Hitachi VM-1700A - Camcorder Instruction Manual Download Page 1

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HITACHI

Instruction Manual

Video Camera/Recorder

VM-1700A / VM-2700A

Hitachi Home Electronics (America), Inc.

HITACHI (HSC) CANADA

INC.

3890 Steve Reynolds Blvd., Norcross, GA 30093

3300 Trans Canada Hwy.,

Pointe Claire,
Tel.

404-279-5600

Quebec,

H9R1B1,

CANADA

Tel.

514-697-9150

HITACHI SALES CORPORATION OF HAWAII, INC.

3219 Koapaka Street, Honolulu, HI 96819
Tel. 808-836-3621
P

QR10512

©Hitachi,

Ltd.

1994

Printed

Japan

KS-F(N)

Summary of Contents for VM-1700A - Camcorder

Page 1: ...Inc HITACHI HSC CANADA INC 3890 Steve Reynolds Blvd Norcross GA 30093 3300 Trans Canada Hwy Pointe Claire Tel 404 279 5600 Quebec H9R1B1 CANADA Tel 514 697 9150 HITACHI SALES CORPORATION OF HAWAII INC 3219 Koapaka Street Honolulu HI 96819 Tel 808 836 3621 P QR10512 Hitachi Ltd 1994 Printed in Japan KS F N ...

Page 2: ...ation after starting the date time 31 To correct date time information during programming 31 AUTOMATIC DATE RECORDING 32 AUTO FOCUS 33 The auto focus will not work under the following conditions 33 POWER ZOOM 35 MACRO 36 PROGRAM AE Auto Exposure 37 INDEX SIGNAL RECORDING 38 QUICK EDIT Edit Search 39 INSTANT REVIEW 40 DISPLAY BUTTON 41 LINEAR TIME COUNTER 42 REMAINING TAPE 43 TITLE RECORDING 44 Cre...

Page 3: ... IN CAMERA LIGHT only for VM 2700A 56 To replace the lamp of camera light 58 EYEPIECE ADJUSTMENT 59 HOW TO ATTACH THE SHOULDER STRAP 60 TROUBLESHOOTING 61 CLEANING THE INSIDE OF THE ELECTRONIC VIEWFINDER 63 HEAD CLEANING 64 PERIODIC MAINTENANCE 65 SPECIFICATIONS 66 HOTLINE 67 ACCESSORY TO ADD MORE EXCITEMENT 68 ...

Page 4: ...conditions 1 This device may not cause harmful interference and 2 this device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation Note This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference ...

Page 5: ...to 3 hours to acclimate to the surroundings before inserting a video cassette When moved from a cold area to a warm humid area moisture may condense on the head drum inside the machine This moisture could cause the tape to stick to the headwheel and damage the headwheel or tape See the bottom of the AC adaptor charger The rating and caution label is located on the bottom of the AC adaptor charger ...

Page 6: ...scene which contains an extremely bright object such as the the sun or a light source a bright vertical bar may appear in the picture Your camera recorder is functioning properly but the solid state pickup device CCD usually causes this as an inherent characteristic Try to avoid shooting an excessive bright object directly Be sure not to leave it in a place where the temperature exceeds 120º F 49º...

Page 7: ...ra light Only for VM 2700A Time and date Titler Index signal This video camera recorder with this marking incorporates high quality picture technology and is compatible with any video cassette recorder bearing the mark ACCESSORIES Check to make sure you have the following components and accessories besides the camera recorder unit itself before disposing of the packing material 1 DC cord 2 Lead ac...

Page 8: ...ug having one blade wider than the other This plug will fit into the power outlet only one way This is a safety feature If you are unable to insert the plug fully into the outlet try reversing the plug If the plug should still fail to fit contact your electrician to replace your obsolete outlet To prevent electric shock do not use this polarized plug with an extension cord receptacle or other outl...

Page 9: ...ttachments Do not use attachments unless recommended by the video product manufacturer as they may cause hazards Caution Maintain electrical safety Power line operated equipment or accessories connected to this unit should bear the UL listing mark or CSA certification mark on the accessory itself and should not have been modified so as to defeat the safety features This will help avoid any potenti...

Page 10: ...ight or power circuits or where it can fall into such power lines or circuits When installing an outside antenna system extreme care should be taken to keep from touching or approaching such power lines or circuits as contact with them might be fatal Installing an outdoor antenna can be hazardous and should be left to a professional antenna installer USE 14 Cleaning Unplug this video product from ...

Page 11: ...t in damage and will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restore the video product to its normal operation e If the video product has been dropped or the cabinet has been damaged f When the video product exhibits a distinct change in performance this indicates a need for service 19 Replacement Parts When replacement parts are required have the service technician verify that t...

Page 12: ...rd or plug replace them immediately 10 An extension cord should not be used unless absolutely necessary Use of improper extension cord could result in a risk of fire and electric shock If extension cord must be used make sure A That the pins on plug of extension cord are the same number size and shape as those of plug on charger B That extension cord is properly wired and in good electrical condit...

Page 13: ...IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS FOR AC ADAPTER CHARGER 13 as close to the point of cable entry as practical ...

Page 14: ...n shooting pictures 1 Turn the viewfinder 2 Turn the eyepiece You can adjust the position and angle of the viewfinder so you can see through it easily Cautions Do not force the viewfinder to rotate completely around This will damage the viewfinder and or camcorder When pulling the viewfinder out or returning it to its original position hold the viewfinder by the swivel selection Do not hold the di...

Page 15: ...ELECTRONIC VIEWFINDER 15 ...

Page 16: ...d hold Battery release lever then slide the battery to the upside and remove WHEN USING WITH THE AC ADAPTER CHARGER Provided 1 Plug the AC adaptor charger power cord into AC electrical outlet 2 Connect one end of the DC cord provided to the DC IN 9 6V of the camera recorder Connect the other end of the DC cord to the DC OUTPUT of the AC adaptor charger NOTES The AC adaptor charger cannot charge th...

Page 17: ...CAR BATTERY By using optional car battery cord Hitachi VM CC70A 1 Connect the small plug of the car battery cord to the DC IN 9 6V jack of the camera recorder 2 Connect the other end of the car battery cord to the car s cigarette lighter socket NOTES The car battery cord is designed to be used only with automobiles having a 12 volt negative ground system To prevent fire or shock hazard or damage t...

Page 18: ...d battery NOTE When the camera recorder is turned on the battery level indicator is displayed in the viewfinder indicating the condition of camera recording battery When the battery is fully charged is displayed After several minutes the symbol will change to When the battery is very near empty the symbol will change to and start blinking You should find an alternative power source or recharge the...

Page 19: ... with that of AC adaptor charger and push the battery flush with the AC adaptor charger and slide it in the direction of arrow NOTE You must remove the DC cord from the AC adaptor charger to charge the battery If the DC cord is connected CHARGE light will not light 3 The CHARGE light will be lit while the battery is accepting a charge and will go out when the battery is fully charged ...

Page 20: ...he operation time will gradually decrease When operation time becomes too short to be useful it is time to replace the battery 8 If CHARGE and POWER lights on the AC adaptor charger start flashing remove the battery and then reattach it If after several attempts both lights continue to flash this means your battery cannot take a charge and must be replaced with a new one The CHARGE light will not ...

Page 21: ...ll the way until it is latched by the cassette holder 3 Press the cassette holder The holder will latch in the operating position 4 Press and hold the small button on POWER switch and then slide it to the CAM position The POWER indicator will light and the camera recorder will enter record pause mode automatically NOTES If the erase prevention tab on the cassette is removed the TAPE indication in ...

Page 22: ...while the camera recorder is in the record pause stand by mode NOTES The TAPE END indication starts flashing in the viewfinder when there is about five minutes recording time left on the cassette If the record pause mode continues for more than 5 minutes the camera recorder s power is automatically turned off To turn on again press REC PAUSE button The camera recorder enters record pause stand by ...

Page 23: ... you connect the camera recorder to your TV you can see the picture played back on your TV Refer to VIEWING THE PICTURE PLAYED BACK ON YOUR TV on page 28 10 After playing press STOP EJECT button 11 Slide the POWER switch to OFF position to turn off the camera recorder Press STOP EJECT button to remove the cassette 12 Always remove the power source from the camera recorder after use ...

Page 24: ...MAKING A SAMPLE RECORDING 24 NOTE If you have a cassette tape that has already been partially recorded on and you want to record the remaining blank section see QUICK EDIT on page 24 ...

Page 25: ...to focus and auto iris functions LIGHT Switch for VM 2700A When this switch is set to AUTO the camera light turns on or off automatically according to the brightness of the object When the switch is set to ON the camera light turns on Set the switch to OFF to turn the light off manually Electronic Viewfinder EVF Displays what the camera recorder lens sees The electronic viewfinder also functions a...

Page 26: ... appear in the viewfinder they will be recorded on the tape RESET Button When the linear time counter is displayed in the viewfinder pressing this button resets the counter to 0 00 00 REVIEW Button Used to review the last few seconds of the recorded segment in the record pause mode DISPLAY Button If this button is pressed M appears beside the tape counter in the viewfinder and the tape s position ...

Page 27: ...wind and fast forward operations The STOP EJECT button has no effect during record operation F FWD Button Press this button during stop or rewind mode and fast forwarding starts appears in the viewfinder Press the button during playback of tape and the tape is played back in the forward direction approximately 3 times faster than the normal speed to confirm the recorded content Press PLAY button t...

Page 28: ...tton This button is used to control the camera recorder When the POWER switch is set to the CAM position pressing this button starts the tape to begin recording REC appears in the viewfinder When this button is pressed again appears instead of REC and the tape stops and the camera recorder enters the record pause stand by mode NOTE This button may be also used to display a still picture during the...

Page 29: ...IDENTIFICATION AND OPERATION OF CONTROLS 29 Graphics in the Electronic Viewfinder ...

Page 30: ...If it is not charged periodically it will be over discharged and its life will be shortened A cassette cannot be loaded or ejected when setting the date and time 1 Press and hold the small button on POWER switch and then slide it to CAM position 2 Press DATE TIME button Date and time appear in the viewfinder and 1 flashes 3 Press F FWD button to select correct month Hold button down to advance rap...

Page 31: ...fter setting the clock The display will change as follows each time the button is pressed NOTE The date time graphics will be recorded whenever they appear in the viewfinder To correct date time information after starting the date time 1 Press and hold DATE TIME button and then press STOP EJECT button The month starts flashing 2 Correct the incorrect digit by using F FWD REW and STOP buttons To co...

Page 32: ...eplaced When is displayed again after being switched to the date display When the recording is for less than 10 seconds If the date changes while recording continues over 10 seconds the date is recorded for 10 seconds when recording is restarted after the camera recorder has been set to the standby mode Press DATE TIME button until and the date appear in the viewfinder before you begin to record T...

Page 33: ... W side about 1 2 inches 3cm from the lens surface to infinity The auto focus will not work under the following conditions 1 Objects not in the center of the viewfinder 2 Objects at far and near positions at the same time 3 Objects lit by a spotlight or neon signs etc 4 Objects behind glass with water droplets or dust on it 5 Objects with almost no difference in brightness such as a white wall ...

Page 34: ...AUTO FOCUS 34 6 Objects moving rapidly 7 Dark objects ...

Page 35: ...itch on the T side and the picture gradually becomes telescopic The zooming speed is slow when the power zoom switch is pressed lightly and the zooming speed is fast when the switch is pressed strongly When power zoom switch is operated the zoom position is displayed in the viewfinder in 10 steps for several seconds ...

Page 36: ...s 3cm from the lens tip Press and hold W side of power zoom switch An object is auto focused NOTES Determine the size of the object by moving the camera backward and forward Be careful as the lighting may tend to be insufficient when shooting in the above conditions ...

Page 37: ...ogram AE automatically selects the shutter speed 1 60 1 100 1 120 1 180 1 250 1 350 1 500 1 750 1 1000 1 1500 1 2000 or 1 4000 second that is optimum for the brightness of the subject The iris is also adjusted automatically in response to the shutter speed ...

Page 38: ...m See your VCR s instruction manual for index playback instructions INDEX signals are recorded when the following operations are performed When power is turned on about 4 hours after it is switched off and then recording is started When power is turned on after the date is changed to the next day with the power off and then recording is started NOTE INDEX is displayed in the viewfinder and when an...

Page 39: ...or find a particular spot on your tape to begin your editing or recording new material Quick edit is used while the camera recorder is in the record pause stand by mode By holding down the F FWD REW or PLAY button you can visually search or play your tape Releasing the buttons F FWD REW or PLAY immediately stops the tape at that position ...

Page 40: ...nds of the recorded scene is played back in the reverse direction and then played back in the forward direction 2 When the tape reaches the end of the scene you have just recorded the camera recorder returns to the record pause stand by mode Recording starts again when the REC PAUSE button is pressed again ...

Page 41: ... time the DISPLAY button is pressed the display in the viewfinder switches as follows When the linear time tape counter with memory is displayed in the viewfinder the same display appears on the screen of the connected TV monitor receiver ...

Page 42: ...ours minutes and seconds Load a cassette into the camera recorder and perform recording or playback the counter indicates the elapsed time NOTES The linear time counter does not operate when nothing is recorded on the tape Counter changes to 0 00 00 when cassette is ejected ...

Page 43: ... know how long you can record on the loaded tape Insert a cassette in the camera recorder and start recording or playback 10 seconds later the remaining tape will be displayed When the cassette is ejected the display will disappear is displayed for 10 seconds after the tape starts to run NOTE When the remaining recording tape time becomes less than about five minutes TAPE END flashes in the viewfi...

Page 44: ... built in titler The titler will store 2 different title pages in memory Once a title is stored it can be displayed and recorded at any time Each title page can contain two lines of 16 characters each The titler contains 47 different characters for creating titles NOTE A cassette cannot be loaded or ejected when creating a title ...

Page 45: ...f 16 characters each A chart showing the characters contained in the titler is located on page 27 5 After you have selected the first character press SHIFT button to move the flashing cursor to the place you want the next character 6 Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have completed the title NOTE Character may flash however it will be recorded correctly without flashing 7 After completing your title ...

Page 46: ...ord the title 3 Set POWER switch to CAM 4 Press TITLE button to display the title graphics 5 Press PAGE button until the title you wish to record appears in the viewfinder 6 Press REC PAUSE button to start the title recording 7 Press TITLE button to remove the title graphics from the viewfinder The camera recorder will now record as normal NOTE If you are planning to video tape an event you must p...

Page 47: ...h to record from page 1 or page 2 The last title selected will appear first Press TITLE button to turn title off 3 Set the VCR in the recording mode and camera recorder in the playback mode 4 Press TITLE button when you see the scene where you want to record the title 5 Press TITLE button to erase the display from the viewfinder Chart of characters available in the titler ...

Page 48: ...ys back in VHS standard speed SP A tape recorded in long play LP or extra long play EP cannot be played back on this camcorder Example 1 If your TV has VIDEO IN and AUDIO IN jacks 1 Connect the video audio cord not provided to AUDIO IN and VIDEO IN of your TV 2 Connect the other end of the video audio cord to AUDIO and VIDEO of your camera recorder 3 Turn on TV 4 Press STOP EJECT button on the cam...

Page 49: ...adaptor on to the IN FROM ANT terminal 3 Connect the 75 Ohm coaxial cable with antenna adaptor to OUT TO TV on the RF converter unit 4 Connect the other end to the VHF antenna terminal on the TV as illustrated 5 Connect the connector cable from RF converter unit to RF DC OUT AUDIO and VIDEO jacks on the camcorder 6 Turn on the TV and set to channel 3 unless channel 3 is one of the TV stations in y...

Page 50: ...TILL When REC PAUSE button is pressed during playback a still picture can be seen To start again press REC PAUSE button and playback will be resumed NOTE There will be some noise interference in the still picture ...

Page 51: ...yed back at a speed about 3 times faster than normal playback speed and you can easily locate a certain spot on the tape Press PLAY button to return to normal playback mode or press STOP EJECT button to stop tape movement NOTE There will be some noise interference in the forward or reverse search pictures while visually scanning ...

Page 52: ...rn to the same point several times in a row 1 Press DISPLAY button The indicator M appears beside the linear time counter 2 Start playing or recording a tape 3 At the point you want playback to start press RESET button to reset the counter to 0 00 00M 4 Continue to play back or record 5 Press STOP EJECT button 6 Press REW button The tape will be rewound to the preselected point at approximately 0 ...

Page 53: ...ose 1 Connect the video audio cord not provided to AUDIO and VIDEO of your camera recorder 2 Connect the other ends to AUDIO IN VIDEO IN of your VCR as shown in the diagram above 3 Play the tape on the camera recorder and record it on the VCR NOTE If you connect the VHF OUT TO TV connector of VCR to the TV ANT connector as illustrated and set VCR TV selector of the VCR to VCR mode the picture bein...

Page 54: ...AUTOMATIC REWIND 54 AUTOMATIC REWIND When the tape reaches its end during playback it automatically rewinds to the beginning and stops ...

Page 55: ...FLYING ERASE HEAD only for VM 2700A 55 FLYING ERASE HEAD only for VM 2700A A rotating erase head which eliminates glitches and rainbow noise that occurs at the joints between recorded segments ...

Page 56: ... a fully charged battery pack is attached the operating time of the battery falls to about a half 1 Make sure that a fully charged battery pack or AC adaptor charger is attached 2 Set the POWER switch to CAM and then set the LIGHT switch to AUTO when required NOTE When the LIGHT switch is set on ON the camera light will turn on whenever you make a recording CAUTION Turn the camera light on only wh...

Page 57: ...USING THE BUILT IN CAMERA LIGHT only for VM 2700A 57 3 After use set the LIGHT switch to OFF or set the POWER switch of the camera recorder to OFF position ...

Page 58: ...explosive or highly inflammable materials When storing the camera light in the camera case following use be sure to allow it sufficient time to fully cool down before placing it in the case Replace only with the specified lamp optional to reduce the risk of fire To replace the lamp of camera light To remove the front case press and hold the tab then remove the front case To replace the front case ...

Page 59: ...EYEPIECE ADJUSTMENT 59 EYEPIECE ADJUSTMENT To use the electronic viewfinder without eyeglasses on adjust the diopter control for optimum focus adjustment ...

Page 60: ...HOW TO ATTACH THE SHOULDER STRAP 60 HOW TO ATTACH THE SHOULDER STRAP Attach the shoulder strap provided as illustrated ...

Page 61: ...ear in the viewfinder Remove the lens cap Set POWER switch to CAM The camera recorder cannot go into the recording mode even when record start stop button is pressed The cassette has had the erase prevention tab removed Stick a piece of cellophane tape over the erase prevention hole or select a different cassette Set POWER switch to CAM position Picture is out of focus The camera recorder is set t...

Page 62: ...hannel 3 or 4 depending upon the selected channel in the RF channel select switch of RF output adapter TV is connect to the camera recorder by using RF output adapter Interference on playback picture When you see the playback picture on yourTV adjust fine tuning knob on television set to obtain best picture Picture bends at the top of the TV screen TV receiver is older type It needs to be modified...

Page 63: ...t or foreign matter adheres inside the viewfinder clean it by using the following procedure 1 Push the tab and hold it then open the cover 2 Clean the picture tube face and lens To prevent scratching use a soft non abrasive cloth swab or lens cleaning paper 3 Close the cover ...

Page 64: ...is does not mean that the recorded program has been erased Dirt accumulated on the head after long periods of use causes this problem In this case head cleaning requiring highly technical care is necessary Consult your nearest dealer or VCR service center before using a head cleaning tape ...

Page 65: ...ance other than head cleaning will be required during the warranty period of most users unless the video camera recorder is heavily used or seldom used Normal maintenance is the responsibility of the user although defective parts are covered during the warranty period Consult your VCR service center to determine recommendations for normal maintenance based upon your location use patterns and machi...

Page 66: ...tem VM 2700A Two video record playback heads plus a flying erase head VM 1700A Two video record playback heads Video signal EIA standard NTSC color Tape speed 33 35 mm sec Video output 1 0 Vp p 75 ohm Audio output 7 8 dBs 316 mVrms less than 1 kohm Fast forward rewind time Less than 6 minutes with T 120 cassette Camera Section Scanning 525 lines 60 fields 30 frames Required minimum illumination 1 ...

Page 67: ...y will provide you with convenient and expedient assistance Our service Hotline operator will direct you to the Hitachi Authorized Service Facility nearest you Just present proof of purchase and or delivery receipts to the Hitachi Authorized Service Facility and service will be rendered in accordance with the terms of the limited warranty as stated on your warranty card or operating guide Should y...

Page 68: ... Accessories Consult your nearest service center to replace the lamp If you want to place an order for these items you can 1 Call the toll free number 1 800 HITACHI 2 Mail to HITACHI with attached form see page 41 BY PHONE To place your order by phone have your VISA MASTER CARD or AMERICAN EXPRESS card ready and call this toll free number anytime 24 hrs day 7 day a week 1 800 HITACHI BY MAIL To pl...

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