Canon GL2
The Canon GL2 is a high-quality mini-dv camcorder that looks like this:
We have two of these available for checkout as soon a you and your parents sign a checkout form.
As you go through this guide, try to have the manual handy.
Buttons, Dials, and other Doo-Dads on the Camera's Body
Battery / Power Source p. 16
Before you use the camera, make sure you charge the battery. Press the battery release button just under the viewfinder to release the battery from the camera. Slide it into the power adapter and plug it in. When light is solid it's charged. You can also power from the adapter while using the camera -- use the DC coupler in place of battery on camera, shown on p. 16. Then plug coupler into adapter, which should be plugged into the wall socket. Bring an extension cord with you when you shoot, as you may have to do this. (We'll try to keep one in the camera case.)
Turn the camera on by sliding power button from off to "Camera."
Loading a Cassette p. 18
You will need to use a mini-dv cassette when you shoot. You can shoot about an hour on each one. Each student who regularly uses the GL2 for class will have a cassette designated for her use throughout the year, but you may want to buy a few extras if you feel like you might run out of space while on a shoot. Put your name on your tape. When you check the camera in, always remove your cassette, put it in its plastic case, and store it in the designated basket in the cabinet.
Slide tape/card button to "tape" to get ready to use a tape.
Camera must have power when loading or removing a cassette.
Basic Recording p. 35
1. Make sure you have power switch at "camera" and tape/card switch at "tape."
2. Turn standby lever to standby.
3. Turn the program selector to "Easy Recording Mode" -- the one with the green rectangle. (p. 53)
4. Press start/stop to begin recording. This is the red button to the right of the viewfinder. There is another start/stop button on the handle. You can view through the viewfinder or use the LCD panel. Open the panel by pressing the open button.
To zoom, use the zoom buttons to the right. "W" stands for wide angle and "T" for telephoto. You can zoom up to 20X. There is also a digital zoom, but it's best not to use it as it decreases resolution. Keep it turned off (it's in the camera setup menu).
Use the standby lever to power off when you need to stop using camera but will shortly resume. Switch lever to "lock" to turn off, back to "standby" to turn on. This will help save battery power (which can be a real issue on a longer shoot, especially as we don't have backup batteries right now).
Zero Set Memory (returning to a pre-marked position) p. 94
When you reach a point where you want the time counter to re-start, so that you can define the end of a segment and the beginning of a new one, use the remote control and press ZERO SET MEMORY. The time counter will restart when you press start to resume recording. When you are in play mode (slide over to PLAY) and you press rewind, the tape will stop at these pre-marked positions, so that you can easily find them. Think of this like creating tracks on a CD or chapters on a DVD.
Using Menus pp. 20 - 28
Use menus to activate various functions. To open the menus, press menu button. You can scroll among menu items using the select dial. Press in the select dial to make a selection. Items that are purple are not available because of settings you have selected. For example, if you are in Easy Recording mode (see above), several menu items will be unavailable. Press menu button to close the menu. Pressing start/stop will close the menu. See manual for explanation of various menu items.
Recording in the Wide-Screen Format p. 37
Aspect ratio for recording will be set at standard 4:3 ratio as the default. To change this, open the menu and select DISP. SET UP. You can change to 16:9 . . . ON if you prefer WIDESCREEN ratio. This is up to you. Note that you need to remember the aspect ratio when you are setting the preferences for your iMovie project.
Recording Mode
Always record in SP mode. This should already by set, but see p. 37 if you aren't sure.
Using the ND Filter p. 47
This is for recording outdoors in bright sunlight.
Searching and Reviewing While Recording p. 51
This doesn't always work properly, so just switch to play mode to review what you've recorded. See below under "playing back a tape."
Using the Various Recording Programs p. 52
To select a recording program, press in the select dial (bottom left on the back of the camera). Use the dial to scroll up or down.
Keep it at "auto" when recording under "normal" conditions. However, understand that the camera may shift exposure settings while you are shooting in a way that creates significant difference in brightness and color between two different "takes." To avoid this problem, use the manual controls described below.
Avoid changing programs during recording, because various aspects of the image (brightness etc.) could abruptly shift.
If you want to control depth of field (perhaps for a close-up of someone talking), use Av, which is aperture priority. See p. 54 and below, under "adjusting focus manually."
If you are recording in low light, you may want to use Tv, which is shutter priority. Press in the selector dial. Choose "Tv." Now you can set the shutter speed by using the "EXP" dial on the left side of the camera. You will see the shutter speed displayed on the upper left corner of the lcd display. The lower the number you see, the slower the shutter speed. When you are in low light, you may want a slower shutter speed than what the camera is selecting. A slower shutter speed means that the shutter stays open longer and the camera captures more light. You can see brightness change on the display as you move among shutter speeds. If the shutter speed is blinking, this means that it's not appropriate for the conditions in which you are shooting. Important note: if the camera powers down, the last shutter speed selected will not be saved. You will need to manually reset it when you power back on. This may happen when you are shooting. If you don't manually reset after a power down (which the camera sometimes does on its own to save power), you may end up with different exposure controls for multiple takes of the same scene, which will look sloppy!
Manual mode gives you total freedom of creative control. You can control both aperture and depth of field in manual mode. If you are experienced with using the manual controls of a still camera, you may be comfortable operating the camera in full manual mode. Many of the rules you are aware of will apply.
Use spotlight mode if you are a recording a subject on a spotlit stage.
When recording in bright sunlight, you may want to use the ND filter. See p. 47.
Audio Controls p. 56
Always do a sound check before recording. Keep some good headphones with you. With the headphones plugged into the camera, you can monitor the sound input, even when you are not recording. Look at lower right corner of the LCD display as sound is coming in. If the bars are lighting up all the way to the right edge (where they will be yellow), the mic needs to be turned down to avoid clipping. Turn AUDIO REC LEVEL switch to M for manual. Now you can adjust the levels for both the left and right channels by using the audio level dials next to L and R. Make sure each is the same, unless you have some reason for left or right to be higher than the other. Again, watch the display and make sure it doesn't light up all the way to the right edge. Also, watch to see that the level isn't too low (bars cover only a third or less of scale = probably too low).
Try using the microphone attenuator for situations where input levels are very high -- sound coming in is very loud. See p. 57.
The microphone built in to the camera is a stereo mic that will record 16-bit audio, which is high quality. Avoid recording in 12-bit. It should already be set at 16-bit.
You can select various kinds of sound input. Got to the VCR setup menu, select MIC, select from normal, voice, and w. screen (windscreen, for windy conditions). Windscreen is pretty important, so be sure to activate this when necessary. Use voice when recording an interview. Most other situations should require normal setting.
You can connect an external mic, if you need to. Use the Shure SM58 microphone when doing interviews on camera. It's a great microphone for capturing people talking. See p. 40 in manual.
Adjusting Focus Manually p. 79
Make sure the program selector on the side of the camera is set at P (NOT the green rectangle). On the left side of the camera, look for the button that is labeled "focus a/m." Press the button. On the display, you should see "MF" appear. This means the camera is set at manual focus. Now you can use the focus ring to manually focus. Just press the "focus a/m" button again to turn it back to auto focus.
If you want less depth of field, to achive the effect of having a subject in the foreground in sharp focus and background objects blurred, try using the aperture priority setting (Av). Press in the selector dial. Choose "Av" from the list. Use the "Exp" dial on the left side of the camera to increase or decrease the aperture. The higher the aperture value, the greater the depth of field. If you want LESS depth of field, to achieve the effect described above, use a lower aperture value. Note that if the camera powers off, the aperture will be reset! See p. 54.
Playing Back a Tape p. 87
Slide the switch to PLAY (VCR). You can use the controls on the remote or on the handle (open up the lid covering the controls on the handle of the camera). On the remote, stick to the basic controls -- PLAY, STOP, REW, FF. The other playback buttons are a bit difficult to deal with. It's best to listen with headphones to make sure sound is on target.
Important note: The Camera will start recording at the point where you stopped playing, just as you would expect. To avoid recording over material you want to save, fast forward to the end of the last recorded clip before switching back to camera mode.
See above under ZERO SET MEMORY for using pre-marked positions.
Digital Effects p. 62
DO NOT USE THEM. We're editing all the video in iMovie, so we don't need to do any of this in the camera.
Tips and Tricks
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