HMC80 - How to reset Timecode?

[Bill Rabkin]

I bought an AG-HMC80 about 2 months ago, and am still learning all the great features. One thing I haven't been able to figure out -- According to the user manual, if I'm showing timecode in the viewfinder, I can reset that to zero by pressing the Reset button. While this does reset the Counter or User Bits to zero if I'm displaying those, it does not reset Timecode to zero. (The displayed Timecode does not change when I press Reset.)

I usually shoot 1-hour concerts or lectures for our town's Public Access cable station, and I'd like each shoot to start with a new timecode. How can I reset TC to zero?

Thanks,
Bill

[Chris Harding]

Hi Bill

Darn!! I have just sold both my HMC80's as I bought AC-130's and the 80 manuals went with them. As far as I can remember the counter button has multiple functions like the 130 and you can cycle thru counter, TC and UC ...if yours has that then stop at TC and hit reset. Sorry I can't be more of a help but there is stuff in the manual...the manuals nowdays don't have a lot of explanation do they???

Something that I prefer is under the display menu set the counter to clip rather than total ...that way the TC is reset whenever you start recording a new clip...with total is just runs forever...yes, when you turn on the camera it will show the time from the previous clip (even if it was shot days ago) but when you press record it will auto reset to zero and will display the TC until you hit pause so you get the last recorded run which is way more use than 6 hours 47 minutes and 15 frames!!!! That's how I setup my 80's and I have the 130's set up the same way..they too kept on counting until it got into multiple hours...I think all you need is to change the default of "total" in the display menu and make it "clip"

Chris

[Bill Rabkin]

Thanks, Chris. The HMC80 manual (Vol. 2) does not make a distinction between the various types of counter display. In the section "Using the Counter" in Chapter 2 (Operations in DV mode) -- our local cable channel is SD, and most footage is shot on PD-170's -- the HMC80 manual describes 4 values of COUNTER:
=================== Begin Quote ===============================
1 Press the COUNTER button.
Each time you press the button, the display changes as follows.

0 : 00 . 00 (CAMERA mode only)
Counter value
CLIP 0:00 . 00
Displayed when CLIP is selected in the REC COUNTER item on the settings menu...
TC 12 : 34 : 56 . 01
Time code value
UB 12 34 56 78
User information
No display
Data is not displayed.
================= End Quote =========================

The manual then continues with:

================= Begin Quote =========================
Resetting the counter
Press the RESET button while the counter is displayed.
================= End Quote =========================

I would therefore expect that when TC is displayed pressing the RESET button should reset the timecode. However, while pressing RESET when any of the other counter modes is displayed does reset that counter, pressing RESET when TC is displayed does nothing at all.

On my next shoot, I'll try CLIP rather than TC. Thanks for the suggestion.

--BIll