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The C-100 can be powered using a battery pack or directly using the power adapter. If you connect the power adapter whist the battery is attached, the camera will still draw power from the power outlet.

Before you leave for a shoot, make sure the batteries are fully charged. At checkout you will be given two batteries.

Attaching the Battery

• Make sure the camera is OFF

Insert the battery into the compartment and slide toward the left until the battery gently clicks.

Removing the Battery

• Make sure the camera is OFF

Press the Battery Release button as shown and gently slide the battery to the right and pull out.

Charging the Battery

Connect the power cord to the charger

Insert the battery – press lightly and slide in the direction of the arrow until it clicks

Plug in the power cord – the charge indicator starts flashing. The battery is charged when the indicator light stays on.

Remove the battery

Unplug the power cord

Connecting the Camera to AC Power

• Make sure the camera is OFF

Connect the DC cable (attached to the charger unit) to the DC IN terminal on the camera

Connect the power cord to the charger unit and plug it into an outlet

Powering Up the Camera

The C-100 has two operating modes – CAMERA and MEDIA. Select the operating mode using the Q switch as shown. 

Switch to CAMERA to record video

Switch to MEDIA to review (playback) the video

Set the Q switch to OFF when the camera is not in use and to save on the battery power.

Attaching the Lens

Make sure the camera is OFF

Remove the camera body cap and put it in the case (do not set it on the ground, on a table or put it in your pocket). Put the body cap in the case so you can find it easily again. Do not lose any caps from this kit.

Take out a lens and remove the back cap – put it in the case.

Align the lens using the white dots - one on the lens and the other on the camera body's lens attachment ring. Insert the lens and turn gently clockwise until it clicks. 

• NOTE: One of the lenses is aligned using red dots. 

Removing the Lens

Set the camera to OFF

With a gentle grip on the lens, hold down the release button as shown and turn the lens counter-clockwise until it stops.

Remove the lens and replace the body cap on the camera body. 

Attaching and Removing the XLR Handle Unit

Attaching

Make sure the camera is OFF

Insert the attachment base as shown by sliding it into the camera’s accessory shoe track

While gently pressing down, tighten the wheel lock until the handle unit is secure

Connect the handle unit’s cable to the EXT terminal as shown – align the arrows to connect.

Removing the XLR Handle Unit

Set the camera to OFF

Unplug the handle unit cable from the camera by pulling back the metallic tip of the cable

Loosen the handle wheel lock until it comes loose and you can remove the unit from the camera’s accessory shoe.

Inserting the SD Card

• Make sure the C-100 is turned OFF

Open the SD card compartment cover, located at the camera’s rear

With the label facing up, insert the SD card into either the A or B slot, making sure that it goes in straight all the way until it clicks.

Close the SD compartment cover

Power up the camera

SD Card Status

The status indicator is located next to the SD card slot. Refer to the following to know if the SD card is being accessed by the camera:

• RED – the camera is accessing the card – do not remove the card

• GREEN – the card is ready for recording/playback

• Indicator Off – An SD card is not inserted or is not currently selected

Precaution

To avoid damaging the card or its contents, observe the following precautions:

• Never disconnect the power source or turn off the camera when the card is being accessed (indicator is RED)

• Never open the SD compartment cover and remove a card when the camera is turned on. Power off the camera before you remove a card.

To remove a card

Press gently on the card once until it springs out, and then remove it all the way. 

To format (initialise) the SD card

In MENU, scroll to OTHER FUNCTIONS > Initialize Media.

Use the joystick to select slot A or B and then press the joystick

Select Complete or Quick and then press the joystick

• Note: Initialising an SD card will erase permanently all the data on the card. Before you initialise the card, make sure you saved the media in advance.

Manual Focus

Make sure the lens mode is switched to MF - you'll see this switch on the lens itself. 

Simply turn the focus ring on the attached lens until the image looks sharp. 

When using a telephoto lens, always zoom in on the subject first and then focus. Zoom out and compose the shot.

The Canon C-100 also offers focus assist features.

One-Shot AF (Automatic Focus)

Using this function will let the camera focus automatically on the subject at the centre of the screen.  To operate One-Shot AF, you need to first switch the lens mode to AF.

The switch is on the lens itself.

Then use the One-Shot AF button, located at the front of the camera just beneath the lens. The camera will focus automatically on the subject at the centre of the screen. 

Peaking

This focus assist function will detect straight lines in the image and highlight them in a bright colour (red or blue) when they are in focus. 

Press the peaking button as shown. Then focus the lens until the lines are highlighted sharply. 

Peaking lines will not show up in the actual recording.

Magnification

When you press the MAGN. button, the centre of the viewfinder is magnified approximately 2 times. 

Use the joystick to move the magnified frame to other parts of the image.                                       

To Record

Use the red START/STOP button on the grip to start recording.  Press again to stop. 

Another START/STOP button is located on the XLR handle unit and at the front of the camera below the lens.

Exposure

First, a word about using automatic exposure - don't. Seriously, if all you do is use the camera's automatic features, then you're undermining your craft. Naturally there are times when you need automatic exposure, such as when you are moving quickly between different lighting conditions. But shooting in auto-mode should be a rare thing. Leaving the camera in auto-exposure will leave signs of what is called "iris breathing" where the camera is continually adjusting the exposure in mid-shoot. Evidence of iris breathing is the hallmark of the unsophisticated shooter and will cause numerous problems in post-production. 

Instead, take control of your craft. Learn how to adjust the exposure manually. 

• To set the exposure manually, remember this sequence:

  • Gain

  • ND filter

  • Shutter Speed

  • Aperture

Gain

Under low light conditions, you can brighten an image by adjusting the Canon C100's ISO/Gain. ISO is a term used more prominently in digital photography that expresses the sensitivity of the image sensor. The higher the ISO the more sensitive the sensor. However, in digital video, we simply refer to this as Gain, which has nothing to do with allowing more light to enter the lens. Gain is used under low-light conditions. But with greater sensitivity comes a price: increased sensitivity generates more noise or graininess in the image. It's just like turning up the volume in your stereo speakers... too much and the audio sounds distorted. 

Sometimes the graininess that appears with more noise might serve the mood of the story, but it's mostly undesirable and even distracting. 

As shown here, the ISO/Gain is a button that will highlight the Gain value in the viewfinder.

To change the Gain value, press the ISO button. This will highlight the current Gain value seen in the viewfinder.

The Gain value appears in decibel units (dB). In the viewfinder, you can see the Gain value in the lower left.

0.0dB – there is no gain. Use this setting when lighting conditions are adequate.

Use the joystick clicking it up or down to change the Gain. Pressing the joystick will set the value

The range of Gain values are -6dB to 30dB. The higher the Gain value, the brighter the picture, but never apply Gain unless you have to. Don’t rely on Gain for setting the exposure. Use Gain only after you allow as much light to enter the lens as possible. For best practice, start with the Gain off (0.0dB) and then set the ND filter, Shutter Speed and Aperture. 

Shutter Speed

The Shutter Speed is most useful when you are shooting fast motion, such as sports events. Shutter Speed is really a measurement of how long the camera allows light to enter the aperture. A shutter speed of 1/60 means that light enters 1/60th of a second; a faster shutter speed of 1/500 means that it takes light 1/500th of a second to enter. 

Therefore, the higher the shutter speed, the faster the camera is opening and closer the shutter.

Also, the faster shutter speeds have a way to stopping action. A great example is when you shoot a helicopter in flight. Setting a fast shutter speed effectively slows down the rotors to the point where you can actually see the individual rotors. In other words, if you want to avoid the fast motion in the image looking blurred, then set for a higher shutter speed; you’ll get sharper images of fast motion if you set the shutter speed to something higher.

When you increase the shutter speed, you'll notice that it also reduces the amount of light that enters the lens. Therefore, if you want to use fast shutter speeds, you’re going to need more light on the subject. So before you adjust the aperture to allow more light into the lens, it’s important to check the Shutter Speed first. Below are recommended settings for Shutter Speed depending on the lighting conditions:

Indoors – 1/60

Outdoors under sunny skies – 1/100

This is just for starts.

When the Shutter Speed is set lower than 1/60:

In places with insufficient lighting, you could set the Shutter Speed to a lower value (less than 1/60th of a second) to brighten the image. But a speed less than 1/60 will cause you problems with motion blur. A really low shutter speed might produce afterimages that trail your subject when they’re in motion. This image quality is not acceptable in standard professional broadcast unless you’re deliberately trying to add this effect. Otherwise, never use anything lower than 1/60 when are shooting in low light. Try to bring in more lighting.

To adjust the Shutter Speed

Press the Shutter button on the camera as shown, which will highlight the current value seen in the viewfinder

Use the joystick to adjust the value. Note that as the shutter speed increases the picture gets darker.

Press the joystick to set the new value.

ND (Neutral Density) Filter

Depending on the lighting conditions you will need to adjust the ND (Neutral Density) filter within an appropriate range when recording in bright surroundings.

Remember, the ND filter is like a pair of sunglasses for the camera – it helps reduce the intensity of bright light. 

The ND filter is operating using a dial as shown. Turn the dial up to the + and the ND filter will change in the following order:

ND1 – 2 stops

ND2 – 4 stops

ND3 – 6 stops

ND filter off

Turning the dial in the reverse direction, or -, will change the settings in the reverse order.

The ND value appears in the viewfinder. When you don’t see the ND value, then the ND filter is off.

Depending on the lighting conditions, the colour may change when you change the ND filter. Set the white balance again when you change ND settings. 

Aperture

The brightness of the image and its depth of field can be changed by adjusting the aperture, which is strictly the hole in the lens that permits light to enter. The amount of light that enters the lens determines the f/stop value. An f/stop that is large indicates a small aperture size, and less light can enter; an f/stop value that is small indicates a wider aperture size, and more light can enter.

Also, using a larger f/stop value (smaller aperture) increases the depth of field – meaning more of the subject is in focus. A small f/stop value (larger aperture size) renders a more shallow depth of field, meaning the subject may be nicely in focus, but the background is a soft blur.

What you’re really doing to change the size of the aperture is adjusting the Iris, which is a diaphragm that covers the aperture.

The Canon C-100 can automatically set the aperture or it can be set manually to give the user more control over the quality of the image. By default, the camera is set to Manual mode. 

Using Automatic Aperture

In MENU, open CAMERA SETUP > IRIS > MODE > change to AUTOMATIC

Manual Aperture

Simply use the control dial as shown to change the f/stop values

Turn the control dial to the desired aperture. 

In the viewfinder, use the Exposure Bar as a reference. The midpoint of the bar indicates optimal exposure. The indicator inside the bar tells you the current exposure. The negative side of the bar shows less light entering the aperture; the positive side shows more light is entering. When the difference between current and optimal exposure is large you may have either an underexposed or an overexposed image.

Momentary Automatic Aperture

Press the PUSH AUTO IRIS button as shown to temporarily apply automatic aperture. Ideally, leave the camera in Manual Aperture mode so you can adjust the exposure yourself. You can then use the PUSH AUTO IRIS to allow the camcorder to take control of the aperture and then compare the difference between what your manual setting and what the camera sets.

Zebra Pattern Feature

The Zebra Pattern can be selected with a simple press of the Zebra button.

The Zebra Pattern Feature shows black and white stripes over the image to indicate areas that are overexposed.The pattern is displayed only in the viewfinder and isn't recorded into the image.

Custom White Balance

You can custom set the white balance using the A or B mode icons. This is perhaps the easiest and fastest way to white balance and get accurate colour reproductions.

Always set the White Balance in the same lighting conditions where you will be doing the shoot. 

Press the WB button as shown, which will highlight the white balance mode icon in the viewfinder.

Use the joystick to select the custom mode, A or B icon.

Point the camera at a white card (set the card where the subject is, don’t just hold it in front of the lens), and zoom in so that the white fills the viewfinder.

Press the White Balance wedge icon (just above the WB button on the camera). The mode in the viewfinder will flash a few times before it settles - the white balance is set. You will also see a new value for the colour temperature next to the mode. 

Basically, you're storing a white balance value in the A and B mode, which is helpful when you're on a shoot that has two locations where the lighting conditions are different. You could set the white balance in A for an outdoor location and B for an indoor location. As long as you set the white balance previously, then use the joystick to select the custom white balance for that location. You don't need to re-do the white balance procedure. 

Preset White Balance

Press the WB button to highlight the white balance mode and use the joystick to select either the incandescent lamp or the daylight settings. 

Push the joystick to the right to select the adjustment value. Then push the joystick up or down to change the value. The adjustment value helps you to fine tune the colour temperature.

Colour Temperature Setting

Use this function when you know the desired colour temperature. You can make the image warmer by selecting a higher colour temperature, or cooler when using a lower one. 

Press the WB button and use the joystick to change the mode to K.

The push the joystick to the right to highlight the colour temperature value. Push the joystick up or down to change the value.

Auto White Balance (AWB)

To make the camcorder adjust the white balance automatically might be useful if the lighting in the environment keep changing. 

Press the WB button and use the joystick to change the mode to AWB