Microtek MV300 manual

User Guide This guide shows you how to operate the T ake-it MV300 and provides information on basic functions, movie/audio clip recording, still image shooting, playback, and troubleshooting. Before using the DV camera, be sure to read the safety precautions to prevent injuries or damage to users or equipment.[...]

2 Copyright© 2004 Microtek International, Inc . All rights reserved Microtek® is a registered trademarks of Microtek International, Inc. Macintosh® and Apple® are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Windows® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Adobe® and Acrobat® are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporat[...]

3 Federal Communications Commission Interference Statement This equipment (MV300) has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, use[...]

4 Table of Contents Federal Communications Commission Interference Statement ........................................................ 3 Safety Precautions ............................................. 6 Introduction ...................................................... 8 DV camera Package ........................................... 9 DV camera Com[...]

5 Power Saving ............................................... 3 4 Language .................................................... 35 USB Switch ................................................. 3 5 File No Reset ................................................ 3 6 Music Menu ..................................................... 36 Connecting .......[...]

6 Before you use the DV camera, be sure to read the following safety precautions, which detail the proper operation of the DV camera and its accessories to prevent injuries or damage to users or equipment. This symbol indicates situations where improper use of the DV camera may result in harm to the DV camera operator. This symbol indicates situati[...]

7 Do not drop batteries or let them be banged around. This could damage the casings, causing the batteries to leak. • If the internal parts or components of the battery come into contact with your eyes or your mouth, flush the affected site with water and get medical help. • Do not short-circuit the battery terminals, and be sure to cover the t[...]

8 Take-it MV300, Microtek’s Digital video camera, incorporates the functions of digital camcorder, voice recorder, digital still camera and webcam with super image quality and fantastic audio. It applies the MPEG 4 recording video format to capture images with 640x480 resolution. Equipped with a larger 1.8” color CD screen, you can focus on the[...]

9 DV camera Components DV Camera Package Rear View 1. Mode indicator/Charger LED/READY LEDs 2. Multifunction/4-way arrow button • Up/ Zoom In/ Pause/Play • Down/ Zoom Out/ Stop • Right/ Fastforward/ Flash • Left/ Rewind 3. OK/Pan button 4. MENU button 5. TV-out connector 6. DC-in connector Unpacking the DV Camera Open your DV camera package[...]

10 Front /Bottom View 1. Shutter button 2. MODE button ( Playback/ Photo/ Video / Audio) 3. POWER button 4. Macro-Normal switch ( / ) 5 . Lens 6 . Flash 7. Self-timer indicator 8. Microphone 9. Battery cover slider 10. Battery compartment 11. Battery cover 12. Secure Digital (SD) compartment 13. SD card cover 14. Tripod mount Attach the Strap[...]

11 Attaching the Strap Getting Started 1 . Loading the Battery 1. Ensure the DV camera is turned off; then push the sliding battery case indicated by the arrow to open the battery cover. 2. Insert the battery into the compartment. Ensure that the battery is inserted properly with the Mylar pull tab held down. 3. Hold the battery in place and close [...]

12 Your DV camera can also use alkaline batteries instead of a single rechargeable Lithium ion battery. Four AAA-sized alkaline batteries should be used in place of the supplied rechargeable Lithium ion battery and should be inserted as shown. Charging the Battery Charge the Lithium ion battery using the supplied AC adapter. A battery level indicat[...]

13 Inserting an SD Card You can install an SD memory card in your DV camera to increase the memory capacity. Follow the instructions below to install an SD card. Using the LCD Screen The LCD screen can be used to frame your images during shooting video or still images. 1. Open the SD card compartment door on the bottom of the DV camera. Ensure that[...]

14 Shooting your First Video Follow the instructions below to take your first still photograph with your DV camera. Shooting 1. Turn on the DV camera by pressing the POWER button for two seconds. The DV camera should be in Video mode to shoot video. Check for an icon in the top left corner of the screen to confirm this. 2. Use the LCD screen to fra[...]

15 Taking Your First Still Image Follow the instructions below to take your first still photograph with your DV camera. 4. Use the LCD screen to compose your still image. 1. Turn on the DV camera by pressing the POWER button for two seconds. The DV camera may start up in Video mode and you will need to select Photo mode to take still pictures. 2. P[...]

16 The DV camera can operate in four different modes. Each mode offers different features and functions. In this section you will learn what each mode is for and how to use them. This section also covers how to use the DV camera as web cam and how to download your pictures, videos, and audio samples from the DV camera to your hard disk. Modes Zoom [...]

17 Photo mode Use Photo mode for taking still pictures in JPEG format. To select the DV camera to Photo mode from another mode: 1. Press the MODE button on the top of the DV camera. The LCD displays the 4 mode options. 2. Press the button on the rear of the DV camera. The DV camera will switch to Photo mode. Video mode Use Video mode for recording [...]

18 Audio Mode Use Audio mode for recording digital sounds. To select the DV camera to Audio mode from another mode, you should: Playback Mode Use Playback mode to review all the pictures, movies and sounds that you have stored on the DV camera. To select the DV camera to Playback mode: 1. Press the MODE button on the top of the DV camera. The LCD d[...]

19 USB Mode The DV camera will automatically switch to USB mode when it is connected to a USB port using the cable provided. See Connecting on page 37 for details on how to connect your DV camera to a computer. Note: When the camera is connected to a computer with a USB cable, it automatically goes into USB mode. Other modes cannot be selected usin[...]

20 Webcam feature Standard webcam enabled applications such as Microsoft Netmeeting, or Yahoo Messenger will recognize the DV camera as a webacm when it is connected to the USB port on your computer. You can then use the DV camera for video chat. To use your DV camera as a webcam: 1. Turn on your DV camera and make sure that it is set to behave as [...]

21 Using the Menus Your DV camera can be configured using four menus. You can access the menus using the menu button on the rear on the DV camera. Navigate through the menu system using the arrow buttons on the rear of the DV camera. Video/Photo Menu Use the Video/Photo menu to set the size, quality, sharpness, and color properties of pictures. You[...]

22 Quality The quality option can be accessed from either Video mode or Photo mode. Quality can be set to either Fine , Normal or Best . Higher quality images require more memory space and fewer images can be stored on the DV camera. To access the quality option: 1. Turn on the DV camera and make sure that it is in either Photo mode or Video mode. [...]

23 Drive Mode Use the Drive Mode setting to switch between a standard shutter operation, a delayed shutter that allows you to take pictures of yourself, and a multi-shot shutter that allows you to take three pictures in rapid succession every time you press the shutter button. This setting is available only in Photo mode. To access the Drive Mode s[...]

24 White Balance The white balance setting is used to set the correct color balance under different lighting conditions. Without the correct white balance setting, white objects would look red under artificial lighting, or blue in sunlight. Your DV camera can automatically set the white balance for you, but you may wish to set it manually for unusu[...]

25 Sharpness Use the Sharpness option to sharpen or soften the outlines in your images. Three settings are available, Normal , Sharper , and Softer . This setting is only available in Photo mode. To access the Sharpness setting: 1. Turn on the DV camera and make sure that it is in Photo mode. See Modes on page 16. 2. Press the MENU button at the re[...]

26 Color Mode Use the Color Mode setting to change the color of your images or videos. Three settings are available, Normal , Black & White , and Classic. The Color Mode setting can be accessed from either Photo mode or Video mode. To access the Color Mode setting: 1. Turn on the DV camera and make sure that it is in either Photo mode or Video [...]

27 Playback Menu Erase Use the Erase function to delete and files from the camera or SD card memory. The Erase function can be accessed only when your DV camera is in Playback mode. To access the Erase function: 1. Turn on the DV camera and make sure it is in Playback mode. See Modes on page 16 . 2. Press the MENU button at the rear of the DV camer[...]

28 Slide Show Use the Slide Show function to display all the files stored in your DV camera, one after the other. The Slide Show function can only be accessed from Playback mode. You can set the delay between files at two or five seconds. To access the Slide Show function: 1. Turn on the camera and make sure it is in Playback mode. See Modes on pag[...]

29 Print Use the Print function to print still images stored on your DV camera. You can print either an individual image or all your images. To access the Print function: 1. Turn on the DV camera and make sure it is in Playback mode. See Modes on page 16. 2. Press the MENU button on the rear of the DV camera to display the setup menu screen. 3. Use[...]

30 Beep Use the Beep option to turn on or off the beep noise made by the DV camera when buttons are pressed. To access the Beep option: 1. Turn on the DV camera and press the MENU button to display the main menu screen. 2. Press the button to select the Setup menu option at the top. 3. Use the / button to select the Beep option. 4. Press the button[...]

31 Time Use the Time option to set the time. To access the Time option: 1. Turn on the DV camera and press the MENU button to display the main menu screen. 2. Press the button to select the Setup menu option at the top. 3. Use the / button to select the Time option. 4. Press the button to display the submenu. 5 Use the / button to select the field [...]

32 Video Out Use the Video Out option to define the type of TV you want to use to display your camera images on. You can set the video output to either PAL or NTSC format. NTSC is a format used in North America and some of Asia. PAL format is used in Europe. If you are unsure which system your TV uses, consult the documentation that came with it. T[...]

33 Reset Use the Reset option to restore all configurations to factory default settings. To access the Reset option: 1. Turn on the DV camera and press the MENU button to display the main menu screen. 2. Press the button to select the Setup menu option at the top. 3. Use the / button to select the Reset option. 4. Press the button to display the su[...]

34 Frequency To avoid flickering images on the LCD screen, you should make sure that the DV camera Frequency setting matches the frequency of mains electricity in your country. China and Europe use a 50 Hz system. America and Japan use a 60 Hz system. If you are unsure what frequency your mains supply is, consult your power company. To access the F[...]

35 Language Use the Language setting to change the language in which the DV camera menus are displayed. Available languages are, traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, German, French, Spanish and, English. To access the language setting: 1. Turn on the DV camera and press the MENU button to display the main menu screen. 2. Press the button to sel[...]

36 File No Reset Each picture you take with the DV camera is given a number. The file number is also the name of the file when you download it to your hard disk. To reset the file number to zero, use the FileNoReset option. To access the FileNoReset option: 1. Turn on the DV camera and press the MENU button to display the main menu screen. 2. Press[...]

37 Connecting to a Computer Connect the DV camera to a computer using the supplied USB cable as shown below. You can connect your DV camera to a TV to view either still pictures or video stored on the internal memory or on an SD card. You can also connect the DV camera to a computer using a USB cable and download movies or images to the hard disk. [...]

38 Appendix A - Installing Software Your DV camera comes complete with a CD-ROM containing drivers and applications. If your computer uses Windows 98SE operating system, you will need to load a driver from the CD-ROM before you can download files from your DV camera to your computer. If you have Windows ME, 2000, or XP operating system, you can plu[...]

39 Appendix B – Maintenance Always follow the Safety Precautions that came with the DV camera. • Use a soft cloth, tissue or lint-free cloth to clean the DV camera body. • Use a lens brush to remove particulate matter from the lens, and then clean the lens with a soft eyeglass lens tissue or cloth. • Do not use synthetic cleaning solutions [...]

40 Appendix C – Troubleshooting A1: The DV camera is not powered up. • Press and hold the POWER button for a few moments to see if the READY LED is lit. A2 : The battery is inserted incorrectly. • Insert the battery with the correct polarity as marked in the battery compartment. A3 : The battery has poor electrical contact with the terminals [...]

41 The DV camera does not shoot images, movies, or record audio clips. The subject is not in the LCD screen. A1 : The Mode switch is set to the incorrect mode. • Set the Mode switch to Photo mode ( ) to capture still images. • Set the Mode switch to Video/Audio mode ( / ) to record movie/ audio clips. A2: There is no available memory left on th[...]

42 A1: The DV camera was moved while a shot was being taken. • Hold the DV camera firmly when shooting, using a tripod if necessary. A2 : The subject is not within the DV camera’s acceptable focus range. • For normal shooting, make sure that the subject is at least 3.28 ft. (1 m) away from the DV camera lens. A1 : There is not enough ambient [...]

43 Images or Movie/Audio clips cannot be played back. A: The Mode switch is set to the incorrect mode. • Set the Mode switch to Playback mode ( ). A: The SD card is write-protected. • Set the write-protected tab on the SD card to the unlocked position. A1 : The Mode switch is set to the incorrect mode. • Set the Mode switch to Playback mode ([...]

44 A1 : The “USB Switch” setting is set to the incorrect mode. • Enter the Setup mode, set USB Switch to “USB Mode”. A2 : The DV camera is disconnected to the computer. • Make sure one end of the USB cable is connected to your computer and the other end to your DV camera’s USB connector. • Make sure the USB cable is properly connect[...]

45 For Macintosh Users, • Make sure one end of the USB cable is connected to your computer and the other end to your DV camera’s USB connector, then turn on the DV camera. • Check to see if “Camera Driver” has been installed on your computer. • For Mac OS 9.x, 1) Go to the Apple menu and select “Apple System Profiler”. The “Apple [...]

46 Appendix D - Menu Items and Factory Defaults Video/Photo Menu Options Description Size , *, , , / *, Selects the pixel recording size for images Quality , *, Adjusts the compression rate for images Drive Mode** , *, Toggles among Self-timer, Normal, and Continuous shooting modes EV Compensation -2.0, -1.5, -1.0, -0.5, 0.0*, +0.5, +1.0, Compensat[...]

47 Specifications Image Sensor 3.21 megapixels CMOS Sensor Size 1/2” Resolution Movie clips 640x480 pixels (10 fps) 320x240 pixels (25 fps) Still image 2816x2112 (interpolated), 2048x1536, 1600x1200, 1280x960, 640x480 pixels Image Ratio (w:h) 4 : 3 Lens Aperture F 3.0 Focal Length f=8.3 mm Digital Zoom 4X Playback Zoom 4X Focus Range • Normal: [...]