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PUB. DIE-0339-000

HD Camcorder

Instruction Manual

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Introduction

Important Usage Instructions

WARNING!

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS 

PRODUCT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.

WARNING!

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK AND TO REDUCE ANNOYING 

INTERFERENCE, USE THE RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES ONLY.

COPYRIGHT WARNING:

Unauthorized recording of copyrighted materials may infringe on the rights of copyright 

owners and be contrary to copyright laws.

HD Camcorder, VIXIA HF M30 A / VIXIA HF M31 A / VIXIA HF M300 A systems

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two 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 class B digital device, 
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection 
against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can 
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and use in accordance with the instructions, may 
cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference 
will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or 
television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is 
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

Use of shielded cable is required to comply with class B limits in Subpart B of Part 15 of FCC Rules.
Do not make any changes or modifications to the equipment unless otherwise specified in the manual.
If such changes or modifications should be made, you could be required to stop operation of the 
equipment.
Canon U.S.A., Inc.
One Canon Plaza, Lake Success, NY 11042, U.S.A.
Tel No. (516)328-5600

CAUTION:

TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK, MATCH WIDE BLADE OF PLUG TO WIDE SLOT, FULLY INSERT.

WARNING:

To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not expose this product to dripping or splashing.

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The Mains plug is used as the disconnect device. The Mains plug shall remain readily operable 
to disconnect the plug in case of an accident.

CAUTION:

• Danger of explosion if the wrong type of batteries are attached. Use only the same type of 

batteries.

• Do not expose batteries or product to excessive heat such as the inside of a car under 

direct sunlight, fire, etc.

Important Warning

CAUTION:

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER 

(OR BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING 

TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

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The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the 
user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure, that may 
be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

The exclamation point, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence 
of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying 
the product.

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In these safety instructions the word “product” refers to the Canon HD Camcorder 
VIXIA HF M30 A / VIXIA HF M31 A / VIXIA HF M300 A and all its accessories.
1

Read these instructions.

2

Keep these instructions.

3

Heed all warnings.

4

Follow all instructions.

5

Do not use this apparatus near water.

6

Clean only with dry cloth.

7

Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other 

apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.

8

Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug 

has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a 

third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the 

provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the 

obsolete outlet.

9

Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience 

receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.

10 Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
11 Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.
12 Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus 

has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has 

been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to 

rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

13 Read Instructions — All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the 

product is operated.

14 Retain Instructions — The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future 

reference.

15 Heed Warnings — All warnings on the product and in the operating instructions should be 

adhered to.

16 Follow Instructions — All operating and maintenance instructions should be followed.
17 Cleaning — Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid or 

aerosol cleaners. The product should be cleaned only as recommended in this manual.

18 Accessories — Do not use accessories not recommended in this manual as they may be 

hazardous.

19 Avoid magnetic or electric fields — Do not use the camera close to TV transmitters, portable 

communication devices or other sources of electric or magnetic radiation. They may cause 

picture interference, or permanently damage the camera.

20 Water and Moisture — Hazard of electric shock — Do not use this product near water or in 

rainy/moist situations.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

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Summary of Contents for VIXIZ HFM30

Page 1: ...NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL 0 1 The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the product s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons The exclamation point within an equilateral tri...

Page 2: ...replacement parts are required be sure the service technician has used replacement parts that are specified by Canon or that have the same characteristics as the original part Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire electric shock or other hazards 32 Safety Check Upon completion of any service or repairs to this product ask the service technician to perform safety checks to determine that th...

Page 3: ...andard Definition Convert your HD movies in the camcorder itself to standard definition files 136 142 High Definition Standard DVDs Use the supplied software ImageMixer 3 SE 128 141 4 AVCHD discs containing scenes recorded in MXP mode cannot be created with the optional DW 100 DVD burner Use the supplied software ImageMixer 3 SE to back up such scenes 5 Refer to the instruction manual of the devic...

Page 4: ...n Diagrams 124 Playback on a TV Screen 126 Saving and Sharing Your Recordings 126 Copying Recordings to a Memory Card 128 Saving Recordings on a Computer 131 Saving Movies onto High Definition Discs AVCHD Blu ray Discs 135 Saving Movies onto Standard Definition Discs DVD 139 Saving Photos on Photo DVDs 140 Copying Recordings to an External Video Recorder 141 Uploading Movies to Video Sharing Web S...

Page 5: ...2025 lithium button battery STV 250N Stereo Video Cable Yellow Red White plugs CTC 100 S Component Cable Red Green Blue plugs IFC 300PCU USB Cable Quick Guide Introduction 19 The following CD ROMs and software are supplied with the camcorder PIXELA Application Disc 1 CD ROM and PIXELA Applications Installation Guide ImageMixer 3 SE Transfer Utilities Software for saving and transferring movies and...

Page 6: ...rding and Playback Times 195 1 Connect the power cord to the compact power adapter 2 Plug the power cord into a power outlet 3 Connect the compact power adapter to the camcorder s DC IN terminal 4 Attach the battery pack to the camcorder Press the battery pack softly into the battery attachment unit and slide it up until it clicks in place DC IN terminal 24 Preparations 5 Charging will start when ...

Page 7: ... to use the wireless controller from the front of the camcorder NOTES The wireless controller may not work properly when the remote sensor is situated under strong light sources or direct sunlight Tab Preparations 27 Grip Belt and Straps Fasten the grip belt Adjust the grip belt so that you can reach the zoom lever with your index finger and the button with your thumb To remove the grip belt 1 Lif...

Page 8: ...tectors or adhesive film onto the touch screen s surface Preparations 31 For details about how to take care of the touch screen refer to Handling Precautions 186 Cleaning 191 Operating Modes Recording When recording video or photos the camcorder s operating mode is determined by the position of the mode switch and the onscreen con trol buttons The mode icon displayed will change according to the o...

Page 9: ... a field you want to change year month day hours or minutes 2 Touch or to change the field as necessary 3 Set the correct date and time by changing all the fields in the same way 4 Touch Y M D M D Y or D M Y to select the date format you prefer 5 Touch 24H to use 24 hour clock or leave this control unchecked to use 12 hour clock AM PM 6 Touch OK to start the clock and close the setup screen NOTES ...

Page 10: ...Be sure to insert the memory card as described in step 3 Selecting the Memory for the Recordings You can select to record your movies and photos in the built in mem ory or on a memory card The built in memory is the default memory for recording both Operating modes Preparations 39 POINTS TO CHECK Be sure you understand the information provided in Eye Fi Cards 37 before using an Eye Fi card When se...

Page 11: ...that will be used to record movies and photos 38 Please read the IMPORTANT section 44 before using an Eye Fi card To record video Press to begin recording Press again to pause the recording To take photos 1 Press halfway Once the focus is automatically adjusted will turn green and one or more AF frames will appear 2 Press fully The ACCESS indicator will flash as the photo is being recorded Operati...

Page 12: ...on the left side of the screen Operating modes W Zoom out T Zoom in FUNC ZOOM Dual Shot Mode 47 2 Touch the zoom controls to operate the zoom Touch anywhere within the area to zoom out or anywhere within the area to zoom in Touch closer to the center for a slow zoom Speed 1 touch closer to the icons for faster zooms Speed 3 3 Touch to hide the zoom controls NOTES Keep at least 1 m 3 3 ft away from...

Page 13: ...ger left and right along the volume bar to adjust the volume Touch anywhere else to hide the playback controls Fast playback backward Jump to the next scene Fast playback forward Touch several times to increase the playback speed to approxi mately 5x 15x 60x the normal speed During fast playback touch anywhere on the screen to return to normal playback Resume playback Slow playback backward Slow p...

Page 14: ...scenes that were recorded on a specific date or only those scenes in which people s faces were detected Showing Only Scenes that Contain People s Faces This will narrow down the scenes shown in the Original index screen leaving only scenes that were recorded using face detection 66 and in which people s faces were detected 1 Open the Original index screen if it is not displayed 2 Narrow down the s...

Page 15: ...he camcorder Do not change the camcorder s operating mode Be sure to save your recordings regularly 126 especially after making important recordings Canon shall not be liable for any loss or corruption of data Operating modes Video 59 NOTES The zoom Quick Start function power saving modes etc operate the same way in mode as in mode For details refer to Dual Shot Mode 42 Selecting the Video Quality...

Page 16: ... cool place until the temperature goes down If the camcorder becomes too hot it will turn off automatically When making recordings underwater with the Underwater recording program the image on the LCD screen will appear redder than the actual subject This will not affect the recording When a commercially available wide converter or other accessory is attached to the waterproof case the camcorder m...

Page 17: ...ace detection is activated If the function was turned off per form the following procedure to turn it on To select the main subject If there is more than one person in the picture the camcorder will auto matically select one person it determines is the main subject The main subject is indicated by a white face detection frame and the camcorder will optimize the settings for that person Other faces...

Page 18: ...ter speed of 1 250 second etc In mode when the frame rate is set to PF24 the shutter speeds available will be the following 1 6 1 12 1 24 1 48 1 60 1 100 1 250 1 500 1 1000 and 1 2000 When recording in dark surroundings you can obtain a brighter picture by using slow shutter speeds however image quality may not be as good and autofocus may not work well The image may flicker when recording with fa...

Page 19: ...t the AGC limit Reflective surfaces Subjects with low contrast or without vertical lines Fast moving subjects Through wet windows Night scenes Operating modes Video 75 POINTS TO CHECK Adjust the zoom before you start the procedure 1 Open the manual focus screen 2 Touch a subject that appears inside the frame The Touch AF mark will flash and the focusing distance will be adjusted automatically You ...

Page 20: ...ss contrast and sharpness of the image Color Depth Shallower Richer Sharpness Softer Sharper Contrast Softer Sharper Brightness Darker Brighter Operating modes FUNC Video Light On Video 79 NOTES We recommend not using the mini video light while the optional Wide converter or Tele converter is attached its shadow can appear on the screen Using an External Video Light You can use the optional VL 5 V...

Page 21: ... adjust the volume Video 83 IMPORTANT When using headphones make sure to lower the volume to an appro priate level Do not connect the headphones to the AV OUT terminal if the icon does not appear on the screen The noise output in such case may be harmful to your hearing NOTES Use commercially available headphones with a 3 5 mm minijack Even if AV Headphones was set to Headphones in a playback mode...

Page 22: ...R 1000 NOTES In mode the only available functions are turning the power on off starting stopping a recording and zoom Functions Available with the Zoom Remote Controller Using the ZR 2000 or ZR 1000 turning the power on off starting stopping a recording zoom focus adjustment and displaying on screen displays on an external monitor Using the ZR 2000 only switching between autofocus and manual focus...

Page 23: ...he start end of the music from the external player Playback with the video slideshow linked to the external audio 5 Start the music playback on the external player Playback will start from the first scene or photo in the index screen When the external audio input stops the video playback will pause When the external audio input is restored video playback will resume automatically When you play bac...

Page 24: ...r cannot be added to the playlist Operating modes Edit Add to Playlist Yes OK Video 95 You can copy scenes from the built in memory to the mem ory card 126 to include in the memory card s playlist also scenes that were originally recorded in the built in memory Deleting Scenes from the Playlist Deleting scenes from the playlist will not affect your original recordings 1 Open the Playlist index scr...

Page 25: ...e photos will reflect the date and time of recording of the original scene Photos captured from a scene with a lot of fast movement may be blurred Photos will be recorded on the memory selected for record ing photos Photo Sequence Up to 100 photos can be captured at a time The photo sequence capture will stop when the end of the scene is reached playback will pause at the beginning of the followin...

Page 26: ...eting Photos from the Index Screen 1 Open the Photos index screen 2 Touch to open the photo selection screen Operating modes Edit Delete Proceed Yes Photos Photos 103 3 Touch on the individual photos you want to delete A checkmark will appear on photos selected Touch a selected photo again to remove the checkmark To select all the photos at once Touch Select All instead of touching individual phot...

Page 27: ...se the flash to take photos in dark places POINTS TO CHECK Select a recording program other than Fireworks Underwater or Surface 1 Select the flash mode The icon of the selected flash mode appears 1 disappears after 4 seconds Approximate number of photos available on a 1 GB memory card Default value 1 This size is only available for capturing photos from a movie 96 2 This size is only available fo...

Page 28: ...t Captures a series of up to 60 photos as long as you hold pressed down There are two continuous shooting speed set tings normal approx 3 photos second and high speed approx 5 photos second Operating modes Photos 111 The number displayed on the right corner indicates the approximate number of photos that can be recorded with the current quality size setting Touch 6 if you do not intend to use simu...

Page 29: ...ayback controls Operating modes Edit Rotate 8 90 left or 9 90 right Operating modes Shadows Pixel Count Highlights Photos 115 The histogram and Exif information panel are displayed as well Press 3 to hide the histogram and Exif information panel The area to the right of the histogram represents highlights and the left side represents shadows A photo whose histogram skews to the right is relatively...

Page 30: ...s MENU Paper Settings Desired paper size Photos 119 Print errors If an error occurs while printing an error message for example No paper will appear on the camcorder s screen Solve the problem refer ring to the error message list 183 and to the printer s instruction manual Canon s PictBridge compatible printers If printing does not resume auto matically after you solved the problem touch Continue ...

Page 31: ...there will be no video output from other terminals Correct operation cannot be guaranteed when connecting the camcorder to DVI monitors Depending on the HDTV correct playback of personal video content may not be possible using connection Try one of the other connections External Connections 123 Connection Component Video Type Analog Quality High Definition Output only Connect to a high definition ...

Page 32: ...een to display the playback controls 3 Copy the photo 4 Drag your finger left right to select another photo to copy or touch Copying Photos from the Index Screen 1 Open the Photos index screen Check that you have selected the tab built in memory 2 Touch to open the photo selection screen 3 Touch on the individual photos you want to copy A checkmark will appear on photos selected Touch a selected p...

Page 33: ...uter Printer so the selection screen does not appear every time you connect the cam corder to a computer External Connections 131 If you connect the camcorder to the computer while it is set to mode the process of creating scene thumbnails will start automatically If your intention was to save photos to the computer you can touch Skip to stop the process and use the computer s Safely Remove Hard w...

Page 34: ... players DVD players not compatible with AVCHD DW 100 External Connections 135 6 Select the scene you want to play back and touch it to start playing it back IMPORTANT While the camcorder is connected to the DVD Burner do not open the memory card slot cover and do not remove the memory card NOTES Only AVCHD discs created with the DW 100 DVD Burner can be played back using the DVD Burner The camcor...

Page 35: ...O MENU Add Recordings to Disc All Scenes or Remaining Scenes External Connections 139 To play back standard definition DVDs Standard definition DVDs are created using DVD Video specifications Play back these DVDs using standard DVD players NOTES When the camcorder contains a large number of scenes to be saved on discs it may take a long time for the connection to the DVD Burner 132 step 2 to be co...

Page 36: ...an touch to change the conversion settings as described below Touch to interrupt the operation while it is in progress Operating modes External Connections 143 7 When the conversion is completed a confirmation screen will appear Connect the camcorder to the computer at this point 144 to continue uploading the converted videos to the Web or touch End Without Connecting to connect to the computer la...

Page 37: ...les will be registered as incomplete uploads About power saving Wireless communication drains the power of the battery pack faster than usual We recommend powering the camcorder using the compact power adapter While files are being uploaded wirelessly the camcorder s automatic power off function will be disabled While recording audio with an external microphone the interference caused by wireless ...

Page 38: ... Toggle On Off 65 152 Additional Information Digital Zoom Determines the operation of the digital zoom The color of the indicator indi cates the zoom When activated the cam corder will switch automatically to digital zoom when you zoom in beyond the optical zoom range With the digital zoom the image is digitally processed so the image resolution will deteri orate the more you zoom in AF Mode Selec...

Page 39: ...6 Off 2304x1296 848x480 110 Super Fine Fine Normal Additional Information 155 Frame Rate Selects the frame rate to be used when recording 8 PF30 30 frames per second progressive Use this frame rate to easily edit your recordings for example to post them on the Web PF24 24 frames per second progressive Using this frame rate will give your recordings a cinematic look When combined with the Cine Mode...

Page 40: ...ze 6 Built in Mem Mem Card 1 40 Complete Initialization Toggle on or off 9 Initialize Complete Initialization Toggle on or off Time Zone DST home time zone or travel time zone New York list of world time zones DST adjustment 36 Date Time Date Time 35 Date Format Y M D M D Y D M Y Y year M month D day 24H Toggle On 24 hour clock or Off 12 hour clock Calendar Start Day Saturday Sunday Monday Battery...

Page 41: ...n verify the standard of the output signal from the HDMI OUT terminal Distance Units Selects the units to use for the focusing distance display during manual focus 162 Additional Information Demo Mode The demonstration mode displays the camcorder s main features It starts automatically when the camcorder is powered with the compact power adapter if you leave it turned on without a memory card for ...

Page 42: ...ct the PF24 progressive frame rate 63 to give your recordings a cinematic look You can combine this frame rate with the Cine Mode recording program to enhance the effect S f Remaining recording time When there is no more free space on the memory End built in memory only or End memory card will be displayed and the recording will stop F f Number of available photos B in red There is no memory card ...

Page 43: ...not play back correctly if the connection was interrupted while transferring the music files Delete the music tracks and transfer the music files again The transfer rate of the memory card used is too slow Use a recommended memory card 37 Additional Information 171 When playing scenes a slideshow linked to external audio the video playback is not correctly linked to the external player The volume ...

Page 44: ...he USB cable and turn off the printer After a short while turn it on again and restore the connection Cannot connect to a PictBridge compatible printer if the memory contains 2 500 photos or more Additional Information 175 After connecting the camcorder to a printer the message Busy continues to appear on the screen Disconnect the USB cable and restore the connection after a short while Photos are...

Page 45: ...hen the camcorder is in mode and is connected to the computer with the supplied USB cable the camcorder cannot be operated Disconnecting the USB cable or power source while this message appears may result in permanent loss of the recordings in the camcorder Use the computer s Safely Remove Hardware function to end the connection and disconnect the USB cable before using the camcorder To be able to...

Page 46: ... message can appear when a commercially available DVD disc a DVD disc containing movies software etc or an 8 cm mini DVD disc is inserted Replace with a brand new disc During disc playback mode this message can appear when a commercially available DVD disc or a brand new DVD disc is inserted Replace with an AVCHD disc created with the DVD Burner Close the memory card slot cover The memory card slo...

Page 47: ...the tripod s fas tening screw is shorter than 5 5 mm 0 2 in Using other tripods may dam age the camcorder When recording movies try to get a calm stable picture Excessive cam corder movement while shooting and extensive use of fast zooms and panning can result in jittery scenes In extreme cases the playback of such scenes may result in visually induced motion sickness If you expe rience such a rea...

Page 48: ...ing the same option This makes recovering the original recordings very difficult Additional Information 191 Maintenance Others Cleaning Camcorder Body Use a soft dry cloth to clean the camcorder body Never use chemically treated cloths or volatile solvents such as paint thinner Lens and Instant AF Sensor If the lens surface or Instant AF sensor is dirty autofocus may not work properly Remove any d...

Page 49: ...es The charging times given in the following table are approximate and vary according to charging conditions and initial charge of the battery pack Recording and Playback Times Recording and playback times given in the following tables are approxi mate and vary according to recording mode and charging recording or playback conditions The effective usage time of the battery pack may decrease when r...

Page 50: ...er 2590B002AA TL H37 Tele converter 8835A001AA WD H37ll Wide converter 3187B001AA FS H37U Filter Set 8837A001AA VL 5 Video Light 3186B001AA VFL 2 Video Flash Light 3574B001AA SM V1 Surround Microphone 4464B001AA DM 100 Directional Stereo Microphone 2591B002AA RA V1 Remote Control Adapter 3924B001AA ZR 1000 Zoom Remote Controller 3089A002AA ZR 2000 Zoom Remote Controller 0973B002AA WP V2 Waterproof...

Page 51: ...ngs are adjusted white balance image effects light metering Minimum focusing distance from the waterproof case lens window In the water approx 75 cm 2 5 ft at full telephoto approx 5 cm 2 in at full wide angle In the air approx 1 m 3 3 ft at full telephoto approx 5 cm 2 in at full wide angle CA 570 Compact Power Adapter Power supply 100 240 V AC 50 60 Hz Rated output consumption 8 4 V DC 1 5 A 29 ...

Page 52: ...nd items is given by the manufacturer or producer thereof If the Equipment contains a hard disk drive Canon USA recommends that data stored on that drive be duplicated or backed up to prevent its loss in the event of failure or other malfunction of such drive Canon USA shall have no responsibility under this limited warranty for use of the Equipment in conjunction with incompatible peripheral equi...

Page 53: ...ss or implied statutory or otherwise relative to the Equipment including implied warranties or conditions of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose Canon Canada assumes no liability for special consequential or incidental damages loss or corruption of data including without limitation data stored on the hard disk drive of the Equipment or loss that may arise whether on account of negl...

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