Panasonic HC-X900 User manual

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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

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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.