IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS In these safety instructions the word "product" refers to the Canon DVD Camcorder DC20/ DC10 A and all its accessories. 1. Read Instructions -- All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the product is operated. 2. Retain Instructions -- The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference. 3. Heed Warnings -- All warnings on the product and in the operating instructions should be adhered to. 4. Follow Instructions -- All operating and maintenance instructions should be followed. 5. Cleaning -- Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners. The product should be cleaned only as recommended in this manual. 6. Accessories -- Do not use accessories not recommended in this manual as they may be hazardous. 7. Avoid magnetic or electric fields -- Do not use the camera close to TV transmitters, portable communication devices or other sources of electric or magnetic radiation. They may cause picture interference, or permanently damage the camera. 8. Water and Moisture -- Hazard of electric shock -- Do not use this product near water or in rainy/moist situations. 9. Placing or Moving -- Do not place on an unstable cart, stand, tripod, bracket or table. The product may fall, causing serious injury to a child or adult, and serious damage to the product. A product and cart combination should be moved with care. Quick stops, excessive force, and uneven surfaces may cause the product and cart combination to overturn. 10. Power Sources -- The CA-570 Compact Power Adapter should be operated only from the type of power source indicated on the marking label. If you are not sure of the type of power supply to your home, consult your product dealer or local power company. Regarding other power sources such as battery power, refer to instructions in this manual. 11. Polarization -- The CA-570 Compact Power Adapter is equipped with a polarized 2-prong plug (a plug having one blade wider than the other). The 2-prong polarized plug will fit into the power outlet only one way. This is a safety feature. If you are unable to insert the plug fully into the outlet, try reversing the plug. If the plug still fails to fit, contact your electrician to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized plug. 12. Power Cord Protection -- Power cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them. Pay particular attention to plugs and the point from which the cords exit the product. 13. Outdoor Antenna Grounding -- If an outside antenna is connected to the product, be sure the antenna is grounded so as to provide some protection against voltage surges and built-up static charges. Section 810 of the National Electrical Code, ANSI / NFPA No. 70--1984, provides information with respect to proper grounding of the mast and supporting structure, grounding of the lead-in wire to an antenna discharge unit, size of grounding conductors, location of antenna discharge unit, connection to grounding electrodes, and requirements for the grounding electrode. See figure 1. E Introduction 3 Fig. 1 EXAMPLE OF ANTENNA GROUNDING AS PER NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE ANTENNA LEAD IN WIRE GROUND CLAMP ELECTRIC SERVICE EQUIPMENT ANTENNA DISCHARGE UNIT (NEC SECTION 810-20) GROUNDING CONDUCTORS (NEC SECTION 810-21) GROUND CLAMPS POWER SERVICE GROUNDING ELECTRODE SYSTEM (NEC ART 250. PART H) NEC - NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE 14.Lightning -- For added protection of this product during a lightning storm, or when it is left unattended and unused for long periods of time, disconnect it from the wall outlet and disconnect the antenna. This will prevent damage to the product due to lightning and power-line surges. 15.Overloading -- Do not overload wall outlets and extension cords as this can result in a risk of fire or electric shock. 16.Objects and Liquid Entry -- Never push objects of any kind into this product through openings as they may touch dangerous voltage points or short out parts that could result in a fire or electric shock. Be careful not to spill liquid of any kind onto the product. 17.Servicing -- Do not attempt to service this product yourself as opening or removing covers may expose you to dangerous voltage or other hazards. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. 18.Damage Requiring Service -- Disconnect this product from the wall outlet and all power sources including battery, and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following conditions: a. When the power-supply cord or plug is damaged. b. If any liquid has been spilled onto, or objects have fallen into, the product. c. If the product has been exposed to rain or water. d. If the product does not operate normally even if you follow the operating instructions. Adjust only those controls that are covered by the operation instructions. Improper adjustment of other controls may result in damage and will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restore the product to its normal operation. e. If the product has been dropped or the cabinet has been damaged. f. When the product exhibits a distinct change in performance. This indicates a need for service. 19.Replacement Parts -- When replacement parts are required, be sure the service technician has used replacement parts that are specified by Canon or that have the same characteristics as the original part. Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire, electric shock or other hazards. 20.Safety Check -- Upon completion of any service or repairs to this product, ask the service technician to perform safety checks to determine that the product is in safe operating order. Should you need to replace the compact power adapter, please return it to the responsible nearest Canon Service Center and please replace it with the same type number CA-570. The Adapter can be used with a power supply between 100 and 240 V AC. For areas where 120 V AC power is not used, you will need a special plug adapter. Contact your nearest Canon Service Center for further information. Use only CSA/UL Certified power supply cord set, Polarized, Type SPT-2 or heavier, minimum No. 18 AWG copper, rated 125 or 250 V, minimum ,P A, minimum 6 ft (1.8 m), maximum 10 ft (3 m) long. This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003. 4 An Introduction to DVDs You have probably heard of DVD discs and they come in various types and in two sizes the more common 12 cm DVDs and 8 cm Mini DVDs. This camcorder uses 8 cm DVD-R discs (like the supplied one) or DVD-RW discs (commercially available). So... what disc to choose? DVD-R Can be recorded only once. You cannot edit or delete the recordings. DVD-RW You can record it many times. You can delete scenes or initialize the disc and start recording again. Now that I have the disc... What disc standard do I choose to initialize it? VIDEO mode Once finalized, a disc recorded in VIDEO mode will play in most common DVD players. However, you cannot edit the recordings. VR* mode You can easily edit the recordings. However, you will be able to play the disc only with DVD-RW compatible DVD players. * Video Recording · Recommended Discs: This camcorder's performance was tested using the supplied discs and Hitachi-Maxell HG-series DVD discs. For use of other DVD media, contact directly the manufacturer's customer support center. · Attempting to record or play in this camcorder DVD discs that were recorded, initialized, edited or finalized with other digital devices can result in lost data. · You need to initialize newly bought DVD-RW discs with this camcorder before using them for the first time. 5 The Advantages of DVDs RECORDING With a DVD yo u just press th e recording start/stop butto n and the cam corder will fin the empty spac d e on the disc ( waste time fast 33). Don't forwarding an d rewinding a tape to find fro m where to sta rt a new recording. Never worry ab out mistakenl y re cording over a precious mem ory! PLAYING scene from Just select a en! the index scre sc into a DVD ur finalized* di Just insert yo the scene mediately find x. No player and im from the inde y back you want to pla g or run the e whole thin scene need to play th ck to find that forward and ba tape 39). you want ( 6 SHARING YO U Windows users : R VIDEOS With the supp lied Roxio MyD VD for Canon of your DVDs software you to share with can easily crea family and frien computer for te copies ds and transfe further editing. r your recordin gs to a For inquiries regarding Roxio MyDVD for Canon, please contact directly the customer support centers of Sonic Solutions ( 105). * Finalization is a process required to make the DVD discs you recorded in VIDEO mode playable on common DVD players ( 98). 7 Table of contents Introduction An Introduction to DVDs ..................................................................................5 The Advantages of DVDs ................................................................................6 About this Manual..........................................................................................11 Checking the Supplied Accessories ..............................................................13 Components Guide........................................................................................14 Screen Displays.............................................................................................18 Preparations Step 1: Preparing the Power Supply..............................................................21 Step 2: Preparing the Camcorder ..................................................................24 Step 3: Using the Wireless Controller............................................................25 Step 4: Adjusting the LCD Screen .................................................................26 Step 5: Changing the Display Language .......................................................27 Step 6: Setting the Time Zone, Date and Time..............................................28 Step 7: Inserting a Memory Card...................................................................30 Step 8: Loading a Disc...................................................................................31 Basic Functions Recording Recording Movies..........................................................................................33 Recording Still Images...................................................................................35 Zooming.........................................................................................................37 Tips for Better Recording...............................................................................38 Playback Playing Back Movies .....................................................................................39 Viewing Still Images.......................................................................................41 Adjusting the Volume.....................................................................................43 Magnifying the Image ....................................................................................44 Displaying Additional Recording Data ...........................................................45 Advanced Features Recording Programs Using the Recording Programs .....................................................................46 Selecting the Recording Program..................................................................47 Using the Program AE Mode .....................................................................48 Using the Shutter-Priority AE Mode .........................................................49 Using the Aperture-Priority AE Mode.......................................................50 More Recording Options Manually Adjusting the Exposure ..................................................................51 Manually Adjusting the Focus and Changing the Focusing Mode.................52 Recording in Widescreen (16:9 Aspect Ratio)...............................................54 Using the Mini Video Light .................................................................55 Using the Flash ..................................................................................56 Using the Self-Timer ......................................................................................58 Changing the FUNC. Settings Changing Settings with the FUNC. Button ....................................................59 Available Settings List (FUNC.) .....................................................................60 Changing the Metering Method .....................................................................62 Setting the White Balance .............................................................................63 Applying Image Enhancing Effects ............................... ...