Canon Hf G20 Owners Manual

							Exposure Adjustment
61
To adjust the Touch AE function for highlights (Highlight AE)
Certain subjects, like clouds or white objects, are easily overexposed and can end up appearing as 
bright areas where all detail is lost. Using the [Highlights] setting, you can touch the brightest area 
inside the y frame and the camcorder will automatically make corrections so that area is not 
overexposed. When you touch a dark area in the picture or the highlights are too bright, the 
camcorder may not be able to correctly adjust the exposure.
After step 1 above:
1Touch [ w].
2 Touch [Highlights] and then touch [ K].
• Touch [Normal] to return the camcorder to normal Touch AE settings.
To use backlight correction
When recording in situations in which the subject is constantly backlit, you can use backlight 
correction to make the entire picture brighter, especially dark areas. This will take precedence over the 
p  >  [Auto Backlight Correction] setting, which is useful in situations in which the subject is not 
constantly backlit.
1Open the [ °BLC Always On] screen.
[FUNC.]  > [° BLC Always On]
2Touch [ i On] and then touch [ X].
• Alternatively, you can set an assignable button to [ ° BLC Always On] (A 85). In that case, 
press the assignable button to turn the backlight correction on and off.
NOTES
• If the recording program is changed during exposu re lock, the camcorder will return to automatic 
exposure.
• You can adjust the exposure compensation value with the CUSTOM dial ( A84), which is set to 
[ y Exposure] by default.
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							White Balance
62
White Balance
The white balance function helps you to accurately reproduce colors under different lighting 
conditions.
POINTS TO CHECK
• Select a recording program other than the Special Scene recording programs.
1 Open the white balance screen.
[FUNC.]  > [Ä White Balance]
2 Touch the desired option and then touch [ X].
• When you select [ ÂColor Temperature], [ ÆSet 1] or [ ÇSet 2], set the color temperature or a 
custom white balance with the appropriate procedure below before touching [ X].
• The icon of the selected option will appear on the screen.
To set the color temperature ([ Â Color Temperature])
Touch [ Ï] or [Ð ] to set the desired value.
• You can also drag your finger along the dial.
To set a custom white balance ([ Æ Set 1] or [ Ç Set 2]) 
Point the camcorder at a white object, so it  fills the whole screen, and touch [Set WB].
When the adjustment is completed,  Å stops flashing and disappears. The camcorder will retain the 
custom white balance even if you turn it off.
Options( Default value)
NOTES
• When you select a custom white balance: -Set  p >  [Digital Zoom] to [ j Off].
- Reset the white balance when you change locations or the lighting or other conditions change.
- Depending on the light source,  Å may keep flashing. The result will still be better than with 
[ Ã Automatic].
Operating modes:
[
à Automatic]The camcorder automatically sets the white balance for natural looking colors.
[¼  Daylight]To record outdoors on a bright day.
[½  Shade]To record in shaded places.
[¾  Cloudy]To record on a cloudy day.
[¿ Fluorescent]To record under warm white, cool white or warm-white-type (3-wavelength) 
fluorescent lighting.
[ À  Fluorescent H]To record under daylight or daylight-type (3-wavelength) fluorescent lighting.
[É Tungsten]To record under tungsten and tungsten-type (3-wavelength) fluorescent lighting.
[Â  Color Temperature]Allows you to set the color temperature between 2,000 K and 15,000 K.
[Æ  Set 1], [ Ç Set 2]Use the custom white balance settings to make white subjects appear white 
under colored lighting.
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							White Balance
63
• Using a 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, certain types of fluorescent lights and LED lights
• Depending on the type of fluorescent light, optimal color balance may not be obtained with  [¿ Fluorescent] or [ ÀFluorescent H]. If the color looks unnatural, select [ ÃAutomatic] or a 
custom white balance setting.
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							Special Scene Recording Programs
64
Special Scene Recording Programs
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.
1Open the ƒ recording programs screen.
[FUNC.] > [Rec. Programs] >  [ƒú Portrait]
2 Touch the desired recording program and then touch [ X].
Options
( Default value)
Operating modes:
[ ú Portrait]The camcorder uses a large aperture, to achieve a sharp focus 
on the subject while blurring the background.
[ û Sports]To record sports scenes such as tennis or golf.
[ü  Night Scene]To record nightscapes with lower noise.
[ý Snow]To record in bright ski resorts without the subject being 
underexposed.
[ þ Beach]To record on a sunny beach without the subject being 
underexposed.
[ ÿ Sunset]To record sunsets in vibrant colors.
[Π Low Light]To record in low-light situations.
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							Special Scene Recording Programs
65
NOTES
•[ ú Portrait]/[ ûSports]/[ý Snow]/[þBeach]: The picture may not appear smooth during 
playback.
•[ ú Portrait]: The blur effect of the background increases the more you zoom in ( S).
•[ ý Snow]/[ þBeach]: The subject may become overexposed on cloudy days or in shaded 
places. Check the image on the screen.
•[ ŒLow Light]:
- Moving subjects may leave a trailing afterimage.
- Picture quality may not be as good as in other modes.
- White points may appear on the screen.
- Autofocus may not work as well as in other modes. In such case, adjust the focus manually.
•[ Š Fireworks]: To avoid camcorder blur (blur due to the camcorder moving) we recommend using 
a tripod.
[ œ Spotlight]To record spotlit scenes.
[Š Fireworks]To record fireworks.
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							Image Effects
66
Image Effects
You can adjust the color depth, brightness, contrast, and sharpness of the image.
POINTS TO CHECK
• Select a recording program other than the Special Scene recording programs.
1 Open the image effects screen.
[FUNC.]  > [Image Effects]
2 Touch [ON] and then touch [Color Depth], [Sharpness], [Contrast] or [Brightness]. • Select [OFF] to turn off the image effects. 
3Touch [ Ï] or [Ð ] or drag your finger along the dial to adjust the effect level.
• + levels: richer colors, sharper image, stronger contrast, brighter image. - levels: shallower colors, softer image, softer contrast, darker image.
• To adjust other parameters, touch [ K] to return to the image effects screen. Touch the desired 
control button and repeat step 3.
4Touch [ X] to save and apply the customized picture settings.
• b  will appear on the screen.
Operating modes:
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							Self Timer
67
Self Timer
* For movies only.
1 Open the [Self Timer] screen.
[FUNC.] > [MENU]  > r  >  [Self Timer]
2Touch [ iOn 
						

							Audio Scenes and Other Audio Settings
68
Audio Scenes and Other Audio Settings
You can have the camcorder optimize the audio settings of the built-in microphone by selecting the 
audio scene that matches your surroundings. This will greatly enhance the sense of "being there". 
Alternatively, you can select [„ Custom Setting] in order to adjust the camcorder's various audio 
settings to your liking.
See the following table for the settings used by each audio scene.
1 Open the audio scene selection screen.
[FUNC.]  > [—  Audio Scene]
2 Touch the desired option and then touch [ X].
• When you select [ „ Custom Setting], customize the audio settings to your preference with the 
relevant procedures (see the reference pages in the following table).
Options( Default value)
Settings for each audio scene Operating modes:
[‘ Standard]To record most general situations. The camcorder records with standard settings.
[’ Music]To vibrantly record music performances and singing indoors.
[‚ Speech]Best for recording human voices and dialog.
[“ Forest and Birds]To record birds and scenes in forests. The camcorder clearly captures sound 
as it spreads.
[” Noise Suppression]To record scenes while reducing noise from wind, passing vehicles and 
similar ambient sound. Ideal for recording at the beach or in places with a lot of noise.
[„ Custom Setting]Allows you to adjust the audio settings to your liking. The settings that you can 
adjust are the [ ä Mic. Level] setting in the FUNC. panel and the following settings in the  p menu: 
[Auto Wind Screen], [Microphone Attenuator], [Built-in Mic Freq. Response] (audio equalizer), and 
[Built-in Mic Directionality].
[ ä  Mic. Level][Microphone 
Attenuator][Auto Wind  Screen][Built-in Mic 
Freq. Response][Built-in Mic 
Directionality]
[ ‘  Standard][n ] (manual): 70[k  Automatic][H  High][h  Normal][h  Normal]
[’  Music][n ] (manual): 70[k  Automatic][L  Low  ][ê  Boost 
HF+LF Range][ î  Wide]
[‚  Speech][n ] (manual): 86[k  Automatic][H  High][é  Boost MF 
Range][ í  Monaural]
[“  Forest and 
Birds][ n ] (manual): 80[k  Automatic][H  High][è  Low Cut 
Filter][ î  Wide]
[”  Noise Suppression][n ] (manual): 70[k  Automatic][H  High][è  Low Cut 
Filter][ í  Monaural]
[„  Custom 
Setting]Selected by user
( A 69)(A 142)(A 71)(A 71)(A 70)
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							Audio Scenes and Other Audio Settings
69
NOTES
• Audio scenes cannot be selected in the following cases: - When an external microphone is attached to the mini advanced shoe.
- When an external microphone is connected to the MIC terminal with  p >  [Audio Mix] set to 
[ j  Off].
•[ „ Custom Setting] is not available in   mode. After setting [ — Audio Scene] to [ „ Custom 
Setting], if the camcorder is then set to   mode, this setting will change to [ ‘ Standard].
Audio Recording Level
You can adjust the audio recording level of the built-in or an external microphone. You can display the 
audio level indicator while recording.
POINTS TO CHECK
•Set [ — Audio Scene] to [ „ Custom Setting] ( A68).
1 Open the manual audio recording level adjustment screen.
[FUNC.]  > [ä  Mic. Level] >  [n Manual] 
• The audio level indicator and current audio recording level will appear on the screen.
•Touch [ mAutomatic] to return the camcorder to automatic audio recording levels.
2 Touch and hold [ Ï] or [Ð ] to adjust the audio recording level as necessary.
• As a guideline, adjust the audio recording level so that the audio level meter will go to the right of 
the -12 dB mark only occasionally.
• When  p >  [Audio Mix] is set to [ i On], two audio level indicators will appear; the top one 
([INT]) for the built-in microphone, and the bottom one ([EXT]) for the external audio.
3Touch [ X] to lock the audio recording level at the current level.
To display the audio level indicator
Usually, the audio level indicator will be displayed only after activating the manual adjustment of the 
audio recording level. You can choose to display it also when the audio level is adjusted automatically.
1 Open the automatic audio recording level screen.
[FUNC.]  > [ä  Mic. Level] >  [m Automatic]
2 Touch [Audio Level Indicator] and then touch [ X].
Operating modes:
Audio level indicator
Audio level adjustment bar
Manual audio level adjustment 
Current audio level
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							Audio Scenes and Other Audio Settings
70
NOTES
• When the audio level meter reaches the red point (0 dB), the sound may be distorted.
• We recommend using headphones to check the sound level while adjusting the audio recording  level or when the microphone attenuator is activated.
•If you set q  >  [Custom Key/Dial] to [ä  Mic. Level] (A84), you can adjust the microphone's 
audio recording level with the CUSTOM dial.
Built-In Microphone Directionality
You can change the directionality of the built-in microphone to have more control over how sound is 
recorded.
POINTS TO CHECK
•Set [ — Audio Scene] to [ „ Custom Setting] ( A68).
1 Open the [Built-in Mic Directionality] screen.
[FUNC.]  > [MENU] >  p  >  [Built-in Mic Directionality]
2 Touch the desired option and then touch [ X].
Options
( Default value)
NOTES
• Except when using the audio mix function, an external microphone overrides the built-in  microphone. In the following cases, the built-in microphone’s directionality cannot be changed.
- When an external microphone is connected to the MIC terminal with  p >  [Audio Mix] set to 
[ j Off].
- When an external microphone is attached to the mini advanced shoe.
Operating modes:
[
í  Monaural]Mono recording that emphasizes sound coming from the front of the camcorder/
microphone.
[ h  Normal]Standard stereo recording; a middle point between the [îWide] and 
[íMonaural] settings in reach.
[ î  Wide]Stereo recording of ambient sound over a more extensive area that adds to the sense of 
presence of movies.
[ ï  Zoom]Stereo recording with the sound linked to the zoom position. The larger the subject 
appears on the screen, the louder the sound will be.
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