Photron FASTCAM User Manual

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The copyright of this manual is held by Photron Limited.
Product specifications and manual contents can change without advanced notification.
This manual was created taking every possible measure to ensure the accuracy of its contents. However, if you find a section which is unclear, a mistake, or an

omission, please contact Photron Limited using the contact information provided at the end of the manual.

Photron Limited bears no responsibility for the results of using the product or from following the instructions in this manual.

Company names and product names listed in this manual are trademarks of their respective companies.

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing your Photron FASTCAM.
This manual contains the operating instructions and warnings necessary for using SD Memory Cards.

Please read the entire manual before using SD Memory Cards.
If any part of this manua l is un clear, con t act Photron using the contact information printed at the back of

this manual.

Manual Notation

The following icons and symbols are used in the explanations in this manual.

Icon/Symbol Description

This symbol indicates supplementary items to be aware of when

using the software.
This symbol indicates the location of a reference.

This symbol indicates instructions that should always be followed
when using the software, or things to be careful of when using the

software.
This symbol indicates content that should always be read.

This symbol indicates a space for you to use for making notes.

About this manual

The contents of this book are structured as follows:

Introduction

The outline of this book is shown.

1. Notes

Special notes and cautions for using this manual are given.

2. Recommended SD Memory Card

Products and models currently recommended by Photron are presented.

3. Mounting on high speed camera

How to mount an SD memory card onto high speed camera is explained.

4. Initial Setting

Initial setting required to be made before sav ing ima ge data from high spee d camera is explain ed.

5. Remote controller

Operation and setting up by means of the remote controller are explained

6. Photron FASTCAM Viewer (PFV)

Image data viewing and storing operations using PFV are explained.

7. Reference

How to send a question or how to make reference when in trouble is explained.

Table of contents

1. Notes ................................................................................................................................... 1

2. Recommended SD Memory Card ..................................................................................... 2

3. Mounting on high speed camera ...................................................................................... 3

4. Initial Setting ....................................................................................................................... 6

5. Remote Controller .............................................................................................................. 9

5.1. SD CARD menu ........................................................................................................... 9

5.2. SAVE .......................................................................................................................... 10

5.3. DATA LIST .................................................................................................................. 13

5.4. INFORMATION ........................................................................................................... 15

5.5. FORMAT ..................................................................................................................... 16

5.6. MEMORY MODE ........................................................................................................ 16

5.7. SAVE MODE ............................................................................................................... 18

6. Photron FASTCAM Viewer .............................................................................................. 23

6.1. Auto Save Settings ..................................................................................................... 23

6.2. Playback and Conversion of Saved Data ................................................................... 25

7. Contacting Photr o n .......................................................................................................... 28

1．Notes

1. Notes

This book describes how to per form stori ng of image da ta int o an SD me mory car d, an d vie wing of

stored data, using the FASTCAM series model camera that has a built-in SD memory card
interface. The setting method varies greatly by the environment, especially the OS and the
network adaptor in the PC. Use this manual as an example for checking the flow of setting
arrangement.

The setting method of PFV is also included in explanation in this manual. To use the PFV, PFV

software must be installed in advance.

If an SD memory card which is less than recommended specification is used, the transfer rate

may fall remarkably or may fail in storing image data.

When using this book, also refer to the hardware manuals of the FASTCAM camera, the SD

memory card and your PC.

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2．Recommended SD Memory Card

2. Recommended SD Memory Card

The specification and the specific model names of the SD memory cards which can be used for data

storage in FASTCAM high speed camera are shown below:

Recommended Specification

Item Specification
Standard SD, SDHC, SDXC
Speed specification UHS-1 SDR104
Manufacturer’s nominal speed 90MB/s or higher
Recommended manufacturer SanDisk, Panasonic, Toshiba

Recommended SD Memory Card

Manufacturer Capacity Model

SanDisk

64GB SDSDXPA-064G-J35
32GB SDSDXPA-032G-J35

Panasonic

64GB

RP-SDUB64GJK

32GB RP-SDAB32GJK

Toshiba 32GB SD-GU032G1

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If an SD card with low nomin al spee d, s pec ifie d by ma nufa cturer, is used, the tra nsfer rate may

become extremely slow.

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When using SD memory cards other than a recommended manufacturer, the transfer rate may

become extremely slow even if the manufacture nominal speed is high enough.

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If an SD memory is used for image data storage of high speed camera, it cannot save other

data.

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3．Mounting on high speed camera

3. Mounting on high speed camera

How to mount an SD memory card to your FAST CA M high speed camera is explained below .

① Remove the SD memory card slot cover on the back of the camera.

② Two SD memory card slots are prepared there. LED on the side of the slot lights up and blinks at

the time of recognition and access.

Slot1

Slot1

LED

Slot2

Slot2

LED

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3．Mounting on high speed camera

③ Insert SD memory cards into the slots on the camera back until you hear a click sound.

④ If an inserted SD card is correctly recognized, LED corresponding to the slot turns on green.

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3．Mounting on high speed camera

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An SD memory card can be inserted into the camera body regardless of the power supply

status, ON or OFF (hot-swappable). However, do not even attempt to remove it during data
writing.

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LED turns on/off or blinks as follows according to the existence/recognition status of inserted

SD card.

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When an error occurs and LED turns on red, it can be reset by pushing the button on the

remote controller.

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If the inserted SD memory card is pulled out during data writing (with LED blink red), the data

being written in may be broken.

Status LED
No SD memory card Off
SD memory card recognized Turns on green
Writing data Blinks red
Error found Turns on red

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4．Initial Setting

4. Initial Setting

When using an SD memory card, it is necessary to format it first. The high speed camera body and

remote controller are used for formatting.

① Connect the remote controller to the high speed camera. If your remote controller is a model

without an LCD monitor, a video monitor should be connected to it.

② Switch on the camera.

③ Operate the remote controller while looking at the monitor screen. Press [MENU] key, followed by

[OTHERS], [SD CARD], [FORMAT], then press [ENTER] key to set.

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4．Initial Setting

④ Choice window of which slot to format is displayed.Choose one of the slots using th e △▽ keys and

press [ENTER] key to set.

⑤ A message is displayed asking for confirmation on whether or not the inserted SD card may really

be formatted. Press [ENTER] key, if it is really all right.

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4．Initial Setting

⑥ When formatting completes, the [SD CARD] menu returns.

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When formatting is not completed properly for some reason, an indication is given with the

following error message. In this case, press the [ENTER] key to return to the menu.

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5．Remote Controller

5. Remote Controller

Here, how to carry out data storage and setup using the remote controller is explained.

5.1. SD CARD menu

① Press [MENU] key on the remote controller to open the menu.

② In the menu, go to [OTHERS] => [SD CARD] then press the [ENTER] key. The [SD CARD] menu

will appear as shown below.

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5．Remote Controller

5.2. SAVE

Here is how to store image data of the photographed object.

① Set the camera in PLAYBACK mode and open the [SD CARD] menu as described in 5.1.

② In the menu, select [SAVE] and press the [ENTER] key to set.

③ Select your desired slot and press the [ENTER] key to set.

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5．Remote Controller

④ Storing process starts. A count er i s d isp lay ed on t he s cree n, which shows the en d o f st ori ng as t h e

indication comes down to 0 (zero). Storing may be cancelled by pressing the [ENTER] key at any
time.

If you wish to store only a small portion of whole stored image data, use the block-replay
function to set out a range of image data that you wish to store, then use the SAVE function to
store the image data. Follow the below steps to use the block-replay function:

1. Set the system in the PLAYBACK mode.

2. Press the [ON/OFF] key in the [SEGMEN T PLAYBACK] section on the remote
controller.

3. Press the [START] key at the starting point of your desired range to store, and then
press the [END] key at the point where you wish to end.

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See 5.6. MEMORY MODE section, page 16, before starting a storing process.

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Refer to the “Remote Controller User’s Manual ” for detailed explanation about how to use the

block replay function.

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When image data is stored using t he bl oc k-rep lay function, the number of pi ece s of i mag e d ata

that can be stored is limited to 32, maximum.

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5．Remote Controller

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In order to prevent data disappearance, a write-protected setup is recommended.

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5．Remote Controller

5.3. DATA LIST

This function displays a list of all image data stored in the SD card that is currently inserted in the camera.

① Choose [DATA LIST] in the SD CARD menu and press the [ENTER] key to set.

② In the slot selection window, choose your desired slot and press the [ENTER] key to set. Slot 1 is

chosen in the below figure.

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5．Remote Controller

③ The image data saved in the SD card in Slot1 are listed as shown below. Year, month, day and

time of shooting are displayed in the list.

④ You can go to a next page by pressing the [◀ ▶] key on the remote controller. Up to 32 different

pieces of image data are stored and listed in four pages, maximum.

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5．Remote Controller

5.4. INFORMATION

This function displays the specification of SD memory cards that are currently inserted in the camera.

① In the SD CARD menu, select INFORMATION and press the [ENTER] key to set.

② Detailed information on the SD memory cards is displayed. Use this function to see whether the

inserted SD cards have satisfactory specification.

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5．Remote Controller

5.5. FORMAT

This function formats, or initializes, SD memory cards that are inserted in the camera.

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For detailed discussion of operation, see “4.Initial Setting” on page 6.

5.6. MEMORY MODE

This function sets whether the recordable duration of the camera is matched up to the storage capacity of an
SD memory card being us ed. B ecau se of certain technical re striction of the speci fic ation of SD memory car d,
the maximum capa city th at c an be av ailab le for actua l storag e of i mage da ta is l imited t o about 14 GB with an
SD memory card with 16 GB specification, for example. Since all image data cannot be saved in this SD
memory card when it is used together with a camera of 16 GB specification, overflow of image data wi ll
cause an error. In this case, however, if "FIT" mode is used, the photography duration of the camera will be
automatically restricted to 14 GB, and, as a result, shooting and storing of image data can be performed
smoothly.

① In the SD CARD menu, select MEMORY MODE and press the [ENTER] key to set.

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5．Remote Controller

② Select NORMAL or FIT and press the [ENTER] key to set.

NORMAL: Recording is p er for med u si ng the SD memory inser ted i n the ca mera to its full capacity.
FIT: Recording is performed with the shooting duration of camera being restricted by the capacity

of the SD memory card.

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For example, to record with a camera of 32-GB specification to store its image data in full in an

SD memory card, it is necessary to use a 64 GB SD memory card in NORMAL mode. Note,
however, the surplus capacity (remainder of about 32 GB) in that case cannot be used for
storing other photography data.

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The partitioning function, if activated in the FIT mode, divides the capacity that has been fitted

by the FIT function.

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MEMORY MODE cannot be changed after recording.

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SLOT 1 is first to be restricted in its recording duration when in the FIT mode. If a 16 GB

specification camera has an 8 GB memory in SLOT 1 and a 32 GB memory in SLOT 2, for
example, the photographing duration is restricted to about 6 GB.

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5．Remote Controller

5.7. SAVE MODE

Set either of the following modes to save data to the SD memory card.

Mode

Setting Description

MANUAL

Save from the SD CARD menu

AUTO

Automatically save when recor ding fini sh es

① From the [SD CARD] menu, select the [SAVE MODE] item and press the [ENTER] key.

② Use the remote controller's [▴▾] key to select [MANUAL] or [AUTO] and press the [ENTER] key.

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5．Remote Controller

5.7.1 Operation During AUTO Mode

When the SAVE MODE is set to [AUTO], the camera starts saving to the SD me mor y car d immediately after
the recording finishes.
The following explains the operations when the trigger mode is set to [START].

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When using the remote controller with the SAVE MODE set to [AUTO], do not use the PFV

while recording or saving to the SD card.

① Start recording.

<READY (standby status)>

<REC (recording status)>

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5．Remote Controller

② [SAVE] is displayed when the recording fin ish es, and the camera starts saving to the SD memory

card.

③ While the data is being saved, the display counts down in units of megabytes to show the

remaining storage capacity.
Press the [ENTER] key to cancel the operation.

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5．Remote Controller

④ The display returns to the [LIVE] screen when the save operation finishes.

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The following messages are displayed if the data cannot be saved to the SD card. The

messages are displayed for both SLOT1 and SLOT2.

Message

Description

NO CARD SD memory card is not inserted

CAPACITY OVER There is no capacity left for saving

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5．Remote Controller

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Press the [ENTER] key while saving to cancel the operation.

[CANCEL] is displayed on the screen while the operation is being canceled, and then the
display returns to the [OTHERS] menu.

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If for some reason it is unable to save the data, an error message such as the following is

displayed. In such a case, press the [ENTER] key to return to [OTHERS].

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6．Photron FASTCAM Viewer

6. Photron FASTCAM Viewer

This section explains how to operate the SD memory card the Photron FASTCAM Viewer (PFV).

6.1. Auto Save Settings

Automatically save the shot data to the SD memory card after shooting.
Configure the environment to automatically save the data.

① Display the [LIVE] tab on the control panel and click the [Record Option] button.

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6．Photron FASTCAM Viewer

② Check the [Auto Download] and [AutoSave in SD-card] options under [Operation After Recording

Complete].

Item Description

Normal Shooting is allowed to the full capacity of the camera memory.

Fit Shooting duration is limited within the SD memory card’s capacity.

③ Clic k the [OK] button.

Once the settings are entered, the files will be automatically saved to the SD memory card after
recording is complete.

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Set the remote controller SAVE MODE to [MANUAL] when automatically saving to the SD

memory card with the PFV (refer to "5.7.1 Operation During AUTO Mode" on p. 19 for the
setting method).

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6．Photron FASTCAM Viewer

6.2. Playback and Conversion of S a ved Data

The following explains h ow to play back data saved to the SD memory card on a PC as well as the procedure
for converting the data.

① Connect an SD memory card containing image data to your PC via a memory card reader (sold

separately). Camera need not be connected to your PC.

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When an SD memory card is connected to your PC, a message “Formatting is needed” is

displayed. But, NEVER format the card. The above message always comes up because the
SD card contains image data in a unique format.

② Sta rt up PFV. Have the [FILE] tab displayed in the control panel and click [▼] on the right of the

[Open File] button and select “Open SD”.

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6．Photron FASTCAM Viewer

③ "Read SD card" window is displayed. In the "Dr ive Lis t" pa rt of t he window , spec ify the na me of th e

drive in which SD card y ou wis h to rea d is inser ted, ch oose d ata to re ad in [C amera D ata Li st], and
then push the [OPEN] button.

④ The image data stored in the SD memory card is displayed. The image data number, SD Card

Data No. XX, is shown in the title field. The image data is ready for replay now.

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6．Photron FASTCAM Viewer

⑤ The displayed data can also be saved to the PC.

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PFV 3.3.8 or earlier cannot read in data.

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For more detailed instructions for operation, refer to the “Photron FASTCAM Viewer User’s

Manual”.

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7. Contacting Photron

7. Contacting Photron

For inquires related to PFV, contact Photron at the contact information listed below.
Additionally, the following items will be verified when inquiring, so please prepare them in advance.

Items Verified Concrete Example

Contact Information

Company, school or organization name,
customer contact name,
contact phone number,
Contact e-mail.

Product Name

The Photron FASTCAM Viewer version number and the
high-speed camera name,
SD Memory Card name.

For the version number, check the version information.

Condition of the system and what is known about it.

Contact Information

In Americas
and Antipodes

PHOTRON USA, INC.

9520 Padgett Street, Suite 110
San Diego, CA 92126-4426, USA
Phone : [phone] or 858-684-3555
Fax : [phone]
E-mail : [e-mail]

www.photron.com

In Europe,
Africa and India

PHOTRON EUROPE LIMITED

The Barn, Bottom Road,
West Wycombe, Buckinghams hire,
HP14 4BS, U.K.
Phone : [phone]
Fax : [phone]
E-mail : [e-mail]

www.photron.com

In other areas

PHOTRON LIMITED

21F, Jimbocho Mitsui Bldg.,
1-105 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 101-0051
Phone : [phone]
Fax : [phone]
E-mail : [e-mail]
www.photron.co.jp

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©2016.PH OTRON LIMITED, All rights reserved. Printed in Japan.

No. E160331U

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User’s Manual Revision 1.02E

Publication Date March. 2016
Publisher PHOTRON LIMITED
21F, Jimbocho Mitsui Bldg.,
1-105 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 101-0051