Canon camcorder DC40 User Manual

							
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Preparations
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Step 8: Loading and Removing a Disc
Inserting the Disc 
1. Move the power switch to ON to set the camcorder in CAMERA 
mode ( 11).
2. Move the  /  switch to the    (Movies) position.
3. Slide the OPEN swit ch fully in the 
direction of th e arrow and gently 
open the disc cover completely 
until it stops.
Retract the grip belt under the camcorder 
so it will not get in the way of the disc 
cover.
4. Insert the disc and press its center  firmly until it clicks in place.
• Insert the disc with the recording side 
facing down (single sided discs - label 
side facing out).
• Be careful not to touch the recording  surface of the disc or the pick up lens.
5. Close the disc cover.
Do not force the cover closed if the disc is 
not correctly inserted and firmly set in 
place.
When using DVD-R discs (including the supplied blank disc):You can start recording movies once the record pause   indication appears.
When using a DVD-RW:You need to initialize new discs before you can start recording. The disc initialization 
screen will appear when a new DVD-RW is first inserted (it will not appear when inserting 
a disc already initialized – in that case, you can start recording once the record pause   indication appears).
Use the multi selector to select ( ) the disc specification desired and press ( ) to 
make the selection. For a comparison between the specifications [VIDEO] and [VR] 
see  An Introduction to DVDs  (6).
Preparations:
Use only 8 cm (3 in.) mini DVD discs marked with the DVD-R   or DVD-RW   
logo. Before inserting the disc be sure to check that the recording surface is clean. If 
necessary, use a soft lens-cleaning cloth to remove any fingerprints, dirt buildup or 
smudges from the disc surface.  
						

							
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You will be asked to confirm the disc specification you selected. Use the multi selector 
to select ( ) [YES] and press ( ) to continue, or select [NO] and press ( ) to 
return and select a different disc specification.
A confirmation message will appear on the screen. Use the multi selector to select 
( ) [YES] and press ( ) to start the disc initialization.
• The disc initialization will take approximately one minute. Avoid moving the 
camcorder while the operation is in progress.
• You can start recording movies once the record pause   indication appears.
 The disc initialization screen may not appear automatically if you operated the 
camcorder’s buttons while the disc recognition was in progress. In that case, 
initialize the disc using the menu option ( 90).
 The process of recognizing a disc may take a moment. The   display will 
move while the disc is being read. Wait until the camcorder finishes recognizing 
the disc before you start recording.
Removing the Disc
1. Move the power switch to ON to set the camcorder in CAMERA mode 
(11).
2. Slide the OPEN switch fully in the di rection of the arrow and gently 
open the disc cover completely until it stops.
• Do not subject the camcorder to strong impacts while the DISC access indicator is 
on or flashing.
• Retract the grip belt under the camcorder so it will not get in the way of the disc  cover.
• It may take a moment after pressing the OPEN switch for the disc cover to open.
3. Grab the edges of the disc an d gently pull it out.
Be careful not to touch the recording surface of the disc or the pick up lens. 
4. Close the disc cover.
When you press the OPEN switch after recording, important data is recorded on 
the disc. While the DISC access indicator is on or flashing do not subject the 
camcorder to shocks such as forcefully laying it on a table.  
						

							
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Basic Functions
Recording
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Basic Functions
Recording
Recording Movies
1. Move the power switch to ON to set the camcorder in CAMERA 
mode.
2. Move the  /  switch to the    (Movies) position.
3. Press the start/stop button to  begin recording.
• Press the start/stop button again to 
pause recording.
• While recording and immediately after  pausing, the DISC access indicator will 
flash as the scene is being recorded on 
the disc.
When you have finished recording:
1. Remove the disc.
2. Turn off the camcorder.
3. Disconnect the power source and remove the battery pack.
4.
Close the LCD panel.
When the DISC access indicator is on or flashing do not perform the following 
actions. Doing so may result in permanent data loss. - Do not subject the camcorder to vibrations or strong impacts.
- Do not open the disc cover and do not remove the disc.
- Do not disconnect the power source or turn off the camcorder.
- Do not change the position of the  /  switch or the operating mode.
About the recording time:  By changing the recording mode you can change 
the recording time available on the disc ( 61).
 When recording in bright places it may be difficult to use the LCD screen. In 
such case, use the viewfinder instead.
 When recording in very loud places (such as fireworks shows or concerts), 
sound may become distorted or it may not be recorded at the actual levels. This 
is not a malfunction.
Before You Begin Recording
Make a test recording first to check if the camcorder operates correctly. Since 
recordings made on a DVD-R cannot be deleted, we recommend you use a DVD-RW 
disc (commercially available) to make the test recordings.  
						

							
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About the Power Save mode:  In order to save power when the camcorder is 
powered by a battery pack, the camcorder will automatically shut off if left 
without any operations for 5 minutes ( 84). To restore the power, slide the 
power switch towards MODE and release it, or move the power switch to   
and back to ON.
 About the LCD and viewfinder screen:  The screens are produced using 
extremely high-precision manufacturing techniques, with more than 99.99% of 
the pixels operating to specification. Less than 0.01% of the pixels may 
occasionally misfire or appear as black, red, blue or green dots. This has no 
effect on the recorded image and does not constitute a malfunction.
 When using a tripod:  Do not leave the viewfinder 
exposed to direct sunlight as it may melt (due to 
concentration of the light by the lens).
Do not use tripods with fastening screws longer than 
5.5 mm (0.2 inch). Doing so may damage the camcorder. 
Reviewing the Last Scene Recorded
Press and release the   (record review) button.
• The camcorder plays back the last scene and returns to record 
pause mode.
• While reviewing the scene, use the multi selector to select ( ) 
the   icon and press ( ) to return to the recording mode.
• While reviewing a scene immediately after recording it, you can also delete the scene  by selecting ( ) the   icon ( 86).  
						

							
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Basic Functions
Recording
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Recording Still Images
1. Move the power switch to ON to set the camcorder in CAMERA 
mode ( 11).
2. Move the  /  switch to the    (Still images) position. 
3. If necessary, change the media for  recording the still images using 
the procedure described in the 
next page ( 36).
4. Press the PHOTO button halfway.
• Once the focus is automatically  adjusted, the   mark will turn green 
and one or more AF frames appear.
• When you press the PHOTO button on 
the wireless controller, the still image is 
recorded immediately.
5. Press the PHOTO button fully.
The CARD access or DISC access 
indicator will flash as the image is being 
recorded.
When the disc/card access display (“ ” or “ ”) appears on screen and 
when either the DISC access or CARD access indicator is on or flashing do not 
perform the following actions. Doing so may result in permanent data loss. - Do not subject the camcorder to vibrations or strong impacts.
- Do not open the disc or memory card cover and do not remove the disc or memory card.
- Do not disconnect the power source or turn off the camcorder.
- Do not change the position of the  /  switch or the operating mode.
 If the subject is not suitable for autofocus,   turns yellow. Keep the PHOTO 
button pressed halfway and adjust the focus manually with the multi selector  
().
 When the subject is too bright, “OVEREXP.” starts flashing. In such case, use 
the optional FS-H37U ND filter. 
Before using a memory card for the first time, be sure to initialize it with this camcorder 
(97).  
						

							
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Selecting the Media for the Still Images
You can record still images on the memory card or the disc. The default media for still 
images is the memory card. As long as you do not change the recording destination, still 
images will be recorded to the last selected media.
1. Set the camcorder to record or view still images (  or ).
2. Press the MENU button. Using the multi selector select ( ) the  [SYSTEM SETUP] menu and press ( ).
3. Select ( ) the [MEDIA SEL.  ] option and press ( ).
4. Change ( ) the setting to [DISC] or [CARD] and press ( ) to save  the selection and close the menu.
When recording, the operating mode symbol will change to   (DISC stills) or   
(CARD stills), depending on the media selected. In playback mode, the operating 
mode symbol will change to   (DISC stills) or   (CARD stills), respectively.  
						

							
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Basic Functions
Recording
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Zooming
The zoom is available when recording movies or still images. When recording movies 
( ), in addition to the 10x optical zoom you can also use the 200x digital zoom 
( 80).
10x Optical Zoom
Move the zoom lever towardWto zoom out (wide-
angle). Move it toward  T to zoom in (telephoto).
When operating the zoom from the camcorder you can also change 
the zoom speed ( 80). You can select one of three fixed zoom 
speeds or a variable speed that depends on how you operate the 
zoom lever: Press lightly for a slow zoom; press harder for faster 
zooms.
 You can also use the  T and  W buttons on the wireless controller. The zoom 
speed with the wireless controller will be the same as with the camcorder (when 
one of the fixed zoom speed levels is selected) or fixed at [SPEED 3] (when 
[VARIABLE] is selected).
 When set to [VARIABLE], the zoom speed will be faster in the record pause 
mode.
 Keep a distance of at least 1 m (3.3 ft.) to the subject. At wide-angle, you can 
focus on a subject as close as 1 cm (0.39 in.).
Zoom out
Zoom in  
						

							
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Selecting the Aspect Ratio of your 
Recordings (16:9 Widescreen or 4:3)
You can select the aspect ratio of your recordings to match your TV.
1. Set the camcorder to record movies ( ).
2. Press the WIDE SCR button.
Repeatedly pressing the WIDE SCR button will toggle the screen between the 
Widescreen (16:9) and normal (4:3) aspect ratios.
Widescreen is not available when recording in LP mode if the disc specification 
is VIDEO mode (DVD-R or DVD-RW). Selecting the LP recording mode will 
cancel the 16:9 aspect ratio.
 When recording in Widescreen mode, if you set the image stabilizer to [OFF] 
you can achieve a wider view angle ( 81).
 Playing back a Widescreen recording:  TV sets compatible with the Video 
ID-1 system will automatically switch to wide (16:9) mode. Otherwise, change 
the aspect ratio of the TV manually. To play back on a TV with normal aspect 
ratio (4:3) change the [TV TYPE] setting accordingly ( 84).
WIDE SCR button  
						

							
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Basic Functions
Playback
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PlaybackPlaying Back Movies
1. Move the power switch to ON.
2. Slide down the power switch towards MODE and release it to 
set the camcorder in PLAY mode 
(11).
The green PLAY indicator will turn on.
3. Move the  /  switch to the   (Movies) position.
The scene index screen appears with the 
selection frame on the first scene.
4. Use the multi selector ( ,  ) to move the selection frame to the 
scene you want to play back.
Press the + or - button on the camcorder 
or the NEXT/PREV. buttons on the 
wireless controller to move to the next or 
previous index page.
5. Press the  /  button to begin 
the playback.
Playback of the scenes recorded on the 
disc will start from the scene selected.
During Playback:
6. Press the  /  button again to pause the playback.
7. Press the   button to stop the playback and return to the scene index  screen.
To use the viewfinder, close the LCD panel.
 About the screen display:  During playback, the recording’s time code will be 
displayed at the upper right corner of the screen in hours : minutes : seconds.
 You can also choose to display instead the date and time when the scene was 
recorded and additional recording data ( 45).
 As long as you don’t turn off the camcorder you can resume playback from the 
point you stopped last.  
						

							
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Special Playback Modes
 Fast Forward Playback /   Fast Reverse PlaybackDuring playback, press the   or   button on the camcorder or the SEARCH   or  SEARCH button on the wireless controller. Repeatedly press the button to increase 
the playback speed. Fast forward playback will start at 1.5x the normal playback speed 
and will increase to 5x, 15x and 25x normal speed with each press of the button. Fast 
reverse playback will start at 2.5x the normal playback speed and will increase to 5x, 15x 
and 25x normal playback speed with each press of the button.
 Playback PauseDuring normal playback, press the  /  button on the camcorder or the PAUSE   on 
the wireless controller.
 Slow Forward Playback /   Slow Reverse PlaybackDuring playback pause, press the   or   button on the camcorder or the SLOW   
or   SLOW button on the wireless controller. Repeatedly press the button to increase 
the playback speed. Playback will start at 1/16 the normal playback speed and will 
increase to 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2 the normal speed with each press of the button.
Skipping ScenesDuring normal playback, push the multi selector ( ) or press the NEXT button on the 
wireless controller to skip to the beginning of the next scene. Push ( ) or press the 
PREV. button on the wireless controller to return to the beginning of the current scene. 
Repeat to skip to the beginning of the previous scene.
 Except for fast playback at 1.5x the normal speed, there is no sound during 
special playback modes.
 The picture may become distorted during some special playback modes.
 Slow playback is not available with discs recorded in VIDEO mode (DVD-R or 
DVD-RW).
 Depending on the recording, you might occasionally notice a brief stop of the 
picture or sound at the point where the scene changes.
 During the playback of a Photomovie scene, even though the on-screen display 
may change according to the fast forward/reverse playback, the actual 
playback speed will not change.