Hitachi DZ-HS303A User manual

SERVICE MANUAL
SPECIFICATIONS AND PARTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE FOR IMPROVEMENT
DVD VIDEO CAMERA/RECORDER
TK No. 0612E
DZ-HS303A
DZ-HS303A(K)
DZ-HS300A
DZ-HS300A(K)
DO NOT RESELL OR DIVERT IMPROPERLY
$:(3! $:(3!
November 2006
Change 2 (1/17/08) Added PWB Part Numbers to Exploded View (Page 7-2)
Version 0612E-2
Updated 01/17/2008
PARTS LIST ADDED

Table of Contents
1 Safety Precaution for Repair.............. 1-1
1-1 Cautions .................................................... 1-1
1-2 Electrostatic Protection Measures............. 1-2
1-3 Cautions When Handling DVD Drive ......... 1-2
1-4 Cautions When Handling HDD (Hard Disc
Drive) for Video Camera/Recorder ............ 1-3
1-5 Lead-Free Solder....................................... 1-4
1-6 Notes When Using Service Manual........... 1-6
2 General Description............................ 2-1
2-1 Overview ................................................... 2-1
2-1-1 Servicing method ................................... 2-2
2-2 Features .................................................... 2-3
2-3 Specifications ............................................ 2-3
2-4 Major Differences from
Previous Models ........................................ 2-6
2-5 Compatibility of Recorded DVD and Corre-
sponding Recording Media........................ 2-9
2-5-1 Compatibility of Recorded Discs ............ 2-9
2-5-2 Corresponding Recording Media ............ 2-11
2-6 Names of Parts.......................................... 2-12
2-7 List of Abbreviations and Terms for DVD
Video Camera/Recorders.......................... 2-17
3 Description of Operation.................. 3-1
3-1 Description of Structure.............................3-1
3-2 Description of Newly Adapted
Technology ................................................ 3-2
3-2-1 One-Inch HDD........................................ 3-2
3-2-2 HDD Drop Detection Function
(HDD Protection) .................................... 3-3
3-2-3 Dubbing Button....................................... 3-3
3-2-4 FULL Auto Button ................................... 3-4
4 Troubleshooting.................................. 4-1
4-1 Procedure for Troubleshooting................... 4-1
4-2 Messages and Troubleshooting................. 4-2
4-3 Display of Error Codes and
Troubleshooting ........................................ 4-14
4-3-1 Displaying error codes and
clearing them.......................................... 4-14
4-3-2 Details of error code display................... 4-15
4-3-3 Major error codes and troubleshooting... 4-15
4-3-4 DVD Load Check Flowchart ...................4-17
4-3-5 Cleaning DVD and optical pickup ........... 4-18
4-4 Checking Versions of Firmware and
Updating .................................................... 4-19
4-4-1 Checking firmware versions ................... 4-20
4-4-2 Updating firmware .................................. 4-21
4-5 Trouble Diagnosis ...................................... 4-23
4-5-1 Trouble diagnosis flowchart .................... 4-24
4-5-2 Reassembly to enable service position .. 4-36
4-6 Procedure for Removing DVD from
Faulty DVD Video Camera/Recorder......... 4-39
4-6-1 Items to be checked ............................... 4-39
4-6-2 How to remove DVD ............................... 4-39
4-7 System Resetting/Resetting Camera
Functions................................................... 4-40
4-7-1 List of items to be reset .......................... 4-40
4-7-2 System reset procedure ......................... 4-42
4-7-3 Procedure for resetting camera
functions ................................................. 4-43
5 Disassembly and Reassembly........... 5-1
5-1 Items to Be Checked ................................. 5-1
5-2 Order of Disassembly................................ 5-2
5-3 Disassembly .............................................. 5-3
(1) Adjustment Cover ................................... 5-3
(2) Lens Hood [For DZ-HS303A/HS300A/
GX3300A/GX3200A/BX37A/BX35A]...... 5-3
(3) Top Cover ............................................... 5-4
(4) Lens Cover ............................................. 5-4
(5) L Block.................................................... 5-5
(6) Front Block ............................................. 5-7
(7) MAN Circuit Board and Rear Block ........ 5-8
(8) Rear Case and EVF Unit........................ 5-9
(9) Hand Strap ............................................. 5-9
(10) LMF-H/M/L Circuit Board and L cover.... 5-9
(11) Back-up Battery, SDL Frame and SDL
Circuit Board........................................... 5-10
(12) Top Plate and SHE-H Circuit Board ....... 5-11
(13) Camera Block......................................... 5-12
(14) DVD Drive Unit .......................................5-12
(15) HDD Cover, HDD Unit, HDF Circuit Board
and R Case [DZ-HS303A/HS300A] ....... 5-13
(16) Lock Unit ................................................ 5-16
(17) LCD Unit and L Case ............................. 5-17
(18) LCD Case U and Fulcrum Unit............... 5-18
(19) LCD Case B ........................................... 5-19
i
(Click on a Subject Topic to Jump To Page)

(20) Flash Unit [For DZ-HS303A/GX3300A].. 5-20
(21) AVJ-H/M/L Circuit Board ........................ 5-20
(22) FRT-H/M/L Circuit Board,
Microphone and Front Case ................... 5-21
(23) Lens Frame, Lens Unit, Cushion and
Crystal Filter
[For DZ-HS303A/GX3300A] ................... 5-22
(24) CCD Image Sensor and GSL-3M
Circuit Board
[For DZ-HS303A/GX3300A] ................... 5-22
(25) Lens Unit, Cushion and Crystal Filter
[For DZ-GX3200A].................................. 5-23
(26) CCD Image Sensor and GSL-2M
Circuit Board [For DZ-GX3200A]............ 5-23
(27) Lens Frame, Lens Unit, Cushion and
Crystal Filter
[For DZ-GX3100A] ................................. 5-24
(28) CCD Image Sensor and GSL-1M
Circuit Board
[For DZ-GX3100A] ................................. 5-25
(29) Lens Frame, Lens Unit, Cushion and
Crystal Filter [For DZ-HS300A/BX37A/
BX35A] ................................................... 5-25
(30) CCD Image Sensor and GSL-L Circuit
Board [For DZ-HS300A/BX37A/BX35A]. 5-26
5-4 EEPROM Data Backup and Write ............. 5-27
5-4-1 Backup Method ...................................... 5-29
5-4-2 Write Method .......................................... 5-30
6 Adjustment .......................................... 6-1
6-1 Creating Reference Data........................... 6-1
6-1-1 Checking Reference Data ...................... 6-1
6-1-2 List of Jigs and Tools used when Creating
Reference Data ...................................... 6-3
6-1-3 Power Supply and Materials for Creating
Reference Data ...................................... 6-4
6-1-4 Connections when Creating Reference
Data........................................................ 6-4
6-1-5 Settings when Creating Reference
Data........................................................ 6-6
6-1-6 Copying or Deleting Adjustment
Software ................................................. 6-7
6-1-7 Starting and Terminating Reference Data
Creation Software................................... 6-7
6-1-8 Creating Reference Data........................ 6-10
6-2 Setups for Adjustment ............................... 6-12
6-2-1 List of Jigs and Tools for Adjustment ...... 6-12
6-2-2 Test Equipment, Power Supply and Charts
for Adjustment ........................................ 6-12
6-2-3 Connections for Adjustment ................... 6-12
6-2-4 Settings for Adjustment .......................... 6-14
6-2-5 Starting and Terminating Adjustment
Software ................................................. 6-16
6-3 List of Adjustment Items ............................ 6-19
6-3-1 Adjustment Software Hierarchy
Diagram.................................................. 6-19
6-3-2 List of Adjustments Needed After Replacing
Major Components ................................. 6-20
6-3-3 Purpose of Adjustments and Incompleted
Phenomenon .......................................... 6-22
6-4 Adjustment Procedure............................... 6-23
6-4-1 Initial Data Write ..................................... 6-23
6-4-2 Video Level............................................. 6-24
6-4-3 Burst Level.............................................. 6-25
6-4-4 Autofocus................................................ 6-26
6-4-5 Auto Iris Control...................................... 6-27
6-4-6 Sampling Pulse ..................................... 6-28
6-4-7 Linearity [DZ-HS303A only].................... 6-29
6-4-8 Matrix ..................................................... 6-30
6-4-9 Chroma Gain .......................................... 6-31
6-4-10 Spot Noise ............................................ 6-33
6-4-11 LCD ...................................................... 6-34
7 Exploded View..................................... 7-1
7-1 DZ-HS303A ...............................................7-1
7-2 DZ-HS300A ...............................................7-2
S Wiring and Schematic Diagrams....... S-1
S-1 Wiring ........................................................S-1
S-2 SCL-3M [GSL-3M] (For HS303A)..............S-2
S-3 SCL-L [GSL-L] (For HS300A)....................S-3
S-4 GYRO-3M [GSL-3M] (For HS303A) ..........S-4
S-5 GYRO-L [GSL-L] (For HS300A) ................S-5
S-6 FRT-H (For HS303A) .................................S-6
S-7 FRT-L (For HS300A)..................................S-7
S-8 AVJ-H/L .....................................................S-8
S-9 SHE-H (For HS303A) ................................S-9
S-10 LMF-H/L ..................................................S-10
S-11 CAMERA DSP [MAN]..............................S-11
ii

S-12 3M CAMERA DSP [MAN]........................S-12
S-13 CODEC [MAN] ........................................S-13
S-14 PLUG [MAN]........................................... S-14
S-15 USB [MAN] ............................................. S-15
S-16 AV [MAN]................................................ S-16
S-17 LENS DRIVE [MAN] ............................... S-17
S-18 REGULATOR [MAN]............................... S-18
S-19 IC Block (1/2).......................................... S-19
S-20 IC Block (2/2).......................................... S-20
C Circuit Board Diagrams......................C-1
C-1 GSL-3M (For HS303A) ............................. C-1
C-2 GSL-L (For HS300A) ................................ C-2
C-3 FRT-H/L .................................................... C-3
C-4 AVJ-H/L .................................................... C-4
C-5 LMF-H/L ................................................... C-5
C-6 SHE-H (For HS303A) ............................... C-6
C-7 MAN ......................................................... C-7
B Block Diagram.....................................B-1
B-1 OVERALL ................................................. B-1
iii

1 - 1
1Safety Precaution for Repair
1-1 Cautions
Many electrical and mechanical parts have special safety-related characteristics. These are often not
evident from visual inspection nor can the protection afforded by them necessarily be obtained by using
replacement components rated for a higher voltage, wattage, etc. Replacement parts which have these
special safety characteristics are identified in this Service Manual. Electrical components having such
features are identified by marking with a on the schematics and the parts list in this Service Manual.
The use of a substitute replacement component which does not have the same safety characteristics as
the HITACHI recommended replacement one, shown in the parts list in this Service Manual, may create
shock, fire, or other hazards. Product safety is continuously under review and new instructions are
issued from time to time. For the latest information, always consult the current HITACHI Service Manual.
A subscription to, or additional copies for, HITACHI Service Manual may be obtained at a nominal
charge from HITACHI SALES CORPORATION.
PRODUCT SAFETY NOTICE
CAUTION
There is a high-voltage section inside the DVD video
camera/recorder: When repairing or inspecting it, take
great care to prevent electric shock: Use an isolating
transformer, wear gloves, etc.
CLASS 1
LASER PRODUCT
CAUTION
This product contains a laser diode of
higher class than 1. To ensure contin-
ued safety, do not remove any covers
or attempt to gain access to the in-
side of the product. Refer all servicing
to qualified personnel.
Lithium battery; danger of explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced. Replace only with the same or
equivalent type recommended by the equipment manufacturer. Discard used batteries according to
manufacturer's instructions.
When replacing the lithium battery it is important to use the same type and connect it correctly.
WARNING:
Lithium batteries contain dangerous chemicals.
Handle and dispose of with great care.
Do not throw in a fire.
Do not short circuit it.
For disposal place in a plastic bag and put in waste bin.
CAUTION

1 - 2
Safety Precaution for Repair > Electrostatic Protection Measures / Cautions When Handling DVD Drive
1-2 Electrostatic Protection Measures
Semiconductor components can be damaged by static electricity charged on clothes, human
body, etc. Take great care when handling components to avoid electrostatic damage, and perform
servicing in an environment where grounding is complete.
(1) Grounding work bench
Lay out an antistatic mat on work bench, and then use the ground plate to ground the work bench.
Antistatic mat
Ground
1M ohm
1M ohm
Antistatic wrist strap
1-3 Cautions When Handling DVD Drive
The optical pickup in DVD drive has a high precision structure: Be sure to observe the following
cautions.
1) Do not subject optical pickups to any severe vibrations or
impact during movement, installation or disassembly.
2) When performing repair work, do not perform disassembly any
further than that described in this manual.
3) Never turn the semi-variable resistors for adjustment in
optical pickup or DVD drive.
4) NEVER look into the objective lens in optical pickup or directly
view the laser light: You could lose your eyesight.
Do not directly look at laser light
from pickup.
(2) Grounding human body
Use an antistatic wrist strap to discharge any static electricity charged on the body. Also, use a
tester for wrist strap to make sure that the wrist strap is working normally. Note, however, that
static electricity charged on clothes will not be discharged by wrist strap: Therefore do not allow
your clothes to touch the semiconductor components.

1 - 3
Safety Precaution for Repair > Cautions When Handling HDD (Hard Disc Drive) for Video Camera/Recorder
1-4 Cautions When Handling HDD (Hard Disc Drive) for Video
Camera/Recorder
A HDD is a delicate device, very susceptible to vibrations or impact. Even if the HDD seems to
operate normally immediately after vibrations or impact, a fault may occur after some time.
Therefore, when servicing the DVD video camera/recorder, take special care with the following:
(1) Cautions when unpacking
1) Even if the HDD is still in the packing box, grasp it at the sides or the ends of the box as shown in
the figure below: Grasping the top and bottom surfaces of HDD could cause the HDD to be faulty.
2) Do not subject the DVD video camera/recorder to any impact when placing it on desk, etc.
Which could damage the HDD.
3) If condensation occurs, leave the DVD video camera/recorder for at least 3 hours without turning
it on, so that it can adapt to the surrounding environment.The disc may be broken.
(2) Cautions during recording/playback/editing/dubbing
1) Do not remove the power supply (battery or AC adapter/charger) during recording, playback,
editing or dubbing: Doing so could damage the data on HDD. Always set the power switch to “OFF”
before removing the power supply.
2) Do not subject the DVD video camera/recorder to any vibration as far as possible during recording,
playback, editing or dubbing. Also never strike the DVD video camera/recorder: The head will hit
the disk, which could damage the HDD.
(3) Caution during repacking
1) Use the packing material for the corresponding model. This model uses a packing material that is
excellent for impact resistance: Using other packing material could result in damage to the DVD
video camera/recorder.
(4) Cautions when handling unassembled HDD
1) Hold the HDD at the sides. Holding the top and bottom surfaces of HDD could damage the HDD.
2) Do not touch any terminals: Static electricity due to touching could cause a fault.
3) Do not hold or place two HDDs on top of each other.
4) Do not drop the HDD or hit it against anything. On a hard work bench, a fall from even approx. 5
mm could result in damage.
5) Do not place the HDD near a magnetized object: Since the HDD uses magnetic recording, a
magnetized object near the HDD could cause the HDD to malfunction or lose data.

1 - 4
(3) Lead-free solder for servicing
Use the following lead-free solder for servicing:
Recommended lead-free solder and composition of alloy (wt%): Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu or equivalent
Information:
For composition of alloy, Sn is tin; Ag is silver; Cu is copper; Bi is bismuth; Pb is lead.
(4) Soldering iron for servicing
The temperature of soldering iron tip must be adjusted according to the points to be soldered: Use
an antistatic soldering iron with thermal control function.
When removing components, take care not to damage any surrounding component or pattern. When
attaching components, observe the heating time in the following table so that the components are
not destroyed by heat.
1-5 Lead-Free Solder
The printed circuit board that uses lead-free solder is adopted. To protect the global environment,
use the recommended lead-free solder also during servicing.
Read and observe the following before soldering:
Caution
ALWAYS wear protective goggles during soldering so that no solder smoke or scattered solder
enters the eye. Lead-free solder may scatter at high temperatures of 600°C.
(1) Identification of circuit boards that use lead-free solder
“ ” is stamped or noted with pattern letter on circuit boards that use lead-free solder.
(2) Characteristics of lead-free solder
The components of lead-free solder used are as follows. The melting point of lead-free solder is
30-40°C higher than that of lead based solder:
Melting temperature: Approx. 220°C
Tip temperatures for different soldering points:
Safety Precaution for Repair > Lead-Free Solder
Pb
A30C5
Point to be soldered Composition of alloy (wt%)
For reflow Solder paste: Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu
For dip Bar solder: Sn-0.6Cu
oint to be soldered Tip temperature
Surface-mounted (chip) parts [other than
those shown below]
320 ± 30°C
[heating time: less than 5 seconds]
Surface-mounted (chip) parts [for DVD
cameras, cellular phones only]
350 ± 10°C
[heating time: less than 3 seconds]
Discrete parts 380 ± 30°C
Chassis, metal shield, etc. 420 ± 30°C

1 - 5
(5) Cautions when using lead based solder
It is recommended that you use lead-free solder when servicing, but it is also possible to service
using lead based solder. However, if lead based solder is used for servicing, take care with the
following:
1) Before using lead based solder, remove the lead-free solder completely from the point to be
soldered.
2) For additional soldering for repair, set the soldering iron tip temperature for lead-free solder,
mix lead based solder and lead-free solder sufficiently. Do not perform any repair using the
bare soldering iron tip without adding solder, since it will cause secondary failure due to lack of
strength.
Safety Precaution for Repair > Lead-Free Solder

1 - 6
1-6 Notes When Using Service Manual
(1) Value units used in parts list
Certain symbols are indicated as shown below for value units of resistors, capacitors and coils in
parts list. When you read them, note the following regular indications:
(2) Values in schematic diagrams
The values, dielectric strength (power capacitance) and tolerances of the resistors (excluding
variable resistors) and capacitors are indicated in the schematic diagrams using abbreviations.
Certain symbols are indicated for value units: When you read them note the regular indications in
tables below:
[Resistors] [Capacitors]
[Coils]
Safety Precaution for Repair > Notes When Using Service Manual
(3) Identifying sides A/B in circuit board diagrams
1) Board with pattern on one side only and parts on both sides:
Side A: Shows discrete parts.
Side B: Shows leadless parts, viewed from the pattern side.
2) Board with patterns and parts on both sides:
Sides A and B are identified without any predetermined rules.
Parts Indication in list Regular indication
Resistor KOHM ..........................................k
Capacitor UF .................................................μF
PF..................................................pF
Coil UH ................................................μH
MH ................................................ mH
Item Indication
Value No indication................................
K.................................................... k
M................................................... M
Tolerance No indication ................................ ±5%
(All tolerances other than ±5% are
indicated in schematic diagrams)
Power
capacitance
No indication................................ 1/8W
(1/16 W for leadless resistors with no
indication)
All capacitances other than the above
are indicated in schematic diagrams.
Item Indication
Value No indication ................................ μF
P.................................................... pF
Dielectric
strength
No indication ............................... 50V
(All dielectric strengths other than
50 V are indicated in schematic
diagrams)
Item Indication
Value μ.................................................... μH
m ................................................... mH

1 - 7
Safety Precaution for Repair > Notes When Using Service Manual
(4) Indicating model names
The indication of models is defined as follows:
1) The common parts of model names are omitted.
Example: When indicating VM-D975LA and VM-D875LA:
VM-D975LA/D875LA, D975LA/D875LA
2) If there is no difference in models going to different destinations, the indication of destination is
omitted.
Example: When indicating DZ-MV350E(AU) and DZ-MV350E(SW): DZ-MV350E
(5) Differences in parts between schematic and circuit board diagrams
If some parts are different between models, asterisks “*” are attached to the circuit numbers. Check
the parts difference tables in diagrams or parts location search system for details.

2 - 1
Specification/ Function DZ-HS303A DZ-HS300A
CCD Image Sensor apprpx. 3,310,000 pixel apprpx. 680,000 pixel
Optical Zoom x10 x25
Flash Provided Not provided
Power/control terminal on
accessory shoe Provided Not provided
External input
function Provided Not provided
General Description
2
2-1 Overview
The DZ-HS303A/HS300A DVD video camera/recorder incorporates an 8-GB, 1-inch HDD.
Since the DZ-HS303A/HS300A are also compatible with various DVDs (DVD-RAM/DVD-R/DVD-
RW/+RW), movies can be not only recorded on DVD or HDD, but a movie recorded on HDD can also
be dubbed to a DVD.
The DZ-HS303A uses a CCD image sensor of 3,310,000 total pixels; High-quality stills can also be
recorded on an SD memory card (stills can be recorded only on SD memory card).
The following table shows the major differences between DZ-HS303A and DZ-HS300A:

2 - 2
Parts Name Sernicing method
DZ-HS303A DZ-HS300A
DVD Drive Unit Unit replacement ←
HDD Unit Unit replacement ←
Lens Unit Unit replacement ←
EVF Unit Unit replacement ←
LCD Unit Unit replacement ←
AVJ-H Circuit Board Component replacement Not provided
AVJ-L Circuit Board Not provided Component replacement
FRT-H Circuit Board Component replacement Not provided
FRT-L Circuit Board Not provided Component replacement
GSL-3M Circuit Board Component replacement Not provided
GSL-L Circuit Board Not provided Component replacement
HDF Circuit Board Circuit board replacement ←
LMF-H Circuit Board Component replacement Not provided
LMF-L Circuit Board Not provided Component replacement
MAN Circuit Board Component replacement ←
SDL Circuit Board Circuit board replacement ←
SHE-H Circuit Board Component replacement Not provided
←: Same as on left
General Description > Overview
2-1-1 Servicing method
Refer to the following table and perform the designated, appropriate servicing. Any changes that
occur in the service method will be published using service bulletin, etc.
Do not perform any servicing other than that described in this manual.
Fig. 2-1-1 Name of the circuit board/unit
(a) DVD drive unit
(b) Lens unit
(c) EVF unit
(d) LCD unit
(e) AVJ-H/L
circuit board
(f) FRT-H/L
circuit board
(g) GSL-3M/L
circuit board
(h) LMF-H/L
circuit board
(i) MAN circuit board
(j) SHE-H circuit board
(k) HDD unit
(l) HDF circuit board
(m)SDL circuit board
(a)
(k)
(b)
(f)
(
l
)
(e)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(m)
(j)
(d) (c)

2 - 3
2-2 Features
8-GB, 1-inch HDD built-in
An 8-GB, 1-inch HDD for recording movies is built-in: The recorded movies can be dubbed to a
DVD-RAM/DVD-R/DVD-RW/+RW.
SLEEP/RESTART button:
Pressing the SLEEP button in the recording pause status will shift the DVD video camera/
recorder to the SLEEP mode, in which the recording pause status is held using a minimum
electric power.
FINALIZE button:
Simply pressing this button will finalize the recorded DVD-RW, DVD-R and +RW.
High-quality recording:
The DZ-HS303A incorporates a mega-pixel CCD image sensor and a high-performance
zoom lens.
Recording in XTRA mode, which is the best movie quality, is possible on all compatible discs.
16:9 wide LCD monitor:
A 16:9 wide lCD monitor that corresponds to the wide-screen mode is mounted.
Images in viewfinder are also displayed in wide-screen mode.
Capturing still:
During movie playback, a desired scene can be recorded on SD memory card as a still.
2-3 Specifications
General Description > Features / Specifications
Information:
The DZ-HS303A/HS300A cannot record any stills on a DVD-RAM and HDD: Record stills only on
an SD memory card.
Item Specifications
CCD Image Sensor DZ-HS303A 1/3-inch interlaced
DZ-HS300A 1/6-inch interlaced
Total number of
pixels
DZ-HS303A Approx. 3,310,000
DZ-HS300A Approx. 680,000
Number of
effective pixels
DZ-HS303A Movie: Approx. 2,180,000
Movie in wide mode: Approx. 1,640,000
Still: Approx. 3,050,000
DZ-HS300A Movie: Approx. 340,000
Still: Approx. 340,000
Lens DZ-HS303A F1.8 – 3.0, f=1/4" – 2-3/8"(6.1 – 61mm)
DZ-HS300A F1.2 – 2.8, f=1/16" – 2-3/16"(2.2 – 55mm)
Filter diameter/
Thread pitch
DZ-HS303A 1 - 7/16"(37mm) / 0.75mm
DZ-HS300A 1 - 5/16"(34mm) / 0.5mm
Focus Auto/Manual
Zoom DZ-HS303A Optical 10×, 40× – 500× with digital zoom added (40× for
still)
DZ-HS300A Optical 25×, 100× – 1200× with digital zoom added (100×
for still)

2 - 4
General Description > Specifications
Item Specifications
Required minimum illumination 0.3 lx in Low Light mode
Viewfinder 0.2-inch colour (equivalent to approx. 200,000 pixels)
LCD monitor 2.7-inch colour TFT (approx. 120,000 pixels)
Image stabiliser Electronic type
Shutter speed 1/4 – 1/4000 seconds (movie)
Self-timer recording Still recording only
External microphone jack
(Not equipped with DZ-HS300A)
ø3.5 mm stereo mini-jack
(a plug-in power type microphone cannot be used)
Recording mode Movie with sound (DVD-RAM/DVD-RW/DVD-R/+RW)
Still (SD memory card)
Maximum
recordable
time
HDD XTRA mode: Approx. 110 minutes
FINE mode: Approx. 180 minutes
STD mode: Approx. 360 minutes
DVD-RAM/DVD-RW/
DVD-R/+RW (per side)
XTRA mode: Approx. 18 minutes
FINE mode: Approx. 30 minutes
STD mode: Approx. 60 minutes
Maximum
number of
recordable
stills
SD memory
card
(when using
32 MB card)
DZ-HS303A Camera recording: Approx. 18 (in FINE mode)(*1)
DZ-HS300A Camera recording: Approx. 180 (in FINE mode)(*1)
Recording
format
DVD-RAM/DVD-RW (VR-mode) Movie:
Conforming to DVD video recording (DVD-VR) format
Sound: Dolby Digital
DVD-RW (VF-mode)/DVD-R Movie: Conforming to DVD video format
Sound: Dolby Digital
+RW Movie: +RW video format
Sound: Dolby Digital
Card Still: Conforming to JPEG (DZ-HS303A: 2,016×1,512 pixels,
DZ-HS300A: 640 × 480 pixels)
Audio playback format MPEG Audio layer 2, linear PCM, Dolby Digital
Recordable disc 8 cm DVD-RAM disc (conforming to DVD-RAM Ver. 2.1)
8 cm DVD-RW (conforming to DVD-RW Ver. 1.1, 2x speed
[2x/1x])
8 cm DVD-R disc (conforming to DVD-R for General Ver. 2.0)
8 cm +RW (conforming to +RW Ver. 1.2)
Recordable card SD memory card
Jacks DZ-HS303A Video/audio input/output ×1,
External microphone input ×1
PC connection terminal (connected to PC USB port) ×1
DZ-HS300A Video/audio output ×1
PC connection terminal (connected to PC USB port) ×1
Battery system Lithium-ion
Power consumption
(when recording with LCD
monitor off )
DZ-HS303A Approx. 5.1 W (DVD-RAM used, FINE mode)
DZ-HS300A Approx. 3.2 W (DVD-RAM used, FINE mode)
Dimensions
(W × H × D, excluding hand
strap)
DZ-HS303A Approx. 2 - 5/8" × 3 - 5/8" × 5 - 3/8"
(Approx. 66 × 92 × 136 mm)
DZ-HS300A Approx. 2 - 3/8" × 3 - 9/16" × 5 - 5/16"
(Approx. 61 × 90 × 135 mm)
Operating temperature (humidity) 32 – 104ºF (0 – 40ºC) (less than 80%).
32 – 86ºF (0 – 30ºC) when connected to PC

2 - 5
Specifications are subject to change without notice for the purpose of improvement.
Specifications of AC Adapter/Charger [DZ-ACS3]
Power supply 110 - 240 V AC,
50/60 Hz
Input capacity 19W
DC output (max.) 1.2 A
Charge output 8.4 V, 0.65A
Weight 100 g
External dimensions
(W × H × D)
61 × 32 × 91 mm
Ambient temperature for
operation
32 – 104ºF (0 - 40°C)
Allowable relative
humidity
20 - 80%
*1: May vary depending on the image quality.
General Description > Specifications
Item Specifications
Storage temperature -4 – 140ºF (-20 – 60ºC)
Weight
(without battery and disc)
DZ-HS303A Approx. 485 g
DZ-HS300A Approx. 435 g
Total weight when recording DZ-HS303A Approx. 560g
DZ-HS300A Approx. 490 g
Provided accessories AC adapter/charger (DZ-ACS3)
Battery
[DZ-HS303A: DZ-BP14S, DZ-HS300A: DZ-BP07PW]
AV/S input/output cable [DZ-HS300A is provided with AV/S
output cable]
Infrared remote control [not provided with DZ-HS300A]
Lithium battery for remote control [not provided with DZ-
HS300A]
Lens cap
Lens cap string
Shoulder strap
Mains lead
DC power cord
Software CD-ROM
PC connection cable
Disc cleaning cloth

2 - 6
2-4 Major Differences from Previous Models
←: Same as on left
General Description > Major Differences from Previous Models
Item DZ-HS303A/HS300A DZ-GX3300A/BX37A
Dimensions (W × H × D) and
shape
(excluding hand strap)
DZ-HS303A:
Approx. 2-5/8" × 3-5/8" × 5-3/8"
DZ-HS300A:
Approx. 2-3/8" × 3-9/16" × 5-5/16"
DZ-GX3300A:
←
DZ-BX37A:
←
Built-in HDD Provided (8GB 1-inch) Not provided
Media for recording movies Built-in 8-GB, 1-inch HDD
8cm DVD-RAM
8cm DVD-RW
8cm DVD-R
8cm +RW
8cm DVD-RAM
8cm DVD-RW
8cm DVD-R
8cm +RW
Media for recording still SD memory card 8cm DVD-RAM
SD memory card
Dubbing (HDD→DVD) Provided Not provided
Internal flash DZ-HS303A: Provided DZ-GX3300A: ←
DZ-HS300A: Not provided DZ-BX37A: ←
Assist light funtion Provided
(When Low Light mode is selected) ←
16:9 squeeze record mode Provided
[Except for DVD-RW(VF mode)/DVD-
R/+RW using, STD mode]
←
Viewfinder 0.2-inch color (equivalent to approx.
200,000 pixels, with 16:9 mode) ←
LCD monitor 16:9, 2.7-inch color TFT
(approx. 120,000 pixels) ←
Sleep/Restart button Provided ←
Finalize button Provided ←
CCD image sensor DZ-HS303A: 1/3-inch interlaced DZ-GX3300A: ←
DZ-HS300A: 1/6-inch interlaced DZ-BX37A: ←
Total number of
pixels
DZ-HS303A: Approx. 3,310,000 DZ-GX3300A: ←
DZ-HS300A: Approx. 680,000 DZ-BX37A: ←
Number of pixels
for Movie
DZ-HS303A: Approx. 2,180,000 pixels
(in wide mode: Approx. 1,640,000
pixels)
DZ-GX3300A: ←
DZ-HS300A: Approx. 340,000 pixels DZ-BX37A: ←
Number of pixels
for still
DZ-HS303A: Approx. 3,050,000 pixels DZ-GX3300A: ←
DZ-HS300A: Approx. 340,000 pixels DZ-BX37A: ←
Lens
DZ-HS303A: F1.8 - 3.0,
f = 1/4"
– 2-3/8" (6.1 – 61 mm)
DZ-GX3300A: ←
DZ-HS300A: F1.2 - 2.8,
f = 1/16"
– 2-3/16" (2.2 – 55 mm)
DZ-BX37A: ←
$:(3! $:(3! DZ-GX3300A DZ-BX37A

2 - 7
General Description > Major Differences from Previous Models
Item DZ-HS303A/HS300A DZ-GX3300A/BX37A
Zoom DZ-HS303A:
Optical 10x, 40x - 500x with digital
zoom added (40x for still)
DZ-GX3300A: ←
DZ-HS300A:
Optical 25x, 100x - 1200x with digital
zoom added (100x for still)
DZ-BX37A: ←
Filter diameter / Thread pitch DZ-HS303A: 1-7/16" (37 mm / 0.75 mm)
DZ-GX3300A: ←
DZ-HS300A: 1-5/16" (34 mm / 0.5 mm) DZ-BX37A: ←
Required minimum illumination 0.3 lx (Low light mode) ←
Power consumption
(DVD-RAM used, FINE mode)
DZ-HS303A: Approx. 5.1W DZ-GX3300A: ←
DZ-HS300A: Approx. 3.2W DZ-BX37A: ←
Weight DZ-HS303A: Approx. 485g DZ-GX3300A: Approx. 470g
DZ-HS300A: Approx. 435g DZ-BX37A: Approx. 420g
Maximum
time of
recordable
video (per side)
XTRA Approx. 18 min/Variable: Approx. 3 -
10 Mbps ←
FINE Approx. 30 min/Fix: Approx. 6 Mbp ←
STD Approx. 60 min/Fix: Approx. 3 Mbps ←
Number of
pixels for video
(MPEG2)
XTRA/FINE 720 × 480 pixels ←
STD 352 × 480 pixels ←
Audio recording format Dolby Digital ←
Audio playback format Dolby Digital, MPEG Audio layer 2,
Linear PCM (LPCM) ←
Maximum
number of
recordable
Stills
DVD-RAM
(FINE)
Not record DZ-GX3300A: Approx. 650
DZ-BX37A: Approx. 999
SD
Memory
cord
(32MB)
FINE DZ-HS303A: Approx. 18 DZ-GX3300A: ←
DZ-HS300A: Approx. 180 DZ-BX37A: ←
NORM DZ-HS303A: Approx. 24 DZ-GX3300A: ←
DZ-HS300A: Approx. 240 DZ-BX37A: ←
ECO DZ-HS303A: Approx. 37 DZ-GX3300A: ←
DZ-HS300A: Approx. 370 DZ-BX37A: ←
Number of pixels for JPEG Still
during camera recording
DZ-HS303A: 2016×1512 pixels DZ-GX3300A: ←
DZ-HS300A: 640×480 pixels DZ-BX37A: ←
Number of pixels for JPEG Still
during external input recording
640 × 480 pixels
(DZ-HS303A only)
←
(DZ-GX3300A only)
Number of pixels for JPEG Still
during capture
16:9 640 × 360 pixels
4:3 640 × 480 pixels ←
PHOTO/SELECT button Provided (with focus lock function) Provided (without SELECT
function,with focus lock function)
Quick Menu button Provided Not provided
SELECT button Not provided
(common with PHOTO button)
Provided
FINALIZE button Provided ←
DUBBING button Provided
Not provided
FULL AUTO button Provided Not provided
+/- button Not provided (the zoom lever is used
in common to adjust the volume;
the cursor keys are used for camera
adjustment)
Provided
EIS function Movie mode only ←

2 - 8
General Description > Major Differences from Previous Models
Item DZ-HS303A/HS300A DZ-GX3300A/BX37A
Disc protect Software disc-protect
[DVD-RAM, DVD-RW(VR)] ←
HDD Protect Provided
Not provided
EVF brightness setting function Provided ←
EVF display on/off funtion Provided ←
Accessory Shoe DZ-HS303A: Provided (with Power/
Control terminal)
DZ-GX3300A: ←
DZ-HS300A: Not provided DZ-BX37A: ←
PC connection terminal
[USB standard]
Type mini-B [USB 2.0] ←
AC adapter/charger DZ-ACS3 ←
Battery pack DZ-HS303A provided:
DZ-BP14S (7.2V/1360mA)
DZ-GX3300A provided:
←
DZ-HS300A provided:
DZ-DP07PW(*1) (7.2V/680mA)
DZ-BX37A: ←
Optional:
DZ-BP14SW (7.2V/1360mA)
DZ-BP7SW(*1) (7.2V/680mA)
Optional:
←
Infrared remote control
DZ-RM4W (Battery: CR2032 × 1) ←
AV input/output cable or
AV output cable
Pin 8 type (With Composite video/
Audio-L/Audio-R) ←
Provided software ■For Windows(*2)
ImageMixer 3
■For Macintosh(*3)
Pixe VRF Browser EX,
ImageMixer VCD/DVD2
←
Provided disc cleaning cloth Provided ←
*1: Unavailable on DZ-HS303A/GX3300A.
*2: For Windows 2000 Professional SP3 or higher/XP Home Edition/XP Professional
*3: For DZ-HS303A/HS300A: Mac OS X (10.2.8/10.3.4-10.3.9/10.4.1-10.4.7)
For DZ-GX3300A/BX37A: Mac OS X (10.2.8/10.3.4-10.3.9/10.4.1-10.4.3)

2 - 9
2-5 Compatibility of Recorded DVD and Corresponding
Recording Media
2-5-1 Compatibility of Recorded Discs
(1) DVD-RAM
1) DVD-RAM recorded or edited on DZ-HS303A/HS300A:
The DVD-RAM can be recorded, edited and played (*1) on other Hitachi DVD video camera/
recorders.
2) DVD-RAM recorded or edited on other Hitachi DVD video camera/recorders:
The DVD-RAM can be recorded, edited and played (*1) on DZ-HS303A/HS300A.
However, scene memos recorded on the Disc Navigation function of DZ-MV100A cannot be played
or edited on another model.
*1: If disc-protect is set, it must be released in order to record or edit on the disc. However, since the
DZ-MV100A and DZ-MV200A series models use a different disc-protect method, disc-protect that
was set on other models cannot be released on them.
(2) DVD-R
1) DVD-R recorded edited on DZ-HS303A/HS300A:
The DVD-R can be played back on other Hitachi DVD video camera/recorders (*2) without being
finalized. However, be sure not to record or finalize a DVD-R using other Hitachi DVD video
camera/recorders: Doing so will make the DVD-R unusable.
Also, do not insert a DVD-R not finalized into a DVD recorder, etc. (*3): Inserting it may make the
DVD-R unusable.
2) DVD-R recorded or edited on other Hitachi DVD video camera/recorders (*2):
The DVD-R can be played back on DZ-HS303A/HS300A (*4) without being finalized. However,
be sure not to record or finalize the DVD-R using DZ-HS303A/HS300A: Doing so will make the
DVD-R unusable.
*2: Only for models that conform to DVD-R. See “Table 2-5-2 List of Compatible Recording Media”
for the models that conform.
*3: Except for DVD recorders, etc. whose instruction manuals state that “This model can play back a
DVD-R recorded on Hitachi DVD video camera/recorders but not finalized.
*4: Loading a DVD-R/DVD-RW(VF mode) will automatically start the Disc Navigation function.
(3) DVD-RW (VR mode)
1) DVD-RW(VR) recorded or edited on DZ-HS303A/HS300A:
The DVD-RW(VR) can be recorded, edited and played back on other Hitachi DVD video camera/
recorders (*5).
2) DVD-RW(VR) recorded or edited on other Hitachi DVD video camera/recorders (*5):
The DVD-RW(VR) can be recorded, edited and played back on DZ-HS303A/HS300A in the same
way.
*5: Only for models that conform to DVD-RW. See “Table 2-5-2 List of Compatible Recording Media”
for the models that conform.
General Description > Compatibility of Recorded DVD and Corresponding Recording Media