Canon GL1 Instruction Manual

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Additional
Information
Condensation may form on the camera when it is moved from a cold place to a warm place. Using the
camera while condensation is present can damage both the tape and the camera.
Condensation may become a problem:
Condensation
When the camera is taken from an air-conditioned room
to a warm, humid place
Protecting the camera from condensation
¥ Before you bring the camera to a warm or humid place where condensation is likely to be a problem,
unload the cassette and put the camera in a plastic bag. Wait until the camera reaches room temperature
before you take it out of the bag.
What happens when condensation is detected
¥ ÒCONDENSATION HAS BEEN DETECTEDÓ is displayed for approximately four seconds. Then, the
power indicator flashes and the 
hmark flashes in the display. If there is a cassette in the camera, it
stops automatically and ÒREMOVE THE CASSETTEÓ is displayed for approximately four seconds and
then 
vflashes in the display. If you have the beep turned on, it will sound five times.
¥ The camera may not detect the condensation immediately Ñ the condensation warning may not start
flashing for 10 to 15 minutes.
¥ You cannot load a cassette when condensation is detected.
What you should do
¥ Remove the cassette, leave the cassette compartment open, and turn the camera off. 
¥ Leave it in a dry place until the condensation evaporates. After the condensation warning stops flashing,
wait at least another hour before trying to use the camera.
When you take the camera from a cold place to a warm
room
When the camera is left in a humid roomWhen a cold room is heated rapidly  
						

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Additional
Information
Troubleshooting
Cause and/or what to do about it
¥ The camera is not switched on (p. 21, 28).
¥ The cassette is not loaded or is set for erasure
prevention (p. 19-20).
¥ The tape has reached the end.
¥ The battery pack is exhausted or not properly
attached (p. 16-17, 83).
¥ The function cannot be used in that recording
program (p. 48).
¥ The top controls are locked by the lock lever 
(p. 88).
¥ The camera was in record pause mode for more
than about five minutes (p. 21).
¥ The battery pack is exhausted (p. 17, 83).
¥ The POWER switch is not set to CAMERA.
¥ The standby lever is set to LOCK (p. 21).
¥ The cassette is not loaded or is set for erasure
prevention (p. 19-20).
¥ The tape has reached the end.
¥ The POWER switch is not set to CAMERA.
¥ The standby lever is set to LOCK (p. 21).
¥ The camera has not been used for a long while,
it is not a malfunction. Take off the battery and
reattach.
¥ The lens cap is attached.
¥ You are attempting to play back or record from a
copyright protected cassette (p. 75).
¥ The video heads are badly contaminated (p. 90).
¥ The camera is on manual focus (p. 58).
¥ The viewfinder lens needs adjusting (p. 82).
¥ The lens is dirty (p. 90). Refer to this checklist first if you have any problems with your camcorder. Possible explanations are given
for each problem on the list Ñ turn to the page numbers in brackets for more information.
Make sure that the camera is properly connected if you are using it with a TV or VCR. Consult your
dealer or service outlet if problems persist.
Problem
?Nothing happens when I press the buttons.
?The camera turned itself off.
?The start/stop button doesnÕt work.
?ThereÕs no picture in the display.
?ThereÕs a blank blue screen in the display.
?The camera wonÕt focus.
Recording/Playback 
						

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Additional
Information
Note:
¥ Some subjects are not suitable for autofocus. In these situations, you will often get better results using
manual focus (see p. 58). Focus on something which is about the same distance away, lock the focus,
and then point the camera at your original, hard-to-focus subject.
Horizontal stripes Many subjects at
different distancesBehind glass
Without much
contrast (e.g. a white
wall)Reflective surfaces
(e.g. shiny car
surfaces)
Night scenes Fast moving objects
Slanted subjects Dark subjects
Cause and/or what to do about it
¥ There are a number of restrictions on using the
digital effects. Refer to the notes on p. 52.
¥ The POWER switch is not set to VCR (p. 28).
¥ The cassette is not loaded (p. 19).
¥ The tape has reached the end.
¥ When recording in dark places a bright light in
the scene may cause a vertical light bar
(ÒsmearÓ) to appear. This is a normal feature of
camcorders.
¥ The video heads need cleaning (p. 90).
¥ The video heads need cleaning (p. 90).
¥ The TV/VIDEO selector on the TV isnÕt set to
VIDEO (p. 30).
¥ The speaker has been turned off with the volume
buttons (p. 27).
¥ Headphones are being used.
Problem
?Some/all of the digital effects donÕt work, or
canÕt be set.
?The e(play) button doesnÕt work.
?ThereÕs a bright stripe on the screen.
?The playback picture is rough (with mosaic-
like noise).
?ThereÕs no picture on the TV screen, even
though the tape is moving.
?ThereÕs no sound coming from the speaker
during playback.
Recording/Playback (Contd.) 
						

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Additional
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Cause and/or what to do about it
¥ The remote sensor mode is set to OFFBin
the menu (p. 37).
¥ The remote sensor modes of the wireless
controller and the camera itself are different 
(p. 37).
¥ The batteries are dead or not inserted.
¥ It is turned off (p. 38).
¥ This is unlikely, but may happen if you use the
camera in places where the air pressure is low, in
an airplane for example. The bubbles will
disappear a week or so after you return the
camera to normal atmospheric pressure.
¥ The camcorder is preparing the lens for image
stabilization. This is not a malfunction. 
¥ External interference may cause the cameraÕs
microprocessor to malfunction temporarily. If
random letters appear in the display or if normal
operation is interrupted, remove and then replace
the power source.
¥ If the camera still does not operate properly,
press the RESET button (on the camera body
behind the LCD panel, p. 8) using the tip of a
ball point pen (or similar). Camera functions
return to their default settings.
¥ Remove the cable and then reconnect it or turn
the power off and back on again.
¥ This is not a malfunction.
Problem
?The wireless controller doesnÕt work.
?The tally lamp doesnÕt flash.
?There are air bubbles inside the lens.
?After sliding the POWER switch to
CAMERA, there is visible movement in the
lens for about 2 seconds.
?The camera malfunctions.
?The DV cable is connected correctly, but
thereÕs nothing in the display.
?The camera becomes warm during use.
Miscellaneous
About the LCD Viewfinder
Liquid Crystal Viewfinders use extremely high-precision technology, but there will be pixels which do not
light up or which are continuously lit. This is not an error and will not affect the recording.
About the CCD
Due to the construction of the CCD, in low-light recording, small specks of light may become visible in
the viewfinder. In such cases, increase the shutter speed, reduce the gain or use an additional light source
such as a video light. 
						

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Additional
Information
Screen Displays
Record pause mode 
(p. 21)
Recording (p. 21)
Shows how much battery
power remains (p. 83).
The battery pack is
exhausted (p. 83).
No cassette is loaded, or it
is set for erasure
prevention (p. 19-20).
Remaining tape
(Green: more than 5 min.
Yellow: less than 5 min.
Red: final few secs).
...finally, it tells you when
you have completely run
out of tape.
The camera is ejecting the
tape (p. 19).
TV
SCREEN
D ATA
CODE
REC
US PA E
END
5min
EC EJ T
The safety mechanism is
activated. Unload the
cassette and turn the
camera off. Turn it on
again and reload the
cassette.
Recording mode (p. 22)
Playback is stopped 
(p. 28).
Normal playback (p. 28)
Fast forward (p. 28)
Rewind (p. 28)
Fast forward playback 
(p. 28)
Rewind playback (p. 28)
Frame advance playback 
(p. 29)
REW
F F
TO SP
EC EJ T
P S
indicates a flashing display.
You can turn off the displays to give you a clear screen for playback.
Set the camera to VCR mode, open the VCR menu (page 34) and choose the DISPLAYS option. Set the
displays to OFF  and then close the menu.
¥ The LCD screen will now be completely blank, but the camera will continue to show warning/caution
displays when necessary.
Turning off the LCD screen displays
To display the date and time on a connected TV,
press the wireless controllerÕs DATA CODE button
when the camera is in VCR mode with a tape
loaded. See p. 65 also.
Press the wireless controllerÕs TV SCREEN button
to see or hide the other displays on the TV screen.
(The displays appear white on-screen.) They will
not be added to any recordings you make with the
camera. You can also display or hide (for a clear
screen while recording) the displays through TV
SCREEN in the camera menu. For instructions on
how to hook the camera up to your TV, see p. 30.
If you slide the POWER switch to OFF while in VCR mode, the DATA CODE and TV SCREEN will
reset to show a clear screen. 
						

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Additional
Information
AU T
O
SPO
T
LI
G
HT Av
F
1.
6
SAN
D
&S
N MA N
U
AL
OW
Tv
0 6
10:
00 AM F1 6
DEC0
dB
11999 . .
, 1/
5
00
Frame reverse playback 
(p. 29)
Playback pause (forward
and reverse) (p. 28)
Slow playback (forward
and reverse) (p. 29)
´2 playback (forward and
reverse) (p. 29)
´1 playback (forward and
reverse) (p. 29)
Photo Search (p. 67)
Date Search (p. 67)
Photo search is complete.
Zero set memory
(forward and reverse)
(p. 68)
Zero set memory
(p. 68)
A/V Insert Editing
(p. 79)
Audio Dubbing
(p. 81)
Zoom display (p. 24):
Optical zoom
Optical plus 40
´digital
zoom
Optical plus 100
´digital
zoom
Zoom in
Zoom out
The image stabilizer is
turned on (p. 33).
Camera menu (p. 34)
2
2 ´
´
1
1 ´
´
TW
TW
5
5
H POOTS E ARCH
DA ETS E ARCH
VCR menu (p. 34)
Record set up menu 
(p. 70)
The remote sensor is
turned off (p. 37).
Self-timer countdown 
(p. 54)
Audio mode (p. 53)
Data code (p. 65)
Photo mode (p. 43)
¥ Setting the AF
Fmark flashes white
¥ AF locked 
Fmark lights up green
¥ Timer
Movie mode (p. 46)
Recording programs
(p. 48)
Flash is charging
Smark flashes white 
(p. 45) or charged
Smark lights up green 
(p. 45)
0
0
10sec
SEL F T .
10sec
T
RN
T
RN
00:
0:
00M
TW
E RC. ETUPSSEL.SETSET
UC L ME N O S EUB MODE D
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5 /
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AM FR E 
						

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Additional
Information
Volume level (p. 27)
Screen brightness (p. 26)
Gain (p. 56)
Audio output (p. 86)
Mix balance (p. 86)
Audio/visual insert 
(p. 79)
Audio dubbing (p. 81)
Microphone attenuator 
(p. 23, 31, 80)
Line audio attenuator
(p. 80)
Audio input (p. 81)
Microphone input (p. 81)
DV input (p. 75)
Condensation warning
(p. 91)
FADE – T
ST CHRE T
S T ROB E BLK&WHT
SL I M
Manual exposure display
(p. 57):
Exposure locked
Brighter than standard
exposure level
Darker than standard
exposure level
Manual setting of shutter
speed, F number and gain
value (p. 55)
The iris is closed.
ND Filter (p. 42)
Manual focus is selected 
(p. 58).
White balance is (p. 63)
Set
W
IndoorT
OutdoorU
AE Shift (p. 59)
Camera Sharpness (p. 60)
and Color Phase (p. 61)
The 16:9 effects: the
display flashes when the
effect has been selected,
and appears steadily when
it is activated (p. 52). 
Digital effects: the display 
flashes when the function
has being selected and
appears steadily when it is
activated (p. 51).
The wind screen is turned
on (p. 53).
F.
6 S
1 1/60 MA N U A L3dB
+ –
FLOCSE
A+
2 E.0
CP
D N
F M
16:
9
N O S W
E M U L O V
+ –
E M U L O V
F F O
0dB
BR I G TH
+
–
E.
L
OCK+
5
E.
L
OCK–
5
E.
L
OCK±
0
S
T–1
S
T–2
STE
R
EO
1
STE
R
EO
2
MI X
/
FI
XED
MI X
/
VA
RI.
OIN I D U A
IN
C I M
VIN
D
A/VINSERT
AUDO IDUB.
T AT C I M
T AT E N I L 
						

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Additional
Information
Refer to page 20.
Refer to page 91.
Appears as a warning to
protect the tape and also
when condensation is
detected. Remove the tape
as soon as possible after
the camera has displayed
the caution.
Refer to page 75.
Refer to page 75.
Appears when you try to
do audio dubbing or A/V
insert on a tape recorded in
LP mode. Refer to 
page 78, 80.
Appears when you try to
do audio dubbing on a tape
recorded in 16-bit audio or
12-bit, 4-channel mode.
Refer to page 80.
Appears when the camera
detects a blank section of a
tape during audio dubbing
or A/V insert. Refer to
page 78, 80.
S
ET
T
HE ETIM E,ZON
DA
TEANDTIME
C
HA
NGET
HEBATTE
R
YPAC
K
TAP E 
EN
D
ETA
PEI
S
E
R T
H
ASE T FOR
UR S
EP
R
EENVT
IO
N
C
ON NDESA T I ON
H
ASBE
EN DE T CTEDE
R
EMOV
ET
HECAS E T TES
RE CO
PY
D
PR
OTECT
CT E D RI
GHT
PL
AY
BACK IS
ST
RI E
RE CO
PY
D
PR
OTECT
CT E D RI
GHT
ST
RI E
D
UBBIN
G
Caution phrases
The camera displays various caution phrases Ñ
they appear for 4 seconds before disappearing. When you start recording, the camera counts from
0SEC to 10SEC. Shots which are shorter than 
10 seconds may be difficult to edit later. On the
other hand, if you are not planning to edit the
recording, remember that a shot which does not
contain action should generally last no longer than
10 seconds.
Time Code
0sec
10sec
34:
2:
1 0:
56
Recording reminder
Appears each time you
turn the power on, until
you set the date and time
(p. 39).
Appears when the battery
pack is exhausted (p. 83).
Appears when the tape has
reached the end. This records counter information, including hour,
minute, second, and frame number on a special
data code area on the tape itself. It is reset
automatically when a new tape is loaded. In
camera mode, the frame number doesnÕt appear in
the display.
E CH
EC
CA
SSE T T K
TH
E
[]
LP
MODE
E CH
EC
CA
SSE T T K
TH
E
[]
AUD I O
MODE
E CH
EC
CA
SSE T T K
TH
E
[]
BLANK 
						

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Additional
Information
Specifications
GL1
Power Supply (rated): 7.2 V DC
Power Consumption (While recording with
the AF turned  on):
6.7 W (Using viewfinder), 
7.4 W (Using LCD screen)
Television system: 
EIA standard (525 lines, 60 fields) NTSC
color signal
Video recording system: 
2 rotary heads, helical scanning system
DV system (Consumer digital VCR SD
system)
Digital component recording 
Audio recording system: PCM digital sound: 
16 bit (48 kHz/2 ch), 12 bit (32 kHz/4 ch)
Image sensor:3 CCD 1/4Ó Pixel Shift (charge
coupled device) 270,000 pixels 
(250,000 effective pixels)
Tape format:Videocassettes bearing the D
mark
Tape speed:
SP: 3/4ips (18.81 mm/s); 
LP: 1/2ips (12.56 mm/s)
Maximum recording time: 
SP: 80 minutes (with an 80 min. cassette);
LP: 120 minutes (with an 80 min. cassette) 
Fast forward/rewind time:
Approx. 2 min. 50 sec. (with a 60 min.
cassette)
Lens:F/1.6Ð2.9, 20´power zoom, 4.2Ð84 mm
Focusing system:TTL autofocus, manual
focusing possible
Minimum focusing distance:3/8inch (10 mm) on maximum wide angle;
telephoto end: 3 ft 4 in (1 m)
Maximum shutter speed:
1/15,000 sec. 
Minimum illumination:6 lx (using the auto
program)
Recommended illumination:
More than 100 lx 
Filter diameter:58 mm
Viewfinder:0.55-inch, color LCD 
(approx. 180,000 pixels)
LCD screen:2.5 in measured diagonally 
(6.4 cm), 122,000 pixels (approx.) 
Microphone:Stereo electret condenser
microphone 
DV Terminal:Special 4 pin connector
(conforms to IEEE 1394)
Output level:
Video terminal: ¿ 3.5 mm, 1 Vp-p/75 ½
unbalanced
S-video terminal: 4 pin mini DIN, 1 Vp-p 
(Y signal), 0.286 Vp-p (C signal) 
Audio terminal: ¿ 3.5 mm 
4 dBm (47 k½load)/3 k½or less, unbalanced
Input level:
Audio terminal: ¿ 3.5 mm (L, R)
0 dBV/47 k½(LINE ATT),  unbalanced
Ð10 dBV/47 k½(LINE), unbalanced
Microphone terminal: ¿ 3.5 mm stereo mini-
jack,
Ð55 dBV (with 600 ½mic) (MIC)/600 ½
Ð35 dBV (with 600 ½mic) (MIC ATT)/600 ½
Operating temperature range:
32¡Ð104¡F (0¡Ð40¡C) 
Dimensions:4 5/8´5 3/8´10 3/4in 
(117 
´135 ´272 mm) 
Weight:2 lbs 12 1/8oz approx. (1.25 kg)
Battery type:Rechargeable lithium ion battery
Rated voltage:7.2 V DC
Operating temperature:32¡Ð104¡F (0¡Ð40¡C) 
Battery capacity:1,500 mAh
Dimensions:1 1/2´3/4´2 3/4in
(38.2 
´20.5 ´70.5 mm)
Weight:3 3/8oz (96 g)
Weight and dimensions are approximate. 
Errors and omissions excepted. 
Subject to change without notice.
Canon is a trademark of Canon Inc.
BP-915 Battery Pack 
						

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Additional
Information
Index

Abroad, Using the Camera, 90
Accessories, 6
Adapter, AC,  16
AE Programs, 48
AE Shift, 59
Analog Line-in, 76
Audio Dubbing, 80
Audio Mix, 86
Audio Mode, 53
Audio Output, 87
Audio Recording, 53
Audio/Video Terminal, 30
Auto, 49
Autofocus, 58
A/V Insert, 78
Av Recording Mode, 50
õ
Backup Battery, 84
Basic Recording, 21
Battery Pack, 6, 13, 17, 83
Beep, 23
‚
Cables, 6, 30
Cassettes, 6, 19
Charging the Battery Pack, 17
Choosing a Recording Program, 48
Cleaning the Camera, 90
Clock, 40
Color Phase, 61
Condensation, 91
Connection to TV or VCR, 30
Cut-in and Cut-out, 73
ë
Date and Time, 39
DC Coupler, 6, 16
Demo Mode, 23
Digital Effects, 51
Digital Video, 7
Digital Zoom, 7, 24
Displaying Data Code, 65
Dubbing Function, 69
DV Dubbing, 75
ä
Easy Recording, 48
Effects, 51
Exposure, 55, 57
External Microphone, 80
ì
F Number, 56
Fade Trigger, 51
Fast Forward, 28
Feedback, 30
Finding Your Way Around the GL1, 8-11
Flash Photography, 45
Focusing, 58
Frame Mode, 46
í
Gain, 56
Grip Belt, 82
î
Head Cleaning, 90
Headphones, 27
é
Image Stabilizer, 33
Introducing the GL1, 7
ñ
LANC, 74
LCD Screen, 25
Lens Cap, 6
Lens Hood, 6, 15
Loading Cassettes, 19
Low-angle Recording, 88
LP Mode, 22
÷
Maintenance, 89
Manual Focus, 58
Manual Recording Program, 50
Menus, 34
Microphone, 80
Mirror, 26
Movie Mode, 46
ö
ND Filter, 42
¯
Optical Image Stabilizer, 33
Optional Accessories,  13