Hitachi VM-H835LA manual

Impor tant Safety Inform ation 1 HITACHI Inst ruction Manu al 8mm Video Camcorder VM-H835LA HITACHI HOME ELECTRONICS HITACHI (HSC) CANADA INC. (AMERICA), INC. 6740 Campobello Road 3890 Steve Rey nolds Blvd., Norcross, GA 30093 Mississauga, Ontario L 5N 2L 8 Tel. 770-279-5600 CANADA Tel. 905-821-4545 HITACHI SALES CORPORATION OF HAWAII, INC 3219 Koa[...]

Impor tant Safety Inform ation 2 TA BLE OF CONTENTS Important Safety Information ................................................................................................... ................... 4 For Your Safety ...................................................................................................................................[...]

Impor tant Safety Inform ation 3 Using Manual Focus............................................................................................................. ..................... 33 Using the Power Zoom ........................................................................................................... ................... 33 Using the Di[...]

Impor tant Safety Inform ation 4 Cleaning the C amcor der H eads ....................................................................................................... 64 Cleaning the Le ns and Pi cture Tube of the El ectronic View finder ............................................. 64 Periodic M aintena nce ......................................[...]

Impor tant Safety Inform ation 5 This symbol al erts the user that i mportant literatur e concerning the operation and maintenance of this unit has been included. Therefore, i t should be read carefully to av oid any probl ems. CAUTION: TO RE DUCE THE RISK OF EL E CTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT OPE N. NO USER- SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICIN G TO QUA[...]

IMPORT ANT SAFEG UARDS 6 Notes: • This unit uses 8mm vi deo format cassettes. • It records and play s back in the SP mode (14.3 mm/sec). • It cannot record and play back in the LP mode (7.2 mm/sec). • This camcorder uses a Hi -Fi stereo sound sy stem. W hen a tape recorded by this camcorder is played by a conv entional 8mm camcorder , monau[...]

IMPORT ANT SAFEG UARDS 7 outlet only one way . This is a safety feature. If y ou are unable to inser t the plug fully into the outlet, try rev ersing the plug. If the plug should still fail to fit, contact your electrician to replace y our obsolete outlet. To prev ent electri c shock do not use this polar ized pl ug with an ex tension cor d, recept[...]

IMPORT ANT SAFEG UARDS 8 10 W ater and Moisture -- D o not use this v ideo product near water - for exampl e, near a bath tub, wash bow l, kitchen si nk, or laundry tub, in a w et basement, or near a swi mming pool , and the like. 11 Accessories -- Do not place this v ideo product on an unstabl e card, stand, tripod, bracket, or table. The v ideo p[...]

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCT IONS FOR AC ADAPTER/CHARGER 9 SERVICE 17 Servi cing - - Do not attempt to serv ice thi s vi deo product y ourself as opening or removi ng cov ers may expose y ou to danger ous volt age or other hazards. R efer all servi cing to q ualified serv ice per sonnel. 18 Conditions R equiri ng Serv ice - - Unplug this v ideo produc[...]

Before You Begin 10 5. Do not expose char ger to r ain or snow . 6. Use of an attachment nor recommended or sol d by the batter y charg er manufacturer may resul t in a risk of fire, electric shock, or injury to persons. 7. To reduce risk of damage to electric plug and cor d, pul l by pl ug r ather than cord w hen disconnecting char ger. 8. Make su[...]

Read This First 11 R e a d T h i s F i r s t To guide you, w e've included: • An "Important Safety Information" section containi ng important cauti ons for your family's safety as w ell as instr uction for getting your v ideo camcorder ready for use. Please read and understand thi s section thoroug hly before moving on. • A [...]

Getting Started 12 • Digital eff ect • Electronic Im age Stabilizatio n (EIS) • Fade in/fade out • Instant zoom • Multi- function TV/Cam remote control • Recorded date search • Automatic title recording W ith this camcorder you can v iew the picture being recorded or the play back picture whether on the LCD monitor or in the v iew fin[...]

Identifying Controls 13 CR2025 this battery aw ay from children. If swall owed, consult a physici an immediately f or medical treatment. Part No. TS13691 6 Part No. EV10411 7 Part No. 5616583 Optional RF Adapter If you wi sh to connect this camcorder to a televi sion that does not have audi o/video input jacks you w ill need to use the optional RF [...]

Identifying Controls 14 8. Infrared Receiv er The area wher e infrared sig nals from the wi reless remote ar e receiv ed. Aim the remote control to this ar ea for best results. 9. Speaker You can li sten to the recorded sound. 10. OPEN Button Push this button to open the LCD moni tor. 11. Bright C ontrol Use this to adjust the br ightness of the LC[...]

Identifying Controls 15 monitor. 22. DC IN Jack W hen using the AC adapter/charg er, connect one end of the DC cord (pr ovided) to this jack and the other end to the DC OU T jack of the AC adapter/charger . W hen using the car battery cord (optional ), connect this jack and the D C OUTPUT jack of the car battery cord. 23. AUDIO/VIDEO Output Jacks ([...]

Loading Clock and Remote Contr ol Batteries 16 This swit ch turns the camcorder on and off. Set the switch to C AM for camera recording , and to VIDEO for play back. Hold dow n the small red button as y ou slide the swit ch to CAM or VID EO. You do not need to hold dow n the red button to slide the switch to OFF. 36. Hand Strap Refer to page 20. 37[...]

Loading Clock and Remote Contr ol Batteries 17 Install the batteri es to prevent mi splacing them. Clock Battery 1. Pull out the battery holder. 2. Insert the battery wi th the "+" terminal facing up. 3. Fully insert the battery holder into the camcorder. Remote Control Battery 1. Push the tab to the rig ht of the remote control and hold [...]

Charging the Battery 18 Note: Keep the batteries in a dar k, cool, dry place. C h a r g i n g t h e B a t t e r y The first step is to set the battery to charge. To charg e the battery , use the provi ded AC adapter/charg er. Note: This camcorder oper ates wi th the Lithium ion batter y such as VM- BPL13/VM-BPL27. Charge the batter y on a flat surf[...]

Camc order Batteries 19 lamp will flash a t ra pid cycles to show that charging is not ta kin g place . Operating Time The camcorder operating time depends on how often you turn pow er on/of f and use start/stop and zoom. Battery pack VM-BPL13 VM-BPL27 Recording LCD mon itor Continuous recordin g OFF 120 min. 270 min. ON 100 min. 220 min. Typ ic al[...]

Camc order Batteries 20 the Battery" on pag e 15 for details. 1. Alig n the bottom of the battery w ith mark on the camcorder so that the battery f its into the groov es. 2. Slide th e battery downward, as illustrated. Note: Alw ys r emove the battery f rom the camcorder after use. Note: W e cannot guarantee against mal functions of the camcor[...]

Using Alternative Power Sourc es 21 This flashing sy mbol indicates a batter y near ly out of power . Use an alter nati ve pow er source or charger the battery before conti nuing to use the camcor der. Note: The battery char ge indi cator does not appear w hen the camcorder i s power ed by the AC adapter/charg er. Using A lternative Pow er Sources [...]

Inserting and Rem oving Cass ettes 22 Using a Car B a ttery The camcorder can be pow ered w ith a car battery by using an optional car battery cord (Hitachi VM-CC80A) to plug the camcor der into the car's ci garette li ghter socket. Pl ease ensure that the CAM/OFF/VIDEO sw itch is in the OFF position w henever attachi ng or detaching any power[...]

LCD Monitor 23 from the body of the camcorder and the sprockets tow ard the body of the camcorder. 4. Push the cassette holder, w hich is embossed PU SH LOCK on the left hand side, until it "clicks" into place. The camcorder automatically closes. Caution: Be sure that y ou push the cassette holder embossed PU SH LOCK to close the holder. [...]

LCD Monitor 24 W hen using the LCD monitor dur ing r ecording and pl ayback, y ou can adjust the brightness of its scr een and the angle of the monitor. Opening the LCD Monitor 1. Press the OPEN button to open the LCD monitor. Note: Opening or closing the LC D monitor sw itches the picture so that it appears on the LCD monitor or in the v iew finde[...]

Adjusting the Elec tronic Viewfinder 25 Cautions on LCD Monitor Scr een • 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 clearly . If the LCD screen becomes dirty, use a soft cloth to wipe off the dirt. • If the camcorder is used in a cold place and becom es too cold, the LCD scre[...]

Adjustm ent the Hand Strap 26 Eyepiece Adj ustment To use the electronic v iew finder, pull out the ey e cup all the w ay and turn the diopter control for your optimum focus adjustment. Note: Be sure to pull out the ey e cup all the way so that y ou can see the subject in the view f inder clearl y. A djustment the Hand Strap Adjust the hand strap t[...]

Attaching the Shoulder Strap 27 the lens door for recordi ng. Alig n w ith CLOSE to close it. H old dow n the small button in the opener as you sl ide it to CLOSE. H owev er, y ou need not hold it dow n to slide the opener to OPEN. A ttaching the Shoulder Strap Thread the ends of the provided shoulder strap throug h the slots at the back of the cam[...]

Remaining T ape 28 Remaining Tape The tape remaining di splay show s the remaining tape that can be used for recordi ng and playback, usi ng sev en dashes. This feature is handy w hen recording since it lets you know how long y ou can record on the l oaded tape. Insert a cassette into the camcorder and start recording or play back; 10 seconds later[...]

Setting the Date and Tim e 29 1. Load the battery ( "Loading the Batter ies: Camcorder batteries" p16). Pr ess the red button on the CAM/OFF/VIDEO sw itch as y ou slide it to C AM. 2. Press the DATE/DISP. button and look i nto the view f inder or LCD monitor. The date and time should appear i n the low er rig ht wi th the "1" fl[...]

Basic T echniques 30 Note: After the date and time are set, " AUTO" appears and the camcor der enters the automatic date recor ding mode. See "Date R ecording " on page 35. Correcti ng the Date and Time 1. Press the DATE/DISP. button w hile pressing the STOP button. The flashing cursor appears at the month. 2. Move to w here [...]

Using Instant Review 31 5. W hen you are ready to r ecord press the Star t/Stop button. "REC" appears i n the view f inder or LC D monitor and the camcor der records the pi cture y ou see in the view f inder or LC D monitor . 6. To stop recording pr ess the Start/Stop button and "REC" di sappears from the view f inder or LC D mo[...]

Using Auto Focus 32 U s i n g A u t o F o c u s The camcorder focuses the subject in the center of the vi ewfinder or LCD monitor automatically unless the manual focus is engaged. If "FOCUS" appears in the view f inder or LCD monitor, manual focus is eng aged. Pr ess the FOCUS control buttons simultaneously to return to auto focus. The au[...]

Using Manual Focus 33 Objects wi th little difference in lig ht reflection such as a w hite w all Rapidly moving objects Dark objects Note: W ith the T zoom control you can use the auto focus w ith subjects that are 3.3 feet (100 cm) aw ay from the l ens and further away to inf inity. W ith the W z oom control y ou can use the auto focus with subje[...]

Using the Digital Zoom 34 The power z oom W control widens the pi cture, mov ing the subj ect farther away , while the power zoom T control br ings the subj ect closer, narr owing the picture. If "ZOOM" appears at the left of the view finder or LC D monitor, the di gital zoom function show n below has been engaged. W hen the power zoom co[...]

Using the INST. Z OOM (Ins tant Zoom ) Button 35 Using the INST. ZOOM (Instant Zoom) Button The instant zoom feature activ ates the digi tal zoom to mag nify the subj ect 1.5 times regar dless of zooming engaged by the power zoom T and W controls. Press the INST. ZOOM button. "I. ZOOM" appear s at the left of the viewfinder or LCD monitor[...]

Play back 36 than when r ecording i ndoors. Note: Even i f you record outdoor s, the LCD monitor backlig ht may not bri ghten, if y ou are aiming at a dar k subject. Play back You can v iew recorded pictur es on the 3-inch LCD monitor i mmediately after recording . 1. Open the LCD monitor , and then adjust the angl e of the monitor ("Opening t[...]

Play back 37 2. Hold dow n the red button on the CAM/OFF/VID EO switch w hile sliding the sw itch to VIDEO. 3. Press the PLAY button and enj oy y our v ideo. 4. Press the STOP button when finished. Using Still To view a still picture during playback press the Start/Sto p . Press the Start/Stop b utton again to resume playback. If you leave the camc[...]

Play ing Back Your Recording on Your TV 38 Note: W hen you engage F.FW D button or REW /REVIEW button the picture will have some interference or noise. This is normal during sear ch mode. W hen the LCD monitor is open: ( Clear Sear ch) You can v iew pictures w ith less noise on the LC D monitor dur ing forw ard or r ever se search. • Press F.FW D[...]

Play ing Back Your Recording on Your TV 39 of your VCR . Connect either the r ight or left audio plug i nto your VC R if it has only one AUDIO IN jack. Note: Some VCRs hav e an S-VIDEO IN jack. Connect the black S-VIDEO pl ug to the VCR instead of the yellow VIDEO plug. Note: If you use a gener ally avai lable audio/v ideo cable in place of the AV [...]

Play ing Back Your Recording on Your TV 40 Note: Some televi sions hav e an S-VIDEO IN jack. C onnect the black S-VIDEO pl ug to the televi sion instead of the yell ow VIDEO pl ug. Note: If you use a gener ally avai lable audio/v ideo cable in place of the AV stereo output cable (prov ided) w ith the connection shown abov e, unplug the AV ster eo o[...]

Advanced T echniques 41 A dvanced Techniques The Hitachi VM- H835LA offers a diver se group of features that add interest and excitement to y our video. Adding fades to smooth transiti ons creates v ideo wi th a professional look. As you lear n and practice w ith these features think of situations that they might fit in and add a special touch. Cha[...]

Date Recording 42 D a t e R e c o r d i n g W hen the date has been set, the cam corder will enter the automatic date recording mode automaticall y. 1. Press the red button on the CAM /OFF/VIDEO swi tch as you sli de it to CAM. 2. Press the DATE/DISP. button to specify the date di splay y ou w ant to record. " AUTO" and Date - Automati[...]

Date Recording 43  T I T L E 11/ 5/1998 Note: W hen " TIT LE" is display ed in the viewfinder or LCD moni tor, the title cannot be turned on or off using the remote contr ol. Date - Date Re cording The camcorder records the date w ith the picture all the time. 11/ 5/1998 No Display - No Date Re cording The camcorder does not record [...]

Digi tal Effects Re cordi ng 44 seconds after recoding is started. Digital Effects Recording The digital pr ocessor in this camcorder all ows y ou to record pi cture and add special effects; 16x9 recording mode, a neg ativ e image (neg ativ e/positiv e recordi ng), 130 times digital zoom feature, a sy mmetric image, obtained by placing a mirror at [...]

Digi tal Effects Re cordi ng 45 set) to 16x9. 1. Place the camcorder i n record pause. 2. Press the D.EFFECT button until "16x9" appears in the vi ewfinder or LCD moni tor. The top and bottom of the picture in the vi ewfinder or LCD monitor become black bars. 3. Press the start/stop button to start r ecording. • To release the 16x9 mode[...]

Using Fade 46 and rig ht, obtained by pl acing a mir ror at the center of the screen. 3. Press the start/stop button to start r ecording. • To release the half-mirr or mode, press the D.EFFEC T button repeatedly i n recording pause until normal mode is restor ed. Note: This function cannot be used with digital z oom, instant zoom, image stabilize[...]

Using Fade 47 • W ipe f ade: T he picture opens gr adually from the center of a black screen or closes into the center to a black screen. " " appears i n the upper left corner of the v iew finder or LCD moni tor. • Zoom fade: Fades in while z ooming from a white screen or fades out while z ooming to a white scr een. " " appe[...]

Using the Electronic Im age Stabilizer 48 Fading Out 1. W hile recording w ith the camcorder use the FADE button to select a fade option. 2. Press the Start/Stop button to stop recor ding; the fade begins automati cally and "REC" flashes until the fade ends. Note: W hen f ading out be sure to wait unti l the PAUSE indi cator ( ) is v i[...]

Using Quic k Edit 49 Note: W hen the EIS f unction is engaged in the v icinity of the zoom rang e w ith "ZOOM" display ed in the v iew finder or LCD monitor, w hen moved from the w ide-angle end, the image size w ill change, but this is normal. Note: W hen the EIS f unction is engaged, the pictur e becomes rough. Note: W hen the EIS f unc[...]

Date Search 50 appears in the v iew finder or LCD monitor. (R efer to "Date Search" on pag e 41). Note: The linear time counter with the memory feature and "SEARCH" in the view finder or LCD monitor can also be display ed on the connected telev ision. Note: If the LCD monitor i s opened or closed (t he picture is sw itched) duri[...]

Using Mem ory 51 Note: If the recorded time is l ess than 30 seconds, the date search function may not operate normall y. Using Memory The linear time counter memory stops a rew inding tape at approx imately 0:00:00M . This feature helps in locating a specific point in the tape to w hich you wi sh to return. An example mi ght be that y ou have r ec[...]

Attaching the Optional W ide or Tele Converter Lens 52 Note: Use the w irel ess remote control w ithin the range of the infrared receiv er of the camcorder show n above. Note: The wir eless remote control may not f unction in strong l ight such as dir ect sunlight or very brig ht artificial lighti ng. Note: Clear a direct path from the w ireless r [...]

Creating and Recording A T itle 53 " TITLE" should be displayed i n the view f inder or LC D monitor at thi s time.) Note: Be sure to insert the cl ock battery before cr eating a titl e. Although a ti tle can be created without the clock battery inserted, it w ill disappear when the battery providing power to the camcorder is removed. [...]

Creating and Recording A T itle 54 J 7. Complete the title by repeating steps 5 and 6. JANE'S BIRT HDAY 8. W hen you complete your ti tle, press the TITLE ON/OFF button on the remote control to store the title i n memory and r emove the ti tle gr aphics from the view f inder or LC D monitor. Note: As long as the cor rect current ti me can b[...]

Dubbing from the Cam corder to a VCR 55 title gr aphics disappear from the view f inder or LCD monitor and the camcor der can record n ormally. Note: Create and stor e your ti tle before an event y ou plan to recor d. Just press the TITLE ON/OFF button on the remote control to super impose the title ov er the scene as you record it. This method avo[...]

Simp le Program m able Edit (Edit rem ote control is optional acces sory) 56 VCR to record. 5. Play the tape from the camcor der w hile recor ding on the VCR . Note: If the VCR is connected to a telev ision and the VC R/TV selector is set to VC R, you can monitor the tape being dubbed. Note: Reduce the v olume of the camcorder as low as possible du[...]

Simp le Program m able Edit (Edit rem ote control is optional acces sory) 57 1. Turn the VCR on. 2. Aim the remote control at the infrared receiv er on the VCR and press the VCR SET button on the remote control and hol d it, then press the button corr esponding to the VCR's maker code. For exampl e, if you hav e a RCA VCR , press the VCR SET b[...]

Simp le Program m able Edit (Edit rem ote control is optional acces sory) 58 Gold Star PHILIPS RCA DISP LAY Zenith COU NTER RESET Magnav ox TITLE ON/OFF Note: The remote control code i s held in memory until it is changed or the batteries are replaced. Note: Point the remote control straight at the VC R's infrared r eceiver for operation. Note[...]

Simp le Program m able Edit (Edit rem ote control is optional acces sory) 59 PROG. 1 0: 00 : 02 IN - : - - : - - OUT - : - - : - - Note: If your VCR is connected to a TV, the program display w ill also appear on the TV screen. 5. Press the button and use the or button to search for the starting poi nt of the segment you w ant to copy. Press and the[...]

Controlling Your TV with the Camc order's Rem ote Control 60 beginning of the next segment and r esumes playback. The recor ding VCR is automatically released from the record pause mode and resumes recordi ng. • It continues recordi ng and pausing until all the programmed seg ments are edited. 12. W hen simple programmable edit is finished, [...]

Controlling Your TV with the Camc order's Rem ote Control 61 Progr amming the R emote Control • Turn the televisi on on (any channel is okay ). • Aim the camcorder's r emote control at y our TV set. Hold dow n the CH ( ) button while you press the button cor responding to your br and of televisi on as shown in the char t (page 51) . F[...]

Using Audio/Video Dubbing 62 Note: It may not be possi ble to control all TVs listed in the Table. Note: The AVX Button can't be used w ith Gold Star 2 and Shar p TVs. Using A udio/Video Dubbing Use audio/v ideo dubbing to record audi o and video from the camcor der's built- in microphone and camera onto a pr evi ously r ecorded tape in t[...]

Recording T elevision Progr ams 63 6. Display the linear timer counter w ith memory ("Usi ng Memor y," p41) . Press the COUNTER R ESET button to set the linear time counter to "0:00:00M". 7. Use the REW and PLAY buttons to find wher e you w ish to start dubbi ng. Press the PAUSE (START/STOP) button. 8. Press and hold the A/V DU [...]

General Maintenance 64 view f inder or on the LC D monitor, but no sound i s output from the speaker. G e n e r a l M a i n t e n a n c e Cleaning the Camcorder Heads Dirt can accumul ate on the video heads on the camer a causing the play back picture to become blurred or appear as if vi deo information is lost. This often means that the vi deo hea[...]

Troubles hooting 65 3. Clean the pictur e tube face and lens. To prevent scratching , use a soft non abrasive cloth, swab or lens cleaning paper. 4. Face the rib up as show n above and push and the ey e cup in until it stops. 5. Turn the eye cup clockw ise until it stops, the push it in al l the way . Periodic M aintenance A precision el ectromecha[...]

Troubles hooting 66 when y ou slide EJEC T switch • Open the LCD monitor , then slide the EJECT switch. Cassette cannot be inserted into cassette compartment • Load cassette in di rection indicated by arrow on cassette • Cassette wi ndow must be tow a rd outside. CAMERA RECORDING Symptom Check Point & Correction Picture does not appear i [...]

Specific ations 67 start recording. • Do not remove the cl ock battery after recor ding. • Do not eject the recorded cassette. Leav e it in the camcorder. BATT ERY CONDITION Symptom Check Point & Correction The ( ) indication in the electroni c view f inder flashes to indicate battery is discharged. • Try another batter y or charge the ba[...]

Specific ations 68 Storage temper ature -4°F ~ 140°F (- 20°C ~ 60°C) Video Recorder Specifications F o r m a t 8 m m Record/play back Two v ideo recor d/playback heads Video signal EIA standard NTSC color Tape speed 14.3mm/sec Video input 1.0 Vp-p, 75 ohm Video output 1.0 Vp-p, 75 ohm Audio input -7.8 dBs (316mVrms) Audio output -7.8 dBs (316mV[...]

Accesso ri es A dd Exci tement 69 Norcross, GA 30093 Tel 770-279-5600 Hitachi Sal es Corporation of Haw a ii 3219 Koapaka St./Honolulu, H I 96819 Tel 808-836-3621 A ccessories A dd Excitement W e know that once you discov er how much your Hitachi VM -H835LA can add to y our life you will want to use the se accessorie s f or even m o re excitement. [...]

Accesso ri es A dd Exci tement 70 PARTS NO. A PPEARANC E PURPOSE PARTS NO. A PPEARANC E PURPOSE VM-FL60K Filters fo r sp ecial eff e cts. VM-FL46K Filters and lens pieces for ND filter and MC protector . VM- CL12TW A dd on lenses for telephoto (1.4) & wi de angle (0.7) viewin g. VM- RM20EDA Connect to the cam- corder for dubbing on a tape in an[...]

Accesso ri es A dd Exci tement 71 I P T O HOME ADD RESS : _________________________ APT NO : _ ______ CITY : ____________(N o P.O BOX ) STATE : _ _______ ZIP CODE : _____ HOME PHONE : ( ) _ _____________________________________ HiTRON Order Form for VM-H835LA Description Part No. Price Qty Total TRIPOD SVA50 99.95 SOFT CASE CB29US 29.95 REPLACEMEN [...]