RCA Pro845 manual

CAMCORDER 8 CAMCO RDER USER‘S GUIDE Pro845 Table of Contents . .5 Optional Accessories 6 First-Time Operation 10 Remote Control . . . .1 6 Powering Your Camcorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 9 Recording Features 2 3[...]

Pr oduct Registration IMPOR T ANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS Before using the AC adapter/charger, read all instructions and cautionary markings on (1) AC adapter/charger, (2) battery, and (3) product using battery. Caution: To reduce risk of injury, charge only rechargeable batteries type AV608 or AV8MM. Other types of batteries may burst causing personal[...]

1 Your video camcorder’s AC adapter/charger will operate on 100-240 volts AC, 50/60 Hz, and has a polarized plug. Because one blade of the plug is wider than the other, the plug fits in the wall socket only one way. Do not defeat the safety feature of this plug. If you need an extension cord, use a polarized extension cord. CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE[...]

Installation 1. Read and Follow Instructions— All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the product is operated. Follow all operating instructions. 2. Retain Instructions— The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference. 3. Heed Warnings— Comply with all warnings on the product and in the op[...]

12. Outdoor Antenna Grounding— If an outside antenna or cable system is connected to the product, be sure the antenna or cable system is grounded so as to provide some protection against voltage surges and built-up static charges. Article 810 of the National Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA No. 70 (Section 54 of Canadian Electrical Code, Part 1) provid[...]

Recording T ips • Make a video recording of your home and contents to store in a safe place in case of fire or theft. • Practice recording under a variety of lighting conditions. This will help you respond quickly. • Do not move the camcorder rapidly from side-to- side while recording. A steady, gradual “pan” avoids blurring and “jitter[...]

T able of Contents Product Registration ..............Inside Front Cover Safety Precautions ...........................................1-3 Recording Tips ....................................................4 • Holding the Camcorder .....................................4 • Traveling Tips ...................................................4 Optio[...]

6 Optional Accessories To order accessories, contact your local dealer, call toll free, or use the order form on the next page . AC025A Soft Carrying Case Custom compact soft case designed especially to provide protection and utility for your 8mm cam- corder and most accessories. Rugged fabric lined with soft non-abrasive material and generous padd[...]

7 193983 Cable Transformer This 300-to-75 ohm transformer is used to connect a standard 300-ohm antenna twin-lead to a standard round 75-ohm connector. AH011 Cable Transformer This 75-to-300 ohm trans- former is used to connect a standard 75-ohm antenna cable, such as AH065G or AH066G, to the 300-ohm screw terminals on a TV. Audio/Video Cables Thes[...]

8 ® r r s TM Charge your order on your VISA or MasterCard by filling in below USE YOUR CREDIT CARD IMPORTANT: Copy complete account number from your VISA card IMPORTANT: Copy complete account number from your MasterCard My card expires: My card expires: Copy Number above your name on MasterCard AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE Prices are subject to change wit[...]

9 Optional T ripod or Monopod AC088 Tripod This tripod’s fluid-effect head provides smooth camera pan and tilt. The grooved, tubular 3-section leg design folds down to 26" when not in use and weighs only 4 lbs. Rubber feet allow for sure footing. Cautions: Before using a tripod, make sure it is stable enough to hold the camcorder without fal[...]

First-T ime Operation 10 1. Unpack the camcorder and accessories. • Save the packing materials and box in case you ever need to ship or store your camcorder. • The items shown below are packed with your camcorder. If any are missing or appear damaged, contact your dealer immediately. REFRESH POWER CHARGE Caution: Do not use this adapter/charger[...]

First-T ime Operation (continued) 11 DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUS ON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/ STOP REFRESH POWER CHARGE DC OUT Jack DC IN 6.5V Jack POWER Indicator To AC 100-240V, 50/60 Hz DC Power Cord (continued on next page) 3. Attach adapter/charger or charged batter[...]

E. Put your hand in the handstrap. First-T ime Operation (continued) A. Press EJECT to open the cassette compartment. 12 4. Attach the lens cap cord and adjust the handstrap. 5. Insert a cassette in the camcorder . A. Press on both sides of the lens cap to remove it. B. Attach the lens cap cord to the lens cap. C. Unsnap the handstrap flap and open[...]

AUTO SCENE SEARCH IR DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUS ON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/ STOP First-T ime Operation (continued) 13 6. Set SCENE SELECT to AUTO . 7. T urn on camcorder and place ON/POWER SA VE lever ON . A. Press and hold the small button on the POWER switch while pl[...]

First-T ime Operation (continued) 14 AUTO SCENE SEARCH IR SCENE SEARCH + and - Buttons Clock Cell Compartment SCENE SELECT Control Lens Tally Light Microphone Power Zoom Buttons ( W and T) Accessory Shoe Remote Control Sensor Eyepiece Focus Control Electronic Viewfinder ( PULL here to extend) Manual focus ring 1 1 . Review the camcorder controls. 1[...]

MIC VIDEO AUDIO PUSH IN AV OUT DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUS ON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/ STOP First-T ime Operation (continued) 15 Attach charged battery here DC IN 6.5V Jack (Attach DC power cord here for adapter/charger or optional car cord) Shoulder Strap Attachment Ri[...]

4 F.ADV (Frame Advance) Button During playback, press PAUSE, then F.ADV to view one frame at a time. Press PAUSE again (or PLAY ) to return to normal playback. 5 PAUSE Button During playback, press PAUSE to produce a stop-action picture . Press PAUSE again (or PLAY ) to return to normal playback. 6 SCENE SEARCH – and + Buttons • During record p[...]

8 COUNTER RES (Reset) and MEM (Memory) Buttons • Press COUNTER RES to reset the time counter to “ 0:00:00 ”. • Press COUNTER MEM during recording to display amount of recording time left on the tape. • Press COUNTER MEM during playback to turn memory stop on and off. • Details are on page 33. 9 F.FWD (Fast Forward) Button • Press F.FW[...]

Remote Contr ol (continued) 18 Replace Remote Battery Cell 1. Turn the remote over. Insert a pencil or paper clip in the small hole and slide it in the direction of the arrow while removing the battery cell holder. 2. Remove the old battery by pushing it to the front and then up. 3. Insert the lithium cell into cell holder so its positive (+) termi[...]

Powering Y our Camcorder 19 DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUS ON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/ STOP REFRESH POWER CHARGE Use the Adapter/Charger 1. Plug one end of the DC power cord into the DC OUT jack on the adapter/charger and the other end to the DC IN 6.5V jack on the back of[...]

Powering Y our Camcorder 20 Rechargeable Battery The battery must be charged before it can be used the first time. Initial charging will take approximately one hour. When fully charged, the battery should supply about 45-65 minutes of operating time (depending on how much you use zoom and pause, auto focus, and record pause). Place ON/POWER SAVE in[...]

Powering Y our Camcorder 21 DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUS ON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/ STOP Attach the Charged Battery 1. If the DC power cord’s plug is attached to the camcorder, remove it. 2. Align the reference marks on the battery and camcorder. 3. Hold the battery f[...]

Powering Y our Camcorder Note: The battery level indicator has no meaning when you power the camcorder with the optional car cord adapter/charger. 22 DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUS ON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/ STOP 1. Remove battery if it is attached to the camcorder or car[...]

23 RCA V ideo Cassettes We recommend our cassettes be used with your camcorder. Use of poor quality or damaged tapes can contaminate the video heads, resulting in snow or no picture during playback. Head cleaning is not covered under warranty. It is considered normal maintenance. The automatic head cleaning system minimizes the need for accessory c[...]

D IS P LA Y R E C E JE C T R E W P LA Y F F P A U S E S T O P FOCUS ON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/ STOP AUTO SCENE SEARCH IR Press DATE To Display in Viewfinder Button and Record on the Tape Press Once Date Only Press Again Date and Time Press Again Neither Date nor Time Date and T ime Displ[...]

DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUS ON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/ STOP V iewfinder 25 The camcorder’s viewfinder is a miniature color LCD monitor that displays the picture seen by the camcorder. The viewfinder can also be used for viewing the tape during playback. Caution: Do n[...]

26 Displays in V iewfinder start or stop recording to let you know that the SCENE SELECT control is set to AUTO . • These displays are not recorded on the tape. SCENE SELECT Indicators • Turn the preset program control to select one of the preset program modes. • The indicator for the mode selected will appear in the viewfinder. No indicator [...]

Displays in V iewfinder (continued) 27 LP Indicator LP appears when you play back a tape recorded in LP speed. FADE Indicator • FADE appears when you turn on the fading feature. • FADE flashes while the camcorder is fading in or out. TAPE and TAPE END Indicators • TAPE appears when approximately five minutes of recording time is left on the t[...]

AUTO SCENE SEARCH IR 28 Special Featur es Quick Review When the camcorder is in record pause, press and release SCENE SEARCH – to review the last few seconds of recorded material. The camcorder will return to record pause. Note: Do not hold SCENE SEARCH –, or the camcorder will go into camera edit. Camera Edit This feature lets you position the[...]

DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUS ON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/ STOP 29 Special Featur es (continued) Auto Mode Place the SCENE SELECT control to AUTO to have the camcorder control focus and set the shutter speed to 1/60 second. When you begin recording, the REC and PAUSE indic[...]

DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUS ON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/ STOP Focusing Y our Camcorder 30 To focus manually . 1. Press FOCUS ON/OFF (auto focus/manual focus) to select manual focus. MF will appear in the viewfinder. 2. Press power zoom button “T” and zoom in on the s[...]

Recording Conditions When recording in a foreign country under fluorescent lighting that uses 50 Hz. electric current (some parts of Europe and Asia). Use under normal conditions. For filming sporting events, football games, etc. • Colors may change if this mode is used indoors with fluorescent lighting. For capturing the colors of sunrises and s[...]

DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUS ON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/ STOP Zooming and Fading • Press the button labeled “ T ” to move the lens in the telephoto (close-up) direction. • Press the button labeled “ W ” to move the lens in the wide-angle direction. 32 Power Z[...]

DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUS ON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/ STOP 33 T ime Counter with Memory Stop Time Counter The time counter display shows the actual time elapsed when recording or playing back a tape. The time counter quickly locates the end of recorded segments. Note [...]

Installation 1 Attach the white plug on one end of the included audio/video cable to the AUDIO OUT jack on the TV or VCR and the other white plug to the white AUDIO jack located under the AV TERMINAL cover on the side of the camcorder. Note: If your TV or VCR has stereo AUDIO jacks, attach the AUDIO plug to the one labeled MONO. If one is not label[...]

DISPLAY REC EJECT REW PLAY FF PAUSE STOP FOCUS ON/OFF DATE FADE POWER CAM OFF VCR POWER SAVE ON COUNTER RESET AUTO BATT MEMO REC START/ STOP 35 V iewfinder Playback and Playback Features Stop-Action Pause • During playback, press PAUSE to “stop the action” and view one frame of the tape. • During stop-action pause, press REW or FF ( F.FWD o[...]

36 Playback on TV or VCR Using AUDIO/VIDEO IN Jacks To connect your camcorder to a TV or VCR using AUDIO/VIDEO IN jacks, use the audio/video cable that came packed with the camcorder. If your TV is already connected to a VCR, you can attach the camcorder to the VCR and watch what the camcorder is recording or playing on the TV. MIC VIDEO AUDIO PUSH[...]

37 Playback on TV or VCR (continued) 1. A. Camcorder connected directly to TV monitor: Turn on the TV and tune it to the video input channel. B. Camcorder connected to VCR that is already connected to TV: Turn on VCR and place it in the “line” or “camera mode”. (If your VCR does not have a “line” or “camera mode”, consult the VCR ow[...]

Playback on a TV without Audio/V ideo Inputs 38 To connect your camcorder to a TV without audio and video inputs, you need an optional CRF800 RF output adapter and an optional coaxial RF cable. *Optional accessories are available from your dealer or electronics supply store. Mail order form is on page 7. OR 2 Back of TV VHF Antenna CHANNEL 4CH/3CH [...]

Playback on a TV without Audio/V ideo Inputs (continued) Playback Operation 1. Set CHANNEL 4CH/3CH on the RF output adapter to 4CH or 3CH . 2. Turn on the TV, and tune it to channel 3 or 4 – the same channel you selected with 4CH/3CH . 3. Attach a power supply, and press and hold the small button on the camcorder’s POWER switch while you place [...]

40 Car e and Maintenance Camcorder Care and Storage • Keep dust and grit from entering the camcorder’s cassette door. They are abrasive and cause excessive wear both to the camcorder’s recording/playback heads and cassettes. • Always replace the lens cap on the lens when the camcorder is not in use. • When the camcorder is not in use, alw[...]

Car e and Maintenance 41 Cleaning the Camcorder To clean the camcorder’s exterior, remove any power source connected to the camcorder and gently wipe it with a clean soft cloth. Cleaning the Camcorder’ s Lens To clean the camcorder’s lens, blow it with a blower brush, and then gently wipe the lens with cleaning tissue and commercially prepare[...]

42 T rouble Checks Troubles sometimes are caused by simple “faults” that you can easily correct without the help of a service technician by first checking a few basic remedies. Before you call or take your camcorder to an Authorized RCA Camcorder Servicenter, look below for the type of trouble you are experiencing. Then perform the simple check[...]

43 T rouble Checks (continued) Poor auto-focus operation Picture is too dark or subject too dark. Viewfinder displays are out of focus Date and/time (or date) were recorded on tape Date and/or time are incorrect Remote control will not operate camcorder Camcorder will not record from AUDIO/VIDEO IN jacks . Camcorder turns off during operation • M[...]

Camera Section Scanning: 525 Lines/60 Fields/30 Frames Image Sensor: CCD Imager Tripod Mount: One 1/4" threaded hole Lens: f: 1.8 — 12:1 (5.5-66mm) Diameter: 37 mm 44 Design Specifications General Power requirement: 6V/6.5VDC Power consumption: 6.0 W Weight: (820g) Dimensions: (119 x 111 x 210mm) Video Recorder Section Format: 8mm Record/Pla[...]

45 Consumer Assistance and Service – Pr o845 Camcorder You can reach Thomson at the following number: 1-800-283-6503 (Toll free inside U.S.A.) Our toll-free camcorder number operates from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST Monday – Friday. Thomson provides a toll-free telephone number to help you with any problems you may encounter with your camcorder.[...]

46 • If you are not located near an exchange point: 1. Provide your Discover, MasterCard or Visa account number and expiration date to your phone representative. This is for security purposes. If we receive your unit including all accessories within 14 days from the date you were provided a Return Authorization number, only items not covered by w[...]

47 To receive a replacement unit after we have received your unit: 1. Write the RA number on the outside of the carton used to return the unit. Make sure you insure your shipment in case of damage or loss. 2. Carefully pack the unit along with all accessories included with your camcorder, using the original box and packing material if possible. 3. [...]

48 Index Accessories, Included ...........................................10 Accessories, Optional ..........................................6-9 Accessory Shoe .....................................................14 Accessory, Order Form .......................................7-8 Adapter/Charger, Safety Instructions ...........................Insid[...]

49 Index (continued) Operation, First-Time ......................................10-15 Optional Accessories ...........................................6-9 Order Form, Accessory .......................................7-8 PAUSE Button ............................................15,16,35 PAUSE Display ..................................................[...]

Thomson Consumer Electronics 600 N Sherman Dr , PO Box 1976 Indianapolis, IN 46206 © 1994 Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc. Trademark(s) ® Registered Marca(s) Registrada(s) Printed in Japan Part Number 94-Pro845-1 For your nearest Home Entertainment Dealer or Authorized Servicenter call toll-free in the U.S.A. 1-800-336-1900 Canadian Consumers ?[...]