Panasonic Memory Card Camera Recorder AG-HPX255P AG-HPX255EN Operating Instructions

							151
Menu
OTHER FUNCTIONS screen
ItemSetting Notes
USER FILE Saves	user	files	to	camera-recorder	memory,	loads	them	
into	camera-recorder 	memory 	or 	initializes 	them. 	(Page 	60)
LOAD, SAVE, INITIAL
•	 This	does	not	affect	options	in	the	SCENE	FILE	screen. •	
This	setting	cannot	be	made	
when	REC	SIGNAL 	is	1394.
•	 Not	available	when	compiling	
to	a	clip	in	one-clip	recording	
mode.
REMOTE
Sets	the	operations	of	the	supplied	remote	control	unit.
“Remote	control	setup”	(Page	24	of	Vol.	1)
OFF:
Operations	are	not	accepted	from	any	remote	control.
1:
Accepts	commands	from	the	remote	control	set	for	
“operation	mode	1”.
2:
Accepts	commands	from	the	remote	control	set	for	
“operation	mode	2”.
1394 CONTROL
Selects	the	method	the	camera-recorder	uses	for	
controlling	external	devices	connected	to	the	DVCPRO/
DV	connector.	(Page	106)
EXT:
Controls	only	the	external	device,	but	does	not	transfer	
data	to	the	camera-recorder	for	recording.
BOTH:
Controls	both	the	external	device	and	the	camera-
recorder,	and	also	records.
CHAIN:
When	there	is	no	more	space	left	for	recording	in	the	
camera-recorder,	recording	is	automatically	made	to	the	
external	device.
OFF :
No	control •	
Not	available	in	
AVC-Intra	
mode	and	DVCPRO	HD	native	
mode.
•	 Not	available	during	interval,	
one-shot	and	loop	recording.
1394 CMD SEL
Determines	how	recording	is	stopped	when	the	camera-
recorder	controls	an	external	device	connected	to	the	
DVCPRO/DV	connector.
REC_P:
Engages	REC/PAUSE	status.
STOP:
Stops	recording. •	
Not	available	in	
AVC-Intra	
mode	and	DVCPRO	HD	native	
mode.
•	 Not	available	during	interval,	
one-shot	and	loop	recording.
ACCESS LED
Determines	whether	or	not	the	P2	card	access	lamp	
should	light.
ON, OFF
TALLY LAMP
Sets	lighting	of	the	tally	lamp.
FRONT:
Front	tally	lamp	(microphone	side)	lights.	
REAR:
Rear	tally	lamp	(viewfinder	side)	lights.	
BOTH:
Both	tally	lamps	light.	
OFF :
The	tally	lamp	does	not	light.	
CLOCK SETTING Sets	the	internal	calendar	(date).	
“Setting	the	calendar”	(Page	26	of	Vol.	1)
___indicates	the	factory	setting.  
						

							152
OTHER FUNCTIONS screen (continued)
ItemSetting Notes
TIME ZONE
Adds	to	or	deducts	from	GMT 	the	time	value	of	-12:00	to	
+13:00	in	30-minute	steps.	(As	an	exception,	you	can	set	
+12:45.)	Refer	to	the	table	below.
0:00
Time 
difference Time 
difference
Area
Area
00:0 0Greenwich´ 01:0 0
µ 00:3 0 ´01 :3 0
µ 01:0 0
Azores Islands
Mid-Atlantic´ 02 :0 0
µ 01:3 0 ´02 :3 0Eastern Europe
Moscow Central Europe
µ 02:0 0
Buenos Aires
´ 03 :0 0
µ 02:3 0
Newfoundland Island
´ 03 :3 0
µ 03:0 0
Halifax
´ 04 :0 0
µ 03:3 0 ´04 :3 0
µ 04:0 0
New York
´ 05 :0 0
µ 04:3 0 ´05 :3 0Islamabad Tehran
Abu Dhabi
µ 05:00
Chicago
´ 06:0 0
µ 05:30 ´06:3 0
µ 06:00
Denver
´ 07:0 0
´ 07:3 0
Dacca
Lord Howe Island Bangkok
Beijing
Tokyo
µ 07:00
µ
06:30
Los Angeles
´ 08:0 0
Yangon
µ 07:30 ´08:3 0
µ 08:00
Alaska
´ 09:0 0
µ 08:30
Marquesas Islands
´ 09:3 0Guamµ 09:00
Hawaii
´ 10:0 0
Bombay
µ 09:30 ´10:3 0
Kabul
µ 10:00
Midway Island
´ 11:0 0Norfolk Island
New Zealandµ 10:30 ´11:3 0
µ 11:00 ´12:0 0
µ 11:30
Kwajalein´ 12:45
µ 12:00 ´13:00Chatham Islands Solomon Islands Darwin
´ 00:30
•	
This 	setting 	cannot 	be 	initialized	
by	performing	the	MENU	INIT 	
option	 and	the	INITIAL 	option	 in	
USER	FILE.
•  After setting the time, change 
the setting menu TIME ZONE 
item and the display and the 
recorded local time will be 
reset accordingly.
GL PHASE
Selects	the	output	signal	whose	phase	is	locked	to	the	
signal	input	to	the	GENLOCK	IN	connector	in	HD	(1080i,	
720P)	mode.	(Page	70)
HD SDI:
The	HD	SDI	is	locked	to	the	genlock	input.
COMPOSITE:
The	down-converted	composite	signal	(VIDEO	OUT 	or	
SDI	OUT 	480i,	576i	signal)	is	locked	to	the	genlock	input. •	
Not	available	when	SYSTEM	
MODE	is	set	to	480-59.94i	or	
576-50i.
H PHASE
Adjusts	the	horizontal	phase	when	phase	is	locked	to	the	
signal	input	to	the	GENLOCK	IN	connector.
– 512…0…+ 511 •	
Values	change	quickly	when	
the	Operation	lever	is	held	in	
the	▲	▼	direction.
SEEK SELECT
Selects	the	position	that	is	cued	up	when	the	Operation	
lever	in	the	 	direction	is	pressed	while	playback	is	
paused.	
CLIP:
Start	point	of	clips
CLIP&T:
Start	point	of	clips	and	text	memo	add	points
MENU INIT Restores	all	setting	menu	values	including	all	scene	files	
(F1	to	F6)	and	the	user	file	to	their	factory	defaults. •	
Not	available	in	the	following	
conditions.
·	
	 When	REC	SIGNAL 	is	set	to	
1394.	
·	 	
When	compiling	to	a	clip	in	
one-clip	recording	mode.
Setup menu list (continued)
___indicates	the	factory	setting. 
						

							153
Menu
DIAGNOSTIC screen
ItemSetting Notes
VERSION Indicates	the	version	of	the	all	firmware	used	in	this	
camera-recorder.
A	subscreen	provides	details	on	which	firmware	versions	
are	used.
(Subscreen)
CAM SOFT:
Camera	microprocessor	software
SYSCON SOFT:
Software	for	system	control	microprocessor
P2CS BL2-1:
Boot	program	1	for	P2	control	microprocessor
P2CS BL2-2:
Boot	program	2	for	P2	control	microprocessor
P2CS KR:
P2	control	microprocessor	kernel
P2CS AP:
P2	control	microprocessor	application
VUP:
System	software	used	for	updating	all	camera	firmware
VUP FS:
File	system	for	updating	the	camera
CAM FPGA:
Camera	FPGA 	configuration	ROM
DM FPGA:
Main	FPGA 	configuration	ROM
MODEL NAME Indicates	the	model	name	of	this	camera-recorder.
SERIAL NO. Indicates	serial	number	of	this	camera-recorder.
OPERATION Indicates	the	time	of	the	camera-recorder	has	been	on.  
						

							154
OPTION MENU screen
Open	this	menu	by	holding	down	the	DISP/MODE	CHK	button,	and	when	the	shooting	status	appears,	
press	the	MENU	button.
•	Use	this	function	to	check	connection	status	during	nonlinear	editing.
•	 Use	this	function	to	switch	between	image	production	effects.
Item
Setting Notes
1394 STATUS Opens	the	subscreen	that	shows	1394	status.
(Subscreen)
FORMAT:
Format	of	input	or	output	signals
RATE:
Transfer	rate	of	input	or	output	signals
60/50:
Signal	system	of	input	or	output	signals
CH:
Channel	of	input	or	output	signals
SPEED:
Transfer	rate	of	input	or	output	signals
STATUS:
Status	of	signals	output	or	input	via	the	IEEE1394	digital	
interface
VIDEO:
Status	of	input	or	output	video	signals
AUDIO:
Status	of	input	or	output	audio	signals
1394 CONFIG
Opens	a	menu	for	configuring	1394	functionality.
DFLT , 1 – 255
•	 Use	DFLT 	for	normal	operation.
P.A.P FILTER *
1The	type	of	video	filter	for	improving	image	quality	with	3D	
processing	technology	can	be	selected.
TYPE1:
This	setting	is	suitable	for	image	production	that	reduces	
noise	as	far	as	possible	with	increased	sensitivity	by	using	
a	3D	adaptation	effect.
TYPE2:
This	setting	suppresses	3D	adaptation	effects	and	is	
suitable	for	an	image	production	with	natural	sensitivity	
and	image	quality.
•	 When	a	setting	is	changed,	the	message	“TURN	
POWER	OFF”	appears.	 Then	turn	the	power	off	and	
turn	it	back	on	again. •	
This	item	cannot	be	written	to	
or	read	from	an	SD	memory	
card	as	a	SCENE	FILE	or	
USER	FILE.
Setup menu list (continued)
*1:	 	 An	image	processing	circuit	for	high 	image	quality	and	high	sensitivity	using	PAP 	(Progressive	
Advanced	Processing)	technology	which	takes	advantage	of	3D	processing
___indicates	the	factory	setting. 
						

							155
Reference
Before calling for service
Power supply
There’s	no	power.•	Make	sure	the	battery	and	
AC	adaptor	are	connected	
properly.	Check	the	connections	again. (Page
	21 	of 	Vol. 	1)
Power	goes	off	as	soon	
as	it	is	turned	on. •	
The	battery	may	have	run	out.
•	 If	the	remaining	battery	charge	display	is	blinking	or	
	
appears,	the	battery	has	run	out.	
•	 Either	recharge	the	battery	or	replace	the	discharged	battery	
with	a	fully	charged	one. (Page
	20 	of 	Vol. 	1)
Battery
The	battery	runs	down	
quickly. •	
Make	sure	the	battery	is	fully	charged.
Keep	charging	until	the	
AC	adaptor’s	CHARGE	lamp	goes	
out. (Page
	20 	of 	Vol. 	1)
•	 Are	you	using	the	battery	in	a	cold	place?
The	battery	is	affected	by	the	ambient	temperature.	Its	
operating	time	is	reduced	in	low-temperatures.
•	The	battery	may	have	reached	the	end	of	its	service	life.
The	battery	will	become	unchargeable.	
The	battery	has	
a	certain	service	life	which	varies	depending	on	how	the	
battery	is	used.	If	the	battery	operates	only	for	a	short	period	
even	when	it	is	charged	adequately,	it	has	reached	the	end	
of	its	service	life.
The	remaining	battery	
capacity	is	not	displayed	
correctly. •	
The	remaining	battery	capacity	display	is	merely	a	guideline.	
To	ensure	that	remaining	battery	capacity	is	displayed	
correctly,	use	the	battery	completely	from	a	fully-charged	
state,	and	charge	the	battery	again.	(Remaining	battery	
capacity	may	still	not	be	displayed	correctly	if	the	battery	has	
been	used	for	long	periods	in	high	or	low	temperatures,	or	if	
the	battery	has	been	recharged	a	large	number	of	times.)
Shooting
Cannot	start	shooting.
•	Make	sure	the	POWER/MODE	switch	is	ON.
(Page	25 	of 	Vol. 	1)
Cannot	focus	
automatically. •	
You	can	focus	automatically	when	the	auto	focus	mode	is	
selected.
•	 You	may	be	shooting	a	scene	where	it	is	difficult	to	bring	the	
subject	into	focus	in	the	auto	focus	mode.
If	this	is	the	case,	focus	in	the	manual	focus	mode.
It may be hard to bring the subject into focus when
	
· both	close	and	distant	objects	are	to	be	shot
	
· shooting	through	a	dirty	window
	
· shooting	in	a	dark	place
	
· there	are	sparkling	or	shiny	objects	around	the	subject
	
· the	subject	is	moving	fast
	
· shooting	a	scene	with	minimal	contrast (Page	28)
Reference
Menu 
						

							156
Before calling for service (continued)
Shooting
Cannot	shoot	even	
though	the	P2	card	is	
inserted	correctly.•	
Make	sure	the	P2	card’s	write-protect	switch	is	not	in	the	
PROTECT
	position.
Recording	is	not	possible	if	it	is	in	this	position. (Page	12)
•	 There	may	be	little	free	memory	left	on	the	P2	card.		
If	so,	save	the	data	onto	another	media,	and	delete	the	data	
you	no	longer	need;	alternatively,	replace	the	card	with	a	
new	one.
•	The	P2	card	may	be	formatted	incorrectly.	
Alternatively,	the	
card	you	are	using	may	not	be	formatted	for	use	with	the	
unit.	If	so,	format	the	card	in	the	unit. (Page	13)
•	 2	GB	P2	cards	cannot	be	used.
•	The	media	information	display	may	be	indicating	“	E	”.	
If	so,	format	the	card	in	the	unit. (Page	124)
•	 Recording	is	not	possible	if	the	number	of	clips	on	a	single	
P2	card	exceeds	1000.
As	clips	made	of	many	linked	clips	are	generated	with	one-
clip	recording,	there	may	be	1000	clips	even	when	the	
number	of	clips	you	can	see	on	the	thumbnail	screen	is	less	
than	1000.
Cannot	perform	interval	
recording,	one-shot	
recording	or	loop	
recording. •	
Insert	2	cards	which	recording	space	are	left	over	1	minutes	
when	performing	loop	recording. (Page	46)
•	 In	modes	such	as	24P
	you	cannot	perform	these	types	of	
recording.
See	page	43	“Using	special	recording	modes”	and	set	the	
recording	format	etc.
Editing
Cannot	perform	
nonlinear	editing. •	
Check	the	specifications	of	your	personal	computer	and	
connecting	cable. (Page	102)	
•	 Check	the	menu	settings	and	operation	mode.
For	a	1394	connection,	use	PB/THUMBNAIL
	mode	or	set	
REC	SIGNAL 	in	the	setting	menu	to	1394.
Also,	for	a	USB	connection,	set	PC	MODE	SELECT 	to	USB	
DEVICE	and	select	PC	mode	using	the	POWER/MODE	
switch. (Page	109)
(Page
	135)
(Page 	137)
Cannot	dub	onto	an	
external	device. •	
Make	sure	the	external	device	is	connected	correctly.
(Page	103)
•	 Are	you	using	a	mode	that	can	output	from	the	DVCPRO/DV	
terminal?
You	cannot	output	with	native	recording	mode	for	
AVC-Intra,	
24PN	etc.
Displays
Something	is	wrong	with	
the	time	code	display. •	
The	time	code	display	may	not	register	a	regular	count	if	a	
tape	is	played	in	the	reverse	slow	mode.	
This	is	normal. 
						

							157
Reference
Playback
Cannot	play	even	when	
I	press	the	play	button.•	
Is	the	PB/THUMBNAIL
	lamp	on?	If	the	CAMERA 	lamp	
is	on,	press	the	POWER/MODE	switch	so	that	the	PB/
THUMBNAIL 	lamp	turns	on. (Page	74)
•	 Have	you	selected	a	clip	that	cannot	be	played	back	(clip	
number	is	red)?
	
· Clips	with	a	different	SYSTEM	MODE	(1080i,	720P
	etc.)	
cannot	be	played	back.
	
· 24-bit	audio	clips	(BITS	PER	SAMPLE	is	24	in	
AUDIO	of	
CLIP 	PROPERTY)	recorded	with	devices	such	as	an	 AJ-
HPX3100	cannot	be	played	back. (Page	78)
Images	do	not	appear	
on	the	television	even	
though	I	have	connected	
the	camera-recorder	
properly. •	
Make	sure	the	input	selector	on	your	television	is	set	to	
video	input.
Read	the	television’s	instructions	carefully	and	select	the	
correct	video	input	connector	for	the	camera-recorder.
Cannot	hear	any	sound	
from	the	camera-
recorder’s	speaker. •	
You	may	have	turned	down	the	camera-recorder’s	volume	
control	too	far.
Adjust	the	volume	level	using	the	PAGE/AUDIO	MON/VAR	
button+. (Page	100)
Cannot	perform	hot	
swap	playback. •	
This	unit	does	not	support	hot	swap	playback.
To	replace	one	card	with	another	during	dubbing,	stop	the	
dubbing	first,	and	upon	completing	the	replacement,	resume	
it.
Cannot	perform	clip	
recording. •	
Cannot	copy	when	clips	are	continuously	linked	in	ONE	
CLIP
	REC	mode.
Select	CAMERA 	mode	and	push	the	Operation	lever	in	the	
▼	direction	(STOP)	for	2	seconds	to	release	the	clip	linking. (Page	86)
Other
Cannot	read	the	data	on	
the	SD	memory	card.
•	
Make	sure	the	SD	memory	card	is	formatted	correctly.
If	it	is	not,	format	the	card	in	the	unit. (Page	16)
The	remote	control	does	
not	work. •	
The	battery	in	the	remote	control	may	have	run	out.
If	the	remote	control	fails	to	work	even	if	it	is	operated	close	
to	the	remote	control	sensor	of	the	camera-recorder,	it	
means	that	the	battery	has	run	out.	Replace	it	with	new	one. (Page
	24 	of 	Vol. 	1)
•	 Make	sure	the	remote	control	setting	is	the	same	for	the	
remote	control	unit	and	the	camera-recorder.
If	the	REMOTE	setting	is	different	on	the	remote	control	and	
the	camera-recorder,	the	remote	control	will	not	work. (Page
	24 	of 	Vol. 	1)
There	is	a	rattling	sound	
when	the	camera-
recorder	is	tilted	back	
and	forth. •	
There	are	some	parts	of	the	camera-recorder	that	make	
a	rattling	sound	in	the	PB/
THUMBNAIL	mode	or	when	the	
POWER/MODE	switch	is	OFF.	 This	is	normal.
A	clicking	sound	is	
heard	when	the	power	
is	turned	on	or	when	
the	PB/THUMBNAIL 	
mode	is	switched	to	the	
CAMERA 	mode. •	
This	initialization	operation	is	performed	when	the	camera-
recorder	starts	up.
It	occurs	due	to	the	construction	of	the	camera-recorder	and	
is	not	indicative	of	any	trouble.  
						

							158
Updating the firmware incorporated into the unit
Checking the current version of the firmware using the unit and performing the update
Check	the	firmware	version	of	the	camera-recorder	from	the	DIAGNOSTIC	screen	of	the	setup	menu.	
Then,	access	the	site	below	to	check	the	most	recent	firmware	information	and	download	any	firmware	you	
require.	
•	The update is completed by loading the downloaded file onto the unit via an SD memory card. 
For details on updating, visit the support desk at the following website.
http://pro-av.panasonic.net/
•	 Be sure to use a compatible SD memory card. The unit is compatible with SD memory cards 
based on the SD and SDHC standards. Also, be sure to format the memory card using the unit 
before use. 
						

							159
Reference
Cleaning
When cleaning, do not use benzene or thinner.
•	Using	benzine	or	paint	thinners	may	deform	the	
camera-recorder	and/or	cause	the	surface	finish	
to	peel	off.
•	 Before	proceeding	with	maintenance,	remove	the	
battery	or	disconnect	the	
AC	cord	from	the	power	
outlet.
•	 Use	a	soft,	clean	cloth	to	wipe	the	camera-
recorder.	
To	remove	stubborn	dirt,	wipe	the	
camera-recorder	with	a	cloth	moistened	with	
kitchen 	detergent 	that 	has 	been 	diluted 	with 	water	
and	then	use	a	dry	cloth	to	take	up	the	remaining	
moisture.
Cleaning the Viewfinder
•	 If	there	is	dust	inside	the	view	finder,	remove	the	
eye	cup	holder	and	get	rid	of	the	dust.
•	 The	interior	of	the	eye	cup	holder	is	specially	
finished,	so	do	not	ever	wipe	it.	If	there	is	dust	on	
it,	blow	it	off	with	an	air	blower.
•	 Remove	the	eye	cup	holder	with	the	eye	cup	
attached	by	rotating	it	counterclockwise.	(It	will	
be	tightly	screwed	on.)	When	you	do	this,	tilt	the	
view	finder	slightly	upward.
•	 To	amount	the	eye	cup	holder,	align	the	ridges	
and	grooves	of	the	eye	cup	holder	and	camera-
recorder,
	and 	turn 	clockwise 	until 	the 	holder 	clicks	
into	place.Eye cup holder
Eye cup
Projection 
						

							160
Storage precautions
Before	storing	the	camera-recorder,	remove	the	
battery.
Store	all	of	these	items	in	a	place	with	low	humidity	
and	relatively	constant	temperature.
[Recommended	temperature	range:	15	°C	to	25	°C	
(59	°F	to	77	°F)]
[Recommended	relative	humidity:	40	%	to	60	%]
Video camera-recorder
•	Wrap	the	video	camera-recorder	in	a	soft	cloth	to	
keep	the	dust	off.
Battery
•	 The	battery	life	is	shortened	in	places	with	
extreme	temperatures.
•	 Storing	the	battery	in	a	location	with	oily	vapors	
or	high	dust	concentrations	may	corrode	the	
terminals	or	cause	other	damage,	leading	to	
malfunction.
•	 Keep metal objects (such as necklaces 
and hair pins) away from the terminals. 
Shortcircuiting may occur across the 
terminals, causing the battery to heat up, and 
you may seriously burn yourself if you touch 
the battery in this state.
•	 Discharge	the	battery	before	storing	it.	When	
storing	it	for	an	extended	time,	charge	it	at	least	
once	a	year,	use	up	its	charge	in	the	camera-
recorder,	and	then	store	it	again. P2 cards
•	
After	ejecting	a	P2	card	from	the	unit,	be	
absolutely	sure	to	attach	its	special	cap	to	keep	
sand	and	dust	away	from	the	connector	area.	
Stow	the	P2	cards	in	their	own	cases	when	
storing	them	or	carrying	them	around.
•	 Do	not	leave	P2	cards	in	areas	where	corrosive	
gases,	etc.	are	present.
SD memory cards
•	 After	ejecting	an	SD	memory	card	from	the	unit,	
be	absolutely	sure	to	stow	it	in	its	own	case.
•	 Do	not	leave	SD	memory	cards	in	areas	where	
corrosive	gases,	etc.	are	present.
•	 Do	not	leave	the	cards	inside	vehicles,	in	places	
exposed	to	direct	sunlight	or	in	other	places	
where	the	temperature	is	high.
•	 Do	not	leave	the	cards	where	the	humidity	level	
is	high	or	where	there	are	high	concentrations	of	
dust.