Canon Vixia HG20 User manual

PUB. DIE-310B

Instruction Manual

Introduction

Important Usage Instructions

WARNING!

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

BACK). NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO

QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

WARNING!

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

PRODUCT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.

CAUTION:

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK AND TO REDUCE ANNOYING

INTERFERENCE, USE THE RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES ONLY.

CAUTION:

DISCONNECT THE MAINS PLUG FROM THE SUPPLY SOCKET WHEN NOT IN USE.

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.

While using the compact power adapter, do not wrap it or cover it with a piece of cloth, and do not place it in

confined narrow spaces. Heat may build up, the plastic case may deform and it could result in electric shock or fire.

CA-570 identification plate is located on the bottom.

Using any device other than the Compact Power Adapter CA-570 may damage the camcorder.

European Union (and EEA) only.

These symbols indicate that this product is not to be disposed of with your household waste,

according to the WEEE Directive (2002/96/EC), the Battery Directive (2006/66/EC) and/or your

national laws implementing those Directives.

This product should be handed over to a designated collection point, e.g., on an authorized

one-for-one basis when you buy a new similar product or to an authorized collection site for

recycling waste electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and batteries and accumulators. Improper handling of

this type of waste could have a possible impact on the environment and human health due to potentially hazardous

substances that are generally associated with EEE. Your cooperation in the correct disposal of this product will

contribute to the effective usage of natural resources.

For more information about the recycling of this product, please contact your local city office, waste authority,

approved scheme or your household waste disposal service or visit www.canon-europe.com/environment.

(EEA: Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein)

Trademark Acknowledgements

• The SD logo is a trademark. The SDHC logo is a trademark.

• Microsoft, Windows and Windows Vista are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or

other countries.

• Macintosh and Mac OS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

• HDMI, the HDMI logo and High-Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or registered

trademarks of HDMI Licensing LLC.

• “AVCHD” and the “AVCHD” logo are trademarks of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. and Sony

Corporation.

• Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories.

“Dolby” and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.

• Other names and products not mentioned above may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their

respective companies.

• This product is licensed under AT&T patents for the MPEG-4 standard and may be used for encoding MPEG-4 compliant video and/or

decoding MPEG-4 compliant video that was encoded only (1) for a personal and non-commercial purpose or (2) by a video provider

licensed under the AT&T patents to provide MPEG-4 compliant video. No license is granted or implied for any other use for MPEG-4

standard.

Enjoying High-Definition Video with your

Camcorder

Preserve your most treasured memories, be it unforgettable scenery or cherished

moments spent with family and friends, with high-definition video recordings of a

quality second only to actually being there.

What is High-Definition Video?

Your camcorder features a full high-definition image sensor (Full HD CMOS) that captures

video at a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels1. This results in video recordings of

unparalleled high quality, fine detail and lifelike vivid colors.

How does full high definition compare with standard-definition TV broadcasts?

Approximately 5 times the number of pixels.

Almost 90% more scanning lines.

“Full HD 1080” refers to Canon camcorders compliant with high-definition

video composed of 1,080 vertical pixels (scanning lines).

What is Cinema Mode?

Give your recordings a cinematic look by using the [ Cine Mode] recording program

( 45). Combine this recording program with the 25 fps progressive frame rate

[PF25] to get the enhanced effect of the 25p Cinema Mode.

Capture the finest detail,

like the movement or shine

of a single strand of hair

1,080

lines

1.9

1Video is recorded at this resolution only when the recording mode is set to MXP or FXP mode.

In other recording modes, the picture is resized to 1,440 x 1,080 pixels before being recorded.

Even in that case, the picture captured is detailed enough to render richly detailed recordings.

Enjoying High-Definition Video with your Camcorder

What are the advantages of a hard disk?

Your videos and photos are recorded on the built-in hard disk or commercially available

SD/SDHC memory cards2using AVCHD specifications3. This Double Media recording

system gives you longer recording times for more high-definition videos and photos.

• You can shoot approximately 11 hours ( 120 GB HDD) or 5.5 hours ( 60 GB

HDD) of video in MXP mode, which offers the highest video quality under AVCHD

specifications.

• The camcorder records video and photos in unused space on the recording media so

you need not worry about accidentally recording over important videos.

• You can immediately access the scenes you want to play back from an index menu.

• You can easily manage your video and photo collections with the supplied editing

software: ImageMixer 3 (movies) and DIGITAL VIDEO Solution Disk (photos).

Can I play back my high-definition video on other

devices?

Needless to say, you can connect your camcorder to an HDTV to enjoy your recordings

with family and friends ( 79). You also have the following options:

• You can easily play back video recorded on the memory card by inserting the

memory card directly into AVCHD-compatible TV sets and HDD or DVD recorders

that feature an SD/SDHC memory card slot4. For details, refer to the instruction

manual of your TV or digital video recorder.

• You can play back AVCHD discs of your recordings created using the optional

DW-100 DVD Burner (80) on the DVD Burner itself or on AVCHD-compatible

DVD players or Blu-ray Disc players5.

2For details about memory cards that can be used with this camcorder refer to Using a Memory

Card ( 29).

3AVCHD is the new standard for recording high-definition video. With AVCHD specifications the

video signal is recorded using MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 compression and the audio signal is

recorded in Dolby Digital.

4Depending on the device used, correct playback may not be possible even if the device is

AVCHD-compatible. In such case, play back the recordings on the memory card using the

camcorder.

5AVCHD discs containing scenes recorded in MXP mode cannot be created with the optional

DW-100 DVD burner. Use the supplied software ImageMixer 3 to back up such scenes.

Important Notes About the Hard Disk Drive

Your hard disk camcorder allows you to shoot and store many hours of video.

However, there are differences between recording onto a hard disk and recording

onto other media. Make sure to follow the points below when using your camcorder.

For more details, refer to Handling Precautions ( 113).

Back up your recordings periodically

Make sure to transfer your movies and photos

to an external device such as a computer or

digital video recorder ( 80) and back them

up regularly and especially after making

important recordings. Canon shall not be

liable for any loss or corruption of data.

Do not subject the camcorder to

vibrations or strong impacts

The hard disk is a high-precision device.

Vibrations, strong impacts or dropping the

camcorder may result in permanent data loss.

Keep the drop sensor activated

whenever possible

The drop sensor ( 96) detects when the

camcorder is dropped and activates a

protection mechanism to help prevent hard

disk damage. Turning this function off will

disable the mechanism. Even if this function

is set to [ On] and the camcorder is

dropped, hard disk damage can occur.

Do not disconnect the power source

while the camcorder is on

Always turn the camcorder off before

removing the battery or compact power

adapter.

Important Notes About the Hard Disk Drive

Do not turn off the camcorder while the

camcorder is on and the ACCESS

indicator is on or flashing or while the

camcorder is in standby mode

Doing so may result in hard disk damage or

permanent data loss.

Use the camcorder within its operating

temperature range

If the camcorder's temperature becomes too

hot or too cold, recording/playback may stop

in order to prevent hard disk damage.

Do not use the camcorder at high

altitudes

Turning on or using the camcorder in places

with low atmospheric pressure, such as at

altitudes higher than 3,000 m, may result in

hard disk damage.

Initialize the hard disk when movies

cannot be recorded/played back

normally

As movies are recorded and deleted over

time, hard disk fragmentation may occur,

which may reduce performance. Initialize the

hard disk should this happen.

Protect personal information on the

hard disk

When the hard disk is initialized or recordings

are deleted, stored data is not physically

erased. Remember this when disposing of the

camcorder or giving it to another person.

Table of contents

Introduction

4 Enjoying High-Definition Video with your Camcorder

6 Important Notes About the Hard Disk Drive

12 About this Manual

14 Getting to Know the Camcorder

14 Supplied Accessories

15 Components Guide

18 Screen Displays

Preparations

21 Getting Started

21 Charging the Battery Pack

22 Preparing the Wireless Controller and Accessories

24 Adjusting the Position and Brightness of the LCD Screen

25 Basic Operation of the Camcorder

25 The Button: Mode or Flexible Recording

26 Joystick and Joystick Guide

26 Using the Menus

28 First Time Settings

28 Setting the Date and Time

28 Changing the Language

29 Changing the Time Zone

29 Using a Memory Card

29 Memory Cards Compatible for Use with the Camcorder

30 Inserting and Removing a Memory Card

31 Selecting the Recording Media

31 Initializing the Hard Disk or Memory Card

Table of contents

Video

32 Basic Recording

32 Shooting Video

33 Selecting the Video Quality (Recording Mode)

34 Zooming

35 Quick Start Function

35 Reviewing and Deleting the Last Scene Recorded

36 Basic Playback

36 Playing Back the Video

38 Changing the Index Screen Selection

39 Selecting Scenes by Recording Date

40 Selecting the Playback Starting Point from the Movie Timeline

41 Selecting Recordings from the Index Screen

42 Deleting Scenes

43 Advanced Functions

43 Special Scene Recording Programs

44 Changing the Shutter Speed and Aperture

45 Cinema Mode: Giving a Cinematic Look to your Recordings

46 Self Timer

46 Manual Exposure Adjustment and Automatic Backlight Correction

47 Manual Focus Adjustment

48 White Balance

49 Image Effects

50 Digital Effects

51 On-Screen Displays and Data Code

51 Audio Recording Level

52 Using Headphones

53 Using the Mini Advanced Shoe

54 Using an External Microphone

55 Using a Video Light

55 Playlist and Scene Operations

55 Dividing Scenes

56 Editing the Playlist: Adding, Moving and Deleting Playlist Scenes

58 Copying Scenes

Photos

59 Basic Recording

59 Taking Photos

60 Selecting Photo Size and Quality

61 Deleting a Photo Right After Recording It

61 Basic Playback

61 Viewing Photos

63 Deleting Photos

64 Additional Functions

64 Magnifying Photos during Playback

64 Flash

65 Histogram Display

65 Drive Mode: Continuous Shooting and Exposure Bracketing

66 Taking Photos while Recording Movies

(Simultaneous Recording)

67 Light Metering Mode

67 Capturing a Photo from the Playback Scene

68 Protecting Photos

68 Copying Photos

69 Other Functions You Can Use when Taking Photos

70 Printing Photos

70 Printing Photos (Direct Print)

71 Selecting the Print Settings

73 Trimming Settings

74 Print Orders

External Connections

76 Terminals on the Camcorder

77 Connection Diagrams

79 Playback on a TV Screen

80 Saving and Backing Up Your Recordings

80 Backing Up Your Recordings on a Computer

80 Authoring High-Definition (AVCHD) Discs and Photo DVDs

84 Copying your Recordings to an External Video Recorder

84 Transferring Photos to a Computer (Direct Transfer)

87 Transfer Orders

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