Canon camcorder DC420 User Manual

							
Preparations • 21
Joystick and Joystick Guide
Use the joystick to operate the 
camcorder's menus.
Press   to display/hide the joystick 
guide. The functions that appear on the 
joystick guide will change depending 
on the operating mode.
Using the Menus
Many of the camcorder’s functions can 
be adjusted from the menus that open 
after pressing the FUNC. button 
(). 
For details about the available menu 
options and settings, refer to the 
appendix Menu Options Lists ( 66).
Operating modeOperating mode 
indicator/ 
switchIcon displayOperation
(movies) Recording movies 
on a disc
28
  (still images)Recording still 
images on a 
memory card
51
(movies) Playing movies 
from a disc 
33
  (still images)Viewing still images 
from a memory card
53
Press the joystick itself ( ) to save the 
settings or confirm an action. On menu 
screens, this is indicated by the icon 
.
Push the joystick up, down, left or right 
( ,  ) to select an item or change 
settings.FUNC.
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22 • Preparations
Selecting an Option from the FUNC. menu
Following is an example of selecting an 
option from the FUNC. menu in a 
recording mode.
1Press .
2Select ( ) the icon of the function 
you want change from the left side 
column.
Menu items not available will appear 
grayed out.
3Select ( ) the desired setting 
from the available options at the 
bottom bar.
• The selected option will be highlighted in light blue.
• With some settings, you will need  to make further selections and/or 
press  . Follow the additional 
operation guides that will appear 
on the screen (such as the   
icon, small arrows, etc.).
4Press   to save the settings 
and close the menu.
You can press   to close the 
menu at any time.
Selecting an Option from the Setup Menus
1Press .
In the index screen (VIDEO mode) 
and still image index screen, the 
setup menus will open. Continue with 
step 3.
2Select ( ) [   MENU] and press 
 to open the setup menus.
• You can also hold   pressed  down for more than 1 second to 
open directly the setup menus 
screen.
• In the index screen (DVD-RW discs  in VR mode), push the joystick 
( ) to select [   MENU].
3Select ( ) the desired menu from 
the left side column and press  .
• The title of the selected menu 
appears on top of the screen and 
under it the list of settings.
• Push the joystick ( ) to return to  the menu selection screen.
4Select ( ) the setting you want to 
change and press  . 
The orange selection bar indicates 
the menu setting currently selected. 
Items not available appear in black.
5Select ( ) the desired option and 
press   to save the setting.
6Press .
You can press   to close the 
menu at any time.
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Preparations • 23
Firs t Time Set tings
Setting the Date and Time
You will need to set the date and time of 
the camcorder before you can start 
using it. If the camcorder's clock is not 
set, the [DATE/TIME] screen will appear 
automatically when the camcorder is 
turned on.
When the [DATE/TIME] screen appears, 
the year will be displayed in orange and 
indicated with up/down arrows.
1Change ( ) the year and move 
( ) to the month. 
2Change the rest of the fields 
(month, day, hour and minutes) in 
the same way.
3Select ( ) [OK] and press   to 
start the clock and close the setup 
screen.
IMPORTANT
• When you do not use the camcorder for about 3 months, the built-in 
rechargeable battery may discharge 
completely and the date and time 
setting may be lost. In such case, 
recharge the built-in battery ( 83) and 
set the time zone, date and time again.
• The date appears in a year-month-day  format only in the first setup screen. In 
subsequent screen displays the date 
and time will appear as month-day-year  (for example, [JAN. 1, 2009 12:00 AM]). 
You can change the date format ( 72).
• You can also change the date and time  later on (not during the initial setup). 
Open the [DATE/TIME] screen from the 
setup menus:    
[  MENU]   
[
 DATE/TIME SETUP]   
[DATE/TIME]
Changing the Language
Options Default value
 
[  MENU] 
[  DISPLAY SETUP] 
[LANGUAGE ] 
Desired language 
NOTES
• If you changed the language by mistake,  follow the   mark next to the menu 
item to change the setting.
• The display   that appears in some  menu screens refers to the name of the 
button on the camcorder and will not 
change, regardless of the language 
selected.
First Time Settings
[][MELAYU][]
[DEUTSCH] [NEDERLANDS] [ ]
[ ] [POLSKI] [ ]
[ENGLISH]
[PORTUGUÊS] [ ]
[ESPAÑOL] [ ] [ ]
[FRANÇAIS] [TÜRKÇE] [ ]
[ITALIANO] [ ] [ ]
[MAGYAR] [ ]
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24 • Preparations
Changing the Time Zone
In addition to your local date and time, 
the camcorder can keep a second clock 
(for example, the time at a travel 
destination). The default time zone is 
New York. 
[  MENU] 
[  DATE/TIME SETUP] 
[T.ZONE/DST] 
  
Your local time zone* 
 
[  MENU] 
[ DATE/TIME SETUP] 
[T.ZONE/DST]    
Local date and time in your 
destination* 
 
*  To adjust for daylight saving time, select the  area name marked with a  .
Getting Ready to Start Recording
Opening the Lens Cover and Adjusting 
the LCD screen
Before you start recording, open the 
lens cover.
Move the lens cover switch down to 
 to open the lens cover.
Rotating the LCD Panel
Open the LCD panel 90 degrees.
You can rotate the panel 90 degrees 
downward.
• You can rotate the panel 180 degrees toward the lens (allowing the subject 
to monitor the LCD screen while you 
use the viewfinder 
(29)). Rotating 
the LCD panel 180 degrees can be 
useful in the following cases:
TO SET THE HOME TIME ZONE
WHEN YOU TRAVEL
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Getting Ready to Start 
Recording
180°
90°
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Preparations • 25
- To allow the subject to monitor the LCD screen while you use the 
viewfinder.
- To include yourself in the picture when  recording with the self timer.
NOTES
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.
LCD Backlight
You can set the brightness of the LCD 
screen to normal or bright.
Hold   pressed down for more 
than 2 seconds.
Repeat this action to toggle between 
the normal and bright settings.
NOTES
• This setting does not affect the  brightness of the recordings.
• Using the bright setting will shorten the  effective usage time of the battery pack.
Inserting and Removing a Disc
Inserting the Disc
1Move the  /  switch to   
(movies).
2Turn the   switch to ON to 
set the camcorder in   
mode.
180°
Subject can monitor the LCD screen
DISP.
Use only 8 cm (3 in.) mini DVD discs 
marked with the DVD-R   logo 
(including DVD-R DL) or the DVD-RW   logo. Refer also to Approved 
discs  (7).
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.
( 21)
 Pick up lens
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26 • Preparations
3Slide  fully toward 
OPEN 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.
4Insert 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.
5Close the disc cover.
Do not force the cover closed if the 
disc is not correctly inserted and 
firmly set in place.
NOTES
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 
(  stops moving and turns green) before 
you start recording.
You can start recording movies once the 
record pause   indicator appears. You need to initialize new discs before 
you can start recording. The disc 
initialization screen will appear when a 
new DVD-RW disc is first inserted if the 
/  switch is set to   (movies). If 
the disc is already initialized, you can 
start recording movies once the record 
pause  indicator appears. 
Otherwise, perform the following steps 
to initialize the disc.
Select ( ) the desired disc 
specification and press  . For a 
comparison between the VIDEO and 
VR specifications, see How to Select 
a DVD Disc (5).
A confirmation message will appear 
on the screen. Select ( ) [YES] and 
press   to start the disc 
initialization, or select [NO] and press 
 to return and select a different 
disc specification.
• 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   
indicator appears.
Removing the Disc
WHEN USING DVD-R/DVD-R DL DISCS
DISC COVERWHEN USING DVD-RW DISCS
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Preparations • 27
1Slide  fully toward 
OPEN 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 sliding   for the disc cover to 
open.
2Grab the edge of the disc and 
gently pull it out. 
Be careful not to touch the recording 
surface of the disc or the pick up 
lens.
3Close the disc cover.
IMPORTANT
When you slide   after making 
a recording, important file allocation data 
is updated on the disc before the disc 
cover opens. While the DISC access 
indicator is on or flashing do not subject 
the camcorder to shocks such as 
forcefully laying it on a table.
Inserting and Removing a Memory Card
You can use commercially available 
 SDHC (SD High Capacity) 
memory cards,   SD memory 
cards or MultiMedia Cards (MMC) with 
this camcorder.
Make sure to initialize all memory cards 
before using them with this camcorder 
( 57).
1Turn off the camcorder.
2Open the memory card slot cover.
3Insert the memory card straight, 
with the label facing up, all the 
way into the memory card slot 
until it clicks.
4Close the memory card slot cover.
Do not force the cover closed if the 
memory card is not correctly inserted.
Push the memory card once to 
release it. When the memory card 
springs out, pull it all the way out.
IMPORTANT
Memory cards have front and back sides 
that are not interchangeable. Inserting a 
memory card facing the wrong direction 
can cause a malfunction of the camcorder. 
Be sure to insert the memory card as 
described in step 3.
NOTES
Compatibility with all SD, SDHC or MMC 
memory cards cannot be guaranteed.
DISC COVER
DISC COVER
DISC COVER
TO REMOVE THE MEMORY CARD 
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28 • Video
Video
This chapter covers functions related to shooting movies, including 
recording, playback, advanced manual adjustments and playlist and 
scene operations.
Basic Recording
Shooting Video
1Move the  /  switch to   
(movies).
2Turn the   switch to ON to set 
the camcorder in CAMERA mode.
The green CAMERA indicator will turn 
on.
3Move the lens cover switch down 
to   to open the lens cover.
4Press   to begin recording.
• Recording starts; press   again to pause the recording.
• The DISC access indicator will flash  while recording and will stay on 
briefly after pausing while the 
scene is recorded on the disc.
1 Make sure that the DISC access  indicator is off.
2 Turn off the camcorder.
3 Close the lens cover and the LCD  panel.
4 Remove the disc.
Basic Recording
Before You Begin Recording
Make a test recording first to check if 
the camcorder operates correctly. 
Since recordings made on a DVD-R or 
DVD-R DL disc cannot be deleted, we 
recommend you use a DVD-RW disc 
to make the test recordings.
( 21)
WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED RECORDING 
Start/Stop
Start/Stop
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Video • 29
IMPORTANT
Observe the following precautions while 
the DISC access indicator is on or 
flashing. Failing to do 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 operating mode.
NOTES
• About the Power Save mode:  If [POWER 
SAVE] is set to [  ON] ( 71), the 
camcorder will shut off automatically to 
save power when it is powered by a 
battery pack and is left without any 
operation for 5 minutes. To restore the 
power, turn the   switch toward 
MODE and release it, or turn the 
camcorder off and then on again.
• 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.
• The following may take longer with a disc  in VR mode than a disc in VIDEO mode.
- The time between turning on the camcorder and being able to start 
recording.
- The time between turning the    switch to   and the camcorder 
shutting off.
Using the viewfinder
When recording in bright places it 
may be difficult to use the LCD 
screen. In such case, change the 
brightness of the LCD screen ( 25) 
or use the viewfinder instead. Press   to activate the 
viewfinder along with the LCD panel. 
Close the LCD panel to use only the 
viewfinder.
Adjust the viewfinder as necessary 
with the dioptric adjustment lever. 
VIEWFINDER
About the mode switch and recording programs
Set the mode switch to   to let the 
camcorder adjust all the settings for you, 
allowing you to just point the camcorder and 
start shooting.
Set the mode switch to to select one of the recording programs. 
The Special Scene recording programs ( 36) offer a convenient 
way to select the optimal settings to match special recording 
conditions; and with the flexible recording programs ( 38) you can 
set the shutter speed manually, or enjoy the flexibility to change other settings.
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30 • Video
Selecting the Video Quality 
(Recording Mode)
The camcorder offers 3 recording 
modes. Changing the recording mode 
will change the recording time available 
on the disc. Select XP mode for better 
movie quality; select LP mode for longer 
recording times.
The following table gives approximate 
recording times with a brand new DVD 
disc (on a single recording side).
 Default value
 
[
 STANDARD PLAY 6 Mbps] 
Desired recording mode 
NOTES
• In LP mode, recordings are more liable to  be affected by imperfections of the disc 
used or recording conditions and you 
may experience some anomalies (blocky 
video artifacts, banding, skipping audio, 
etc.) during playback. We recommend 
using XP or SP mode for important 
recordings.
• The camcorder uses a variable bit rate  (VBR) to encode video so the actual 
recording times will vary depending on 
the content of the scenes.
Changing the Aspect Ratio of the 
Recordings (Widescreen / 4:3)
The default aspect ratio of movies is 
16:9 (widescreen). Follow the procedure 
below to change it to 4:3.
 
[  MENU]   
[ CAMERA SETUP]   
[WIDESCREEN]   [  OFF] 
NOTES
• Playing back a widescreen recording:  
TV sets compatible with the Video ID-1 
system will switch automatically to 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 ( 72).
Zooming: Optical, Advanced and Digital 
Zoom
The camcorder offers three types of 
zoom when recording movies: optical, 
advanced and digital zoom (In   mode, only the optical 
zoom is available.) You can also change 
the zoom speed.
Recording mode
Disc type
DVD-R, 
DVD-RWDVD-R DL
20 min. 36 min.
30 min. 54 min.
60 min. 108 min.
( 21)
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( 21)
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