POLAROID PHOTOMAX PDC 1320 (01) PDF Document

The POLAROID PHOTOMAX PDC 1320 Complete Digital Camera Kit includes the following items:

a. Camera case

b. Polaroid PDC 1320 camera

c. Wrist strap (attached to camera)

d. User’s manual

e. ArcSoft PhotoMAX Image Maker Software CD-ROM

f. Four AA batteries

g. AC power adapter

h. Camera-to-computer USB cable

i. Camera-to-TV video cable

Front View Features:

a. Optical viewfinder

b. Self-timer indicator

c. Flash

d. Focus ring

e. Focusing distance markings

f. Lens

g. Wrist strap slot

h. Battery compartment

i. Tripod mount

j. CompactFlash memory card compartment

Top View Features:

a. Mode dial

b. Photo quality and resolution button

c. Flash setting button

d. Flash settings on LCD

e. Photo resolution settings on LCD

f. LCD menu on/off button

g. Status LCD

h. PC connection indicator

i. Camera on/off button

j. Shutter button

Rear View Features:

a. Camera power/status indicator

b. CompactFlash memory card indicator

c. Optical viewfinder

d. LCD scroll up button/self-timer button

e. LCD scroll down button

f. OK button

g. Color LCD on/off and photo viewing button

h. Color LCD (menu/viewfinder)

Side View Connections:

a. USB connection

b. Video connection

c. AC power adapter connection

The icons on the Status LCD provide the following information:

a. Flash setting pointer: Indicates the current flash mode.

b. Self-timer indicator: Appears when the self-timer is active.

c. Battery power indicator: Shows the remaining battery level.

d. Photos remaining indicator: Displays the number of photos that can be stored.

e. PC connection indicator: Appears when the camera is connected to a computer.

f. Photo resolution indicator: Shows the current image resolution setting.

g. Photo quality indicator: Shows the current image quality (compression) setting.

The mode dial on your POLAROID PHOTOMAX PDC 1320 has five modes for different functions:

a. Record mode: For taking photos and adjusting photo settings.

b. Play mode: For viewing photos you have taken.

c. Setup mode: For viewing and setting general camera options.

d. Delete mode: For deleting photos you have taken.

e. PC connection mode: For transferring stored photos from your camera to your computer.

Follow these steps to take your first photo:

1. Install Batteries: Open the battery compartment cover on the bottom of the camera by sliding it out and lifting it. Insert four AA batteries according to the + and – terminals shown inside. Close the cover securely.

2. Turn Camera On: Press the yellow camera on/off button on the top of the camera. Wait for the green power/status indicator light on the back to stop blinking.

3. Set Record Mode: Turn the mode dial on top of the camera to the Record mode (camera icon).

4. Set Focusing Ring: Turn the focusing ring on the front of the camera to the correct distance. For most subjects, use the setting for 2 feet (.6 m) to infinity (mountain icon). For close-ups between 1 to 2 feet, use the macro setting (flower icon).

5. Use Flash (if needed): The camera defaults to Auto flash. For indoor photos, stand 3 to 8 feet (1 to 2.5 m) from your subject. For outdoor photos (no flash), stand 2 feet (.6 m) or more from your subject. If the flash fires, wait for the power/status indicator to stop blinking before taking another photo.

6. Frame the Photo: You can frame your photo by either looking through the optical viewfinder or by pressing the yellow LCD on/off button on the back to use the color LCD screen. Note that the color LCD uses additional battery power.

7. Take the Photo: Press the shutter button down completely to take the picture. Do not move the camera until you hear a click.

Use only AA high-capacity super alkaline or lithium disposable batteries, or NiCad or NiMH rechargeable batteries. Never mix old and new batteries, different types of batteries, or batteries from different manufacturers.

The battery icon in the status LCD shows how much energy remains:

Note: Your photos are never lost when you change batteries. They always remain in memory.

Always turn your camera off before inserting or removing the AC adapter. Using the AC adapter is recommended to maximize battery life when reviewing photos, displaying photos on a TV, or transferring photos to a computer.

1. Press the on/off button to turn the camera off.

2. Connect one end of the AC adapter to the AC connection port on the side of the camera.

3. Connect the other end of the AC adapter to a grounded electrical outlet.

4. Press the camera on/off button to turn the camera on.

Note: When using an AC adapter, the camera will remain on for 30 minutes of inactivity before shutting off. Using the AC adapter will not recharge rechargeable batteries.

The POLAROID PHOTOMAX PDC 1320 can store photos in two ways:

Internal Memory: The camera has 8 MB of internal memory. This can store from 17 to 50 photos at 1280 x 960 resolution or 34 to 138 photos at 640 x 480 resolution, depending on the photo quality setting. If the internal memory is full, you must delete photos or transfer them to a computer.

Optional CompactFlash Card: The camera has a slot for an optional ATA Type I CompactFlash memory card of up to 128 MB. When a CompactFlash card is inserted, photos are automatically stored on the card, not in the internal memory. Photos already in the internal memory remain there and can be accessed by removing the card.

Caution: Always turn the camera off before you insert or remove a memory card to prevent damage. You must format a new memory card before its first use.

To Insert a CompactFlash Card:

1. Turn the camera off.

2. Open the memory compartment cover on the bottom of the camera.

3. Insert the card with the raised lip facing up. Push it carefully but firmly into the slot. The card only fits one way. When the card is fully inserted, the eject button next to the card will pop out.

4. Close the memory compartment cover.

To Remove a CompactFlash Card:

1. Turn the camera off.

2. Open the memory compartment cover.

3. Push the eject button next to the memory card.

4. Grasp the edge of the memory card and pull it out.

5. Close the memory compartment cover.

Formatting erases all photos from the selected memory (internal or CompactFlash card). Always format a new CompactFlash card before use.

To format a CompactFlash card:

1. Turn the camera off.

2. Insert a CompactFlash memory card.

3. Turn the camera on.

To format the camera’s internal memory:

1. Ensure no CompactFlash card is in the camera.

2. Turn the camera on.

Formatting Steps (after the above preparation):

4. Turn the mode dial to Setup. The SETUP MENU appears in the color LCD.

5. Use the LCD scroll down button to highlight FORMAT MEDIA.

6. Press the OK button.

7. Use the LCD scroll buttons to highlight YES and then press OK. A confirmation message appears.

8. Highlight YES again and then press OK. The camera displays the message, FORMAT COMPLETE.

9. Press OK to return to the SETUP MENU.

10. To exit, turn the mode dial to another setting.

Caution: Never turn the camera off while reformatting is in progress.

Follow these general steps to change menu options:

1. Turn the camera on.

2. Turn the mode dial to a mode (Record, Play, Setup, Delete). The corresponding menu will appear on the color LCD. If you are in Record or Play mode, you may need to press the menu button on top of the camera to turn the menu on.

3. Use the LCD scroll up or down buttons to highlight a desired menu option in yellow.

4. Press the OK button to select the highlighted item. The line at the bottom of the menu turns from blue to green.

5. To select a new setting within that option, use the scroll up or down buttons.

6. Press OK to confirm the new setting. You will return to the highlighted menu option.

7. To exit the RECORD or PLAY MENU, press the menu button again. To exit another menu, turn the mode dial to a different setting.

Rotate the distance ring around the camera’s lens to set the correct distance when not using flash.

For best results with the macro setting, ensure you have adequate lighting, use the color LCD to frame the photo, and use a tripod to prevent a blurred image.

To select a flash setting, turn the mode dial to Record. Press the flash button on the top of the camera to cycle through the flash-mode icons in the status LCD. The optimum flash range is 3 to 8 feet (1 to 2.5 m).

The self-timer allows you to take a photo ten seconds after you press the shutter button. It works for one photo at a time and then turns off.

1. Turn the camera on.

2. Turn the mode dial to Record.

3. Press the self-timer button (the same as the LCD scroll up button) on the back of the camera. The self-timer icon appears in the status LCD.

4. Frame the photo using the optical or color LCD viewfinder. For best results, use a tripod or stable surface.

5. Press the shutter button. The red self-timer indicator on the front of the camera will blink for ten seconds, blinking rapidly just before the photo is taken.

To cancel the self-timer before taking a picture, press the self-timer button again.

In Record mode, press the photo quality and resolution button on top of the camera to cycle through the settings. The status LCD displays the current settings.

Photo Quality is indicated by stars (more stars = less compression = better quality).
Photo Resolution is indicated by the picture icon (large icon = high resolution, small icon = low resolution).

The number of photos you can store is based on 8 MB of internal memory.

High-Resolution Options (1280 x 960 pixels)

Low-Resolution Options (640 x 480 pixels)

Digital zoom allows you to enlarge the central area of an image. It only works in the higher resolution setting.

1. Set the photo resolution to 1280×960.

2. Turn the mode dial to Record and turn on the color LCD by pressing the yellow button on the back.

3. Frame the photo in the color LCD.

4. Press the OK button on the back of the camera. The central portion of the image enlarges twice to fill the LCD, and “2xZOOM” appears in the upper left corner. (To return to the original view, press OK again.)

5. Press the shutter button to photograph the enlarged portion.

6. Press OK to return to the original, non-zoomed view.

Note: Digital zoom applies to only one photo at a time. To use it again, you must repeat the steps.

In Play mode, pressing the color LCD button lets you cycle through three display types:

1. Single Photo without Text: Turn the mode dial to Play. The last photo taken appears. Use the up or down scroll buttons to see other photos.

2. Single Photo with Text: With a photo displayed, press the LCD button. Information like quality, resolution, and file number appears at the bottom.

3. Thumbnails: Press the LCD button a second time to see miniature thumbnails of all stored photos. The last viewed photo is highlighted with a red border. Use the scroll buttons to highlight other thumbnails and press OK to view one full-size.

Press the LCD button a third time to return to the single photo without text.

You can look at an enlarged quadrant of a photo while in Play mode.

1. Turn the mode dial to Play to display the last photo taken.

2. Press OK to see the upper-left corner of the photo enlarged two times.

3. Press the color LCD button to see a small blue indicator in the upper left corner. A red rectangle in the indicator shows which quadrant you are viewing.

4. Press the up or down scroll button to move from one quadrant to another.

5. Press OK twice to return to the original, full-size photo.

1. With the camera on, turn the mode dial to Play.

2. Press the menu button to bring up the PLAY MENU.

3. Select SLIDESHOW.

4. Select a delay from 2 to 10 seconds between photos. The default is 4 seconds.

5. Press OK. The last photo you took appears, and the slideshow begins on the color LCD.

6. To stop the slideshow, press any button on the back of the camera, turn the mode dial, or turn off the camera.

First, you need to select the correct video mode for your region. Go to the SETUP MENU, select VIDEO MODE, and choose either NTSC (default for North America, Japan) or PAL (Europe, Asia).

1. Make sure your camera and television are off.

2. To conserve batteries, connect the AC adapter to the camera.

3. Plug one end of the camera-to-TV video cable into the video port on the side of the camera.

4. Plug the other end into the video input port on your television.

5. Turn the TV on and set it to its video input channel.

6. Turn on your camera and turn the mode dial to Play. The last photo taken will appear on the TV screen.

7. Use the up or down scroll buttons on the camera to scroll through your photos. You can view them as single images, with text, as thumbnails, or as a slideshow on your television.

The Digital Print Order Interface (DPOF) feature lets you tag photos for direct printing from a CompactFlash card to a DPOF-enabled printer. This feature only works when a CompactFlash card is in the camera.

Using the Menu:

1. In Play mode, display the photo you want to print on the color LCD.

2. Select DPOF in the PLAY MENU.

3. Press OK to open the DPOF submenu.

4. Specify the DPOF options:

PRINT QUANTITY: Select the number of prints (1 to 9).

PRINT SIZE: Select the size (PRINTER STD, 3×5, 4×6, 5×7, or 8×10).

PRINT ENABLE: Select ON to tag the photo or OFF to untag it.

5. To exit the DPOF submenu, press the menu button.

6. Repeat for each photo you want to tag.

Quick DPOF Tagging:

You can also quickly tag photos. In Play mode, view a photo with informational text displayed at the bottom. Press the shutter button to tag the photo with default DPOF settings. A printer icon will appear in the informational text. Press the shutter button again to untag it.

Caution: Once you delete a photo, it cannot be retrieved.

To Delete a Single Photo:

1. Turn the mode dial to Delete. The last photo you took appears.

2. Use the scroll up or down arrow to find the photo you want to delete.

3. Press the menu button. The DELETE MENU appears with DELETE CURRENT? highlighted.

4. Press OK. A message appears asking you to confirm the deletion.

5. Press the up scroll button to select YES.

6. Press OK. The photo is deleted.

To Delete All Photos:

Note: This will delete all photos on the inserted CompactFlash card or in the internal memory if no card is present.

1. Turn the mode dial to Delete.

2. Press the menu button. The DELETE MENU appears.

3. Use the scroll down arrow to highlight DELETE ALL?.

4. Press OK. A message appears asking you to confirm.

5. Press the up or down scroll button to select YES.

6. Press OK. All photos in the current memory are deleted.

The following table describes the menu options available in different modes:

Before installing, ensure your computer meets these minimum system requirements:

• 200 MHz Pentium processor or equivalent

• Compatible with Microsoft Windows 98, Me, or 2000

• 32 MB RAM and 195 MB available hard disk space

• Available USB port

• High-color display with 800 x 600 resolution or higher

• 2x or faster CD-ROM drive

• Mouse

Installation Steps:

1. Turn your computer on.

2. Insert the software CD into your PC. The installation should start automatically.

3. If it does not start automatically:

a. Select Run from the Windows Start menu.

b. Click Browse and select your CD-ROM drive.

c. Select Setup.exe from the CD-ROM.

d. Click Open.

e. Click OK. The installation program will begin.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions.

5. At the final prompt, click Finish.

Caution: You must restart your computer after installing the software.

Caution: Do not connect the camera to your computer until after you have installed the ArcSoft PhotoMAX Image Maker Software and restarted your computer.

1. Turn the camera off and connect it to the AC adapter.

2. Turn the camera on. Keep the camera on during the entire process.

3. Turn the mode dial to PC. “PC” appears in the status LCD.

4. Connect the USB cable to a USB port on your computer.

5. Connect the other end of the USB cable to the USB port on the side of the camera. Ensure the connection is tight.

6. On your PC’s desktop, double-click My Computer. Your camera is treated as a Removable Disk.

7. Double-click Removable Disk.

8. If using a CompactFlash card, you will see a folder named “Dcim”. Open it to find the “100_Pola” folder containing your photos.

9. If using internal memory, you will see a folder named “Polaroid”. Open it to find the “100_Pola” folder containing your photos.

10. To copy the photos, highlight them and drag them to a folder on your computer’s hard drive (e.g., C:\My Documents\My Pictures). The power/status light on the camera will blink orange during the transfer.

11. After copying, you can delete the photos from the camera to make space.

12. If using Windows 2000 or Me, use the “device unplug icon” in the lower right corner of your computer screen to safely disconnect the camera before turning it off or unplugging the USB cable.

Your camera may display the following error messages:

• This camera is battery operated. Supervise children when it is in use.

• To avoid electrical shock, do not expose the camera to, or immerse it in, any fluids.

• Do not disassemble or operate the camera if it is dropped or damaged.

• Do not open the camera case or attempt your own repairs due to high-voltage internal components.

• Keep the camera away from all fluids like rain or water at the seashore.

• If the camera is exposed to water or other fluids, turn it off, unplug the AC adapter, and remove the batteries immediately.

• Do not open the battery compartment or unplug the AC adapter while the camera is on. This can cause a loss of power during processing and may corrupt stored photos.

Here are some tips for improving your photos:

• Use Highest Settings: For the best quality, use the camera’s highest resolution and quality settings, but be aware this uses more memory.

• Lighting: Keep the sun behind you or at your side, not directly overhead or in front of you.

• Flash Usage: Do not use the flash outdoors as it can overexpose the image. Keep subjects within the specified flash range.

• Stability: In low light or when using the self-timer, use a tripod to avoid camera shake and blurry photos.

• Environment: Avoid extreme temperatures, which can affect battery performance.

• Reflections: Avoid shooting toward reflective objects like windows or mirrors to prevent hot spots. If you can’t avoid them, turn the flash off.

• Maintenance: Periodically clean the lens and LCD panels with a soft, lint-free cloth.

Yes, you can. Although the software that comes with the POLAROID PHOTOMAX PDC 1320 is not Macintosh compatible, the camera uses Type I CompactFlash memory cards. You can purchase a low-cost CompactFlash card reader that has a Macintosh USB interface and comes with the required software. You can then remove the CompactFlash memory card from the camera, insert it into the reader, and download your photos to your Macintosh computer.

If your camera does not power on, try the following:

• Turn the camera off and then on again. The camera may have automatically turned off to save battery power.

• Check that the battery terminals (+ and -) are correctly oriented as shown inside the battery compartment.

• The batteries may be dead. Replace all four AA batteries.

• Use the AC adapter whenever possible. Check to make sure the adapter is firmly attached to the camera and plugged into an outlet.

If you’re unable to take a photo, check these possible causes:

• If any LED indicators are blinking after a previous photo, wait for them to stop before taking another.

• The camera’s internal memory or optional memory card may be full. Transfer photos to your computer and delete them from the camera.

• If using a memory card, ensure it is inserted properly. Try turning the camera off, removing and reinserting the card, and turning it back on.

• If using a memory card, it may be corrupted. Reformat the card or purchase a new one.

• The camera may be connected to your computer. You might be able to take photos using the software controls. If not, turn the camera off, disconnect it, and turn it on again to take photos normally.

If the photo looks blurry:

• The subject or the camera may have moved during the shot. Hold the camera steady or use a tripod, and ask your subject to remain still.

• The photo may have been taken in dim light with the flash off. Use a tripod or turn the flash on to its automatic setting.

• The camera’s macro (close-up) function may be on. Turn it off for non-macro photos.

• The camera may be too close to the subject. Follow the recommended camera-to-subject distances.

If the photo looks too dark:

• There may not have been enough light. Use the EV Compensation setting to select a higher numerical value, or turn the flash on.

• A light source may be behind your subject. Position yourself so the light is behind you, or use the Forced Flash setting.

• The subject may have been too far from the flash. Ensure the subject is within the optimal flash range.

If the photo looks too light:

• There may have been too much light. Use the EV Compensation setting to select a lower numerical value, or turn the flash off.

• The flash may be set to Forced Flash when it isn’t needed. Switch to the automatic flash setting.

• A bright object may be in the photo. Change your angle or turn the flash off.

• The subject may have been too close to the flash. Turn the flash off or take the photo from a greater distance.