Hitachi DZ-MV100A DVD-RAM Camrecorder - Page 5

- Menu

The menu of the camera can be accessed after pressing the "MENU" button on the back of the camera. As we can see there are 4 available options: Camera Setup, Rec Setup, Other Setup, Date/Time

Under the Camera setup we find the flash, WhiteBalance, EIS (Electronic Image Stabilizer) and Digital zoom functions:

Under Rec setup we find the: Quality mode (Fine/Stnd), Still L.in, Self Internal timer, Mic filter

Under "Other Setup" we find the: Beep option, Power Save mode, Input (camera/line-in), E. display options and the reset function

Last under "Date Setup" we can setup the Date mode display among witht he date set.

- Zooming

The Hitachi DZ-MV100A has up to 48x zooming, 12x optical multiplied by 4x times digital. Users should only use the optical zoom (12x) since when the digital zoom range is enabled, the picture will start shaking and the quality is questionable. In case it is necessary, you can use the digital zoom, but we suggest avoiding it:

You can turn on/off digital zooming under Menu (Camera Setup>>D. Zoom). The zoom button is found on the top of the camera.

- Programs

The DZ-MV100A automatically sets the shutter speed and aperture according to the subject brightness for optimum recording: You can also specify one of the five
modes to suit the subject conditions, recording environment or purpose of filming.

Sports mode (SPORTS): This mode reduces blurring when recording rapidly moving subjects, such as in golf or tennis.
Portrait mode (PORTRAIT): This mode makes a subject, such as a person or an animal, stand out from a blurred background.
Spotlight mode (SPOTLIGHT): This mode prevents overexposure of subject portrait face, etc. when strong light strikes the subject, as in a wedding or on stage.
Surf and snow mode (SURF & SNOW): This mode prevents underexposure of subject portrait face, etc. in a place where reflection of light is intense, such as at the seaside in midsummer or on a ski slope.
Full auto mode (no message appears on screen): The DVD camcorder automatically judges the subject and surrounding environment for optimum recording.

The above program can be used after pressing the "PROG AE" button in the back of the recorder. Pressing the button will switch the shooting mode between program AE mode (4-type) and full auto mode. Turn the Select dial to select the desired program AE mode. To restore the full auto mode from a program AE mode which has not been set, press the PROG AE button.

Another interesting feature is the Electronic Image Stabilizer function: When you use zoom to record a magnified subject image, it will correct fuzziness in the recorded image. You can also set up the focus and brightness manually but most of the times, the camera will make the proper selection.

- Stills

The DZ-MV100A can not only record movies but also still (pictures). All pictures are stored in the DVD-RAM disc under the .jpeg format/compression. Each picture can have a maximum size of 700KB. The name format comes from the recording date and all pictures are stored in the same folder. When still recording has been selected, the display will change accordingly:

You can switch the method for recording stills of externally input images between FIELD and FRAME. The DVD camcorder can record an external image with little movement by specifying "FRAME", but "FIELD" is recommended for recording image with movement.

• FRAME: Does not suit recording of frequently moving video subjects, despite high image quality. FRAME suits recording of less moving video.
• FIELD: Suitable for recording of frequently moving video subjects.