Hitachi HDC-530E Operating Instructions

HDC-530E

5

1.8"

FCC STATEMENT

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

(1)This device may not cause harmful interference, and

(2)This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Note:

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for Class B digital devices, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

Use of shielded cable is required to comply with Class B limits in Subpart B of Part 15 of the FCC rules.

Do not make any changes or modifications to the equipment unless otherwise specified in the manual. If such changes or modifications should be made, you could be required to stop operation of the equipment.

EN-1

READ THIS FIRST

Trademark Information

Microsoft® and Windows® are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Pentium® is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.

Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.

SDTM is a trademark.

Photo Explorer and Photo Express are trademarks.

Other names and products may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Product Information

Product design and specifications are subject to change without notice. This includes primary product specifications, software, software drivers, and user’s manual. This User Manual is a general reference guide for the product.

The product and accessories that come with your digital camera may be different from those described in this manual. This is due to the fact that different retailers often specify slightly different product inclusions and accessories to suit their market requirements, customer demographics, and geographical preferences. Products very often vary between retailers especially with accessories such as batteries, chargers, AC adapters, memory cards, cables, carrying cases/pouches, and language support. Occasionally a retailer will specify a unique product color, appearance, and internal memory capacity. Contact your dealer for precise product definition and included accessories.

The illustrations in this manual are for the purpose of explanation and may differ from the actual design of your digital camera.

The manufacturer assumes no liability for any errors or discrepancies in this user manual.

For user manual and driver updates, refer to our website or contact your dealer.

EN-2

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Read and understand all Warnings and Cautions before using this product.

Warnings

If foreign objects or water have entered the camera, turn the power OFF and remove the batteries and the AC power adapter.

Continued use in this state might cause fire or electric shock. Consult the store of purchase.

If the camera has fallen or its case has been damaged, turn the power OFF and remove the batteries and the AC power adapter.

Continued use in this state might cause fire or electric shock. Consult the store of purchase.

Do not disassemble, change or repair the camera.

This might cause fire or electric shock. For repair or internal inspection, ask the store of purchase.

Use the supplied AC adapter only with the indicated power supply voltage.

Use with any other power supply voltage might cause fire or electric shock.

Do not use the camera in areas near water.

This might cause fire or electric shock. Take special care during rain, snow, on the beach, or near the shore.

Do not place the camera on inclined or unstable surfaces.

This might cause the camera to fall or tilt over, causing injury.

Keep the batteries out of the reach of children.

Swallowing batteries might cause poisoning. If the battery is accidentally swallowed, immediately consult a physician.

Do not use the camera while you are walking, driving or riding a motorcycle.

This might cause you to fall over or result in traffic accident.

EN-3

Cautions

Insert the batteries paying careful attention to the polarity (+ or –) of the terminals.

Inserting the batteries with its polarities inverted might cause fire and injury, or damage to the surrounding areas due to the battery rupturing or leaking.

Do not fire the flash close to anyone’s eyes.

This might cause damage to the person’s eyesight.

Do not subject the LCD monitor to impact.

This might damage the glass on the screen or cause the internal fluid to leak. If the internal fluid enters your eyes or comes into contact with your body or clothes, rinse with fresh water. If the internal fluid has entered your eyes, consult a physician to receive treatment.

A camera is a precision instrument. Do not drop it, strike it or use excessive force when handling the camera.

This might cause damage to the camera.

Do not use the camera in humid, steamy, smoky, or dusty places.

This might cause fire or electric shock.

Do not remove the battery immediately after long period of continuous use.

The battery becomes hot during use. Touching a hot battery might cause burns.

Do not wrap the camera or place it in cloth or blankets.

This might cause heat to build up and deform the case, resulting in fire. Use the camera in a well-ventilated place.

Do not leave the camera in places where the temperature may rise significantly, such as inside a car.

This might adversely affect the case or the parts inside, resulting in fire.

Before you move the camera, disconnect cords and cables.

Failure to do this might damage cords and cables, resulting in fire and electric shock.

EN-4

Notes on Battery Usage

When you use the battery, carefully read and strictly observe the Safety Instructions and the notes described below:

Different battery types and surrounding temperatures may affect the battery performance.

Avoid using batteries in extremely cold environments as low temperatures can shorten the battery life and reduce camera performance. This low temperature will also influence Alkaline battery performance, therefore Ni-MH rechargeable battery is highly recommended.

If you are using the new rechargeable batteries or rechargeable batteries that have not

been used for an extended period of time (batteries that pass the expiry date are exceptions) might affect the number of pictures that can be taken. Therefore, to maximize their performance and lifetime, we recommend that you fully charge the batteries and discharge them for at least one complete cycle before use.

The battery may feel warm when using the camera for an extended period of time or using the flash continuously. This is normal and not a malfunction.

The camera may feel warm when being used continuously or for an extended period of time. This is normal and not a malfunction.

If you will not be using the batteries for an extended period of time, remove them from the camera to prevent leakage or corrosion.

Never use batteries of different types (together) or mix old and new batteries.

Always keep the terminals in a clean state.

Never use manganese batteries.

Risk of explosion if battery is replaced by an incorrect type.

Dispose of used batteries according to the instructions.

EN-5

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ................................................	8
Package Contents............................................	9
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAMERA..............	10
Front View......................................................	10
Rear View.........................................................	11
Mode Dial ......................................................	12
LCD Monitor Information.....................................	13
PREPARING THE CAMERA.............................	15
Installing the Batteries (Optional Accessory) .......	15
Using the AC Power Adapter
(Optional Accessory)..........................................	16
Inserting and Removing an SD Memory Card
(Optional Accessory) ........................................	17
Attaching the Camera Strap..............................	18
LED Indicators..................................................	18
GETTING STARTED...........................................	19
Turning the Power On/Off .................................	19
Choosing the Screen Language.........................	19
Setting the Date and Time ................................	20
Formatting an SD Memory Card or Internal
Memory............................................................	21
Using the LCD Monitor.......................................	22

PHOTOGRAPHY MODE...................................	23
Shooting Images - The Basics..........................	23
Setting Image Resolution and Quality ................	24
Using the Zoom Function...................................	25
Using the Flash...............................................	26
Using the Self-Timer.........................................	27
Adjusting the Exposure (EV Compensation).........	28
Setting White Balance......................................	29
USING THE MODE DIAL....................................	30
Auto Mode......................................................	30
Program Mode ...............................................	30
Portrait Mode..................................................	31
Landscape Mode..............................................	31
Sport Mode.....................................................	32
Night Mode.....................................................	32
ADVANCED SHOOTING...................................	33
Burst..............................................................	33
Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) ......................	34
Selecting the Metering Mode .............................	35

EN-6

PLAYBACK MODE - THE BASICS.....................	36
Viewing Images ...............................................	36
Magnifying Images ..........................................	37
Thumbnail Display ..........................................	38
Slideshow Display ...........................................	39
Resizing an Image ...........................................	40
VIDEO MODE....................................................	41
Recording Video Clips ......................................	41
Playing Back Video Clips .................................	42
PLAYBACK MODE – ADVANCED FEATURES...	43
Playing Back Still Images/Video Clips on TV ........	43
Deleting Images/Video Clips..............................	44
Protecting Images/Video Clips ...........................	45
Setting the DPOF.............................................	46
Connecting to a PictBridge Compliant Printer
(Optional Function)..........................................	48
TRANSFERRING FILES FROM YOUR DIGITAL
CAMERA TO COMPUTER.................................	52
Step 1: Install the USB driver .........................	53
Step 2: Connect the digital camera to your
computer...........................................	54
Step 3: Download images or video clips............	55

EDITING SOFTWARE INSTALLATION..............	56
Installing Photo Explorer....................................	56
Installing Photo Express....................................	57
USING THE DIGITAL CAMERA AS A PC CAMERA...58
Step 1: Install the PC camera driver..................	58
Step 2: Connect the digital camera to your
computer.............................................	59
Step 3: Run your application software
(i.e. Windows NetMeeting)....................	59
MENU OPTIONS...............................................	60
Camera Menu....................................................	60
Video Menu ...................................................	64
Playback Menu...............................................	65
Setup Menu....................................................	67
CONNECTING THE DIGITAL CAMERA TO
OTHER DEVICES.............................................	70
SPECIFICATIONS............................................	71
APPENDIX........................................................	72

EN-7

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing the new digital camera!

Equipped with a 5.0 Megapixels CCD sensor, your camera delivers good quality, 2560 x 1920 resolution images. Other features provided by the camera include the following:

5.0 Megapixels

A high-resolution CCD sensor provides 5.0 megapixels for good quality of images.

Auto flash

An auto flash sensor automatically detects the shooting (lightening) conditions and determines whether the flash should be used.

1.8” LTPS color image LCD monitor

Optical zoom: 1x~3x

Digital zoom: 1x~4x

12MB internal (built-in) memory

Images can be captured without using a memory card.

Support for SD memory card for memory expansion

You may wish to expand the memory capacity (up to 512MB capacity) by using an external memory card.

USB connection (USB 1.1 compliant)

Still images, video clips, or voice recording files that you have recorded can be downloaded to your computer using the USB cable (A USB driver is required for Win 98 and Win98SE).

DPOF functionality

DPOF can be used to print your images on a DPOF compatible printer by simply inserting the memory card.

PictBridge support

You can connect the camera directly to printer that supports PictBridge and perform image selection and printing using the camera monitor screen and controls.

Provided editing software: Photo Explorer / Photo Express

You can enhance and retouch your images on your computer by using the provided editing software.

EN-8

Package Contents

Carefully unpack your kit box and ensure that you have the following items. In the event that any item is missing or if you find any mismatch or damage, promptly contact your dealer.

Common Product Components:

Digital Camera	AV Cable
User’s Manual	Camera Strap
USB Cable	Camera Pouch
Software CD-ROM

Common (Optional) Accessories:

SD memory card

AC power adapter

Batteries

Battery Charger

Accessories and components may vary by retailer.

EN-9

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAMERA

Front View

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

1.Shutter button

2.Flash

3.Microphone

4.Lens

5.Power button

6.Mode dial

7.Self-timer LED

8.Viewfinder window

9.PC (USB) / AV Out terminal 10.DC in 3V terminal

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Rear View

1

2

3

4

5

6

1. Viewfinder

2. Rec-play button

3. Menu button

4. Delete button

5.OK / (Display) button

6.Tripod socket

7.	/	Zoom out (wide-angle) button
		Thumbnail button

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

8. /	Zoom in (telephoto) button

9.LCD monitor

10.S Arrow button (Up)

11.X Arrow button (Right)

Self-timer button

12.T Arrow button (Down)

13.W Arrow button (Left)

Flash button

14. Battery / SD card cover

EN-11

Mode Dial

You can select from seven shooting modes and setup mode according to shooting conditions to achieve the desired effect.

			5
		1
		2	6
		3	7
		4	8
			9
		Mode	Description
1.		Power button	Press to turn on/off the power.
2.	P	Program	Select this mode to permit the shutter speed and aperture
			to be set manually.
3.	A	Auto	Select this mode to adjust point-and-shoot action.
4.		Video	Select this mode to record video clips.
5.		Portrait	Select this mode to make people stand out with the
			background out-of-focus.
6.		Landscape	Use this mode to take phototgraphs of distant scenery or
			landscapes.
7.		Sports	Use this mode to shoot fast moving objests.
8.		Night	Select this option to take phototgraphs of people against a
			dusk or night-time background.
9.		Setup	Select this mode to adjust the camera settings.

EN-12

	LCD Monitor Information
	Camera Mode			1	2	3	4	5	6
				P		3M	8	SD		7
			14
										8
			13
			12						X1	9
	1. Mode indication
	[	A ]	Auto Mode			1.5x	2004.09.17
	[	]	Setup Mode
	[	]	Video Mode			11		10
	[	]	Landscape Mode	[	] Status of internal memory
	[	P ]	Program Mode
				[ SD	] Status of SD memory card
	[	]	Sports Mode
	[	]	Portrait Mode	6. Remaining battery status
	[	]	Night Mode	[	] Full battery power
	2. Image quality			[	] Medium battery power
	[	]	FINE	[	] Low battery power
	[	]	NORMAL	[	] No battery power
	[	]	ECONOMY	7. Self-timer mode
	3. Image size			[	]	OFF
	[	]	2560 x 1920	[	]	2 sec. delay
	[	]	2048 x 1536	[	]	10 sec. delay
	[	]	1280 x 960	[ 10+2	]	10+2 sec. delay
	[	]	640 x 480	8. White balance
	4. Possible number of shots					AUTO
	5. Internal memory/SD memory			[	]	DAYLIGHT
	card indicator			[	]	CLOUDY

[		]	SUNSET
[		]	TUNGSTEN
[		]	FLUORESCENT
9. Capture mode indicator
[		X1 ]	SINGLE
[		]	BURST
[		]	AEB
10.	Date
11.	Zoom stat
12.	Focus area
13.	Focus indicator
	(no indication for auto focus)
			AUTO
	[	] MACRO
	[	] INFINITY
14.	Flash mode
	[	]	Auto Flash (Default)
	[	] Red Eye
	[	]	Forced flash
	[	]	No Flash

EN-13

Video Mode

1.Video mode

2.Recordable movie time available

3.SD memory card indicator (if present)

4.Battery power indicator

5.Focus area

Image Playback

1.Playback mode

2.SD memory card indicator (if present)

3.Battery power indicator

4.Playback information

Video Playback

1.Playback mode

2.Video mode

3.SD memory card indicator (if present)

4.Battery power indicator

5.Playback indicator

6.Playback information

2		3
1	00:33 SD	4

5

				2
1			SD	3
	100-0001
4	SIZE		1280X960
	EV.		+1.5
	01.	04. '04	05:22

			1
2			3
1		SD	4
5	100-0001
6	SIZE	1280X960
	EV.	+1.5
	01. 04. '04	05:22
			1

EN-14

PREPARING THE CAMERA

Installing the Batteries (Optional Accessory)

You can use 2 AA size batteries to power the camera. Make sure that the power of the digital camera is off before inserting or removing the batteries.

1. Make sure the camera is turned off.

2.Open the battery cover.

3.Insert the batteries in the correct orientation as shown in the illustration.

4.Close the battery cover.

To remove the batteries, turn the camera off before removing batteries and hold the camera with the battery cover facing upward, then open the battery cover.

Be careful not to drop the batteries when opening or closing the battery cover.

EN-15

Using the AC Power Adapter (Optional Accessory)

Use of the AC power adapter is recommended if you intend to use the LCD monitor for a long time or connect the camera to a PC.

1.Make sure your camera is turned off.

2.Connect one end of the AC power adapter to the

camera jack labeled "DC IN 3.0V".

3. Connect the other end to an electrical outlet.

Make sure to use only the AC power adapter specified for the camera. Damage caused by the use of an incorrect adapter is not covered under the warranty.

To prevent unexpected auto power off resulting from no battery power left during the process of transferring your images to the computer, use the AC power adapter as a power supply.

The AC power adapter can only be used to power the camera. Batteries cannot be charged inside the camera.

EN-16

Inserting and Removing an SD Memory Card (Optional Accessory)

The digital camera comes with 12MB of internal memory, allowing you to store captured still images or video clips in the digital camera. Moreover, you can also expand the memory capacity by using an optional SD (Secure Digital) memory card so that you can store more files.

1.Make sure your camera is turned off before inserting or removing a memory card.

2.Open the SD memory card cover.

3.Insert an SD memory card in the correct orientation as shown in

the illustration.

4. Close the battery/SD memory card cover.

To remove the SD memory card, make sure the camera is turned off. Press lightly on the edge of the memory card and it will eject.

Be sure to format an SD memory card with this digital camera before using it. Refer to section in the manual titled “Formatting an SD Memory Card or Internal Memory” for further details.

To prevent valuable data from being accidentally erased from an SD card, you can slide the write protect tab (on the side of the SD memory card) to “LOCK”.

To save, edit, or erase data on an SD memory card, you must unlock the card.

EN-17

Attaching the Camera Strap

Attach the strap as shown in the illustration.

1	2

LED Indicators

Indicator	State	Description/Activity
LED indicator	Solid red	The digital camera is powering up.
	Solid green	The digital camera is ready to record images (or movies).
LED indicator	Blinking green	USB communication/transfer in progress
LED indicator	Blinking red	Charging the flash.
Self-timer indicator	Blinking red	The self-timer function is activated.

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GETTING STARTED

Turning the Power On/Off

Press the button until the digital camera turns on.To turn the power off, press the button again.

Choosing the Screen Language

When the camera is turned on for the first time, a language-selection screen will be displayed in the monitor. Follow the steps below to choose the desired language.

1.Rotate the mode dial to and turn your camera on by pressing the button.

2.Press X to select the [CUSTOM] menu.

3.Use T to select [LANGUAGE], then press the button.

4.Use S or T to select the language you want.

5.Press the button to confirm.

	BASIC	CUSTOM
Y/M/D	DATE & TIME	Y/M/D
NTSCPAL TV		NTSC
	LANGUAGE	ENGLISH
	LCD BRIGHTNESS
SET :		3 / 5

	LANGUAGE
	ENGLISH
SET :	1 / 7
	EN-19

Setting the Date and Time

Follow the steps below to set the date display style, current date and time.

1.Rotate the mode dial to and turn your camera on by pressing the button.

2.Press X to select the [CUSTOM] menu.

3.Use T to select [DATE & TIME], then press the button.

You may press W or X to switch the date types.

4.Press the W / X buttons to select Year, Month, Day and Time fields.

To increase a value, press the S button.

To decrease a value, slide the zoom lever to the T button.

The time is displayed in 24-hours format.

5.Press the button after all fields are set.

BASIC	CUSTOM
DATE & TIME	Y/M/D
NTSCPAL TV	NTSC
LANGUAGE	ENGLISH
LCD BRIGHTNESS
SET :	1 / 5

	DATE & TIME
10	/	10	/ 2004
	00	:	00
SET :			SELECT :

EN-20

Formatting an SD Memory Card or Internal Memory

The term “Formatting” means preparing an “SD Memory Card” to record images; this process is also called “initialization”. This utility formats the internal memory (or memory card) and erases all stored images and data.

1.Rotate the mode dial to and turn your camera on by pressing the button.

The [BASIC] menu is displayed.

2.Use T to select [FORMAT], then press the button.

3.Use S or T to select [YES], then press the button to confirm.

BASIC CUSTOM

1 RESET NUMBER

DATE	DATE IMPRINT	ON
	FORMAT
QUICKVIEW	QUICK VIEW	OFF

SET :	7 / 8
	FORMAT
	YES
	NO
	SET :

When you format an SD memory card, be aware that all data of which will be permanently erased. Protected images are also erased.

To format the internal memory, do not insert a memory card into the camera. Otherwise, you will format the memory card.

Formatting is an irreversible action and data cannot be recovered at a later time.

An SD memory card having any problem cannot be properly formatted.

EN-21

Using the LCD Monitor

Your camera is equipped with a 1.8" full color TFT LCD monitor to help you compose images, replay recorded images/video clips or adjust menu settings. The mode icons, text and numbers displayed on the monitor may very according to the current settings.

1. Rotate the mode dial to A , P , , , , or . 2. Press the button to turn on the power.

3. Compose your scene on the LCD monitor.

4. Press the shutter button.

The LCD monitor darkens in strong sunlight or bright light. This is not a malfunction.

To prevent your images from being blurred while pressing the shutter button, always hold it carefully. This is especially important when you are shooting under low lighting conditions, which your camera may decelerate the shutter speed to ensure your images are properly exposed.

EN-22