Hitachi VM-E635LA manual

1 HITACHI Instruction Manual 8mm Video Camcorder VM VM VM VM- - - -E535LA / VM E535LA / VM E535LA / VM E535LA / VM- - - -E635LA E635LA E635LA E635LA HITACHI HOME ELECTRONICS (AMERICA), HITACHI (HSC) CANADA INC. I n c . 6740 Campobello Road 3890 Steve Rey nolds Blvd., Norcross, GA 30093 Missisauga, Ontario, L 5N 2L8 Tel. 770-279-5600 CANADA Tel. 905[...]

2 IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION ................................................................................................ 5 For Your Safety ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Importan t Safeguar ds .............................................[...]

3 Making a Basic Recording ................................................................................................................ 30 Using Instant Review ......................................................................................................................... 31 Using Auto Fo cus ...........................................[...]

4 Cleaning the Lens a nd Picture Tube of the Electroni c Viewfi nder ............................................. 60 Periodic M aintenance ........................................................................................................................ 61 Troublesh ooting .....................................................................[...]

IMPORTANT SAFET Y INFORMAT ION 5 IMPORTA NT SA FETY INFORMATION For Your Safety The CAM/OFF/VIDEO swit ch turns the camcorder on and off, leaving the date/tim e feature unaffected. If the unit is to be l eft unattended for a long period of ti me, turn the camcor der off and close the lens door. WA RNING: TO PREVENT FIRE OR SHOCK HA ZA RD, DO NOT EX[...]

IMPORTANT SAFET Y INFORMAT ION 6 the limits of current technolog y. Warning: T his devi ce complies w ith Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operati on is subject to the followi ng two condi tions: (1) This dev ice may not cause har mful interference, and (2) this devic e must accept any interference recei ved, including interference that may cause undesire[...]

IMPORTANT SAFET Y INFORMAT ION 7 safety is your responsibility too. This page lists important inform ation that will help to assure y our enjoyment and proper use of a Video camcorder and accessory equipment. Please r ead it carefully before operating y our video product and keep it i n a handy place for future reference. INSTA LLATION 1 Read and F[...]

IMPORTANT SAFET Y INFORMAT ION 8 reliabl e operation of the video product and to pr otect it from over heating. These openings must not be blocked or covered. The opening s should never be bl ocked by placing the v ideo product on a bed, sofa, rug or other simil ar surface. This video product should never be placed near or ov er a radiator or heat [...]

IMPORTANT SAFET Y INFORMAT ION 9 should be taken to keep from touching or approaching such pow er lines or circuits as contact with them mig ht be fatal. Installing an outdoor antenna can be hazardous and should be left to a professional antenna install er. USE 14 Cleaning -- Unplug this video product from the w all outlet before cleani ng. Do not [...]

IMPORTANT SAFET Y INFORMAT ION 10 21 Heat -- The product should be situated away f rom heat sources such as radiator s, heat register s, stoves, or other pr oducts (including amplifiers) that pr oduce heat. IMPORTA NT SA FETY INSTRUCTIONS FOR AC A DA PTER/CHA RGER 1. Save these Instructi ons -- This page contains i mportant safety and operating ins[...]

IMPORTANT SAFET Y INFORMAT ION 11 or a lig ht source, a brig ht vertic al bar may appear in the picture. Your camcor der is functioning pr operly, but the solid-state pickup dev ice ( C.C.D) usually causes this as an inherent char acteristic. Try to avoid shooting an excessiv e bright object directly .  Be sure not to leav e the camcorder in a p[...]

IMPORTANT SAFET Y INFORMAT ION 12 Features • Easy to use • 3-inch colo r liquid displa y (LCD) monito r • 32x z oom ratio • Digital eff ect • Electronic image stabilization (EIS) (Only fo r VM-E635LA) • Fade in / Fade out • Instant zoom • Recorded date search • Automatic title recording Difference between models VM -E535LA/VM-E635[...]

Getting Started 13 G e t t i n g S t a r t e d This section guides you thr ough the initial pr eparation of the camc order. None of these processes are complex. Set aside som e time, relax, and fam iliariz e yourself with this quality instrument. Enjoy getting to know all about your Hitachi 8m m cam corder. The more com fortable and familiar you ar[...]

Getting Started 14 convenience Vi sa, Master Card, and Ameri can Express cr edit cards are accepted. The RF adapter can al so be purchased by mail by sending either money or der or your credit card information to the followi ng address: HiTRON, Inc. 675, Old Peachtree RD . Suwanee, GA 30174 Tel: 1-800-995-4500 For more information concerni ng the p[...]

Getting Started 15 A power source must be connected to the camcorder before a cassette can be inserted or remov ed. 15. Cassette Holder C lose Button CA UTION: Be sure to press this button to close the cassette hol der. Otherwi se, the tape may become slack and may be damaged. Rear Illustr ation 16. INST. ZOOM (Instant Zoom) Button Use this button [...]

Getting Started 16 26. BA TTERY EJECT Lever Releases the battery attached to camcorder. 27. EJECT Switch Slide this sw itch to open the cassette door. A power sour ce must be connected before cassettes can be inserted or r emoved though the CAM /OFF/VIDEO switch may be set to OFF ("Inserting and Removing Cassettes," p18) 28. Pow e r Zoom [...]

Getting Started 17 39. Recorder's Remote Control The shaded buttons on the remote control hav e the same functions as the corresponding buttons on the camcorder. 40. A/V DUB Button (only on the re mote control) Use this button to r ecord new audi o and video ov er exis ting audio and v ideo. 41. DISPLAY Button Use this button to sel ect the vi[...]

Getting Started 18 WA RNING: KEEP THE BA TTERY A WA Y FROM CHILD REN A ND PETS. IF SWALLOWED CONSULT A P HYS ICIAN IMMEDIA TELY FOR E MERGENCY TREA TMENT. Note: Replace the battery w ith 3V micro li thium cells such as M axell CR 2025 or its equiv alent. Note: Dispose of battery safely in accor dance with local l aws. Do not dispose of in fire. Not[...]

Getting Started 19 • W hen liquid leaks, w ipe it off completely and then inser t new batteries. Charging the Battery The first step is to set the battery to charge. To charge the battery , use the provided AC adapter/charger. Note: T h is camcorder operates w ith the Lithium ion battery such as VM-BPL13/VM-BPL27. Charge the batter y on a flat su[...]

Getting Started 20 Battery pack Recording LCD monitor VM-BPL13 VM-BPL27 Continuous OFF 120 min. 270 min. recording ON 100 min. 220 min. Typical OFF 70 mi n. 160 min. recording ON 60 min. 130 min. Notes on the Ba tte ry • It is recommended that the battery always be l eft in the discharged state w hen not in use, and charged before y ou use it. ?[...]

Getting Started 21 could damage i t. Removing t he Battery Pack Slide the BATTERY EJECT lev er in the direction of the arrow and hold it, then slide the battery to the upper side and remove i t. Checking the Bat tery 's Charge A battery char ge indicator is located on the upper ri ght corner of the vi ewfinder or LC D monitor. One of six symbo[...]

Getting Started 22 1. Plug the AC adapter /charger pow er cord into an AC outlet. Make sure that the w ide blade fits into the wide slot. If it doesn't fit try reversing it. If you still cannot make fit the blades fully i nto the outlet either contact an electri cian to replace y our obsolete outl et, or use a polariz ed cord or outlet accesso[...]

Getting Started 23 1. Press the OPEN button to open the LCD monitor ("Opening the LCD Monitor ", p19). 2. Slide the EJECT sw itch. " EJECT" will appear on the LCD monitor, and the cassette door will open automatically. Caution: Be careful not to catch your fingers betw een the cassette door and the camcor der as it could cut y o[...]

Getting Started 24 LCD Monitor When using the LCD moni tor during recor ding and playback, you 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. A djusting the Brightness of the LCD Screen Note: Even when the picture on the LCD monitor is adjusted, the r[...]

Getting Started 25 Cautions on LCD Monitor Screen • Do not touch the LCD screen w ith your fingers as the scr een could get dirty 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 cam corder is used in a cold place and becomes too cold, the LCD screen will be dim for a wh[...]

Getting Started 26 CA UTION: Do not hold the unit by the electronic v iewfinder w hen carrying as thi s could cause a malfunction. Ey epiece A djustment To use the electronic v iewfinder, pul l out the eye cup all the way and turn the diopter control for your optimum focus adjustment. Note: Be sure to pull out the eye cup all the way so that y ou c[...]

Getting Started 27 Note: Af ter adjustment, close the hand strap's pad secur ely. Lens Door Opener Slide the opener to open and close the lens door . Al ig n the "  " mark w ith OPEN to open the lens door for recordi ng. Alig n with CLOSE to cl ose it. Hold dow n the small button in the opener as you sl ide it to CLOSE. How ever, [...]

Getting Started 28 Remaining Tape The tape rem aining display shows the rem aining tape that can be used for recording and playback, using seven dashes. This featur e is handy when recording si nce it lets you know how long you can record on the l oaded tape. Insert a cassette into the camcorder and start recording or playback; 10 seconds later , t[...]

Getting Started 29 button on the CAM/OFF/VIDEO sw itch as you sl ide it to CAM. 2. Press the DATE/DISP. button and look i nto the view finder or LCD monitor . The date and time should appear i n the lower r ight w ith the "1" flashing. 12:00 AM 1/ 1/1997 3. Pressing the F.FW D button giv e s you higher numbers w hile the REW /REVIEW butto[...]

Basic T echniques 30 Basic Techniques The batteries are in place and charged, the date and time are set, and you are fam iliar with the controls it s time to m ake a recording. Basic recor ding is easy and sim ple. Hooking up the cam corder to your TV i s not complic ated but give yourself plenty of ti me to ensure connections are cor rect. This se[...]

Basic T echniques 31 Note: If the LCD monitor i s opened or closed (the monitor picture is sw itched between the view finder and LCD monitor) during recording, the on-screen display w ill disappear for about one second. It is recommended that you do not sw itch the pi ctur e dur ing r ecor di ng as the date or title superimposed in the picture bein[...]

Basic T echniques 32 The camcorder focuses the subject in the center of the vi ewfinder or LC D monitor automatically unless the manual focus is engaged. If "FOCUS" appears in the view f inder or LCD monitor, manual focus is engag ed. Press the FOCUS contr ol buttons simultaneously to return to auto focus. The auto focus will not work und[...]

Basic T echniques 33 Using Manual Focus 1. Press the FOCUS contr ol buttons simultaneously . "FOCUS" display s in the view f inder or LCD monitor. You can adj ust the focus manually. 2. Use the pow er zoom T control to z oom up completely to your subject. If you don't use the T control to zoom to the pi cture you w ant, the picture m[...]

Basic T echniques 34 The digital z oom incr eases the magnificati on of the power z oom by 2 times. You m ust place the subject you wish to m agnify at the center of the viewfinder or LCD monitor . Slide and hold the pow er zoom control to the "T" side until you find the pictur e you want. You control the zoom wi th the power z oom T and [...]

Basic T echniques 35 A ctive Screen The camcorder automatical ly bri ghtens the backlig ht of the LCD monitor w hen you are recording a bright subject outdoor s, so that the LCD screen is easy to see. Note: W hen you record a bright subject outdoors, the camcorder operating time will be less than when r ecording indoor s. Note: Even if you record o[...]

Basic T echniques 36 played back pi cture. Note: W hen the LCD monitor is tur ned on and left as it is, the monitor becomes w arm, but this does not indicate fault. Note: W hen the CAM/OFF/VIDEO switch i s set to CAM or VIDEO, the LC D monitor is turned on and off automatically when the LCD moni tor is opened and closed. Note: It is recommended tha[...]

Basic T echniques 37 Note: W hen you engage F.FW D button or REW /REVIEW button the picture will hav e some interference or noise. This is normal duri ng search mode. When the LCD monit or is open: (Clear Search) You can v iew pictur es with l ess noise on the LCD monitor dur ing forwar d or rev erse search. • Press F.FW D button during play back[...]

Basic T echniques 38 channel AUDIO IN j ack. 2. Connect the other ends of the cable to the AUDIO OUT and VIDEO OUT jacks of the camcorder. 3. Insert a prev iously r ecorded cassette into the camcorder. 4. Turn on your VC R and place it in the camcor der input mode (consul t your VCR manual for details) . Operate the televi sion as you normal ly do [...]

Basic T echniques 39 6. Press the PLAY button to beg in playback. 7. Press the STOP button when finished. Connecting to a Television without A udio In and Video In Jacks Connection Di agram 1. Disconnect the VHF antenna leads from the back of the telev ision. Leave the U HF antenna leads connected. 2. Connect the VHF antenna lead to AN T IN of the [...]

Advanced T echniques 40 A dvanced Techniques The Hitachi VM -E535LA/VM-E635LA offers a diverse group of features that add i nterest and excitement to your video. Adding fades to sm ooth transitions creates video wi th a professional look. As you learn and practi ce with these features think of situations that they m ight fit in and add a special to[...]

Advanced T echniques 41 Date Recording When the date has been set, the camcorder will enter the automatic date recording mode autom atically. 1. Press the red button on the CAM /OFF/VIDEO switch as y ou slide it to CAM . 2. Press the DATE/DISP. button to specify the date di splay y ou want to record. " A UTO " and Date - Automatic Date[...]

Advanced T echniques 42 Note: W hen " TIT LE" is display ed in the vi ewfinder or LC D monitor, the titl e cannot be turned on or off using the remote contr ol. Date - Date Recording The camcorder records the date w ith the picture all the time. 11/ 5/1998 No Display - No Date Recording The camcorder does not record the date. Date and [...]

Advanced T echniques 43 Digital Effects R ecording The digital pr ocessor in this camcorder allows you to record the pi cture and add special effects; 16x9 recording mode, a neg ative i mage (negativ e/positive recordi ng), 130 times digital zoom feature, a sy mmetric image, obtai ned by placing a mirror at the center of the screen (half-mir ror re[...]

Advanced T echniques 44 X130 Digital Zoom Mode  MIRROR Half-Mirror Mode  MOSAIC Mosaic Mode  Normal Mode  (Returns to 16x 9 Mode) 16x9 Mode Recording The picture format can be swit ched from the 4:3 (the picture format of an ordinary TV[...]

Advanced T echniques 45 set) to 16x9. 1. Place the camcorder i n record pause. 2. Press the D.EFFECT button until "16x9" appears in the v iewfinder or LCD monitor . The top and bottom of the picture in the vi ewfinder or LC D monitor become black bar s. 3. Press the start/stop button to start r ecording. • To release the 16x9 mode, pr e[...]

Advanced T echniques 46 Note: T his function cannot be used with digital z oom, instant zoom, image stabilizer or zoom fade function. Mosaic Recording 1. Place the camcorder i n record pause. 2. Repeatedly press the D.EFFECT button until "M OSAIC" appears in the vi ewfinder or LCD monitor . The image in the view finder or LCD monitor will[...]

Advanced T echniques 47 to a white scr een. " " appears in the upper left corner of the vi ewfinder or LC D monitor. • Black-and-White f ade: f ades in f rom a black-and- white screen or fades out to a black-and-w hite screen. "B/W " appears in the upper left corner of the viewfinder or LCD monitor. Fading In 1. Use the FADE b[...]

Advanced T echniques 48 • W h ile you zoom to a distant subj ect. • W h ile you approach a small subj ect. • W h ile you wal k around. • W h ile you record from inside a mov ing vehicle. 1. Press the EIS button. The EIS icon appears in the v iewfinder or LCD moni tor. 2. Press the Start/Stop button to start r ecording. W hen EIS is engaged [...]

Advanced T echniques 49 • W hen a recorded tape is in the camcorder during the VIDEO mode, "SEARCH" appears in the v iewfinder or LCD monitor. (Refer to "Date Search" on pag e 41). Note: T he linear time counter with the memory feature and "SEARCH" in the view f inder or LCD monitor can also be displayed on the conne[...]

Advanced T echniques 50 does not operate. Note: T he date search f unction is rel eased when y ou press the STOP button during date search mode. Note: If the recorded time is less than 30 seconds, the date search function may not operate normall y. Using Memory The linear ti me counter m emory stops a rewinding tape at approxim ately 0:00:00M. This[...]

Advanced T echniques 51 Note: Use the wirel ess remote control w ithin the range of the infrared r eceiver of the camcorder show n above. Note: T he wireless remote control may not function in strong l ight such as direct sunl ight or very bright ar tificial lig hting. Note: Clear a direct path from the w ireless remote control to the infrared rece[...]

Advanced T echniques 52 Creating a Title 1. Connect the camcorder to a pow er source. 2. Hold dow n the red button on the CAM/OFF/VIDEO sw itch and slide it to either CAM or VIDEO. 3. Press the TITLE ON/OFF button on the remote control and a flashing cursor appears in the vi ewfinder or LCD monitor. 4. Use the STOP button to place the cursor where [...]

Advanced T echniques 53 2. Use the STOP button to select the character to be cor rected. 3. Use the F.FW D and REW buttons to correct the character. 4. Press the TITLE ON/OFF button on the remote control to store the cor rected title in memory . Recording Title on a Tape in the Camcorder 1. Hold dow n the red button on the CAM/OFF/VIDEO sw itch whi[...]

Advanced T echniques 54 1. Connect your camcorder to the VCR, follow ing "Playing Back Your Recor ding" on page 30. 2. Turn on your VC R and place it in the camcor der input mode (consul t your VCR manual for details) . Operate the televi sion as you normal ly do to see the sig nal coming from the VCR. 3. Hold dow n the red button of the [...]

Advanced T echniques 55 1. Turn the VCR on. 2. Aim the remote control at the infrared receiv er on the VCR and press the VC R SET button on the remote control and hol d it, then press the button correspondi ng to the VCR's maker code. For example, if y ou have a RCA VC R, press the VCR SET button and hold it, then press the D ISPLAY button. To[...]

Advanced T echniques 56 Note: W hen the edit remote control is connected to the camcor der, the buttons marked * in the figure abov e perform the same operations as those of the other remote control provi ded. Operation You can select up to four different scenes or segments to be copied at one ti me. Note: If sunlight or strong artificial light str[...]

Advanced T echniques 57 tape position. Press FOR W ARD and hold it; the tape i s played w hile the button is hel d. Press REVERSE and hol d it for reverse pl ay. 6. Press the IN button to store the counter reading. W hen you press the IN button, OU T flashes in the progr am display. PROG. 1 0: 15 : 13 IN 0: 15 : 13 OUT - : - - : - - 7. Press the bu[...]

Advanced T echniques 58 continues for more than five mi nutes. Note: T he dubbing start and end positions may slightly drift f rom the specified positions when cer tain VCRs are used. Note: Reduce the volume of the camcorder as low as possible duri ng dubbing. Otherw ise the played back pi ctures could be distorted. To End Programmable Simple Edit [...]

Advanced T echniques 59 camcorder in A/V D UB pause mode. 9. Press the PAUSE (START/STOP) button. The audio/v ideo dubbing starts. W hen the linear ti me counter reaches "0:00:00M" the camcorder stops automatically , recording only the por tion of the tape that you selected. Note: If the camcorder is i n AV DUB pause or STILL mode for mor[...]

General Maintenance 60 General Maintenance Cleaning the Camcorder Heads Dirt can accumul ate on the video heads on the camera causing the playback pi cture to become blurred or appear as if video i nformation is lost. This often means that the video heads are dirty . Use a video head cleaner such as a dr y ty pe head cleaning tape to clean the head[...]

General Maintenance 61 4. Face the rib up as show n above and push the ey e cup in until it stops. 5. Turn the eye cup clockw ise until i t stops, then push it in all the w ay. Periodic Maintenance A precision el ectromechanical dev ice, the Hitachi VM-E535LA/VM-E635LA r equires maintenance after a period of normal use. W e expect that no other mai[...]

General Maintenance 62 compartment. on cassette. Cassette window must be toward outside. CA ME RA RECORDING Sy mptom Check Point & Co rrection Picture does not appear i n the view f inder or LC D monitor. Open the lens door. Slide the CAM/OFF/V IDEO switch to CAM. The camcorder cannot go into the recording mode, even w hen the start/stop button[...]

General Maintenance 63 Do not remove the clock battery after recording. Do not eject the recorded casset te. Leave it in the camcorder. BATTERY CONDITION Symptom Check Point & Correcti on The ( ) i ndication in t he electronic viewfinder flashes to indicate battery is discharged. Try another battery or charge the battery . The battery lev el in[...]

General Maintenance 64 Specifications General Specifications Power r equirements 7.2V DC Power consumpti on 4.3W (when recor ding/LCD moni tor OFF) 5.4W (when recording/LC D monitor ON) Dimensions 4-1/8" W x 4-1/2" H x 9-7/16" D (104mm x 115mm x 239mm) W e ight 2.03 lbs (approx . 920g) w ithout battery pack or cassette Operating temp[...]

General Maintenance 65 Should y ou have any questions regarding in-w arranty serv ice, operation or technical assistance, please contact : Hitachi Home Elect ronics (A merica), Inc. 3890 Steve Rey nolds Blvd Norcross, GA 30093 Tel 770-279-5600 Hitachi Sales Corporation of Haw aii 3219 Koapaka St./Honolulu, H I 96819 Tel 808-836-3621 We know that on[...]

General Maintenance 66 Please consult the follow ing telephone number : Montreal ( 514) 956-9882 Toronto (905) 821-4545 Vancouver ( 604) 214-0777[...]