Recording Studio Camera Guide

The lens cap fits over the lens of the camera. Try to keep this on when not actively using the camera, as it will protect the lens from things like dirt and scratches. Make sure it is on when storing the camera back in the kit bag.

The SD card is the storage device the camera will be saving your photos and video onto. It looks like a small chip about the size of a quarter. This will also usually be inside the camera and is located right next to the battery. It can also be removed/inserted in the same way. Make sure you have your important photos/video downloaded from the SD card before returning the camera!

The camera’s battery is its power source. It has its own chamber on the bottom right side of the camera under the hand grip. The battery will usually already be inside, but this is where it can be removed/inserted. If the battery is low or dead, a charger is included with the camera kit. Simply slot the battery into the charger’s port, then plug the charger into an electrical socket. 

To download files from the camera, the USB card reader may be necessary. Some computers have an SD port designed specifically for SD cards. In this case, the SD card can simply be inserted inside. If the computer you’re working on doesn’t have one though, first insert the SD card into the USB card reader, then plug the card reader into a USB port on the computer.  

After the card reader has been plugged in, a window will usually pop up displaying the content of the SD card through the Photos app. However, if there is no pop up or your computer doesn’t support this feature, don’t worry; this simply adds some extra steps to the process. The Photos app can be manually opened through the search bar. Just type “photos” into the search bar, then select the blue icon labeled “Photos” at the top of the menu. Once the app is open, look for the “External Devices” list on the left side of the window. The card reader will be named “REC STUDIO.” Once the card reader has been selected, it will display all files currently saved on the SD card. Click on each of the files you would like to save, then click the blue button in the top right corner labeled “Add X item.” “X” will be the number of files you have selected. You will be prompted to select a folder (or create a new one) to send the copied files to. Once you’ve made your choice, the files will be imported to your computer.

If you are using an older version of windows or a Mac, this specific process might not be available to you. However, you can still easily import your media. In sunch cases, you will need to open up the File Explorer (displayed with a manila file icon) and select the “This PC” tab. Note that this might be named “[Your Name]’s PC if you are using a personal computer. On the “This PC” tab, look for the “Devices and Drives” section. You should see the computer’s main drive (the C: drive), and next to it should be another device labeled “REC STUDIO”. This is the card reader. Click on the “REC STUDIO” icon to open it up, then click on “DCIM”, then “100Canon”. This should then display a folder with all of the files saved on the SD card. From here, simply click and drag the files you want to the desktop (or a folder of your choice) to create a copy of them. 

The tripod included with the camera is a handy tool that can be used for a few different purposes. First, the camera needs to be attached to the tripod itself. There is a small divot on the bottom center of the camera. Line that up with the screw atop the tripod, then turn the dial on the head of the tripod to screw the camera into place. Keep going until there is a decent amount of resistance when turning the dial. It should be secure, but not so tight that something breaks or can’t be removed.

Now that the camera is secured, the legs of the tripod can be unfolded from the handle. The camera can then be placed on a stable surface to provide a uniform angle/perspective for photos and videos. The pitch of the camera can be adjusted by pressing the round button under the dial on its righthand side. The camera can also be rotated while mounted on the tripod by pressing the rectangular button between the tripod’s legs.

You may also notice the small device mounted into the tripod’s handle. This is the camera’s remote. It can be used to take photos and video without directly handling the camera itself. To do so, remove the remote from the base of the tripod, then place the camera in the shooting position. Then, press the central button on the remote to take a picture or start recording.  

However, take note of the tiny switch on the upper righthand side of the remote. For the remote to work, this switch needs to be matched to the camera’s current shooting mode. If taking pictures, make sure it is in the top position (marked by a solid circle). If recording video, slide it down to the bottom position (marked by a camera icon).  

The remote is matched with the camera through a Bluetooth connection. The two should already be paired, but if for some reason they become unpaired, it’s an easy fix. To do so: Turn on the camera and unfold the digital display under the viewfinder. Press the Menu button, then scroll to the purple wireless settings tab (marked by an antenna icon). Scrolling and menu selection can most easily be done with the circular directional pad to the bottom right of the digital display. Once at the wireless connection menu, select “Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connection”, then the bottom middle option: “Connect to Wireless Remote.” Normally, the remote should already be listed here (under the ID # 04c461f8a9b4). If this is not the case, select “Add a device to connect to.” Once you’ve done this, simultaneously press the “W” and “T” buttons on the remote. A notification confirming the pairing should appear after about 3 seconds, at which point you can select “OK” on the screen.   

The final step in using the remote is checking the “Drive mode” settings. To set this up, press the Menu button and scroll to the red camera settings tab. Scroll to page 2 of the menu if using Auto, and page 7 if using Manual, then select “Drive mode.” Make sure to select either the fifth or sixth option: “Self-timer:10sec/remote” or “Self-timer:2sec/remote.” These are the only settings the remote will function on. When done with the remote, slot it back into the tripod’s handle.

As an aside, “Drive mode” is also the tab where you can set a timer for the camera when using it by hand. The default option should be “Single shooting”, but continuous shooting at varying speeds, 2 or 10 second timers, and continuous interval shooting are also available. 

The final piece of additional gear included with the camera is the DM-E100 microphone. It may look intimidating but attaching it to the camera is a snap. The microphone’s setup can be thought of as consisting of 3-4 parts. The main ones are the microphone itself, its stand, and the windscreen.  

There are two ways the microphone can be mounted on the camera: on top and with a stand.  

To mount the microphone on top of the camera, slide out the small chip marked with “Canon” from the slot above the viewfinder; it’s small, take care not to lose it! Then, slide the microphone’s base into the same slot. Turn the dial on the microphone's base clockwise until it’s secure.  

To use the microphone’s stand, it needs to be paired with the tripod. Once the camera is attached to the tripod, slide the base’s prongs into the small gap above the tripod’s dial on its righthand side. Once it’s in place, slide the microphone’s base into the open slot on the stand, tightening and securing it with a clockwise turn of the dial on the microphone's base. The extra piece of plastic that fits into the same slot on the stand only needs to be used if the camera has been tilted to a 90-degree angle on the tripod. It creates a similar slot for the microphone to fit into so that it can remain upright regardless of the camera’s position.

Once the microphone has been mounted in the desired position, it needs to be connected to the camera. To do so, look for a small rubber flap on the camera’s left side marked with “MIC”. Gently raise it, then take the jack attached to the microphone and insert it into the bottom port. With that, the microphone is connected and ready to record.  

An optional wind screen has been included as well. This is the piece that looks like a fuzzy tube. Attaching it before the microphone itself has been mounted will usually be easier. To do so, find the hole on the reverse end of the windscreen and gently sleeve it onto the body of the microphone. Using a windscreen is a good idea if you want to reduce noise interference from wind or plosive/breathy sounds when recording someone speaking.  

Note that the camera has an on-board microphone and can pick up sound without the DM-E100. However, the sound quality of the DM-E100 will be higher.