Canon cinema EOS C300 PL User Manual

							21
Names of Parts
Grip Unit
Handle Unit
5
6
7
1
2
3
4
1 MAGN. (magnification) button (
A79)/
Assignable button 7 ( A111)
2Control dial ( A66, 69)
3START/STOP button ( A51) 4 Grip belt (
A41)
5Joystick ( A29)/SET button ( A29)
6 Connection plug ( A40)
7Lock screw ( A40)
3
1
2
4
1 Mounting hole for 0.64 cm (1/4 in.) screws
2 Front accessory shoe 3 Top accessory shoe
4Lock screw (
A41) 
						

							Names of Parts
22 
						

							2
23
Preparations
Preparing the Power Supply
You can power the camcorder using a battery pack or directly using the AC adapter. If you connect the AC 
adapter to the camcorder while a battery pack is attached, the camcorder will draw power from the power 
outlet.
Charge battery packs before use. For approximate char ging times and recording/playback times with a fully 
charged battery pack, refer to 
Charging Times ( A 184) and Recording and Playback Times (A 184).
Using a Battery Pack
You can power the camcorder using the supplied BP-955  or an optional BP-950G, BP-970G or BP-975 Battery 
Pack*. All four are compatible with Intelligent System, meaning that you can check the remaining battery time.
* The optional BP-970G / BP-975 Battery Pack was not originally designed for use with this camcorder. Because of its size, you  will not be able to close the battery compartment cover when using one ( A179).
Charging the Battery Pack
Charge battery packs using the supplie d CG-945 Battery Charger. Before 
using a battery pack, remove th e terminal cover in advance.
1 Connect the power cord to the battery charger.
2 Plug the power cord into a power outlet.
3 Attach the battery pack to the battery charger. • Press lightly and slide the battery pack in  the direction of the arrow until it clicks.
• The CHARGE indicator starts flashi ng and also indicates the battery 
pack’s approximate charge. The indicat or will stay on when charging has 
completed.
0-34%: Flashes once per second
35-69%: Flashes twice per second
70-99%: Flashes 3 times per second
4 When charging has completed, remove the battery pack from the battery charger.
5 Unplug the power cord from the power outlet  and disconnect it from the battery charger.
IMPORTANT
• Do not connect to the battery charger any product that is not expressly recommended for use with this camcorder.
NOTES
• We recommend charging the battery pack in temper atures between 10 ºC and 30 ºC (50 ºF and 86 ºF). 
Outside the temperature range of 0 ºC to 40 ºC (32 ºF to 104 ºF), charging will not start.
• If there is a malfunction with the battery charger or battery pack, the charge indicator will go out and charging  will stop.
• For handling precautions regarding the battery pack, refer to 
Battery Pack ( A 178).
• Charged battery packs continue to discharge naturally. Th erefore, charge them on the day of use, or the day 
before, to ensure a full charge.
• We recommend that you prepare battery packs to last  2 to 3 times longer than you think you might need.



CHARGE indicator 
						

							Preparing the Power Supply
24
Attaching the Battery Pack
1Set the Q switch to OFF.
2 Slide the BATT. OPEN switch in th e direction of the arrow and open 
the battery compartment cover.
3 Insert the battery pack all the wa y into the compartment as shown 
in the illustration and press it gently toward the left until it clicks.
4 Close the battery compartment cover.
Removing the Battery Pack
1Set the  Q switch to OFF.
2 Slide the BATT. OPEN switch in th e direction of the arrow and open 
the battery compartment cover.
3 Holding down the RELEASE latch, slide the battery pack toward the  right and then pull it out.
4 Close the battery compartment cover.
Checking the Remaining Battery Charge
When the camcorder is turned on, you can check the re maining battery charge by looking at any recording/
playback screen or the [Battery /Hour Meter] status screen (A169). When the camcorder is turned off, use one 
of the following methods to check the  approximate remaining battery charge.
Press the CHECK button on the battery pack. An indicator will light for 
approximately 3 seconds and show  the approximate remaining battery 
charge.
0-25%
26-50%
51-75%
76-100%
0100%
CHECK button
Battery charge indicator 
						

							25
Preparing the Power Supply
Press the BATT. INFO button to display the remaining battery charge for 5 
seconds. Depending on the battery life, the battery information may not be 
displayed.
NOTES
• The first time you use a battery pack , fully charge it and then use the 
camcorder until the battery pack is completely exhausted. Doing so will ensure that the remaining recording 
time will be displayed accurately.
• Repeatedly charging and discharging the battery pack will eventually shorten its battery life. You can check the  battery life on the [Battery/Hour Meter] status screen ( A169) or the battery information screen (press the 
BATT. INFO button while the camcorder is turned off). Fu lly charging the battery pack and then discharging it 
will give you a more accurate reading.
• USA and Canada only: The Lithium ion/polymer battery that powers the product is recyclable. 
Please call 1-800-8-BATTERY for informat ion on how to recycle this battery.
Using a Power Outlet
You can also power the camcorder directly from a 
power outlet using the supplied CA-945 AC Adapter.
1 Set the  Q switch to OFF.
2 Connect the AC adapter’s DC plug to the DC IN  terminal on the camcorder.
3 Connect the power cord to the AC adapter and plug  it into a power outlet.
IMPORTANT
• Turn off the camcorder before connecting or  disconnecting the AC adapter.
NOTES
• When using the camcorder with a power outlet, you  can change the battery pack while the power is on.DC IN 
terminal 
						

							Preparing the Power Supply
26
Turning the Camcorder On and Off
The camcorder has two operating modes: CAMERA ( ) mode for making recordings and MEDIA ( ) 
mode for playing back recordings. Se lect the operating mode using the  Q switch.
To turn on the camcorder
Set the  Q  switch to CAMERA for   mode or MEDIA for 
 mode.
To turn off the camcorder
Set the  Q  switch to OFF.
CAMERA mode
MEDIA mode 
						

							27
Date, Time and Language Settings
Date, Time and Language Settings
Setting the Date and Time
You will need to set the date and time of the camcorder before you can start using it. When the camcorder’s 
clock is not set, the [Date/Time] screen will appear auto matically with the first field selected (month or day, 
depending on the country/region of purchase).
1 Push the joystick up/down or turn the SELECT dial to change the month/day then move ( Ð) to the 
next field.
• To move to the next field you can also press SET  (press the joystick itself or press the SET button).
2 Change the rest of the fields in the same way.
3 Select (Ð) [Set] and then press SET to start the clock and close the screen.
NOTES
• You can change the date format and th e clock format (12/24 hours) with the [wOther Functions]  > 
[Set Clock] >  [Date Format] setting.
• You can also change the date and time later  on (not during the initial setup) with the [wOther Functions]  > 
[Set Clock]  > [Date/Time] setting.
• When the built-in rechargeable lithium battery is exhaus ted, the date and time setting may be lost. In such 
case, recharge the built-in lithium battery ( A180) and set the time zone, date and time again.
• Using the optional GP-E1 GPS Receiver, you can have  the camcorder adjust settings automatically according 
to the date/time information received from the GPS signal ( A103).
Changing the Time Zone 
Change the time zone to match the time  zone of your location. The default 
setting is [UTC-05:00 New York] or [UTC+01:00 Central Europe], 
depending on the country/region of purchase. The time zones are based 
on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
1 Press the MENU button.
2 Push the joystick up/down or turn the SELECT dial to select  [
wOther Functions]. 
3 Select [Time Zone] in a similar fashion.
4 Push the joystick up/down or turn the SELECT dial to change the time zone.
5 Press SET to set the time zone and then press the MENU button to close the menu.
Operating modes:
Operating modes:
* Depending on the country/region of  purchase.
[w Other Functions]
[Time Zone]
[UTC-05:00 New York] or
[UTC+01:00 Central Europe]* 
						

							Date, Time and Language Settings
28
Displaying the Date and Time while Recording
You can display the date and time on the screen.
1 Press the MENU button.
2 Push the joystick up/down or turn the SELECT dial to select [£ LCD/VF Setup]. 
3 Select [Custom Display 2] and then [Date/Time] in a similar fashion.
4 Push the joystick up/down or turn the SELECT dial to select the information to display.
• Select [Off] to record without displaying the date and time.
5 Press SET and then press the MENU button to close the menu.
• The selected date/time display will  appear at the bottom of the screen.
Changing the Language
The default language of the camcorder is English. You can change it to 
German, Spanish, French, Italian, Polish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, 
Korean or Japanese. Please note that some settings and screens will be 
displayed in English, regardless of the language setting.
1 Press the MENU button.
2 Push the joystick up/down or turn the SELECT dial to select [ wOther Functions]. 
3 Select [Language !] in a similar fashion.
4 Push the joystick up/down or turn the SELECT dial to select a language.
5 Press SET to change the language and then press the MENU button to close the menu.
Operating modes:
Operating modes: [
£ LCD/VF Setup]
[Custom Display 2] [Date/Time][Off]
[w Other Functions]
[Language !]
[English] 
						

							29
Using the Menus
Using the Menus
In   mode, many of the camcorder’s functions can be adjusted from the menu for general settings, which 
opens after pressing the MENU button. You can also register frequently used menu settings in a customized 
submenu (My Menu) for easy access. In   mode, pre ss the MENU button to open the menu for general 
settings or SET to open the clip menu for clip operat ions. For details about the available menu options and 
settings, refer to 
Menu Options ( A 155).
Selecting an Option from the Menu
The following is a step-by-st ep explanation of how to select an op tion from the menu. In the procedures 
throughout the rest of this manual, opening and closing  the menu is assumed and not included in the procedure.
1 Press the MENU button.
• The menu opens with the orange selection frame indicating the menu item that was selected the previous 
time the menu was closed (unless the camcorder was turned off).
2 Push the joystick up/down or turn the SELECT dial to select the desired submenu.
3 Push the joystick right or press SET.
• The orange selection frame will appear on a menu item in the submenu.
• Press the CANCEL button, push th e joystick left, or select [L] to return to the previous submenu.
4 Push the joystick up/down or turn the SELECT dial to select the desired menu item.
• If a submenu contains many menu items, a scroll bar will appear on the right side of the submenu indicating 
that you must scroll up or down to see other menu items.
•A 
Ð mark next to a menu item indicates  another submenu. Repeat steps 3 and 4.
5 Push the joystick right or press SET.
Operating modes:
MENU button
Press to open the menu and then press again to 
close the menu after adjusting desired settings.
CANCEL button
Press to return to the previous menu or to stop 
some operations that are in progress.
SET button
Note that while only the joystick on the monitor 
unit is labeled as “SET”, all three joysticks will 
function as the SET button when pressed down.
SELECT dial
Turn the dial to move the orange selection frame 
up or down in the menu.
Joystick
Push the joystick to move the orange selection 
frame in the menu. Then, press the joystick itself 
or the SET button at the center of the SELECT 
dial to select the menu item indicated by the 
orange selection frame. CANCEL button
MENU button SET button
Joystick Joystick SELECT dial
MENU button CANCEL button 
						

							Using the Menus
30
• The orange selection frame will appear on a setting option.
• Press the CANCEL button to return to the previous submenu.
6 Push the joystick up/down or turn the SELECT dial to select the desired setting option and then press SET.
• Depending on the menu item, additi onal selections may be necessary.
7 Press the MENU button to close the menu.
NOTES
• Unavailable items may appear grayed out.
• Pressing the MENU button at any time closes the menu.
• When an optional RC-V100 Remote Controller is connected to the camcorder, you can use the remote  controller’s up/down/left/right/SET buttons in the same way as the camcorder’s joystick.
• You can check the cu rrent settings on the status screens ( A165).
Using the Customized Submenu (My Menu)
You can register up to 14 frequently used menu settings under the My Menu submenu for easy access. 
Furthermore, if you set an assignable button to [My Menu] ( A111), you can press the button to access your 
registered menu settings even faster and more easily.
Adding Menu Settings
1 Open the My Menu [Register] screen.
[ My Menu]  > [Edit]  > [Register]
• The menu will change to blue to  indicate you are selecting menu 
settings to add to the My Menu submenu.
• Press the CANCEL button to cancel the operation and return to the  regular menu.
2 Navigate the menus to find the menu setting you want to add and then press SET.
3 Select [OK] and then press SET twice. • The menu setting you registered will no w appear under the My Menu submenu.
Rearranging Menu Settings
1 Open the My Menu [Move] screen. [ My Menu]  > [Edit]  > [Move]
2 Push the joystick up/down or turn the SELECT dial to select the setting  you want to move and then press SET.
• An orange   icon will appear next to the setting you selected to  move.
3 Push the joystick up/down or turn the SELECT dial to move the setting to the desired position and then press  SET. [  My Menu]
[Edit]
[Register]
[  My Menu] [Edit]
[Move]