5-2 Adjusting the Black

Balance and the

White Balance

To ensure excellent image quality when using this camcorder, conditions may require that both the black balance and the white balance be adjusted.

Black balance adjustment

The black balance will require adjustment in the following cases.

•When the camcorder is used for the first time

•When the camcorder has not been used for a long time

•When the camcorder is used under conditions in which the surrounding temperature has changed greatly

•When the GAIN selector values have been changed by using the USER menu

It is not usually necessary to adjust the black balance when using the camcorder after it has been off.

White balance adjustment

For details of manual black balance adjustment, refer to the Maintenance Manual.

To adjust the black balance, proceed as follows.

OUTPUT/DCC switch

AUTO W/B BAL switch

1 Set the OUTPUT/DCC switch to CAM.

2 Push the AUTO W/B BAL switch to BLK and release the switch.

The switch returns to the center position, and the adjustment is executed.

During adjustment, the following message is displayed on the viewfinder screen.

5 Chapter

Always readjust the white balance when the lighting conditions change.

Viewfinder screen displays

ABB:EXECUTING -BLACK SET-

The messages change in the following sequence :

-BLACK SET- t

-BLACK BALANCE-

Settings and Adjustments

If the black balance or white balance adjustment is started, messages that report on the progress and results are displayed on the viewfinder screen when the VF DISP MODE item is set to “2” or “3” on the VF DISP 1 page of the USER menu.

Note

Black balance and white balance adjustment values that are automatically set by the camcorder and the various settings are stored in the camcorder memory and retained even when the power is turned off.

5-2-1 Adjusting the Black Balance

In automatic black balance mode, adjustments are performed in the following order: clamp level, black set, and black balance. Manual black balance adjustment can be selected from the setup menu.

Note that the automatic black balance adjustment includes a function to correct for white flecks caused in the CCDs by cosmic rays, in addition to the normal black balance operation.

The black balance adjustment ends in a few seconds with the message “ABB:OK” and the adjustment value is automatically stored in memory.

Notes

•During the black balance adjustment, the iris is automatically closed.

•During the black balance adjustment, the gain selection circuit is automatically activated so you may see flickering on the viewfinder screen, but this is not a fault.

If automatic black balance adjustment cannot be made

If the black balance adjustment cannot be completed normally, an error message will appear for about 3 seconds on the viewfinder screen (in display mode 2 or 3). Possible messages are listed below.

Recording for

5-2 Adjusting the Black Balance and the White Balance

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