Hitachi hdc-401ex manual

Digital Camera HDC-401EX User Manual Thank you for purchasing an HDC-401EX digital camera. Before using the camera, please read this user manual carefully to ensure proper use of the camera. 6-29 Shin Ogawa-machi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0814 (Acropolis Tokyo) Phone : 81-3-3260-9611 Fax : 81-3-3260-9739 See Using the Camera in the Quick Start Guide [...]

Capture (Still Image/Video) .......................................................................................... 52 ■ Setting the Image Size (Recording Resolution) and Image Quality (Compression Ratio) ..... 52 ■S etting the Scene Mode ..................................................................................... 55 ■ Setting the[...]

Be sure to read the following precautionary information to ensure correct and safe use of the product. Warning Caution The following symbols/words are used to indicate the degree of danger or the extent of damage that may result from use that is contrary to the given instructions. The following symbols are used to explain specific instructions . Th[...]

■ What You Should Know 6 5 Do not use any type of connector other than as specified. Fire or electric shock may result. Do not place any article on the camera. The camera may tip over or the article may drop, causing bodily injury. Caution Do not use the camera in places where the use of digital cameras is prohibited, such as on an airplane. An a[...]

8 ■ Notes on Handling the Camera 7 Your digital camera can be used within the temperature range of 0℃ to 40℃ (non-condensing). If the camera is moved from a cold place directly to a warm place, water droplets may form inside or outside the camera due to condensation. Condensation is a common cause of defects and malfunctions, so please exerci[...]

P23 P51 9 ■ Product Overview The HDC-401EX not only offers high image quality with a built-in CCD image sensor of 4 million pixels, but it is also compact enough to be carried nearly anywhere you go. The key features are described below: ○ Built-in CCD image sensor of 4 million pixels (A4 size also su pported) ○ Easy-to-see 1.5” TFT color L[...]

P37 P15 P30 P39 P64 P32 P36 Each button on the control panel has multiple functions. Understand these functions thoroughly before you start operating the buttons. Note that【 M 】 , 【 N 】 , 【 O 】 and 【 P 】 are not displayed on the camera (control panel). Control Panel The menu screens can be operated in the following ways: ● Select [...]

⑥ISO（capture sensitivity） （※ Not displayed if Auto is selected ） Equivalent to ISO100 Equivalent to ISO200 ⑦Flash mode Suppressed Flash mode Auto mode Red-Eye Reduction (Auto) mode Forced Flash mode ⑧Remaining battery power Full battery power Low battery power Running out of battery No battery Displayed when the AC adapter (sold sep[...]

Getting Ready ■ Setting the Batteries ■ Turning On/Off the Power ■ Setting the Date and Time ■ Using an SD Memory Card ■ Setting to the Default Capturing Still Images/Videos ■ Capturing Still Images ■ Using the Flash ■ Shooting Close-Up Shots (Self-Portraits) ■ Using the Zoom ■ Capturing Videos Viewing Still Images/Videos ○Zoo[...]

■ Setting the Batteries ● Turn off the camera power before replacing the batteries. ● Do not open the battery/SD memory card cover using a violent mo tion. The cover may be damaged. ● When opening/closing the battery/SD memory card cover, be careful not to drop the batteries. ● It is recommended that the batteries be removed and stored se[...]

20 ■ Turning On/Off the Power ● If the power switch is released too quickly, the power may not turn on/off. If the camera doesn , t power up/down, press the switch for a longer period. ● If you are using your HDC-401EX for the first time or after a l ong period of storage with the batteries removed from the camera, the internal clock may be r[...]

● Always check the clock display after switching the power source. The internal clock is backed up for approximately 10 minutes, but the date and time setting may be cleared depending on how long the batteries have been in use. ● The date/time and display mode you have just set is retained ev en after the power is turned off or Setting to the D[...]

■U sing an SD Memory Card Also, see SD Memory Card . SD memory cards (sold separately) can be used with the HDC-401E X （32, 64, 128, 256 and 512 MB compatible） . Images can be captured without an SD memory card, as the camera has an internal 16 MB flash memory. Copying Images in the Internal Memory to the SD Memory Card is also possible. ● [...]

Setting to the Default won , t affect items other than those specified above, such as display language, video mode and date/time display mode . With these items the current setting is given priority. Default Settings ■ Setting to the Default If you have changed various items and want to restore their default settings, follow the steps given below[...]

28 27 ■ Capturing Still Images You can capture still images by viewing the LCD monitor or looking into the viewfinder. If the battery power is low or when you want to use the HDC-401 EX like a regular film camera, use of the viewfinder is recommended. Use the camera in a manner appropriate to the given purpose or your own preference, by ref errin[...]

If the subjects are located at very close to the camera (approximately 110 cm or less), the image you see in the viewfinder won , t be exactly the same as the image that is captured. In this case it is recommended that you capture images by viewing the LCD monitor by Setting the Camera to the Close-up Mode . Hold the camera with both hands and keep[...]

32 ■ Shooting Close-Up Shots (Self-Portraits) The Close-Up mode lets you take images of nearby subjects positioned approximately 55 to 110 cm away from the camera. This mode is i deal for self- portraiture using the lens cover (mirror). Close-Up mode： The image capture range is approximately 55 to 110 cm. Standard mode： The image capture rang[...]

34 ■ Capturing Videos You can capture videos using the HDC-401EX. Captured videos can be played directly on the camera or viewed on a TV by connecting the camera using the supplied video cable. 33 Open the lens cover and press the power switch to turn on the power. The camera will enter the Still Image Capture mode. 1 In the Capture Menu screen, [...]

Images displayed in Single Playback mode can be enlarged to 200, 300 or 400%. Zoom Playback mode does not work with video images. Zoom Playback 36 35 Captured still images and videos can be played on the LCD monitor. They can be played in the single, zoom (200, 300 or 400%) or index (9-division) mode. Select the desired image using【 O 】 【 P ?[...]

Video Playback 38 Multiple images can be displayed by dividing the LCD monitor into nine areas. This mode is useful if there are many images to choose from. Index Playback 37 In the Single Playback mode, press the index button （ 【 M 】 ） . The Index Playback screen is displayed. ● Videos are shown with . 1 Select the desired image using ?[...]

40 39 Once deleted, the recorded data cannot be restored. Before deleting image files, confirm that they aren , t really needed. Particularly when deleting all images, check the content of each image beforehand. Use【 O 】 【 P 】t o select the image you want to delete. ● Only the first frame is displayed for videos. 3 Press the power switch [...]

42 Deleting All Images 41 Press the power switch to turn on the power. The camera enters the Still Image Capture mode. 1 Press MODE once to activate the Playback mode. The last captured image is displayed (single playback). 2 In the Playback mode, press MENU to display the Playback Menu screen. 3 Playback Menu Delete Protect Copy to card Display mo[...]

● The factory-set TV (video) mode is PAL. To change this setting, follow the operation below. Key countries using NTSC: Japan, U.S.A., South Korea, Canada, etc. Key countries using PAL: U.K., Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Australia, the Netherlands, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, etc. Before Connecting to a TV 44 43 You can use the supplied video ca[...]

Getting Ready ■ Setting the Language ■ Turning Sound On/Off ■ Setting the Power Off Time ■ Using the AC Adapter (sold separately) Capture (Still Image/Video) ■ Setting the Image Size (Recording Resolution) and Image Quality (Compression Ratio) ■ Setting the Scene Mode ■ Setting the Exposure (Brightness) ■ Setting the White Balance ?[...]

48 47 ■ Setting the Language The display language of the LCD monitor can be selected from the options listed below. ● The language of your HDC-401EX is factory-set to English . To change the default language, follow the steps given below. Japanese（ 日本語） English（ English ） Chinese1（ 体中文） Chinese2（ 繁體中文） Press [...]

■ Turning Sound On/Off The sound from the camera can be turned ON or OFF . 50 Default setting ■ Setting the Power Off Time The Power Off Time function can be set to 1 minute , 3 minutes , 5 minutes , 10 minutes or Off. Press MENU to display the Capture Menu screen. 1 Press MENU to display the Capture Menu screen. 1 49 In the Capture Menu screen[...]

■ Using the AC Adapter (sold separately) An AC adapter can be connected to the HDC-401EX. When playing images or videos on a TV or manipulating them on a computer or otherwise keeping the camera on for a long period of time, use of the AC adapter reduces battery consumption. 52 51 Check to see if the camera power is turned off. If the camera is s[...]

54 53 In the Capture Menu screen, select Image Size using【 M 】 【 N 】 and then select the desired image size using【 O 】 【 P 】 . 2 Capture Menu Set To Default Video Clip Mode Image size Image quality 2304 × 1728 Normal OK ： Set O / P ： Change Capture Menu Set To Default Video Clip Mode Image size Image quality 1600 × 1200 Normal[...]

56 55 ■ Setting the Scene Mode Set the scene mode most appropriate to a given scene. The camer a will capture images and videos in the optimal mode for the selected scene. Scene mode type Description Auto Use this mode for normal image/video capture . Sports The camera will capture 16 images in a period of approximately 1.6 to 2 seconds. ● The [...]

58 57 ■ Setting the Exposure (Brightness) The HDC-401EX uses programmed AE as its exposure control system. However, you can correct the exposure manually (-2.0 EV to +2.0 EV (set in 0 .5-EV steps)) if the subjects are dark, such as when shooting them back light or a bright background. Press MENU to display the Capture Menu screen. 1 In the Captur[...]

60 59 ■ Setting the Sharpness You can set the sharpness of captured images. High Medium Low Press MENU to display the Capture Menu screen. 1 In the Capture Menu screen, select Sharpness using【 M 】 【 N 】 and then select the desired sharpness level using【 O 】 【 P 】 . 2 Capture Menu ISO Color Saturation Sharpness Auto OK ： Set O / [...]

62 ■ Setting the Color Mode You can set the color mode of captured images. Full Color Black & White Sepia Press MENU to display the Capture Menu screen. 1 In the Capture Menu screen, select Color using【 M 】 【 N 】 and then select the desired color mode using【 O 】 【 P 】 . 2 Capture Menu ISO Color Saturation Sharpness Auto OK ：[...]

64 63 ■ Setting the Date Imprint You can imprint the captured images with the date on which they were taken. When a still image is captured with the Date Imprint function s et to ON , the date is imprinted on the JPEG file of the captured image (in th e lower-left corner). Note that this is different from printing the date information of a file b[...]

66 65 ■ Copying Images in the Internal Memory to the SD Memory Card (Copy to SD Card) You can copy images stored in the camera , s internal memory (16 MB) to the memory card. This function is useful when you have recorded images to the internal memory because the memory card was full, and now want to copy the images to a memory card having ample [...]

68 67 Press MODE to activate the Playback mode. The last captured image is displayed (single playback). 1 Use【 O 】 【 P 】t o select the images you want to view in a slide show. 2 ■ Playing a Slide Show You can play all the images stored in memory as a slide show at intervals of 1, 3, 6 or 10 seconds. Press MENU to display the Playback Menu[...]

70 69 Press MODE to activate the Playback mode. The last captured image is displayed (single playback). 1 Use【 O 】 【 P 】t o select the images you want to protect. ● If many images are stored in the internal memory or memory card, using the Index Playback screen will make selection easy. 2 ■ Protecting Images You can protect image files [...]

72 71 Protecting All Images In the Protect menu, select Protect All using【 M 】 【 N 】 and then press . 1 Protect Protect One Protect All Exit Unlock OK ： Set Select Lock / Unlock using【 M 】 【 N 】 and then press . The applicable processing is performed, and the camera returns to the Playback mode. 2 Protect All Unlock Lock OK ： Se[...]

74 73 ■ Formatting Formatting refers to making space available in the camera , s internal memory or memory card when it becomes full, so that images and data can be stored again. ● Formatting the internal memory or memory card will delete all data stored inside. Confirm the content of the stored data before formatting. ※The formatting process[...]

Flow of Copying Image Files to a Computer  Check the operating environment of the computer  Installing the HDC-401EX Driver in the Computer   （W indows98/98SE）   Connecting the HDC-401EX to the Computer Using the USB Cable   Copying Image Files to the Computer (Reader/Writer Connection)  Removing the Camera Uninstalling (Deleting) t[...]

Check the operating environment of the computer The computer must satisfy the following conditions before you can connect your HDC-401EX to the computer using the USB cable (for the loading of captured images, etc.). Check to see if the computer meets these requirements before connecting the camera. ■ OS: Microsoft Windows 98/98SE/Me/2000/XP ■P[...]

80 79 Installing the HDC-401EX Driver in the Computer （Windows 98/98SE） If your computer is running Windows 98/98SE, the HDC-401EX driv er must be installed in the computer first.Install the HDC-401EX driver in the computer through the procedure specified below. ● Once the driver has been installed properly, you can skip this procedure from t[...]

82 81 Connecting the HDC-401EX to the Computer Using the USB Cable 3 3 Check to see if the camera power is turned off. If the camera is still on, press the power switch to turn off the power. 1 Plug the larger connector of the USB cable into the USB port on the computer, and firmly insert the smaller connector into the USB terminal on the camera. 2[...]

● During the Copy process (communication), the viewfinder lamp (red) on the camera blinks continuously. Never disconnect the USB cable or touch the camera (interface cover, control panel, MODE button, MENU button, shutter, etc.) while the viewfinder lamp is blinking. Doing so may damage the stored data. ● All data copied to the folder (camera) [...]

86 85 Removing the Camera ● When removing the HDC-401EX, be sure to follow the procedure be low. If the camera is removed or the USB cable is disconnected without following the specified operation, the computer may not operate correctly or the recorded data may be damaged. ● This operation is not necessary if your computer is running Windows 98[...]

Troubleshooting Menu Items and Default Settings Specifications Quick Start Guide 89 96 97 99 88 87 In My Computer , double-click Control Panel and then double-click Add or Remove Programs. 1 Select HDC-401EX and then click Add (Change) or Remove. 2 When the Select Uninstall Method screen is displayed, select Automatic from the options and then clic[...]

90 89 ■ Troubleshooting Batteries/Power Capturing Still Images/Videos Problem Cause Action The camera doesn , t turn on. ● The batteries are not set correctly. → Set the batteries correctly . ● Battery power is exhausted. → Replace the batteries with new ones . ● Malfunction of the internal system, etc. → Remove/disconnect the batteri[...]

91 92 Problem Cause Action Still images/ videos cannot be played. ● The camera is not in Playback mode. ● The HDC-401EX may not be able to play images that were captured on another digital camera or renamed/manipulated on a computer. → Press the MODE button to switch to Playback mode . ― Viewing Still images/videos Problem Cause Action Imag[...]

94 93 Problem Cause Action The computer doesn , t recognize the camera (no removable disk is displayed, etc.). The camera turns off during USB connection. A warning message was displayed when the camera was removed. ● Another driver or camera is interfering with the HDC-401EX driver operation. Open Device Manager and check to see if USB (Universa[...]

Menu item Setting Mode Still Image Capture mode / Playback mode Set To Default Return certain items to their default settings. Video Capture Mode Switch to Video Capture mode. Image size 【2304×1728】 /1600×1200/1280×960/640×480 Image quality Fine/ 【N o rmal】 / Economy Scene 【 Auto】 / Sports/ Night Scene/ Portrait/ Landscape/ Back Lig[...]

98 97 ■ Specifications Effective resolution Approximately 4 million pixels Capture element 1/1.8 ,, CCD image sensor (Total pixels: Approximately 4.08 million) Recording media SD memory card (32, 64, 128, 256 and 512 MB compatible) (※1), internal 16 MB flash memory （※2） Still image File format for recorded image J PEG compliant (DCF1.0, E[...]

Appendix Quick Start Guide Press MODE once to activate the Playback mode. The last captured image is displayed (single playback). 1 Select the desired image using 【 O 】 【 P 】 . 2 Viewing the Captured Images /Videos See Viewing Still Images / Videos for details . P35 【 P 】【 O 】 ： Images displayed in Single Playback mode can be enla[...]

102 101 Memo Memo Memo Appendix[...]