LCD Indicator and Symbols While Recording Explained

When recording, there are a number of LCD indicator symbols that mean a variety of different things. There are lots of different symbols that are all designed to tell you different things about your video camera, and understanding what these different symbols mean it will be much easier to work out what your camcorder is trying to tell you.

Although every digital video camera is slightly different, most of the symbols are similar or the same. If you're not sure what a specific symbol means, then you can always check it out in the instruction manual for your camcorder.

Remaining Battery

Your digital video camera needs batteries to provide the electricity they need while still being portable. The remaining battery symbol is a visual indication of how much power is left inside the battery. It's important to keep an eye on the amount of power remaining so that you're able to take videos whenever you want.

The remaining battery symbol generally looks like a small battery. This has a number of small lines inside that illustrate how much power is remaining inside the batteries.

Recording Format

Most video cameras are capable of recording in a number of different formats. These different formats are in different sizes and different qualities. Adjusting the format is useful because it makes it possible to fit more onto the tape or media. The recording format will normally be displayed in pixels or initials such as SD or HD showing Standard Definition or High Definition.

Experiment with the different recording modes so that you can reduce the size of the videos and make more fit onto the tapes.

Remaining Capacity

Digital video cameras will record onto either tapes, hard drives, memory cards, or DVDs. Whatever media your camera uses, there will be limited capacity. The remaining capacity is displayed on the screen showing a countdown. Taking a look at the remaining capacity will make it easy to know when you need to change the tapes.

LCD Illumination

The LCD illumination is the brightness of the screen. This will normally only be shown on the screen when you adjust the brightness in the settings menu. The brighter the screen, the quicker the battery will run out because more power is required. Where possible set the screen to as low a value as possible.

Warning Symbols

If anything is wrong with the video camera, then various symbols will be displayed on the screen. If the tape or memory card isn't loaded correctly, then a warning symbol will be displayed on the screen. Every camera has different types of warning symbols. Read the instruction manual to find out exactly what these symbols mean.

Time Code

The time code is the time information which is written onto the mini DV tape. If there are any errors in this time code, then they can stop the tapes from working correctly. Any time code errors will be shown as a symbol on the screen.


If your DV camera supports digital zoom then this should be displayed on the screen. Zooming in should change the symbol so that you can get an idea of your camera's settings.

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