What are the approximate recording times of the filming

XHQ mode: Approximately 11 hours, 40 minutes
HQ mode: Approximately 23 hours, 40 minutes
SP mode: Approximately 47 hours, 20 minutes
LP mode: Approximately 144 hours, 20 minutes

Oh my, sounds like you accidentally recorded in "Time Lapse" mode (one of the specialized video features of your camera). Unfortunately, there's no way to convert the already taken video back to "Standard" video with sound, I'm sorry. However, you'll obviously need to set your camera back to standard mode for future videos. Press the "Function" button while in video mode. Then press left/right to select "Standard" video.

The amount of recording time on a disc depends on the recording mode selected. The approximate recording time for each of these modes is listed below:

HQ (High Quality): Recordable time is up to 20 minutes.

SP (Standard Play): Recordable time is up to 30 minutes.

LP (Long Play): Recordable time is up to 60 minutes.

NOTE: If you record in LP mode, the quality of the scenes may be degraded, or scenes with quick movement may appear with a block noise when you play back the disc.

First, try to refinalize the disc if it failed the first time by going into the edit menu. Sometimes finalization just fails the first time.

If you are recording on 2-hr mode, and the length of your recording is an 1hr 50 min or more, there will not be enough space left on the disc to finalize. Going forward, your best solution would be to record in 3- or 4-hour mode for every 2 hrs worth of recording (6-hour mode for 3-5 hours of recording, etc.). Just to quickly decipher recording modes: 2-hr mode (sometimes called SP Mode, depending on DVD player) will record about 2 hours worth of material on a standard blank DVD (but some extra space would be required for finalization); 4-hour mode would record 4 hours worth of material on a standard DVD; 6-hour mode would record 6 hours, etc.

As far as salvaging the recordings you have already made - load the burned, yet unfinalized DVD's into your computer. Copy the files onto the desktop or some easy-to-find location on your computer. Then use a program, free or otherwise (I personally reccomend Nero or Roxio), to re-burn the discs. The newer version of Nero automatically finalizes the disc, but some software requires you to select an option that allows you to "close disc" or "finalize" the disc. (In computer lingo, "closing" means the same thing as "finalizing").

Good luck!

-Tha Mp3 Doctor

This sounds like the CCD sensor is faulty ( this is the device that generates picture in both v-cams and normal digital cameras and sits behind the lens ). Playback is fine but no image ( or very 'noisy' image ) in capture mode. Easy to repair but one has to put a new CCD block in.

Full size image: Approximately 48 seconds for Super Fine images, 5 seconds for Fine, 2 seconds for Standard, 1.5 sec for Economy Half size image: Approximately 12 seconds for Super fine images, 1.8 second for Fine, 1.5 second for Standard, 1.3 second for Economy. The recording time may vary according to the scenes.

Still image Image Size: 2272x1704 / 1600x1200 / 1280x960 / 640x480 Econ : 570KB/390KB/300KB/160KB Std : 1050KB/660KB/620KB/240KB Fine : 2100KB/1050KB/680KB/320KB Movie 15fps 640x480 Fine: 750KB/s 640x480 Standard : 500KB/s 320x240 Stanadrd : 230KB/s [Movie] 30fps 640x480 Fine : 1500KB/s 640x480 Standard : 1000KB/s 320x240 Standard : 450KB/s Since the image size may vary depending on scenes, subjects, and storage media, these are approximate values only.

Approximate number of recording images : AA size Alkaline batteries: 240 frames *1 AA size Ni-MH batteries (2500mAh): 420 frames *1 Test condition Conforming to CIPA(Camera & Imaging Products Association): *1: LCD monitor on, Full-size images: 2560x1920, Standard image quality, No instant playback, Flash used with 50% of the frames, No full-time AF, one image at every 30 sec., turning the power on/off at every ten images. Approximate period of playback images: Test condition Based on Konica Minolta's standard test method: AA size Alkaline batteries: 240 min. AA size Ni-MH batteries (2500mAh): 330 min. *Since the performance may vary depending on conditions, recording mode, and subjects, these are approximate values only.

• Extra Fine mode (3-9Mbps record speed): Approx. 20 min. minimum per side. • Fine mode (6Mbps record speed): Approx. 30 min. per side (1 hour total). • Standard mode (3Mbps record speed): Approx. 1 hr. per side (2 hours total).

Variable Bit Rate recording is activated in the Extra Fine filming mode and solely with the use of DVD-RAM discs. In this mode, the incoming video data is analyzed and the bit rate is dynamically adjusted to optimize the compression of any given sequence. The benefits are higher quality videos and reduced file sizes, which results in efficient use of the amount of available disc space.