Canon camcorder DC210 User Manual

							
 Menu Options Lists
Advanced Functions
41
System Setup (Volume, Beep, etc.)SYSTEM SETUP
[HIGH VOLUME], 
[ LOW VOLUME], [ OFF]
A beep will accompany some operations 
like turning on the camcorder, the self-
timer countdown, etc. It also serves as a 
warning beep under unusual conditions.
[ON] , [ OFF]
In order to save power when the 
camcorder is powered by a battery pack, 
it will automatically shut off if left without 
any operation for 5 minutes.
 
  Approximately 30 seconds before the 
camcorder shuts off, the message 
“ AUTO POWER OFF” will appear.
 
  In Quick-Start ready mode, the 
camcorder will shut off after the time 
selected for the [  STANDBY OFF] 
setting.
[ 10 min] , [  20 min], 
[  30 min]
Select the length of time after which the 
camcorder will end the Quick-Start ready 
mode and shut off automatically. [ RESET], 
[CONTINUOUS]
Select the image numbering method to be 
used on a new disc.
Images are automatically assigned 
consecutive image numbers from 0101 to 
9900, and stored in folders containing up 
to 100 images. Folders are numbered 
from 101 to 998.
[ RESET]: Image numbers will restart 
from 101-0101 every time you insert a 
new disc.
[ CONTINUOUS]: Image numbers will 
continue from the number following that 
of the last image recorded with the 
camcorder.
 
  If the disc you insert already contains 
an image with a larger number, a new 
image will be assigned a number one 
higher than that of the last image on the 
disc.
 
  We recommend using the 
[ CONTINUOUS] setting.
[  NORMAL TV],
 [ WIDE TV]
In order to display the picture in full and in 
the correct aspect ratio, select the setting 
according to the type of television to 
which you will connect the camcorder.
[ NORMAL TV]: TV sets with 4:3 
aspect ratio.
[ WIDE TV]: TV sets with 16:9 
aspect ratio.
 
  When the TV type is set to 
[ NORMAL TV], if you play back a 
recording made in widescreen (16:9) the 
picture displayed on the LCD screen will 
be smaller than the full display area.
VOLUME ( 33)
BEEP
POWER SAVE
STANDBY OFF ( 31)
FILE NOS.
TV TYPE
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Menu Options Lists 42
You can verify the current version of the 
camcorder’s firmware. This menu option 
is usually grayed out.
Date/Time SetupDATE/TIME SETUP
[Y.M.D (2007.1.1 AM 12:00)], 
[M.D,Y (JAN. 1, 2007 12:00 AM)], 
[D.M.Y (1.JAN.2007 12:00 AM)]
Changes the date format for on-screen 
displays.
FIRMWARE
T.ZONE/DST ( 26)
DATE/ TI ME ( 27)
DATE FORMAT
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 Recording Programs
Advanced Functions
43
Recording Programs
Using the Recording Programs
AUTO
The camcorder adjusts the focus, 
exposure and other settings 
automatically, allowing you to just 
point and shoot.
 : Flexible Recording Programs
[ PROGRAM AE]  [ SHUTTER-PRIO. AE] ( 44) ( 44)
 Special Scene Recording Programs:
[ PORTRAIT]
The camcorder uses a 
large aperture, achieving 
a focus on the subject 
while blurring other 
distracting details.[SNOW]Use this mode to record 
in bright ski resorts. It 
prevents the subject from 
being underexposed.[ SPOTLIGHT]Use this mode to record 
spotlit scenes.
[ SPORTS]Use this mode to record 
sports scenes such as 
tennis or golf.[BEACH]Use this mode to record 
on a sunny beach. It 
prevents the subject from 
being underexposed.[ FIREWORKS]Use this mode to record 
fireworks.
[ NIGHT]Use this mode to record 
in dimly lit places.[ SUNSET]Use this mode to record 
sunsets in vibrant colors.
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Recording Programs 44
 Flexible Recording: Changing the 
Aper ture and Shutter Speed 
Use the automatic exposure (AE) 
program or give priority to the exposure 
value or the shutter speed.
POINTS TO CHECK
Mode switch:  P
Options Default value
TO SET THE SHUTTER SPEED OR APER TURE VALUE
When you select [ SHUTTER-
PRIO.AE], a numeric value will appear 
next to the recording program icon.
1If the joystick guide appears on the 
screen, press ( ) to hide it.
When the numeric value can be 
adjusted, small arrows will appear 
next to the number.
2Adjust ( ) the numeric value 
(shutter speed or aperture value).The number displayed will flash if the 
shutter speed is not appropriate for the 
recording conditions. In such case, 
select a different value.
NOTES
 
  Do not change the position of the mode 
switch while recording, as the brightness of the 
image may change abruptly.
 
  [ SHUTTER-PRIO.AE]
- If you use a slow shutte r speed in dark places, 
you can obtain a brighter image, but the image 
quality may be lower, and the autofocus may 
not work well.
- The image may flicker when recording with 
high shutter speeds.
-
Recording movies under fluorescent lights: If the 
screen starts to flicker, select [ SHUTTER-
PRIO.AE] and set the shutter speed to 1/100.
(12)
[  PROGRAM AE]
The camcorder automatically adjusts the 
aperture and shutter speed to obtain the 
optimal exposure for the subject.
[  SHUTTER-PRIO.AE]
Set the shutter speed value. The 
camcorder automatically sets the 
appropriate aperture value. Use a high 
shutter speed to record fast moving 
subjects or a slow shutter speed to add a 
certain motion blur, emphasizing the feel of 
movement.
FUNC.
( 25)
Icon of the currently selected Recording Program
Desired option
FUNC.
FUNC.
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 Recording Programs
Advanced Functions
45
Shutter speed guidelines
Note that on screen only the denominator 
is displayed – “  250” indicates a 
shutter speed of 1/250 second, etc.
Special Scene: Recording Programs to 
Match Special Conditions
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.
POINTS TO CHECK
Mode switch: P
NOTES
 
  Do not change the position of the mode 
switch while recording, as the brightness of the 
image may change abruptly.
 
  [ PORTRAIT]/[  SPORTS]/[  BEACH]/
[ SNOW]
- The picture may not appear smooth during 
playback.
 
  [ PORTRAIT]
- The blur effect of the background increases 
the more you zoom in (
T).
 
  [ NIGHT]
- 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.
 
  [ SNOW]/[ BEACH]
- The subject may become overexposed on 
cloudy days or in shaded places. Check the 
image on the screen.
 
  [ FIREWORKS]
- To avoid camcorder shake, we recommend 
using a tripod. Make sure to use a tripod 
especially in  , as the shutter speed 
slows down.
1/8, 1/15, 1/30
1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30
For recording subjects in dark places.
1/60
1/60
For general recordings.
1/100
1/100
For recording indoor sports scenes.
1/250, 1/500, 1/1000
1/250, 1/500
For recording from within a car or train, or 
for recording moving subjects such as 
roller coasters.
1/2000
For recording outdoor sports such as golf 
or tennis on sunny days.
( 12)
FUNC.( 25)
Icon of the currently selected Recording Program
Last icon on the right  (icon of the 
currently selected 
Special Scene)
Desired option
FUNC.
FUNC.
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A
djusting the Picture: Exposure, Focus and Color 46
Adjusting the Picture: Exposure, Focus and Color
Manual Exposure Adjustment
At times, backlit subjects may appear too 
dark (underexposed) or subjects under 
very strong lights may appear too bright 
or glaring (overexposed). To correct this, 
you can manually adjust the exposure.
POINTS TO CHECK
Mode switch: P (except for the 
[ FIREWORKS] recording program).
1If the joystick guide does not appear 
on screen, press ( ) to display it.
2Push the joystick ( ) toward [EXP].• If [EXP] does not appear on the joystick 
guide, repeatedly push the joystick ( ) 
toward [NEXT] to display the joystick 
guide in the illustration above. 
• The exposure adjustment indicator   and the neutral value “±0” 
appear on the screen.
• If you operate the zoom during 
exposure lock, the brightness of the 
image may change.
3Adjust ( ) the brightness of the 
image as required.
• The adjustment range and the length of 
the exposure adjustment indicator will vary 
depending on the brightness of the picture 
at the time you locked the exposure.
• Pushing the joystick ( ) toward 
[EXP] again will cancel the exposure 
lock and return the camcorder to 
automatic exposure.
Manual Focus Adjustment
Autofocus may not work well on the 
following subjects. In such case, focus 
manually.
Reflective surfaces
Subjects with low contrast or 
without vertical lines
Fast Moving Subjects
Through wet windows
Night Scenes
POINTS TO CHECK
Adjust the zoom before you start the 
procedure.
Mode switch:  P
1If the joystick guide does not appear 
on screen, press ( ) to display it.
2Push the joystick ( ) toward 
[FOCUS]. 
• If [FOCUS] does not appear on the 
joystick guide, repeatedly push the 
joystick ( ) toward [NEXT] to display 
the joystick guide in the illustration 
above. 
• “MF” appears.
Adjusting the Picture: 
Exposure, Focus and Color
(12)
NEXT
EXP
( 12)
NEXT
FOCUS
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 Adjusting the Picture: Exposure, Focus and Color
Advanced Functions
47
3Adjust ( ) the focus as required 
until the image appears focused.
• Push the joystick ( ) toward   for a 
farther focal distance or push it ( ) 
toward   for a closer focal distance.
• Pushing the joystick ( ) toward 
[FOCUS] again will return the 
camcorder to autofocus.
NOTES
 
 The camcorder will automatically return to 
autofocus when you set the mode switch to AUTO. 
  Readjust the focus when you have turned off 
the camcorder.
Infinity Focus
Use this function when you wish to focus 
on faraway subjects such as mountains or 
fireworks.
POINTS TO CHECK
Adjust the zoom before you start the 
procedure.
Mode switch:  P
1If the joystick guide does not appear 
on screen, press ( ) to display it.
2Keep the joystick pushed ( ) toward 
[FOCUS] for more than 2 seconds. 
•  appears.
• Pushing the joystick ( ) toward 
[FOCUS] again will return the 
camcorder to autofocus.
NOTES
If you operate the zoom or the joystick ( ) 
during infinity focus,   changes to “MF” and the 
camcorder returns to manual focusing mode.
White Balance
The white balance function helps you 
accurately reproduce colors under 
different lighting conditions so that white 
objects will always look  truly white in your 
recordings.
POINTS TO CHECK
Mode switch:  P
Options Default value
* When you select [ SET], do not press 
 and continue instead with the 
procedure below.
( 12)
NEXT
FOCUS
( 12)
[AUTO]
Settings are automatically set by the 
camcorder. Use this setting for outdoor 
scenes.
[DAYLIGHT]
For recording outdoors on a bright day.
[ TUNGSTEN]
For recording under tungsten and tungsten 
type (3-wavelength) fluorescent lighting.
[ SET]
Use the custom white balance setting to 
make white subjects appear white under 
colored lighting.
FUNC.
(25)
Icon of the currently selected White Balance
Desired option*
FUNC.
FUNC.
FUNC.
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A
djusting the Picture: Exposure, Focus and Color 48
TO SET THE CUSTOM WHITE BALANCE 
1Point the camcorder at a white 
object, zoom in until it fills the 
whole screen and press ( ).When the adjustment is completed, 
 stops flashing and stays on. The 
camcorder retains the custom setting 
even if you turn off the camcorder.
2Press   to save the setting and 
close the menu.
NOTES
 
 When you have set the custom white balance: - Depending on the light source,   may keep 
flashing. The result will  still be better than with 
[AUTO].
- Reset the white balance when the lighting 
condition changes.
- Turn off the digital zoom.
 
  The camcorder retain s the custom white 
balance setting even if you turn it off.
 
  Custom white balance may provide better 
results in the following cases:
- Changing lighting conditions
- Close-ups
- Subjects in a single co lor (sky, sea or forest)
- Under mercury lamps and certain types of 
fluorescent lights
Image Effects
You can use the image effects to change 
the color saturation and contrast to record 
images with special color effects.
POINTS TO CHECK
Mode switch:  P
Options Default value
FUNC.( 12)
[ IMAGE EFFECT OFF]
Records with no image enhancing effects.
[ VIVID]
Emphasizes the contrast and color 
saturation.
[ NEUTRAL]
Tones down the contrast and color 
saturation.
[ SOFT SKIN DETAIL]
Softens the details in the skin tone area for 
a more complimentary appearance. To 
obtain the best effect, use this setting 
when recording a person in close-up. Note 
that areas similar to the skin color may lack 
in detail.
FUNC.
( 25)
Icon of the currently selected 
Image Effect
Desired option
FUNC.
FUNC.
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 Still Image Recording Options
Advanced Functions
49
Still Image Recording Options
Selecting the Size and Quality of Still 
Images
Still images are recorded on the disc 
using the JPEG (Joint Photographic 
Experts Group) compression. As a 
general rule select a larger image size for 
higher quality.
Options
Image size options vary depending on the 
model. The following table summarizes 
the approximate numbers of still images 
that can be recorded on different medias 
by image size/quality.
 Default value
* The number displayed on the right corner indicates the approximate number of images 
that can be recorded with the current quality/
size setting.
 Approximate number of still images on a disc
1  : [SUPER FINE],  : [FINE],  : [NORMAL]2 This is the number of images that can be recorded on the disc. However, the maximum number of 
remaining still images displayed on the screen will be 9999.
Still Image Recording 
Options
( 12)
L1024x768/FINE
FUNC.(25)
Icon of the currently selected 
Image Quality/Size
Desired image size*
 
Press ( )
 
Desired image quality*
FUNC.
FUNC.
Disc Type/ 
Disc SpecificationDVD-R or DVD-RW  VIDEO modeDVD-R DL
VIDEO modeDVD-RW
VR mode
Image Quality1 → 
Image Size ↓
L 1024x768 2,690 3,910 7,830 4,890 7,115 9,999 2,735 3,980 7,965
S 640x480 6,625 9,570 9,999 9,999 9,999 9,999 6,740 9,735 17,5252
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Still Image Recording Options 50
Automatic Focus Priority
When the focus priority is activated, the 
camcorder records a still image only after 
the focus has been adjusted 
automatically.
POINTS TO CHECK
Mode switch at AUTO:
The focus priority cannot be turned off.
Mode switch at  P:
You can turn off the focus priority and you 
can also select the AF (autofocus) frame 
to be used.
Options Default value
* Except for the [ FIREWORKS] recording  program.
NOTES
In the [  FIREWORKS] recording program the 
focus priority is automatically set to [  OFF].
(12)
[ ON:AiAF]
(Mode switch: P*, AUTO )
Depending on the shooting conditions, one 
or more AF frames out of the nine frames 
available are automatically selected and 
the focus is fixed on them.
[ ON:CENTER] 
(Mode switch: P*)
The focus is automatically fixed to the 
center AF frame. This is convenient for 
making sure the focus is exactly where you 
want it. In this mode, a single focusing 
frame appears in the center of the screen.
[ OFF]
Select this option if you wish to record a 
still image as soon as you press  .
PHOTO
FUNC.( 25)
 MENU
CAMERA SETUP
FOCUS PRI.
Desired optionFUNC.
FUNC.
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