CANON VIXIA HFM301 (01) PDF Document

To ensure safe operation of your CANON VIXIA HFM301 camcorder, please adhere to the following safety instructions:

1. Read and keep these instructions.

2. Heed all warnings on the product and in the operating instructions.

3. Follow all operating and maintenance instructions.

4. Do not use this apparatus near water or in rainy/moist situations.

5. Clean only with a dry cloth.

6. Do not install near heat sources such as radiators, stoves, or other heat-producing apparatus.

7. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.

8. Unplug the apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods.

9. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched.

10. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug.

11. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.

12. Avoid magnetic or electric fields, such as those from TV transmitters or portable communication devices, as they may cause picture interference or damage the camera.

13. Do not place the product on an unstable cart, stand, or table, as it may fall and cause serious injury or damage.

14. For added protection during a lightning storm, or when left unattended for long periods, disconnect it from the wall outlet.

You can power your CANON VIXIA HFM301 with a battery pack or directly with the compact power adapter. To charge the battery pack, follow these steps:

1. Connect the power cord to the compact power adapter.

2. Plug the power cord into a power outlet.

3. Connect the compact power adapter to the camcorder’s DC IN terminal.

4. Attach the battery pack to the camcorder by pressing it softly into the battery attachment unit and sliding it up until it clicks in place.

5. Charging will begin when the camcorder is turned off. The ON/OFF (CHG) indicator will start flashing in red while charging and will go out when the battery pack is fully charged.

Important Notes:

• The battery pack will only be charged when the camcorder is off.

• We recommend charging the battery pack in temperatures between 10 °C and 30 °C (50 °F and 86 °F).

• To remove the battery pack, slide the BATTERY RELEASE switch in the direction of the arrow, hold it down, and then slide the battery pack down to pull it out.

To set up the wireless controller for your CANON VIXIA HFM301, first insert the supplied CR2025 lithium button battery:

1. Press the tab in the direction of the arrow and pull out the battery holder.

2. Place the lithium button battery with the + side facing up.

3. Insert the battery holder back into the controller.

To use the wireless controller, point it at the camcorder’s remote sensor when you press the buttons. You can rotate the LCD panel 180 degrees to use the wireless controller from the front of the camcorder.

Adjust the grip belt so that you can comfortably reach the zoom lever with your index finger and the START/STOP button with your thumb. To remove the grip belt:

1. Lift the padded handgrip’s flap and detach the strap from the Velcro pad.

2. Pull the strap to remove it first from the front bracket on the camcorder, then unthread it from the handgrip, and finally remove it from the rear bracket on the camcorder.

Rotating the LCD Panel:

You can open the LCD panel 90 degrees. You can also rotate the panel 90 degrees downward or 180 degrees toward the lens. Rotating the panel 180 degrees is useful for including yourself in the picture when using the self-timer or for operating the camcorder with the wireless controller from the front.

Adjusting LCD Backlight:

If the screen is difficult to see in bright places, you can make it brighter. With the camcorder on, press and hold the DISP. button for more than 2 seconds. Repeat this action to switch the LCD backlight between off (normal) and on (bright).

The CANON VIXIA HFM301 features an intuitive pressure-sensitive touch screen. Press firmly when using touch operations.

• Touch: Touch a menu item or control button to select it or perform the corresponding action. For functions like Touch & Track or face detection, you can touch a subject on the screen to select it for optimal settings.

• Drag: Swipe your finger up, down, left, or right across the screen to scroll through menus, browse index screen pages, or adjust slider controls like volume.

Important: You may not be able to perform touch operations correctly if using wet or gloved hands, your fingernails, or other hard-tipped objects like ballpoint pens. Avoid applying excessive force or scratching the screen.

When you first use your CANON VIXIA HFM301, the [Date/Time] screen will appear automatically. Follow these steps to set it:

1. Touch a field you want to change (year, month, day, hours, or minutes).

2. Touch the up or down arrows to change the field as necessary.

3. Repeat for all fields to set the correct date and time.

4. Touch [Y.M.D], [M.D,Y], or [D.M.Y] to select your preferred date format.

5. Touch [24H] to use a 24-hour clock, or leave it unchecked for a 12-hour clock (AM/PM).

6. Touch [OK] to start the clock and close the setup screen.

The CANON VIXIA HFM301 supports SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards. However, movie recording capability depends on the card’s capacity and Speed Class. We recommend using cards rated Speed Class 4, 6, or 10 for reliable movie recording.

To insert a memory card:

1. Turn off the camcorder. Ensure the ON/OFF (CHG) indicator is off.

2. Open the memory card slot cover.

3. Insert the memory card straight, with the label facing up, all the way into the memory card slot until it clicks.

4. Close the memory card slot cover.

To remove the memory card:

Push the memory card once to release it. When the memory card springs out, pull it all the way out.

Initializing memory permanently erases all recordings. Be sure to save important recordings to an external device before proceeding. You should initialize new memory cards before their first use.

1. Power the camcorder using the compact power adapter.

2. To initialize the memory, navigate through the menu:

Touch [FUNC.] → [MENU] → [Initialize] → Select [Built-in Mem.] or [Mem. Card] → [Initialize] → [Complete Initialization]* → [Yes]** → [OK] → [X].

*Touching [Complete Initialization] physically erases all data, which is more secure but takes longer. Not selecting it just clears the file allocation table.

**You can touch [Cancel] to stop the process if you selected [Complete Initialization].

Dual Shot mode allows for easy, all-automatic recording of video and photos.

1. Set the mode switch to the Dual Shot icon.

2. Turn on the camcorder.

To record video:

Press the START/STOP button to begin recording. Press it again to pause the recording.

To take photos:

1. Press the PHOTO button halfway. The camcorder will adjust the focus, and one or more green AF frames will appear on the screen.

2. Press the PHOTO button fully. The ACCESS indicator will flash as the photo is being recorded.

You can zoom in three ways on your CANON VIXIA HFM301:

Using the Zoom Lever or Wireless Controller:

• Move the zoom lever toward W (wide angle) to zoom out.

• Move it toward T (telephoto) to zoom in.

• The zoom lever has a variable speed; press gently for a slow zoom and harder for a faster zoom.

Using the Touch Screen’s Zoom Controls:

1. Display the zoom controls on the touch screen by touching [FUNC.] → [ZOOM].

2. Touch anywhere within the W area on the screen to zoom out or the T area to zoom in.

3. Touch closer to the center for a slow zoom (Speed 1) and closer to the outer icons for a faster zoom (Speed 3).

4. Touch [X] to hide the zoom controls.

The Quick Start function puts your CANON VIXIA HFM301 into a low-power standby mode, allowing you to resume recording in approximately 1 second.

1. With the camcorder on and in a recording mode, close the LCD panel.

2. A beep will sound, and the green ON/OFF (CHG) indicator will change to orange, indicating the camcorder is in standby mode.

3. To resume recording, simply open the LCD panel. The indicator will turn back to green, and the camcorder will be ready to record.

Note: The camcorder will power off automatically if left in standby mode for 10 minutes.

Follow these steps to play back your recorded videos:

1. Press the camera/play button to switch to playback mode. You can also press and hold this button when the camcorder is off to turn it on directly in playback mode.

2. The [Original] index screen will appear, showing thumbnails of your recorded scenes.

3. Look for the scene you want to play. You can move the zoom lever toward W to show 15 scenes per page or toward T to show 6 scenes per page. Drag your finger left or right on the screen to navigate between pages.

4. Touch the desired scene to start playback. Playback will continue until the end of the last scene in the index screen.

During playback, touch the screen to display playback controls for stop, pause, fast forward/rewind, and volume adjustment.

You can delete scenes you no longer need to free up memory space. Note that once deleted, original scenes cannot be recovered.

1. In playback mode, open the index screen that contains the scenes you want to delete (e.g., [Original] or [Video Snapshot]).

2. Touch the checkmark icon to open the scene selection screen.

3. Touch on the individual scenes you want to delete. A checkmark will appear on each selected scene. Touch a scene again to deselect it.

4. To select all scenes at once, touch [Select All].

5. After selecting the scenes, touch [Edit] → [Delete] → [Yes]* → [OK].

*Touching [Stop] will interrupt the deletion process, but some scenes may already be deleted.

To gain more creative control over your recordings, you can manually set the shutter speed (Tv Shutter-Priority AE) or aperture (Av Aperture-Priority AE) in Manual mode.

1. Set the mode switch to M (Manual).

2. Touch [FUNC.] → [Rec. Programs].

3. Select either [Tv Shutter-Pri. AE] or [Av Aperture-Pri. AE].

4. Drag your finger left and right along the on-screen dial to set the desired shutter speed or aperture value.

5. Touch [X] to close the panel.

In Shutter-Priority mode, you set the shutter speed, and the camcorder automatically sets the aperture. In Aperture-Priority mode, you set the aperture, and the camcorder automatically sets the shutter speed.

To play back recordings on a TV, you will need to connect the camcorder using the appropriate cable.

1. Turn off the camcorder and the TV.

2. Connect the camcorder to the TV. Choose the best connection available on your TV:

• HDMI (High-Definition): Use an optional HTC-100 HDMI Cable for the best quality digital video and audio.

• Component (High-Definition): Use the supplied CTC-100/S Component Cable for video and the STV-250N Stereo Video Cable for audio.

• Composite (Standard-Definition): Use the supplied STV-250N Stereo Video Cable for both audio and video.

3. Turn on the TV and select the correct video input that corresponds to the terminal you connected the camcorder to.

4. Turn on the camcorder and set it to playback mode.

5. Play back the movies or photos as you normally would on the camcorder’s LCD screen. The image will now appear on the TV.

You can save movies and photos from your CANON VIXIA HFM301 to a computer using the supplied software and USB cable.

Saving Movies:

1. Install the ‘ImageMixer 3 SE’ software from the supplied PIXELA Application CD-ROMs onto your computer.

2. Connect the camcorder to a power outlet using the compact power adapter.

3. Connect the camcorder to the computer using the supplied USB cable.

4. Turn on the camcorder and set it to movie playback mode.

5. Follow the on-screen instructions in the ImageMixer 3 SE software to save your movies to the computer.

Saving Photos:

1. Install the ‘Photo Application’ software from the supplied Camcorder Supplemental Disc.

2. Power the camcorder using the compact power adapter.

3. Set the camcorder to photo playback mode.

4. Connect the camcorder to the computer using the supplied USB cable.

5. Use the CameraWindow software that launches to download your photos.

If you have a problem with your CANON VIXIA HFM301, please check these basic points first:

• Power Supply: Is the battery charged? Is the compact power adapter correctly connected to the camcorder and a working power outlet?

• Recording: Did you turn the camcorder on and set it to a recording mode? If you are recording to a memory card, is it inserted correctly?

• Playback: Did you turn the camcorder on and set it to a playback mode? If playing back from a memory card, is it inserted correctly and does it contain any recordings?

• Other: Does the camcorder make a rattling sound? The internal lens fixture can move when the camcorder is off or in playback mode. This is normal and not a malfunction.

If your CANON VIXIA HFM301 will not turn on or shuts off unexpectedly, check the following possible causes:

• The battery pack is exhausted. Replace it with a fully charged one or charge the current battery pack.

• The battery pack is not attached correctly. Remove the battery pack and reattach it firmly.

• If the recording program is set to [Underwater] or [Surface], the camcorder may turn off automatically if it becomes too hot. Turn off the camcorder and let it cool down before using it again.

If pressing the START/STOP button does not start recording, consider these possibilities:

• The camcorder is currently writing previous recordings to the memory (the ACCESS indicator is on or flashing). Wait for the process to complete before attempting to record again.

• The memory (built-in or memory card) is full or has reached the maximum number of scenes (3,999). Delete some recordings or initialize the memory to free up space.

To ensure the longevity and proper functioning of your CANON VIXIA HFM301, follow these handling precautions:

• Save recordings periodically to an external device to prevent data loss.

• Do not carry the camcorder by the LCD panel. Be careful when closing it.

• Handle the touch screen with care. Do not use excessive force, ballpoint pens, or other hard-tipped tools on it.

• Avoid high temperatures and high humidity. Do not leave the camcorder in places like a car parked in direct sunlight.

• Avoid strong electromagnetic fields from devices like TVs or mobile phones.

• Do not point the lens at strong light sources or leave it pointed at a bright subject.

• Keep the camcorder away from dusty or sandy places. The camcorder is not waterproof, so avoid water, mud, and salt.

• Do not disassemble the camcorder. If it malfunctions, consult qualified service personnel.

Proper cleaning will help maintain the performance of your CANON VIXIA HFM301.

• Camcorder Body: Use a soft, dry cloth to clean the body. Do not use chemically treated cloths or volatile solvents like paint thinner.

• Lens and Instant AF Sensor: If dirty, autofocus may not work properly. First, remove dust with a non-aerosol blower brush. Then, gently wipe the lens with a clean, soft lens-cleaning cloth. Never use tissue paper.

• LCD Touch Screen: Clean the screen using a clean, soft lens-cleaning cloth. If condensation forms, wipe it with a soft dry cloth.