Video - Canon R600 Camcorder

To borrow any of the following equipment please contact inmediad@lehigh.edu.

The Canon R600 camcorder is an HD video camcorder that records to mp4 video. Each kit comes with a shotgun microphone and a wired lapel mic to help improve the audio quality of your recording over the built-in option. The lapel mic works best for one person speaking or being interviewed. If the shotgun mic is positioned fairly close to the subject it will be an improvement as well as long as the shotgun mic is set to the 0db or -10db setting. We find the +20db setting introduces too much background noise.

This camera is designed for pre-recorded content that can later be uploaded to streaming sites like Panopto or YouTube.

Each kit also comes with a L shape mounting bracket to attach the shotgun mic. To attach the bracket, first screw in the bottom of the bracket thread into a tripod plate (if you intend to use a tripod). Then screw the bracket into the base of the camera. Make sure to position the bracket to the right so that it does not block the LCD screen from swiveling open. Next you can screw the shotgun mic into the top mount on the bracket. Finally make sure to plug the microphone into the mic input jack hidden behind the LCD door. The last step is to make sure to flip the power switch to the on position for the microphone and set your decibel level with the db switch. Once again we recommend 0db or -10db here. Note, if someone else is doing the recording it’s always good practice to have them wear headphones to make sure the microphone is working properly and that there is not too much background noise.

In auto mode the audio will attempt to max out before peaking. If you set the camera to manual you can control the level and keep it at a constant level. 

The record button is the red and silver button on the the right side of the camera. Press once to start and once again to stop recording and finalize your clip. You’ll see a red light on the LCD screen and your timecode start to count up so you know your recording.  The zoom controls are on the top of the camera body. W stands for Wide Angle and and T for Telephoto or zoomed in.

The memory card slot is behind the LCD door, to the right of the playback  button. Each kit comes with a memory card. You can get 3 hours of recording at our standard settings. If the memory card still has data from the previous user, you can erase it by clicking on the playback button. Then choose edit from the touch screen and then delete all scenes.

On the touch screen you can unlock additional controls by switching from Auto mode into the Manual mode. Here you adjust things like the brightness with exposure compensation. There are also manual focus controls, manual white balance, and audio level adjustments. This camera is designed to be a simpler video recording option and we preset the settings to Auto by default.

To learn more about the Canon HF R600 and how to integrate them into your teaching, please contact us at inmediad@lehigh.edu.