For more information, please visit www.sheffield.ac.uk/creativemedia

Panasonic  HC-­‐X900/HC-­‐X920  HD  Digital  Video  Camcorders  

Table of Contents

Contents of Kit: ......................................................................................... 2

Control Layout .......................................................................................... 3

Basic Video Recording .............................................................................. 4

Playing back your recordings ................................................................... 5

Using the Camcorder as a Digital Camera ................................................ 6

Transferring your Footage ....................................................................... 7

Editing your Footage ................................................................................. 7

Advanced Video Recording ....................................................................... 8 Manual Focus .................................................................................................. 8 Changing the Video Recording Quality .......................................................... 10 Using the onboard microphone ...................................................................... 11 Using the external microphone ....................................................................... 11 Pre Record Mode ............................................................................................ 12 Time Lapse Mode ........................................................................................... 12 Using the Electronic Viewfinder .................................................................... 13

For more information, please visit www.sheffield.ac.uk/creativemedia

Contents of Kit:

1. Panasonic HC-X900 Camcorder & 8GB SD card 2. External Hama microphone 3. Panasonic battery 4. USB transfer cable 5. Mains power adapter & cable

1 2

4

5

3

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Control Layout

LCD Touch Screen

Manual control ring

iA / Manual mode button

Zoom lever

Camera button

On / Off Switch USB

connection

Hotshoe attachment for ext. mic

Recording start / stop button

Mains power connection

Function slider Electronic Viewfinder

Battery

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Basic Video Recording

Flip open the LCD screen, and press the ON button to switch the camcorder on.

Ensure the function slider is in Video Recording Mode. Please refer to page 9 to find the most suitable recording quality setting for your project.

Press the iA/Manual button until ‘iA’ appears on the LCD screen. This will put the camcorder into a full auto mode - where the camera will control focus, exposure, and white balance etc. Press the record button to start and stop recording. The on-screen display will show you the duration of your recording.

Use the zoom lever on the top of the camcorder to zoom in and out.

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Playing back your recordings

Move the function slider to Playback mode.

Using the LCD screen, touch the clip you wish to review.

Clips can be deleted by touching the bin Icon on the left hand side of the screen. Select the appropriate option; all clips, a selection of clips or a single clip can be deleted.

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Using the Camcorder as a Digital Camera

Move the function slider to Picture Recording Mode.

Use the zoom lever to zoom in and out. Press the camera button down half way to focus; fully depress the button to take the picture.

Photos can be reviewed in the same way as videos by moving the function slider to Playback mode.

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Transferring your Footage

Connect the supplied USB cable to the camcorder. Turn the camcorder on (it does not matter which mode the function slider is in).

Touch ‘PC’ on the LCD touch screen when USB Connect appears.

You can now transfer your footage from the camera using your computer. It is essential you copy your clips from the camcorder onto a computer before you return the camcorder.

Editing your Footage You can edit your recordings using the following applications:

• Microsoft Windows Live MovieMaker (Windows 7) • iMovie (Mac) • Final Cut (Mac, Only clips recorded in iFrame format) • Adobe Premiere

You cannot edit your recordings using the Windows XP version of MovieMaker, however you could convert them to be usable as a WMV file. Please contact a member of staff for advice on how to do this. Please note, clips recorded in the 1080/50p format are not compatible with the above software, so please do not record in this quality setting.

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Advanced Video Recording The camcorder has as lot of advanced features, and this guide offers an introduction to these features. The full user guide for the camcorder is located in the side pocket of the camcorder bag. Note this differs between the HC-X900 (Information Commons Cameras) and HC-X920 (AV Cameras).

Manual  Focus  (HC-­‐X900)  

Ensure the camcorder is in Video Recording mode. Press the iA/Manual button until MNL appears on the LCD screen.

Press the Focus button on the top left of the LCD Screen. Press the MF button. The focus can now be controlled using the silver multi manual ring around the camcorder lens.

To return to Auto Focus mode, press the two arrows on the bottom left of the LCD screen. Touch Focus, and choose AF. Other settings, such as White Balance, Iris and Shutter Speed can be controlled using the multi manual ring by selecting them using this menu.

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Manual  Focus  (HC-­‐X920)   Ensure the camcorder is in Video Recording mode. Press the iA button until a menu of options appears onscreen.

Ensure the camcorder is in Video Recording mode. Press the iA button until a menu of options appears onscreen.

Press then button marked “MNL” onscreen.

Press the Focus button on the top left of the LCD Screen. Press the MF button. The focus can now be controlled using the silver multi manual ring around the camcorder lens.

To return to Auto Focus mode, press the “MNL” button on the top left of the screen, or press the iA/Manual button on the camera.

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Changing  the  Video  Recording  Quality   If planning to edit using the Creative Media Rooms, please use the HX1920 mode. This records in the AVCHD format. If editing using your own software, please check if AVCHD is compatible. If you are unsure about how you are going to edit your footage, or don’t want to edit your footage please use iFrame, which records in the MP4 format.

With the Camcorder in video recording mode, press the arrows in the lower left corner of the LCD screen.

Touch the ‘Q Menu’ icon, and select the first option on the left hand side. Touch the desired quality setting, and press exit to return to video recording mode.

The below table shows the differences between the recording formats:

Setting Quality (Mbps)

Duration Edit in Creative Media Rooms?

Edit in Windows Live Movie Maker / iMovie?

HA1920 17 1h 5m ✓ ✓

HG1920 13 1h 24m ✓ ✓

HX1920 9 2h 8m ✓ ✓

HE1920 6 3h 30m ✓ ✓

1080/50p 28 41m ✕ ✕

iFrame 28 41m ✓ ✓

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Using  the  onboard  microphone   If the audio is important to your video, it is important to monitor the audio that is being recorded by the camcorder using headphones.

Attach your headphones to the headphone input. Listen to the audio through the headphones. The camcorder will adjust the audio levels automatically.

If the audio sounds too quiet, try adjusting the levels manually. Touch the arrows on the left of the LCD screen. Select the ‘Menu’ icon and navigate to ‘Record Setup’ and ‘Mic Level’. Adjust the level by touching the on screen controls.

Using  the  external  microphone  

Attach the microphone to the hotshoe, ensuring the plastic ring is tightened to secure the mic. Connect the cable to the mic input (above the headphone input).

Turn the microphone to ‘Low’. The onboard mic will be disabled. If no sound is audible through the headphones, the battery may need replacing in the microphone. If the audio sounds too quiet, try switching the mic to ‘High’. In addition, the audio levels can be adjusted manually by following the above steps.

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Pre  Record  Mode     The use of Pre Record Mode allows the camera to start recording video and audio approximately 3 seconds before the recording start button is pressed. This prevents you from missing an important shot.

To activate Pre Record mode, ensure the camcorder is in Video Recording Mode. Touch the arrows in the lower left of the LCD screen. Using the on screen arrows, navigate to the Pre Record Icon (PRE-REC) and select it.

Note: Pre Record Mode will be cancelled if you change the mode, touch the Menu or Q Menu icon, start recording or turn the camcorder off.

Time  Lapse  Mode   Time Lapse Mode allows the camcorder to record a scene using individual frames captured over a period of time. These individual scenes will result in a video. The method for doing this varies between the HC-X900 (Information Commons Cameras) and XC-X920 (AV Cameras). HC-X900

To activate Time Lapse Mode, ensure the camcorder is in Video Recording Mode. Touch the arrows in the lower left of the LCD screen. Navigate to the Menu, and select Record Setup > Time Lapse Record. Select the desired recording interval.

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HC-X920

Press the iA button on the camera.

Press the Effects button on the viewscreen.

Click on the Time Lapse button. Select the desired recording interval when prompted.

Note: Time Lapse is not available when recording in iFrame mode. Recordings must be made in Manual mode. Audio is not recorded during Time Lapse mode. The maximum duration for Time Lapse recording is 12 hours.

Using  the  Electronic  Viewfinder   The Electronic Viewfinder can be used in conditions where the LCD screen is unsuitable, such as in very bright conditions.

To activate the Electronic Viewfinder, turn the camcorder on, close the LCD Screen and extend the viewfinder eyepiece.