Academic Technology Center

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Sony Handycam Hard Disk Drive Camcorder Instructions

These instructions apply to the Sony Handycam Hard Disk Drive camcorders that are available for checkout from the ATC.

Inserting the Battery

The Handy Cam uses a NP-FH60 battery. To insert the battery:

Make sure the arrow is facing up.
Align the battery grooves with the grooves in the camcorder.
Push the battery up to lock it into place.

Tip

To remove the battery, press the release on the bottom of the camcorder. Push in the direction the arrow indicates to release the battery.

External Settings

No tape is required for this camcorder. The hard drive is built into the camcorder and will automatically record and save your media.

The display is located on the left of the camcorder. Pull open the display to view it.
Power the camcorder on by pushing the green button and rotating the button clockwise.

To turn the camcorder off, rotate the button counter-clockwise.
The green light to the right of the button indicates whether the camcorder is in movie mode or photo mode.

The shiny, silver button furthest to the right allows you to record and pause your video when in movie mode.
Directly above the power button is the photo button, which allows you to take still images when in photo mode.

Easy Mode

You can put the camcorder in Easy Mode for simple filming or photos.

Press the Easy button on the left of the camcorder (not on the display). If the camcorder is in easy mode, a cyan-blue colored box with the work EASY appears on the left side of the display screen.

Touch Screen Internal Setup

Press the Home button to enter the menu. The Home button displays a house in a blue-colored box. The bottom of the display gives you five options: Camera, View Images, Others, Manage HDD/Memory, and Settings.

CAMERA

The external display by the Power button also displays the mode you are in, determined by the location of the green light.

Select MOVIE to put the camcorder in movie mode.
Select PHOTO to put the camcorder in photo mode.

VIEW IMAGES

VISUAL INDEX allows you to view videos and photos.

Use the arrows to navigate through the pictures and videos.
Select the video or picture you want to view. The video will automatically play. You can play, fast forward, rewind, or jump to the next video or picture.

OTHERS

DELETE

DISK

Check off the videos you want to delete.
Keep you finger on the videos to view them first. They will automatically play.
Press Video again to uncheck them if you decide not to delete them.
Press OK.
Confirm to delete YES/NO.

CARD

Make sure the memory card is inserted in the camcorder. Pictures must be saved on the card and not on the drive.

To change the recording media of still images, touch the Option key on the main menu (lower right corner, contains a plus sign and three horizontal lines).
Press the fourth option that looks like a suitcase in the lower right corner.
Press the STILL MEDIA option to choose HDD or MEMORY STICK.

MANAGE HDD/MEMORY

FORMAT

Formatting will completely reset the hard disk or card and delete all of your clips and photos. Do not format unless you have backed up all your files to a computer or CD, or all media will be lost from the hard drive.

SETTINGS

Photo Settings

Image Size

6.1 M (best) - (2848 x 2136 pixels)
3.1 M - (2048 x 1536 pixels)
0.3 M VGA - (2048 x 1536 pixels)

Still Media

Sound Settings

Volume
Beep

Clock Language

Additional Options - Non-Easy Mode

Press the Easy button located on the left of the camcorder (not on the display). If the camcorder is successfully taken out of easy mode, the cyan-blue colored box with the word EASY disappears from the left side of the display screen.

CAMERA

SMITH SLW REC (slow record mode)

Slow record mode is used for taking three to four seconds of fast action video, such as a golf swing. While in this mode, you must not press Record until the action happens. The camcorder will say that it is buffering when you are filming.
After you have shot your clip, the camcorder says it is recording. When it is done recording, you can press Record again as many times as needed.

VIEW IMAGES

PLAYLIST - Allows you to create separate bins for clips. For example, if there are clips that you like more than others, you can group them here.

In the lower left corner of the screen, press the Add button, which will display every clip you recorded.
Choose the clips you want to put in a playlist together and press Add.
Press OK to return to the playlist with your selected clips.
Press the Play button on the first clip to view the selected clips in order.

OTHERS

EDIT - DIVIDE - The edit feature allows you to divide a clip into two clips.

Select the clip you want to divide. The clip will begin to play.
Using the Rewind and Fast Forward buttons, choose the frame where you want to divide the clip.
When you have selected the correct point in the clip, press OK.
When asked Divide?, choose YES or NO. The screen will say Executing... completed.
Press OK.

PLAYLIST EDIT - the playlist edit feature allows you to erase, erase all, and move clips.

ERASE

Choose the clip you want to erase. You can press and hold a clip to preview it before you erase it.
When the clip you want to erase is checked off, press OK.
When asked Erase?, select YES or NO. The screen will say Executing... completed.

ERASE ALL

When asked Erase?, select YES or NO.
Press OK.

MOVE - allows you to rearrange clips into a different order.

Check off the clip you want to move.
Use the arrows to move the red vertical line to the desired point between other clips.
Press OK.
When asked Move?, select YES or NO. The screen will say Executing... completed.
Press OK.

PRINT - if you have a PictBridge compatible printer

Choose to print images from the disk or card.
Select the image you want to print.
Press the Add button in the lower right corner of the screen to choose the number of copies you want to print.
Use the - and + symbols to add or subtract copies.
Press Return in the upper left corner.
Press EXEC in the lower left corner to print.

COMPUTER - to transfer files to your computer

Attach the camcorder to the base station by lining up the connections on the bottom of the camcorder with the connections on the base station.
Plug in the USB cable from the base station to the computer.
Plug in the power cord from the base station to a power outlet.
Choose to transfer files from the disk or the card. The camcorder will display Preparing... connecting... do not unplug the USB cable... do not turn off the power.
A window may appear on your computer asking what you want to do with the files. If so, choose the option Open folder to view files. Images are in the DCIM folder. Video clips are in the MP_ROOT folder.

DISK BURN - to transfer files to your computer.

Settings

MOVIE SETTINGS

Record Mode

HQ (high quality) 9M
SP (standard play - recommended) 6M
LP (low play quality, but gives you more space) 3M

NIGHTSHOT LIGHT - turns infrared light on in NIGHTSHOT mode

ON/OFF

DIGITAL ZOOM - sets zoom function using digital processing

OFF (optical zoom only is on) / 20X (magnification in digital zoom field)

STEADYSHOT - compensates for camera shake in recording

ON/OFF

AUTO SLOW SHUTTER - for taking bright pictures in dark surroundings

ON/OFF

GUIDEFRAME - for displaying vertical/horizontal guide frame

ON/OFF

ZEBRA - for displaying stripes to adjust brightness

OFF
70 - stripes appear in area with 70 IRE brightness
100 - stripes appear in area with 100 IRE brightness

REMAINING - movie capacity

AUTO - briefly displays remaining movie capacity
ON - constantly displays remaining movie capacity

FLASH LEVEL

HIGH - increases the flash brightness
NORMAL - sets the flash brightness to normal level
LOW - reduces the flash brightness

REDEYE REDUCER - reduces redeye in flash pictures

ON/OF

Maintained by itweb@wpi.edu
Last modified: Aug 24, 2007, 15:35 EDT