Multi-func tion TV/Cam rem ote contr ol • Recorded date sear ch • Automatic title recording • Diff erences between m odels VM-H 725LA/H825LA VM-H725LA VM-H825LA EIS function No Yes AV optical link system No Yes • Thi[...]

Before You Begin - 11 - Optional RF A dapter If you wi sh to connec t this cam cor der to a television that does not have audio/video input j ack s you w ill need to use the optional RF adapter m odel VM-RF 86A (R). The RF adapter can be purchas ed by calling the telephone number below. For your convenience Visa, Mas ter Card, and Am erican Ex pres[...]

Getting S ta rted - 12 - Getting Started This sec tion guides you thr ough the initial preparation of the camc order. None of these pr ocesses are complex . Set aside some time, relax , and familiarize yourself with this quality instrument. Enjoy getting to know all about your Hitachi 8mm camc order. The more c omfortable and familiar y ou are with[...]

Getting S ta rted - 13 - • It is recom m ended to ref resh a batter y before r echarging it when it has not been used f or long tim e; otherwise its operation tim e becom es shor t. Press the r efres h button. After r efres hing is com plete, the REFRESH light tur ns off and the CHARGE light turns on and charging begins automatic ally. Refres hin[...]

Getting S ta rted - 14 - Ey epiece A djustment To us e the electronic viewfinder , turn this contr ol for your optimum f ocus adj ustm ent. A djustment the Hand Str ap Adjust the hand st rap to best fit your hand. After adj ustm ent, hook the hand s trap's pad sec urely. Loading Batteri es Install the batteries to pr event misplacing them. Clo[...]

Getting S ta rted - 15 - 3. Fully insert the battery holder into the cam cor der. Remote Control Battery 1. Push the tab to the right of the r em ote control and hold it, then rem ove the battery holder. 2. Press the PLAY button and hold it for about two seconds. 3. Insert the battery with the "+" terminal f acing up as shown in the figur[...]

Getting S ta rted - 16 - 2. W ith the battery com partm ent f acing you, align arrow on the battery with the arrow on the cam corder . 3. Once the arr ows are aligned, push down on the battery. 4. W hile pushing down the battery , s lide it to the right until it "click s" into plac e. 5. After ins talling the battery, close the cover. Hol[...]

Getting S ta rted - 17 - Removing the Battery Pack 1. Lift the OPEN lever and pull it up. The power s upply attachm ent cover will open. 2. Push the side of the battery in the direction of the arrow. A clic k will be heard and the batter y is releas ed. 3. Remove the batter y and close the c over. Checking the Battery 's Charge A battery char [...]

Getting S ta rted - 18 - 2. Lift the battery holder plates at the center of the attachm ent holder. 3. Insert six alkaline batter ies with the correct polar ities. 4. After ins talling the batteries, clos e the cover. Hold the OPEN lever and align the tabs on both sides of the cover with the end of the attachm ent section. Note: Use only "AA&q[...]

Getting S ta rted - 19 - cam corder (this will be at your own expense). Note: Do not let the batteries or the term inals of the cam c order get dirty. If they are dirty, use a dry cloth to wipe off the dirt c om pletely . Note: It is recom m ended that you use a battery pack to power the cam corder when using a DC cam era light. If a cam er a light[...]

Getting S ta rted - 20 - 1. Plug the car battery cord into the car's cigarette lighter s ock et. 2. Connect one end of the DC c ord (provided) to the DC IN j ack of the cam cor der. Connect to other end of the DC cord to the DC OUT PUT of the c ar battery cord. Note: Only use the car battery cord with cars having 12/24 volt negative ground sys[...]

Getting S ta rted - 21 - Note: If T APE flashes in the viewfinder, rem ove the cas sette and chec k that the tape is not damaged, is not slack or no dust adheres to it, etc. Af ter m aking sur e that there is no abnorm ality, reinsert the cas sette. If TAPE reappear s, see "T roubles hooting" on page 62. Removing a Cassette Slide the EJEC[...]

Getting S ta rted - 22 - Note: The tape r emaining dis play appears 10 seconds af ter the tape starts to run. Note: W hen the remaining tape tim e becom es les s than about three m inutes, T APE END flashes in the viewfinder or LCD m onitor. Setting the Date and Time Take the time to set the date and time now. T he date and time can be recorded on [...]

Getting Started, Identify i ng Controls - 23 - recording m ode. See "Date Rec ording" on page 37. Correcti ng the Date and Ti me 1. Press the DAT E/T ITLE button while press ing the STOP button. T he flas hing cursor appears at the m onth. 2. Move to where y ou need to m ake the cor rection with the STO P button and use the F.F and REW to[...]

Getting Started, Identify i ng Controls - 24 - 16. Ring of Tape Transport - F.F Button Use this button to f ast for ward tapes or f or visual sear ch. During visual sear ch the cam cor der fas t forwards at approxim ately 9 times norm al playback s peed. Also use this button to set date and tim e.  - STO P Button Use this button to stop playback[...]

Getting Started, Identify i ng Controls - 25 - 33. Clock Battery Compartment Pull the battery holder and install the clock battery (provided). 34. Shoulde r Strap Sl ots Attach the shoulder s trap here. Remote Control Illus tration 35. TV Control Buttons Used for controlling the T V. • POW ER: Turns the T V on and off . • AVX: Used f or recor d[...]

Getting Started, Identify i ng Controls - 26 - 2. Use the BRIGHT control on the side of the LCD m onitor to adjust the br ightness of the LCD screen. Range in w hi c h the LCD M onitor can be moved v Cautions on LCD Monitor Screen • Do not touch the LCD screen w ith your fingers as the scr een could get dir ty and the picture will not be seen cle[...]

Basic Technique s - 27 - • W hen opening the LCD monitor, be car eful that no water dropl ets adhere the monitor scr een and that no water or dust enters the camcorder thr ough the gap as it coul d cause a malfunction. Basic Techniques The batteries are in plac e and charged, the date and time are s et, and you are familiar with the c ontrols. Is[...]

Basic Technique s - 28 - You can view rec orded pictures on the 3-inch LCD monitor immediately after recor ding. 1. Hold down the red button on the CAM/OFF/VIDEO s witch while sliding the switch to VIDEO. 2. Press the REW button to the position where you w ant to start playback. 3. Press the PLAY button and play back the tape. To adj ust the volum [...]

Basic Technique s - 29 - Note: W hen y ou engage F.F button or REW button the picture will have som e interferenc e or noise. T his is norm al during sear ch m ode. Play ing Back Your Recording on Your TV Depending on the setup of your v ideo equipment, you connect the c amcorder in one of the 3 methods explained below. Connecting to a Television w[...]

Basic Technique s - 30 - 1. Connect the provided AV ster eo output cable to the AUDIO IN and VIDEO IN j ack s of your television. Connect either the right or lef t audio plug into your television if it has only one AUDIO IN jack. Note: Som e televisions have an S-VIDEO IN jack . Connect the blac k S-VIDEO plug to the television instead of the yello[...]

Basic Technique s - 31 - • Do not install the receiver in an unstable place, in a plac e subjec t to vibrations or on a devic e such as a T V where it becom es warm . • Use the receiver at norm al tem peratures (5°C ( 41°F) ~ 35°C (95°F )). • Tak e care not to dr op the receiver or apply a shock to it. • Do not leave the optical receive[...]

A d vanced Techniques - 32 - Note: Use the AV optical r eceiver and its AC power adapter indoors. Note: The pic ture and sound m ay be interrupted or noise m ay occur when the AV optical receiver is expos ed to direct sunlight or strong artif icial light fr om a fluoresc ent light, etc. or when infr ared light fr om a T V or other electrical applia[...]

A d vanced Techniques - 33 - Press the ST ART /STO P button on the rem ote control, and the c amc order will begin recor ding. Note: W hen y our r ecord an im age of yourself, the im age dis play ed on the LCD m onitor is rever se to that seen in a mirror. Note: Tilt the LCD m onitor in the dir ection of the c am era lens so that it f aces up sligh[...]

A d vanced Techniques - 34 - Note: The c amc order rec ords the sam e date when; - the cass ette is replac ed. - you select  AUTO and date dis play again. - the recor ding is less than 10 seconds long. Note: If the date changes while recording continues over 10 seconds , the new date is recorded f or about 10 seconds the nex t tim e y ou m ake a[...]

A d vanced Techniques - 35 - about 5 seconds and then dis appears. T he zoom pos ition is displayed in 10 steps. Using the Digi tal Zoom The digital zoom increases the magnific ation of the power zoom by 2 times. You must plac e the subject you wis h to magnify at the center of the v iewfinder or LCD monitor. Note: This digital zoom has c ertain li[...]

A d vanced Techniques - 36 - Using A uto Focus The c amc order f ocuses the s ubject in the c enter of the viewf inder or LCD m onitor autom atically unless the manual f ocus is engaged. If FO CUS appears in the viewfinder or LCD m onitor, m anual foc us is engaged. Pres s the FOCUS contr ol buttons sim ultaneously to return to auto focus . The aut[...]

A d vanced Techniques - 37 - Dark obj ects Note: W ith the T zoom control you can use the auto focus with subjects that ar e 3.3 feet away from the lens and further away to inf inity . W ith the W zoom c ontrol you can use the auto focus with subjec ts 3/8 inches (1cm ) away from the lens and further away to inf inity . Using M anual Focus 1. Press[...]

A d vanced Techniques - 38 - shak es with a slight delay. Note: EIS m ay not func tion if you use a wide or tele converter lens. Note: W hen the EIS function is engaged in the vicinity of the zoom range with ZOO M displayed in the viewfinder or LCD m onitor, when m oved fr om the wide-angle end, the im age size will change, but this is norm al. Not[...]

A d vanced Techniques - 39 - Using 16x9 Pressing the 16x 9 button during recor ding or recording paus e fades the top and bottom of the pictur e in the viewfinder or LCD monitor to blac k. • "16x9" is disp lay ed in the viewfinder or LCD m onitor. • W hen the 16x9 button is pressed again, "16x 9" disappears and the nor m al [...]

A d vanced Techniques - 40 - Using M acro This function allows you to shoot subjects as close as 3/8 inches ( 1cm ). Press and hold the power zoom control W . The cam era foc uses on the s ubject autom atically. Check your lighting as it tends to be insuf fic ient when film ing clos e up. Date Search The date searc h function memorizes the start an[...]

A d vanced Techniques - 41 - Using M emory The linear time counter memory stops a rewinding tape at approximately 0;00;00M. This feature helps in loc ating a specific point in the tape to whic h you wish to r eturn. An example might be that you hav e recorded s ome tape that you have already watched, you continue r ecording but do not car e to watc[...]

A d vanced Techniques - 42 - Display on the LCD monitor in the CA M mode: • W hen a recorded tape is in the cam cor der during the VIDEO m ode, "SEARCH" appears in the viewfinder. (Ref er to "Date Search" on page 43). Note: The linear time c ounter with the mem ory feature and "SEARCH" in the viewfinder or LCD monito[...]

A d vanced Techniques - 43 - Creating a Title 1. Connect the cam corder to a power source. 2. Hold down the red button on the CAM/OFF/VIDEO s witch and slide it to either CAM or VIDEO . 3. Press the T IT LE ON/OF F button on the rem ote control and a f lashing curs or appears in the viewf inder or LCD monitor . 4. Use the ST OP button to place the [...]

A d vanced Techniques - 44 - 1. Hold down the red button on the CAM/OFF/VIDEO s witch while sliding the switch to CAM. 2. Locate the point of the tape where you wish to record the title ("Using Quic k Edit," p.42) . 3. Press the T IT LE ON/OF F button on the rem ote control. 4. Press the Star t/Stop button to start rec ording the title. 5[...]

A d vanced Techniques - 45 - 5. Press the Rec ord button on the VCR. It autom atically sets to pause. If the VCR begins to record inst ead of pausing you need to change the position of the polarity switch on the sy nchro edit c able. Stop the VCR, change the position of the s witch, and press the Rec ord button on the VCR. 6. Press the S.EDIT butto[...]

A d vanced Techniques - 46 - control and hold it, then pres s the button corr esponding to the VCR's m ak er code. F or exam ple, if you have a RCA VCR, press the VCR SET button and hold it, then press the DISPLAY button. To check whether the rem ote control code m atc hes that of your VCR or not, point the rem ote control at the inf rared rec[...]

A d vanced Techniques - 47 - VCR Brands Press VCR SET and This Button Hitachi REVERSE Sony PROGRAM Panasonic FO RW ARD Tos hiba IN Mitsubishi CO PY START Sany o OUT Sharp NEC JVC Akai A/V DUB Gold S tar PHILIPS RCA DISPLAY Zenith COUNT ER RESET Magnavox T ITLE ON/OFF Note: The r emote c ontrol code is held in me mor y until it is changed or the bat[...]

A d vanced Techniques - 48 - Note: If your VCR is connected to a T V, the program display will also appear on the TV sc reen. 5. Press the button and use the or button to sear ch for the starting point of the segm ent you w ant to copy. Press and then to set the cam corder to the play pause m ode. The linear tim e c ounter counts when sear ching fo[...]

A d vanced Techniques - 49 - Controlli ng Your TV w ith the Camcorder's Remote Control The remote contr ol is designed to be compatible with many televisions, but will not wor k with every one made. If your TV does not r espond the way it s hould when you program it as explained below, this remote may be incapable of operating it. Once you hav[...]

A d vanced Techniques - 50 - Note: It m ay not be possible to c ontrol all T Vs listed in the T able. Note: The AVX Button can't be used with Gold Star 2 and Sharp T Vs. Using A udio/ Vi deo Dubbing Use audio/video dubbing to rec ord audio and video from the camc order's built- in microphone and camera onto a previously recorded tape in t[...]

A d vanced Techniques - 51 - 3. Connect the cam corder to a power source. 4. Insert a cas sette in the cam corder . 5. Hold down the red button on the CAM/OFF/VIDEO s witch while sliding the switch to CAM. 6. Turn your television or VCR on and tune it to the channel you wish to record from . 7. Press the Star t/Stop button to start rec ording the p[...]

A d vanced Techniques - 52 - as the cam corder 's lens. 4. Hold down the red button on the CAM/OFF/VIDEO s witch while sliding it to CAM. 5. Press the oper ate button on the DC cam era light to turn it on and of f. Notes w hen using t he DC camera light: • Keep the DC cam era light away fr om s plashing or dripping water. • Never cover the[...]

General Maintena nce - 53 - 3. Install the new bulb by aligning the notch in the rim of the bulb's base with the " " mark outside the soc ket. Avoid touching the bulb directly with y our f ingers. It m ay shorten the life of the bulb. 4. Reattach the fr ont of the cas e by placing the bulb in the hole of the reflective plate, lining [...]

General Maintena nce - 54 - To prevent s cratc hing, use a sof t non abrasive cloth, s wab or lens cleaning paper. 3. Fit the projec tion of the eye cup into the groove in the viewfinder and rotate the eye cup in the direction of the arrow . Periodic M ai ntenance A precision elec trom echanic al device, the Hitachi VM-H 725LA/H825LA requires m ain[...]

General Maintena nce - 55 - The created title does not appear. • Insert the clock batter y, then create a titl e. • Do not remove the cl ock battery after creating a title. The LCD monitor does not tur n on. • It does not turn on when al kaline batteries are used to power the camcorder. Use another power supply. • The LCD monitor cannot be [...]

General Maintena nce - 56 - Date search function does not operate • Slide the CAM/OFF VID EO switch to VIDEO. • Insert the clock battery , set the date and time, then s t a r t r e c o r d i n g . • Do not remove the clock battery after recordin g. • Do not eject the recorded cassette. Leave it in the c a m c o r d e r . The optical link do[...]

General Maintena nce - 57 - • Remove the cassette and then tr y to reinsert: remo ve it several times. If the indication is still shown in the view f inder, use a cleaning tape to clean the heads and replace the cassette. Specifications General Specifications Power requirem ents 6V DC Power consum ption VM-H725LA: 5.5W (when recording/LCD monitor[...]

A ccessories A dd Excitement - 58 - Hitachi has m ade every effort to assure you hours of tr ouble free operation f rom your unit. However, should y ou require ser vice, a network of Hitachi Author ized Service Facilities has been established in all 50 s tates and Puerto Rico. Each f acility will provide y ou with convenient and expedient as sistan[...]

A ccessories A dd Excitement - 59 - Please allow two to three weeks f or delivery. If there is a cur rent back order s tatus on the m odel(s) y ou ordered, we will notify you. Thank you for allowing us (Hitachi and HiT RON) to be of servic e to y ou...our valued cus tom er! Order f orm i I ntroduced in 96-97 product line. Mention as "current&q[...]