Hitachi VM-H81A manual

TABLE OF CONTENT S 1 1 HITA CHI Instruction Manual 8mm Video Camcorder VM-H81A Hitachi Home Ele c tronics (A merica), HITA CHI (HSC) CA NA DA , INC. I n c . 3300 Trans Canada Highway, Pointe Claire, 3890 Steve Rey nolds Blvd., N orcross, GA 30093 Quebec, H9R1B1, CANADA Tel. 404-279-5600 Tel. 514-697-9150 HITA CHI SA LES CORPORATION OF HA WA II, INC[...]

TABLE OF CONTENT S 2 TA BLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................... 2 For Your Safet y ................................................................................................................ ... 4 MOISTURE ............................................[...]

TABLE OF CONTENT S 3 Controll able Range ..................................................................................................... 38 Using the Mini-Tri pod ................................................................................................. 39 Playi ng Back Your Recor ding Using AV Stereo Out put Cable ....................[...]

For Your Safety 4 F o r Y o u r S a f e t y 2 The CAM/OFF/VIDEO sw itch turns the camcorder on and off, leaving the date/time feature unaffected. If the unit is to be left unattended for a long period of time, turn the camcorder off and attach the lens cap and terminal cov er. WA RNING: W HEN OU TDOORS, DO NOT USE AC ADAPTER/CHAR GER, USE ONLY BATT[...]

For Your Safety 5 current technolog y. Warning: T his dev ice complies wi th Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation i s subject to the follow ing two condi tions: (1) This dev ice may not cause harmful interference, and (2) thi s device must accept any interference receiv ed, including interference that may cause undesir ed operation. Note: T h is equ[...]

IMPORT ANT SAFEG UARDS 6 I M P O R T A N T S A F E G U A R D S In addition to the careful attention dev oted to quality standards in the manufacture of your vi deo product, safety is a major factor i n the design of every instrument. But, saf ety is your responsibility too. This pa ge lists im portant in f orma tion that will help to a ssure your e[...]

IMPORT ANT SAFEG UARDS 7 7 Powe r Cord Protection -- Pow er supply cor ds should be routed so that they are not l ikely to be w alked on or pi nched by items placed upon or against them, pay ing particul ar attention to cords at plugs, conv enience receptacles, and the point w here they ex it from the appliance. 8 Ventilation -- Slots and openings [...]

IMPORT ANT SAFEG UARDS 8 13 Powe r Lines -- An outside antenna system should not be located i n the vici nity of overhead pow er lines or other electric li ght or power circuits, or where it can fall into such power lines or circuits. W hen installing an outside antenna system, ex treme care should be taken to keep from touching or appr oaching suc[...]

IMPORT ANT SAFEG UARDS 9 d. If the video product does not oper ate normally by following the operating i nstructions. Adjust only those controls that are cover ed by the operating i nstructions. Improper adjustment of other controls may result in damage and will often require ex tensive work by a qualified technician to restore the v ideo product t[...]

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCT IONS FOR AC ADAPTER/CHARGER 10 IMPORTA NT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS FOR A C A DA PTER/CHA RGER 1. Save these Instructi ons -- This page contains important safety and operating i nstructions for AC Adapter/Charg er Model VM- ACL1A. 2. Before using AC Adapter/C harger, read al l instructions and cautionary marking s on (1) AC Adap[...]

Read This First 11 Read This First To guide you, we've included  A "Before You Begi n" section containing important cauti ons for your family's safety as w ell as instruction for getti ng your v ideo camcorder ready for use. Pl ease read and understand this section thor oughly before moving on.  A "Getting Started&quo[...]

Before You Begin 12 Before You Begin Any problems that occur as a result of any of the following conditions will not be covered by our warr anty .  Be careful that no water, dust or sand enters the camcorder.  W hen you shoot at a scene which contai ns an extremely bright object such as the sun or a lig ht source, a bright v ertical bar may a[...]

Before You Begin 13 Optional RF A dapter If you wi sh to connect this camcorder to a telev ision that does not have audio/video input jacks y ou will need to use the optional RF adapter model VM-RF86A. Y ou cannot use the optical link function w ith a televisi on that does not have audio/v ideo input jacks. The RF adapter can be purchased by callin[...]

Before You Begin 14 CA UTION  How to Handle the Water-resist ant Packings  Inspect t h e water-resistan t packings const antly to check t h at the re a re no scratches or chippi ng as they could cause w ater to enter.  Check that no foreign matter adheres to the water-resistant packings before closing the cases. If the camcorder i s used w[...]

Before You Begin 15 3. To close the case, hold the left and right cases tig htly and close the snap until a click i s heard. Note: Lock the case securely using the snap. Other wise, it could al low w ater to enter. How to Open and Close the Battery Compartment C over 1. Push the BATT EJECT lever in the dir ection of the arrow to unlock the cover. P[...]

Before You Begin 16 NOTE: The plug can easily be inserted and pulled out w hen the post on the cover i s inserted into the hole. NOTE: Release the post from the hole to close the jack cov er. 3. To close the jack cover, Pr ess the two sections marked "PU SH" and make sure that a click is heard. Also check that the knob is alig ned with th[...]

Getting Started 17 G e t t i n g S t a r t e d This section guides you thr ough the initial prepar ation of the camcorder . None of these processes are com plex. Set aside some ti me, relax, and familiariz e yourself with this quality instrument. Enjoy getting to know all about your Hitachi 8m m camc order. The mor e comfortable and fam iliar you a[...]

Getting Started 18 Note: T he CHARGE light on the AC adapter/charger does not turn on. Note: T he CAM/OFF/VIDEO sw itch must be in "OFF" position to char ge the battery i nside the camcorder. Note: T he camcorder becomes warm duri ng charging , but this is normal. Note: If the batte ry is lef t in the cam co rder, the battery power will d[...]

Getting Started 19 Charging time 8.5 hours (maximum) Using an Optional Car A dapter/Charger ( Hitachi VM-CA 500A ) 1. Connect the car adapter/char ger to the car's cig arette lighter socket. The power li ght turns on. 2. Attach the batter to the car adapter/char ger. The charge li ght turns on and charging starts. The light turns off when char[...]

Getting Started 20 then reattach it to the AC adapter /charger. If the CHARGE l ight continues to flash after several attempts to attach it, the batter y is unable to take a charge and must be repl aced. Do not attach a hot batter to the AC adapter/charger . Allow it to cool. Do not use a battery w ith a crack or any abnormaliti es in its appearanc[...]

Getting Started 21 strap to carry the cam corder. A ttaching the Optional Wide or Tele Converter Lens 1. To remove the lens hood, turn i t counterclockwi se. 2. Remove both caps of the conver ter lens. 3. Screw the l ens into the threads on the camcorder lens assembl y. Note: T he wide and tele conv erter lenses (optional) are not water-resistant. [...]

Getting Started 22 WA RNING: KEEP T HE BAT T ERIES AW AY FROM CHILDR EN AND PETS. IF SW ALLOW ED CONSULT A PHYSICIA N IMMEDIATE LY FOR EMERGENCY TREATMENT. Note: Replace the remote control battery with 3V micr o lithium cells such as Maxel l CR2025 or its eq uivalent. Note: Dispose of battery safely in accor dance with local law s. Do not dispose o[...]

Getting Started 23 3. Close the cov er firmly. Note: Check that the BATT EJECT lever is aligned w ith the mark and the red mark of the lever cannot be seen. If the cov er is not closed securely , water or dust may enter the batter y compartment. Removing the Battery 1. Push the BATT EJECT lever to open the battery compartment cover. 2. Push the bat[...]

Getting Started 24 Using the A C A dapter/Ch arger 4 Please ensure that the CAM/OFF/VIDEO switch is in the OFF posi tion whenever attaching or detaching any power supply (ie. battery, AC adapter /charger, etc.) Before attaching the external power cord check that there is no sand, water or dirt adheri ng to the terminal of the attachment section. If[...]

Getting Started 25 4. Push the cassette holder, w hich is embossed PUSH on the l eft hand side, until it "clicks" into place. The cassette holder will go dow n and the camcorder automatical ly closes. Caution: Do not push the holder dow n, or you may damage your camcor der. Note: T he cassette holder will temporarily stop in the middle wh[...]

Getting Started 26 Using the Linear Time Counter The linear ti me counter displays the tape r un in hours, minutes, and seconds helping you to keep track of how l ong you've been filming or time you have left to film before running out of tape. Turn the camcorder on to displ ay the linear ti me counter. The linear time counter keeps track from[...]

Getting Started 27 some tape that you have alr eady watched, you continue recording but do not care to watch the tape you recorded ear lier. The m emory feature returns you to the beginning of the m ost recent recordi ng. 1. Press the DISPLAY button on the remote control so the linear time counter w ith memory is di splayed as show n in the figure.[...]

Getting Started 28 3. Pressing the F.FW D button giv es you hig her numbers whil e the REW button giv es you low er numbers. Select the rig ht month and press STOP button. Use the F.FW D, REW and ST OP buttons to select the proper day , year, hour , minute, and AM or PM. 4. After setting the AM/PM , press the DATE button. The display changes and th[...]

Getting Started 29 run. Note: W hen the remaini ng tape time becomes less than about three mi nutes, TAPE END flashes in the vi ewfinder. Lens Cap Attach the lens cap to protect the lens w hen carry ing or storing the camcorder. Dur ing shooting attach the lens cap as show n in the figure to prevent i t from being lost. Using the Microphone Cap 6 B[...]

Getting Started 30 Using the Remote Control Bag The remot e cont ro l is not wate r-re sistant . If you u se the remo t e contro l fo r recording when it rains or snows or w here it could be splashed by water, insert the remote contr ol into the bag w ith the infrared transmission window forward as show n in the figure. Y ou can use the remote cont[...]

Getting Started - Identif yi ng Controls 31 Getting Sta rted - Identi fy ing Controls Left front / Rear view of Controls 1. Lens F1.8 (5~60mm) 12:1 pow er zoom l ens with auto focus and auto iris functions. 2. Snap Lock the snap to close the case tightl y before recording so that no w ater droplets or sand can g et inside. 3. Diopter Control To use[...]

Getting Started - Identif yi ng Controls 32 14. B.LIGHT Button W hen the subject is lit from behind, press and hold thi s button to compensate for the backlighting . Right side / Battery compartment / Jack cover Illustration 15. 16x9 Button W ith this button the picture format can be switched from 4:3 ( picture format of a normal TV set) to 16:9. 1[...]

Getting Started - Identif yi ng Controls 33 25. Start/Stop Button W hen the CAM/OFF/VIDEO switch i s in CAM and the record mode select switch i s in the START/STOP position, press this button to start recordi ng. W hen pressed a second time the camera pauses. W hen the record mode select switch is in the HOLD TO REC, records whil e the Start/Stop b[...]

Getting Started - Identif yi ng Controls 34 W : Picture becomes wider g radually . T: Picture becomes telescopic g radually. Note: T he zoom switch on the r emote control cannot change the zoom speed, but provi des only low -speed zoomi ng. 38. S. E DIT (Synchro Edit) Button (only on the re mote control) Use this button to acti vate the synchro edi[...]

Basic T echniques 35 Basic Techniques The batteries are i n place and charged, the date and time ar e set, and you are familiar with the co ntrols it's time to make a recordin g. Basic reco rding is easy and sim ple. Hooking up the cam corder to your TV is not compli cated but give yourself plenty of tim e to ensure connections are correct. Th[...]

Basic T echniques 36 Note: Press the projection on the Start/Stop button to eng age the button. Note: T APE f lashes in the vi ewfinder w hen the tab on the side of the cassette is complete ly vi sible. 9. To stop recording pr ess the Start/Stop button and REC disappears from the view finder replaced by ( ). This places the camcorder in standby . N[...]

Basic T echniques 37 Cautions When Using the A V Optical R eceiver  Be sure not to install the AV opti cal receiver in a place exposed to dir ect sunlight or near a heater wher e the temperature becomes ver y high, or the receiv er could malfunction.  Do not install the r eceiver in an unstabl e place, in a place subject to vibr ations or on [...]

Basic T echniques 38 the optica l re ce iver will light (red) to show that the receiver is in the stand- by mode. Operations 1. Make sure that the pow er lamp of the AV optical receiv er lights ( red) to show that the r eceiver is i n the stand-by mode. 2. Turn the TV on and select video input. 3. Connect a power source to the camcorder and inser t[...]

Basic T echniques 39 Note: Use the AV optical receiv er and its AC pow er adapter indoors. Note: The picture and sound may be interrupted or noise may occur w hen the AV optical recei ver is ex posed to direct sunlig ht or strong arti f icial light from a fluorescent lig ht, etc. or when infrared l ight from a TV or other electri cal appliance&apos[...]

Basic T echniques 40 Note: Some VCRs have an S-VIDEO IN jack. Connect the black S-VIDEO plug to the VCR instead of the yellow VIDEO plug. 2. Connect the free square pl ug to the AV IN/OUT jack of your camcorder . 3. Insert the prev iously recor ded cassette into the camcorder. 4. Hold dow n the red button on the CAM/OFF/VIDEO sw itch while sl iding[...]

Basic T echniques 41 1. Insert the cassette ("Inserti ng and Removing Cassettes," p.21). 2. Hold dow n the red button on the CAM/OFF/VIDEO sw itch while sl iding the switch to VIDEO. 3. Press the PLAY button and enj oy your v ideo. 4. Press the STOP button when finished. Using Still To view a still picture during playback press th e Start[...]

Advanced T echniques 42 A dvanced Techniques The Hitachi VM- H81A off ers a div erse group of features that add interest and excitement to y our video. Addi ng fades to smooth transitions creates videos w ith a professional look. As you lear n and practice with these features thi nk of situations that they might fit in and add a special touch. Usin[...]

Advanced T echniques 43 Press and hold the pow er zoom T control unti l you find the picture y ou want. Y ou control the zoom w ith the power zoom T and W controls. W hen ZOOM is not displ ayed in the v iewfinder, normal zoom functions resume. Using the INST. ZOOM (Instant Zoom) Button The instant z oom featur e activates the digital z oom to magni[...]

Advanced T echniques 44 Objects behind w ater dappled or dusty g lass Objects with little difference in light reflection such as a w hite wall Rapidly moving objects Dark objects Note: W ith the T zoom control you can use the auto focus w ith subjects that are 3.6 feet away from the lens and further away to infinity. W ith the W zoom control y ou c[...]

Advanced T echniques 45  W hile you wal k around.  W hile you record from inside a mov ing v ehicle. 1. Press the EIS button. The EIS icon appears in the v iewfinder. 2. Press the Start/Stop button to start r ecording. W hen EIS is engaged the view finder image shakes w ith a slight del ay. Note: EIS may not function you use a w ide or teleco[...]

Advanced T echniques 46  Zoom fade: Fades in while z ooming from a w hite screen or fades out whil e zooming to a w hite screen. appears in the upper left corner of the view finder. Fading In 1. Use the FADE button to select a fade option before recor ding. 2. Press the Start/Stop button to start r ecording; fade begins automatically . Fading Ou[...]

Advanced T echniques 47[...]

Advanced T echniques 48 Using Quick Edit Use qui ck edit to search for the end of previously recorded material , find a particular spot on your tape, begi n editing, or recor d new material . W hile the camera is in r ecord/pause mode hold down the F.FW D, REW , or PLAY button and v isually sear ch the tape. Release the button and the camcorder sto[...]

Advanced T echniques 49 corresponding buttons on the cam corder. Aim the wireless r emote control at the infrared r ay receiver of the camer a recorder. Using Remo te Contro l Illustration Note: Use the wirel ess remote control wi thin the range of the infrared ray receiv er of the camera/recorder show n above. Note: T he wireless remote control ma[...]

Advanced T echniques 50 7. Complete the title by repeating steps 5 and 6. 8. W hen you complete your ti tle, press PLAY to create a second titl e as required, or press the TITLE ON/OFF button on the remote control to stor e the title in memory and r emove the title g raphics from the view finder. Note: As long as the correct current ti me can be di[...]

Advanced T echniques 51 recorded materi al. Dubbing from the camcorder to a VCR 14 Connect the camc order to a VCR to copy your or a friend's home 8m m recordin gs to V HS . Camcorder to VC R connection Illustration 1. Connect the AV stereo output cable pl ug to the AV IN/OUT jack of your camcorder. 2. Connect the AV stereo output cable to the[...]

Advanced T echniques 52 6. Press the S.EDIT button on the remote control and the last few seconds of the recorded tape rev iews in the v iewfinder and then the camcor der is placed in play back. The recording VCR star ts recording automatic ally. 7. Press the F.FW D, REW , STOP and Start/Stop buttons to pause the VCR. Y ou can then search forward o[...]

Advanced T echniques 53 has been set, the VCR channel is counted up automatically. Note: Your VCR should hav e an infrared remote control . Note: If the channel on the VCR does not chang e with the abov e operation, you need to sw itch the remote control code of your VCR. Refer to the VCR's instruction manual. If the channel still does not cha[...]

Advanced T echniques 54 Note: If sunlight or strong artificial l ight strikes the camcorder 's infrared receiv er, the editing operati on may not be possible. In this case, attach the microphone cap to cov er the receiv er, then try to operate the edi t remote control agai n. Progr ammable Edit Hookup Illustr ation 1. Use the AV stereo output [...]

Advanced T echniques 55 Note: Af ter the simple pr ogrammable edit i s finished, the programmed data i s erased. If you w ant to continue editing other seg ments, repeat steps 5 ~ 12. Note: If you make a mistake i n the middle of programming or want to cor rect the progr ammed data, start again from the begi nning. Note: Most VCRs (recor ding machi[...]

Advanced T echniques 56 combina t io ns listed, it is likely that you will not be a ble to program th is remo t e cont rol fo r your TV . TV Brands Press CH ( ) and This Button Hitachi AVX Zenith VOL ( ) Sony ZOOM.(W ) Magnav ox REW Sanyo PLAY Gold Star 1 F.FW D Tosh iba AV DUB Gold Star 2 STOP NEC PAUSE (START/STOP) RCA DISPLAY Panasonic TITLE ON/[...]

Advanced T echniques 57 Audio/Video Dubbi ng operation Illustr ation 1. Hold dow n the red button on the CAM/OFF/VIDEO sw itch while sl iding the switch to VIDEO. 2. Connect the prov ided AV stereo output cable to the AUDIO IN and VIDEO IN jacks of your television. Connect either the rig ht or lef t audio plug into y our televi sion if it has only [...]

Advanced T echniques 58 Note: If the tape is play ed back while the AV input cabl e is left connected to the camcorder, noise may appear in the picture. In thi s event, press the STOP button to stop the camcorder, unplug the AV i nput cable and play back the tape again. Note: T o monitor the picture being r ecorded, connect the AV stereo output cab[...]

General Maintenance 59 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 camera causing the playback pi cture to become blurred or appear as if video information is lost. This often means that the video heads ar e dirty. U se a dry ty pe head cleaner to clean the heads. If after cleaning[...]

General Maintenance 60  It is recommended that y ou store the camcorder in a box with a desiccant.  Store the camcorder w ithout closing the snap and with the case slig htly open. Periodic Maintenance A precision el ectromechanical devi ce, the Hitachi VM- H81A requires maintenance after a period of normal use. W e expect that no other mainte[...]

General Maintenance 61 PLA YBA CK OF PRE-RECORDED CASSETTE Symptom Check Point & Corr ection “PLAY” button cannot be engaged. Set the pow er swi tch to “VIDEO” position. No picture appear s on television screen w hen “PLAY” button is pr essed. Set the television to the camera/recorder channel (3 or 4) depending upon the selected cha[...]

Specific ations 62 Specifications General Specifications Power r equirements 7.2V DC Power consumption 5.8W (when recor ding) Dimensions 3-7/16" W x 4-5/16" H x 9" D (88mm x 109mm x 228mm) W eight 1.98 lbs (900g) without battery pack, lens hood, lens cap or cassette Operating temper ature 32°F ~ 104°F Storage temper ature -4°F ~ 1[...]

Specific ations 63 3890 Steve Rey nolds Blv d Norcross, GA 30093 Tel 404-279-5600 Hitachi Sales Corporation of Haw aii 3219 Koapaka St./Honolulu, H I 96819 Tel 808-836-3621[...]

Accesso ri es Add Excitement 64 A ccessories A dd Excitement We know that once you discover how much your H itachi VM-H81A can add to your life you will want to use these accessories for even more excitement. C onverter lenses, adapters for synchr o editing, and car cords are just a few of the exciting accessor ies available to you from Hitachi. Hi[...]

Accesso ri es Add Excitement 65 To Order in the United St ates In Canada - Please use C anadian order form in French v ersion of this manual - Pag e 69. By Phone To place an order by phone, have your VISA, MASTERCARD, or AMERICAN EXPRESS card ready and call Hitachi's tol l-free number anytime: 24 hour s a day, 7 days a w eek. 1-800-HITA C HI B[...]

HITACHI W ARRANTY CARD (USA Front) 66 HITA CHI WARRA NTY CA RD (USA Front) U. S. A . ONLY NOT VA LID IN CA NA DA HITA CHI Hitachi Home Elect ronics (A merica), Inc. Hitachi Sales Corporation of Hawaii, Inc. LIMITED WARRANTY Hitachi Home El ectronics (America) , Inc. and Hitachi Sales Corpor ation of Hawai i ("Hitachi",) warrants this comp[...]

HITACHI W ARRANT Y CARD (USA Back) 67 HITA CHI WA R RA NTY CA RD (USA Back) Warranty Limitations The Limited W arranty prov ided by H itachi does not cover: A. Cabinet (exterior finish items), Battery Packs, Accessories, Head Cleaning s, Video Tape Damage, or TV Set Modifications. B. Any defect, malfunction, or failure caused by or resulting from i[...]

HITACHI W ARRANT Y CARD (USA Back) 68 HITA CHI[...]

HITACHI W ARRANTY CARD (Front) CANADA ONLY 69 HITA CHI WARRA NTY CA RD (Front) CA NA DA ONLY NOT VA LID IN U. S. A . HITA CHI VIDEO PRODUCTS GOLD CARD WA RRA NTY * See inside for the GOLD C A RD advantages and how to get it. HITA CHI EXCEPTIONAL PE RFORMANCE HITA CHI (HSC) CA NA DA INC. 3300 Trans Canada Highway, Pointe C laire, Quebec H9R 1B1 IMPO[...]

HITACHI W ARRANTY CARD (Front) CANADA ONLY 70 (8) Ori ginal install ation and any subsequent r einstallation or any transformation of the product; (9) The replacement of the v ideo camera pick-up element, if the pick- up element has been over exposed to an intense source of lig ht; (10) Cl eaning the vi deo heads. F - All r epair costs must be clai[...]

HITACHI CANADA W ARRANT Y CARD (Back) 71 HITA CHI C A NA DA WA RRA NT Y CA RD ( Back) Hitachi VIDEO PRODUCTS are guaranteed to be free from def ects in wor kmanship and material. If any failur e resulting from ei ther wor kmanship or material def ect should occur under normal and proper usage w ithin the period stated her eunder from the original p[...]

HITACHI CANADA W ARRANT Y CARD (Back) 72 as CLEANING OF VIDEO HEADS. 13. The replacement of the video camer a pickup element if the pickup element has been OVER EXPOSED to an intense source of light. 14. Products sold in Canada by any org anization other than HITACHI (HSC) CANADA INC. IMPORTA NT: This war ranty is in lieu of al l other warranties, [...]