User Guide This guide shows you how to operate the Take-it MV300 and provides information on basic functions, movie/audio clip recording, still image shooting, playback, and troubleshooting. Before using the DV camera, be sure to read the safety precautions to prevent injuries or damage to users or equipment.
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Federal Communications Commission Interference Statement This equipment (MV300) has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, 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.
Table of Contents Federal Communications Commission Interference Statement ........................................................ 3 Safety Precautions ............................................. 6 Introduction ...................................................... 8 DV camera Package ........................................... 9 DV camera Components ..................................... 9 Rear View .................................................... 9 Front/Bottom View .................................
Power Saving ............................................... 34 Language .................................................... 35 USB Switch ................................................. 35 File No Reset ................................................ 36 Music Menu ..................................................... 36 Connecting ........................................... 37 Connecting to a TV ........................................... 37 Connecting to a Computer ..................................
Safety Precautions Before you use the DV camera, be sure to read the following safety precautions, which detail the proper operation of the DV camera and its accessories to prevent injuries or damage to users or equipment. This symbol indicates situations where improper use of the DV camera may result in harm to the DV camera operator. This symbol indicates situations where improper use of the DV camera may result in damage to the DV camera. Children should not be allowed to have access to the DV camera.
Do not drop batteries or let them be banged around. This could damage the casings, causing the batteries to leak. • If the internal parts or components of the battery come into contact with your eyes or your mouth, flush the affected site with water and get medical help. • Do not short-circuit the battery terminals, and be sure to cover the terminals before you throw batteries away. If the terminals contact metal, they may overheat and explode, causing a fire.
Introduction Take-it MV300, Microtek’s Digital video camera, incorporates the functions of digital camcorder, voice recorder, digital still camera and webcam with super image quality and fantastic audio. It applies the MPEG 4 recording video format to capture images with 640x480 resolution. Equipped with a larger 1.8” color CD screen, you can focus on the images you want and also review the live images as you take the shots. An AV-out cable allows you to vividly view movies and images on a TV set.
DV Camera Package DV camera Components Unpacking the DV Camera Rear View Open your DV camera package and check that you have all of the components listed below. If any component is missing, call the Microtek Customer Service immediately. Video cable USB cable 1. Mode indicator/Charger LED/READY LEDs 2. Multifunction/4-way arrow button • Up/ Zoom In/ Pause/Play • Down/ Zoom Out/ Stop • Right/ Fastforward/ Flash • Left/ Rewind 3. 4. 5. 6.
Front /Bottom View 1. Shutter button 2. MODE button ( 3. POWER button Playback/ Photo/ Video / Audio) 4. Macro-Normal switch ( / ) 5. Lens 6. Flash 7. Self-timer indicator 8. Microphone 9. Battery cover slider 10. Battery compartment 11. Battery cover 12. Secure Digital (SD) compartment 13. SD card cover 14.
Getting Started Attaching the Strap 1. Loading the Battery 1. Thread the end of the strap through the DV camera strap ring as shown. 1. Ensure the DV camera is turned off; then push the sliding battery case indicated by the arrow to open the battery cover. 2. Fasten the two ends of the strap as shown. 3. Attach the grip belt to the strap as shown. 2. Insert the battery into the compartment. Ensure that the battery is inserted properly with the Mylar pull tab held down. 3.
Push the sliding battery case indicated by the arrow to close. Charging the Battery Charge the Lithium ion battery using the supplied AC adapter. 1. Plug the AC adapter into the power source. Your DV camera can also use alkaline batteries instead of a single rechargeable Lithium ion battery. Four AAA-sized alkaline batteries should be used in place of the supplied rechargeable Lithium ion battery and should be inserted as shown.
Inserting an SD Card Using the LCD Screen You can install an SD memory card in your DV camera to increase the memory capacity. Follow the instructions below to install an SD card. The LCD screen can be used to frame your images during shooting video or still images. 1. Open the SD card compartment door on the bottom of the DV camera. 1. Swing to open the LCD screen. The LCD screen can be opened up to 90 degrees. Ensure that the DV camera is turned off.
Shooting Shooting your First Video Follow the instructions below to take your first still photograph with your DV camera. 1. Turn on the DV camera by pressing the POWER button for two seconds. The DV camera should be in Video mode to shoot video. Check for an icon in the top left corner of the screen to confirm this. 2. Use the LCD screen to frame your shot. 3. Press the Shutter button and release to begin recording. You will be able to see your video on the LCD screen as you record it. 14 4.
Taking Your First Still Image 4. Use the LCD screen to compose your still image. Follow the instructions below to take your first still photograph with your DV camera. 1. Turn on the DV camera by pressing the POWER button for two seconds. The DV camera may start up in Video mode and you will need to select Photo mode to take still pictures. 2. Press the MODE button on the top of the DV camera. The LCD displays a graphic showing four mode options. 3.
Modes Zoom The DV camera is equipped with a digital zoom function. You can zoom in on distant images by pressing the button on the rear of the DV camera. Use the button to zoom back out. Macro The DV is a fixed focus DV camera but there is a manual focusing function that you can adjust to get the best results. Move the Macro-Normal switch all the way to the macro setting when taking pictures of very close subjects.
Video mode Photo mode Use Video mode for recording digital moving images. Video recordings will be in ASF format and will be stored in memory. To select the DV camera to Video mode from another mode, you should: Use Photo mode for taking still pictures in JPEG format. To select the DV camera to Photo mode from another mode: 1. Press the MODE button on the top of the DV camera. The LCD displays the 4 mode options. 2. Press the button on the rear of the DV camera. 1.
Audio Mode Playback Mode Use Audio mode for recording digital sounds. To select the DV camera to Audio mode from another mode, you should: Use Playback mode to review all the pictures, movies and sounds that you have stored on the DV camera. To select the DV camera to Playback mode: 1. Press the MODE button on the top of the DV camera. The LCD displays the 4 mode options. 2. Press the button on the rear of the DV camera. The DV camera will switch to Audio mode.
USB Mode The DV camera will automatically switch to USB mode when it is connected to a USB port using the cable provided. See Connecting on page 37 for details on how to connect your DV camera to a computer. In this display mode, you can use the / ( / ) button to toggle forwards/backwards through all the recordings. 4. Press the button to start the movie/audio playback. During the playback, do the following if required: • Press ( ) to pause movie/audio playback.
3. Open Windows Explorer and click on the My Computer folder. You will see a list of all your hard disks, optical disks and floppy drives. The DV camera appears as a removable disk and is assigned a drive letter. 4. Double click on the drive letter for the DV camera. A folder named DCIM will be displayed. This folder contains the contents of your DV camera memory or the SD card. 5. Double click on the 100_MTDV folder to display your images, movies and audio files.
Using the Menus Your DV camera can be configured using four menus. You can access the menus using the menu button on the rear on the DV camera. Navigate through the menu system using the arrow buttons on the rear of the DV camera. Video/Photo Menu Use the Video/Photo menu to set the size, quality, sharpness, and color properties of pictures. You can also adjust the exposure, white balance, set the shutter mode, and turn the voice memo feature on or off.
Size icon. 320 4. Press the button to display the Size options. In Video Quality The quality option can be accessed from either Video mode or Photo mode. Quality can be set to either Fine, Normal or Best. Higher quality images require more memory space and fewer images can be stored on the DV camera. mode you can select either VGA size or CIF size. In Photo mode you can choose VGA, 1M, 2M, 3M, or 6M. To access the quality option: 1.
Drive Mode EV Compensation Use the Drive Mode setting to switch between a standard shutter operation, a delayed shutter that allows you to take pictures of yourself, and a multi-shot shutter that allows you to take three pictures in rapid succession every time you press the shutter button. This setting is available only in Photo mode. The DV camera features automatic exposure control, but you can adjust the exposure manually in either Photo mode or Video mode.
White Balance The white balance setting is used to set the correct color balance under different lighting conditions. Without the correct white balance setting, white objects would look red under artificial lighting, or blue in sunlight. Your DV camera can automatically set the white balance for you, but you may wish to set it manually for unusual lighting conditions or special effects. The White Balance setting can be accessed from either Photo mode or Video mode. To access the White Balance setting: 1.
Sharpness Voice Memo Use the Sharpness option to sharpen or soften the outlines in your images. Three settings are available, Normal, Sharper, and Softer. This setting is only available in Photo mode. The Voice Memo function allows you to add a sound clip to still images. The Voice Memo setting can only be accessed from Photo mode. To access the Voice memo setting: To access the Sharpness setting: 1. Turn on the DV camera and make sure that it is in Photo mode. See Modes on page 16. 1.
7. Press the MENU button to exit the menu. With the voice memo function turned on, you can record a short audio clip with each photo. After you have taken your photo in the usual way, the voice memo icon appears on the screen. Press the Shutter button to record your audio clip, and press the Shutter button a second time to stop recording. Color Mode Use the Color Mode setting to change the color of your images or videos. Three settings are available, Normal, Black & White, and Classic.
Playback Menu Erase Use the Erase function to delete and files from the camera or SD card memory. The Erase function can be accessed only when your DV camera is in Playback mode. To access the Erase function: 1. Turn on the DV camera and make sure it is in Playback mode. See Modes on page 16. 2. Press the MENU button at the rear of the DV camera to display the main menu screen. 3. Use the / button on the rear of the DV camera to select the Erase icon. 5. Press the OK button to confirm your choice.
Slide Show Rotate Use the Slide Show function to display all the files stored in your DV camera, one after the other. The Slide Show function can only be accessed from Playback mode. You can set the delay between files at two or five seconds. To access the Slide Show function: Use the rotate function to rotate an image stored on the DV camera. This function will only work for still images and can only be accessed from Playback mode. To access the Rotate function: 1.
Print Use the Print function to print still images stored on your DV camera. You can print either an individual image or all your images. To access the Print function: 1. Turn on the DV camera and make sure it is in Playback mode. See Modes on page 16. 2. Press the MENU button on the rear of the DV camera to display the setup menu screen. 3. Use the / button on the rear of the DV camera to select the Print icon. 4. Press the button to display the Print options.
Beep Date Use the Beep option to turn on or off the beep noise made by the DV camera when buttons are pressed. To access the Beep option: Use the Date option to set the date. To access the Date option: 1. Turn on the DV camera and press the MENU button to display the main menu screen. 2. Press the button to select the Setup menu option at the top. 3. Use the / button to select the Beep option. 4. Press the button to display the available options. 5. Use the / button to select an option. 6.
Time Date Stamp Use the Time option to set the time. To access the Time option: Your DV camera can be set to place a date stamp on each image you take. To turn the Date Stamp function on or off: 1. Turn on the DV camera and press the MENU button to display the main menu screen. 2. Press the button to select the Setup menu option at the top. 3. Use the / button to select the Time option. 4. Press the button to display the submenu. 5 Use the / button to select the field you want to change. 6.
Video Out Format Use the Video Out option to define the type of TV you want to use to display your camera images on. You can set the video output to either PAL or NTSC format. NTSC is a format used in North America and some of Asia. PAL format is used in Europe. If you are unsure which system your TV uses, consult the documentation that came with it. To set the Video Out option: Use the Format option to erase all files on the DV camera and SD card. 1.
Reset Copy to SD Use the Reset option to restore all configurations to factory default settings. To access the Reset option: Use the Copy to SD function to copy all files stored in the DV camera memory to the SD card. You may need this function if you want to use the SD card in another device to download your movies or images. To access the Copy to SD function: 1. Turn on the DV camera and press the MENU button to display the main menu screen. 2.
Frequency Power Saving To avoid flickering images on the LCD screen, you should make sure that the DV camera Frequency setting matches the frequency of mains electricity in your country. China and Europe use a 50 Hz system. America and Japan use a 60 Hz system. If you are unsure what frequency your mains supply is, consult your power company. Turn the Power Saving function on to preserve battery life.
Language USB Switch Use the Language setting to change the language in which the DV camera menus are displayed. Available languages are, traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, German, French, Spanish and, English. To access the language setting: The DV can be connected to your PC to download your images to the hard disk It can also be used as a webcam. Use the USBSwitch setting to switch between WC (webcam mode) or UM (standard USB mode). To access the USBSwitch setting: 1.
File No Reset Each picture you take with the DV camera is given a number. The file number is also the name of the file when you download it to your hard disk. To reset the file number to zero, use the FileNoReset option. To access the FileNoReset option: Music menu Use Music Menu to play MP3 files stored on the DV camera. To access the MP3 player function: 1. Turn on the DV camera and make sure it is in Playback mode. See Playback mode on page 18. 1.
Connecting You can connect your DV camera to a TV to view either still pictures or video stored on the internal memory or on an SD card. You can also connect the DV camera to a computer using a USB cable and download movies or images to the hard disk. When the DV is connected to a computer, you can also use it as a web cam. Connecting to a Computer Connect the DV camera to a computer using the supplied USB cable as shown below.
Appendixes Appendix A - Installing Software Your DV camera comes complete with a CD-ROM containing drivers and applications. If your computer uses Windows 98SE operating system, you will need to load a driver from the CD-ROM before you can download files from your DV camera to your computer. If you have Windows ME, 2000, or XP operating system, you can plug the DV camera straight into the USB port on your computer and a driver will install automatically without the CD-ROM.
Appendix B – Maintenance Always follow the Safety Precautions that came with the DV camera. • Use a soft cloth, tissue or lint-free cloth to clean the DV camera body. • Use a lens brush to remove particulate matter from the lens, and then clean the lens with a soft eyeglass lens tissue or cloth. • Do not use synthetic cleaning solutions or other solvents to clean the DV camera body or lens. If you are unable to remove marks or dirt from the lens, contact Microtek Customer Service.
Appendix C – Troubleshooting DV Camera Problems The DV camera does not power on. The DV camera turns off suddenly. 40 A1: The DV camera is not powered up. • Press and hold the POWER button for a few moments to see if the READY LED is lit. A2: The battery is inserted incorrectly. • Insert the battery with the correct polarity as marked in the battery compartment. A3: The battery has poor electrical contact with the terminals in the battery compartment.
The DV camera does not shoot images, movies, or record audio clips. A1: The Mode switch is set to the incorrect mode. • Set the Mode switch to Photo mode ( ) to capture still images. • Set the Mode switch to Video/Audio mode ( / ) to record movie/ audio clips. A2: There is no available memory left on the SD card. • Download files to your computer and removes the existing files from the SD card, then you will have more available memory space. • Replace with a new SD card. A3: The SD card is write-protected.
Photography Problems Shots are out of focus and blurry, or photograph quality is not as good as expected. A1: The DV camera was moved while a shot was being taken. • Hold the DV camera firmly when shooting, using a tripod if necessary. A2: The subject is not within the DV camera’s acceptable focus range. • For normal shooting, make sure that the subject is at least 3.28 ft. (1 m) away from the DV camera lens. Photographed subject is too dark or underexposed. A1: There is not enough ambient light.
Images or Movie/Audio clips cannot be played back. A: The Mode switch is set to the incorrect mode. • Set the Mode switch to Playback mode ( ). The DV camera cannot delete images or movie/audio clips. A: The SD card is write-protected. • Set the write-protected tab on the SD card to the unlocked position. Images or Movie/Audio clips cannot be played back on TV. A1: The Mode switch is set to the incorrect mode. • Set the Mode switch to Playback mode ( ).
Mac OS cannot find the newly created icon (Take-it, Take-it.SD) on the desktop. A1: The “USB Switch” setting is set to the incorrect mode. • Enter the Setup mode, set USB Switch to “USB Mode”. A2: The DV camera is disconnected to the computer. • Make sure one end of the USB cable is connected to your computer and the other end to your DV camera’s USB connector. • Make sure the USB cable is properly connected to both the DV camera and the computer.
For Macintosh Users, • Make sure one end of the USB cable is connected to your computer and the other end to your DV camera’s USB connector, then turn on the DV camera. • Check to see if “Camera Driver” has been installed on your computer. • For Mac OS 9.x, 1) Go to the Apple menu and select “Apple System Profiler”. The “Apple System Profiler” window appears. 2) Click the “Devices and Volumes” tab; the DV camera related drivers should be in the “USB” tree.
Appendix D - Menu Items and Factory Defaults Video/Photo Menu Size Quality Description *, *, , , / *, Selects the pixel recording size for images Adjusts the compression rate for images , *, -2.0, -1.5, -1.0, -0.5, 0.0*, +0.5, +1.0, +1.5, +2.
Specifications Image Sensor Sensor Size Resolution Movie clips Still image Image Ratio (w:h) Lens Aperture Focal Length Digital Zoom Playback Zoom Focus Range LCD screen White Balance Exposure Exposure Adjustment Exposure Metering Shutter Speed Sensitivity Equivalent Flash Built-in Flash Flash Modes Flash Range Self-timer Audio Clip File Formats 3.21 megapixels CMOS 1/2” 640x480 pixels (10 fps) 320x240 pixels (25 fps) 2816x2112 (interpolated), 2048x1536, 1600x1200, 1280x960, 640x480 pixels 4:3 F 3.0 f=8.
