Canon camcorder DC230 User Manual

							 Menu Options Lists
Advanced Functions
51
[  NORMAL TV], [ WIDE TV]
In order to display the picture in full and in 
the correct aspect ratio, select the setting 
according to the type of television to 
which you will connect the camcorder.
[ NORMAL TV]: TV sets with 4:3 
aspect ratio.
[ WIDE TV]: TV sets with 16:9 
aspect ratio.
   When the TV type is set to 
[ NORMAL TV], if you play back a 
recording made in widescreen (16:9) the 
picture displayed on the LCD screen will 
be smaller than the full display area.
You can verify the current version of the 
camcorder’s firmware. This menu option 
is usually grayed out.
Date/Time SetupDATE/TIME SETUP
[Y.M.D (2007.1.1 AM 12:00)], 
[M.D,Y (JAN. 1, 2007 12:00 AM)], 
[D.M.Y (1.JAN.2007 12:00 AM)]
Changes the date format for on-screen 
displays and for date printing.
 Line-in ModeLINE-IN MODE
Press ( ) to enter the video input 
screen.
TV TYPE
FIRMWARE
T.ZONE/DST ( 32)
DATE/TIME ( 33)
DATE FORMAT
LINE-IN MODE
 (82)
D119_NTSC-E.book  Page 51  Monday, December 18, 2006  10:14 AM 
						

							Recording Programs 52
Recording Programs
Using the Recording Programs
AUTO
The camcorder adjusts the focus, 
exposure and other settings 
automatically, allowing you to just 
point and shoot.
 : Flexible Recording Programs
[ PROGRAM AE]  [ SHUTTER-PRIO. AE]  [ APERTURE-PRIO. AE]*( 53) ( 53) ( 53)
 Special Scene Recording Programs:
[ PORTRAIT]
The camcorder uses a 
large aperture, achieving 
a focus on the subject 
while blurring other 
distracting details.[SNOW]Use this mode to record 
in bright ski resorts. It 
prevents the subject from 
being underexposed.[ SPOTLIGHT]Use this mode to record 
spotlit scenes.
[ SPORTS]Use this mode to record 
sports scenes such as 
tennis or golf.[BEACH]Use this mode to record 
on a sunny beach. It 
prevents the subject from 
being underexposed.[ FIREWORKS]Use this mode to record 
fireworks.
[ NIGHT]Use this mode to record 
in dimly lit places.[ SUNSET]Use this mode to record 
sunsets in vibrant colors.
* Available only with the 
.
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							 Recording Programs
Advanced Functions
53
 Flexible Recording: Changing the 
Aper ture and Shutter Speed 
Use the automatic exposure (AE) 
program or give priority to the exposure 
value or the shutter speed.
POINTS TO CHECK
Mode switch: P
Options Default value
TO SET THE SHUTTER SPEED OR APER TURE VALUE
When you select [  SHUTTER-
PRIO.AE] or [  APERTURE-
PRIO.AE], a numeric value will appear 
next to the recording program icon.
1If the joystick guide appears on the 
screen, press ( ) to hide it.
When the numeric value can be 
adjusted, small arrows will appear 
next to the number.
2Adjust ( ) the numeric value 
(shutter speed or aperture value).
The number displayed will flash if the 
aperture or shutter speed is not 
appropriate for the recording 
conditions. In such case, select a 
different value.
NOTES
   Do not change the position of the mode 
switch while recording, as the brightness of the 
image may change abruptly.
   [
 SHUTTER-PRIO.AE]
- If you use a slow shutter speed in dark places, 
you can obtain a brighter image, but the image 
quality may be lower, and the autofocus may 
not work well.
- The image may flicker when recording with 
high shutter speeds.
-
Recording movies under fluorescent lights: If the 
screen starts to flicker, select [ SHUTTER-
PRIO.AE] and set the shutter speed to 1/100.
( 12)
[  PROGRAM AE]
The camcorder automatically adjusts the 
aperture and shutter speed to obtain the 
optimal exposure for the subject.
[  SHUTTER-PRIO.AE]
Set the shutter speed value. The 
camcorder automatically sets the 
appropriate aperture value. Use a high 
shutter speed to record fast moving 
subjects or a slow shutter speed to add a 
certain motion blur, emphasizing the feel of 
movement.
[  APERTURE-PRIO.AE]
Set the aperture value. The camcorder 
automatically sets the appropriate shutter 
speed. Use low aperture values (larger 
lens opening) to softly blur the background 
in a portrait or high aperture values 
(smaller lens opening) to get a wider depth 
of field, giving a sharp focus all throughout 
a landscape.
FUNC.(31)
Icon of the currently selected 
Recording Program
Desired option
FUNC.
FUNC.
D119_NTSC-E.book  Page 53  Monday, December 18, 2006  10:14 AM 
						

							Recording Programs 54
Shutter speed guidelines
Note that on screen only the denominator 
is displayed – “  250” indicates a 
shutter speed of 1/250 second, etc.
Available Aperture Values
The actual range of values available for 
selection will vary depending on the initial 
zoom position.
[1.8], [2.0], [2.4], [2.8], [3.4], 
[4.0], [4.8], [5.6], [6.7], [8.0]
[2.8], [3.4], [4.0], [4.8], [5.6], 
[6.7], [8.0]
Special Scene: Recording Programs to 
Match Special Conditions
Recording in a very bright ski resort or 
capturing the full colors of a sunset or a 
fireworks display becomes as easy as 
selecting a special scene recording 
program.
POINTS TO CHECK
Mode switch: P
NOTES
   Do not change the position of the mode 
switch while recording, as the brightness of the 
image may change abruptly.
   [ PORTRAIT]/[  SPORTS]/[  BEACH]/
[ SNOW]
- The picture may not appear smooth during 
playback.
   [ PORTRAIT]
- The blur effect of the background increases 
the more you zoom in (
T).
   [ NIGHT]
- Moving subjects may leave a trailing 
afterimage.
- Picture quality may not be as good as in other 
modes.
1/8, 1/15, 1/30
1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30
For recording subjects in dark places.
1/60
1/60
For general recordings.
1/100
1/100
For recording indoor sports scenes.
1/250, 1/500, 1/1000
1/250, 1/500, 1/720*
For recording from within a car or train, or 
for recording moving subjects such as 
roller coasters.
*  only.( 12)
FUNC.( 31)
Icon of the currently selected 
Recording Program
Last icon on the right  (icon of the 
currently selected Special Scene)
Desired option
FUNC.
FUNC.
D119_NTSC-E.book  Page 54  Monday, December 18, 2006  10:14 AM 
						

							 Adjusting the Picture: Exposure, Focus and Color
Advanced Functions
55
- White points may appear on the screen.
- Autofocus may not work as well as in other 
modes. In such case, adjust the focus manually.
   [ SNOW]/[ BEACH]
- The subject may become overexposed on 
cloudy days or in shaded places. Check the 
image on the screen.
   [FIREWORKS]
- To avoid camcorder shake, we recommend 
using a tripod. Make sure to use a tripod 
especially in  , as the shutter speed 
slows down.Adjusting the Picture: Exposure, Focus and Color
Manual Exposure Adjustment
At times, backlit subjects may appear too 
dark (underexposed) or subjects under 
very strong lights may appear too bright 
or glaring (overexposed). To correct this, 
you can manually adjust the exposure.
POINTS TO CHECK
Mode switch: P (except for the 
[ FIREWORKS] recording program).
1If the joystick guide does not appear 
on screen, press ( ) to display it.
2Push the joystick ( ) toward [EXP].• If [EXP] does not appear on the joystick 
guide, repeatedly push the joystick ( ) 
toward [NEXT] to display the joystick 
guide in the illustration above. 
• The exposure adjustment indicator 
 and the neutral value “±0” 
appear on the screen.
• If you operate the zoom during 
exposure lock, the brightness of the 
image may change.
3Adjust ( ) the brightness of the 
image as required.
• The adjustment range and the length of 
the exposure adjustment indicator will vary 
depending on the brightness of the picture 
at the time you locked the exposure.
• Pushing the joystick ( ) toward 
[EXP] again will cancel the exposure 
lock and return the camcorder to 
automatic exposure.
Adjusting the Picture: 
Exposure, Focus and Color
( 12)
NEXT
EXP
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							Adjusting the Picture: Exposure, Focus and Color 56
Manual Focus Adjustment
Autofocus may not work well on the 
following subjects. In such case, focus 
manually.
Reflective surfaces
Subjects with low contrast or 
without vertical lines
Fast Moving Subjects
Through wet windows
Night Scenes
POINTS TO CHECK
Adjust the zoom before you start the 
procedure.
Mode switch: P
1If the joystick guide does not appear 
on screen, press ( ) to display it.
2Push the joystick ( ) toward 
[FOCUS]. 
• If [FOCUS] does not appear on the 
joystick guide, repeatedly push the 
joystick ( ) toward [NEXT] to display 
the joystick guide in the illustration 
above. 
• “MF” appears.
3Adjust ( ) the focus as required 
until the image appears focused.
• Push the joystick ( ) toward   for a 
farther focal distance or push it ( ) 
toward   for a closer focal distance.
• Pushing the joystick ( ) toward 
[FOCUS] again will return the 
camcorder to autofocus.
NOTES
   The camcorder will automatically return to 
autofocus when you set the mode switch to AUTO.   Readjust the focus when you have turned off 
the camcorder.
Infinity Focus
Use this function when you wish to focus 
on faraway subjects such as mountains or 
fireworks.
POINTS TO CHECK
Adjust the zoom before you start the 
procedure.
Mode switch: P
1If the joystick guide does not appear 
on screen, press ( ) to display it.
2Keep the joystick pushed ( ) toward 
[FOCUS] for more than 2 seconds. 
•  appears.
• Pushing the joystick ( ) toward 
[FOCUS] again will return the 
camcorder to autofocus.
NOTES
If you operate the zoom or the joystick ( ) 
during infinity focus,   changes to “MF” and the 
camcorder returns to manual focusing mode.
(12)
NEXT
FOCUS
( 12)
NEXT
FOCUS
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							 Adjusting the Picture: Exposure, Focus and Color
Advanced Functions
57
White Balance
The white balance function helps you 
accurately reproduce colors under 
different lighting conditions so that white 
objects will always look truly white in your 
recordings.
POINTS TO CHECK
Mode switch: P
Options Default value
* When you select [ SET], do not press 
 and continue instead with the 
procedure below.
TO SET THE CUSTOM WHITE BALANCE 
1Point the camcorder at a white 
object, zoom in until it fills the 
whole screen and press ( ).
When the adjustment is completed, 
 stops flashing and stays on. The 
camcorder retains the custom setting 
even if you turn off the camcorder.
2Press   to save the setting and 
close the menu.
NOTES
   Depending on the type of fluorescent light, 
optimal color balance may not be obtained with 
[ FLUORESCENT] or [ FLUORESCENT 
H]. If the color looks unnatural, adjust it using 
[ AUTO] or [ SET].
   
When you have set the custom white balance: - Depending on the light source,   may keep 
flashing. The result will still be better than with 
[AUTO].
- Reset the white balance when the lighting 
condition changes.
- Turn off the digital zoom.
   The camcorder retains the custom white 
balance setting even if you turn it off.
   Custom white balance may provide better 
results in the following cases:
- Changing lighting conditions
- Close-ups
- Subjects in a single color (sky, sea or forest)
- Under mercury lamps and certain types of 
fluorescent lights
( 12)
[AUTO]
Settings are automatically set by the 
camcorder. Use this setting for outdoor 
scenes.
[DAYLIGHT]
For recording outdoors on a bright day.
 [SHADE]
For recording in shaded places.
 [CLOUDY]
For recording on a cloudy day.
[ TUNGSTEN]
For recording under tungsten and tungsten 
type (3-wavelength) fluorescent lighting.
 [ FLUORESCENT]
For recording under warm white, cool 
white or warm white type (3-wavelength) 
fluorescent lighting.
 [ FLUORESCENT H]
For recording under daylight or daylight 
type (3-wavelength) fluorescent lighting.
[ SET]
Use the custom white balance setting to 
make white subjects appear white under 
colored lighting.
FUNC.(31)
Icon of the currently selected 
White Balance
Desired option*
FUNC.
FUNC.
FUNC.
FUNC.
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							Adjusting the Picture: Exposure, Focus and Color 58
Image Effects
You can use the image effects to change 
the color saturation and contrast to record 
images with special color effects.
POINTS TO CHECK
Mode switch: P
Options Default value
* When you select [  CUSTOM], do not 
press   and continue instead with the 
procedure below.
 TO SET THE CUSTOM IMAGE EFFECT 
1Press ( ) and select ( ) the 
custom setting options.
2Adjust ( ) each setting as 
desired and then press ( ) .
3Press   to save the setting and 
close the menu.
(12)
[ IMAGE EFFECT OFF]
Records with no image enhancing effects.
[ VIVID]
Emphasizes the contrast and color 
saturation.
[NEUTRAL]
Tones down the contrast and color 
saturation.
[ LOW SHARPENING]
Records subjects with softened outlines.
[ SOFT SKIN DETAIL]
Softens the details in the skin tone area for 
a more complimentary appearance. To 
obtain the best effect, use this setting 
when recording a person in close-up. Note 
that areas similar to the skin color may lack 
in detail.
 [ CUSTOM]
Allows you to adjust the brightness, 
contrast, sharpness, and color depth of the 
image.
[COL.DEPTH]:  (–) Shallower colors, 
(+) Richer color tonality
[BRIGHTN.]: (–) Darker picture, 
(+) Brighter picture
[CONTRAST]: (–) Flatter picture, 
(+) More defined light and 
shade
[SHARPNESS]:  (–) Vaguer outlines, 
(+) Sharper outlines
FUNC.( 31)
Icon of the currently selected 
Image Effect
Desired option*
FUNC.
FUNC.
FUNC.
FUNC.
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							 Still Image Recording Options
Advanced Functions
59
Still Image Recording Options
Selecting the Size and Quality of Still 
Images
Still images are recorded on the memory 
card or the disc using the JPEG (Joint 
Photographic Experts Group) 
compression. As a general rule select a 
larger image size for higher quality.
Options
Image size options vary depending on the 
model. The following tables summarize 
the approximate numbers of still images 
that can be recorded on different medias 
by image size/quality.
 Approximate number of still images on a memor y card
 Approximate number of still images on a disc
1  : [SUPER FINE],  : [FINE],  : [NORMAL]2   only.   3   only.   4  only.5 This is the number of images that can be recorded on the disc. However, the maximum number of 
remaining still images displayed on the screen will be 9999.
Still Image Recording 
Options( 12)
Memor y Card32 MB128 MB512 MB
Image Quality1 → 
Image Size ↓
L 2592x194425 10253555105145215435
L 11 5 2 x 8 6 4340 65 130 185 280 545 735 1,115 2,155
L 1024x768455 80 165 235 345 695 940 1,370 2,745
M1 2048x1536210 20 40 55 85 175 235 350 700
S 640x480 140 200 365 585 850 1,530 2,320 3,355 6,040
Disc Type/ 
Disc SpecificationDVD-R or DVD-RW 
VIDEO modeDVD-R DL
VIDEO modeDVD-RW
VR mode
Image Quality1 → 
Image Size ↓
L 2592x19442415 625 1,245 755 1,220 2,265 420 635 1,265
L 11 5 2 x 8 6 432,100 3,185 6,150 3,815 5,795 9,999 2,135 3,240 6,255
L 1024x76842,690 3,910 7,830 4,890 7,115 9,999 2,735 3,980 7,965
M1 2048x15362670 1,000 2,000 1,220 1,820 3,640 680 1,015 2,035
S 640x480 6,625 9,570 9,999 9,999 9,999 9,999 6,740 9,735 17,5255
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							Still Image Recording Options 60
 Default value with the 
* The number displayed on the right corner 
indicates the approximate number of images 
that can be recorded with the current quality/
size setting.
NOTES
   Depending on the number of images on the 
memory card or disc (Windows: more than 
1,800 images; Macintosh: more than 1,000 
images), you may not be able to download 
images to a computer. Try using a card reader 
to download the still images recorded on the 
memory card.
   Connection to a PictBridge compatible printer 
will not work when the memory card contains 
more than 1,800 images. For best performance, 
we recommend keeping the number of images 
on the memory card under 100.
Capturing a Still Image while Recording 
Movies
While you are recording a movie on the disc 
you can simultaneously capture the same 
picture as a still image on the memory card. 
The size of the still image cannot be changed 
but the image quality can be selected.
 Default value
* The number displayed on the right corner 
indicates the approximate number of images 
that can be recorded with the current quality/
size setting.
TO CAPTURE THE STILL IMAGE 
While you are recording a movie, 
press .
The still image is recorded on the memory 
card while the screen continues to show 
the video recording.
NOTES
   The still image cannot be recorded 
simultaneously on the disc.
   The still image cannot be recorded on the 
memory card while a digital effect is activated.
 The still image also cannot be 
recorded on the memory card while recording in 
widescreen mode.
   To record still images we recommend using 
the   mode, which offers the best 
quality for still images.
L2592x1944/FINE
FUNC.( 31)
Icon of the currently selected 
Image Quality/Size
Desired image size*
 
Press ( )
 
Desired image quality*
FUNC.
FUNC.
( 12)
STILL I. REC OFF
FUNC.( 31)
Icon of the currently selected 
Still Image Simultaneous 
Recording 
option
Desired image quality*
FUNC.
FUNC.
PHOTO
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