Sony HDR-XR500 manual

T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index US Click Handycam Handbook HDR- XR500/XR500V/XR520/ XR520V  2009 Sony Corporation 4-131-472- 11 (1)[...]

2 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Using the Handycam Handbook Y ou will find informatio n on using your cam corder to its fullest in this Ha ndycam Ha ndbook. Read the Hand ycam Hand b ook in addition to the Operating G uide (a separate vol ume). Info rmation on using y our camcorder co nnected to a compu ter will b e found in[...]

3 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Using the Handycam Handbook ................................................................. 2 Searching for information quickly ....................................................... 2 Useful recor ding techniques ...................................................................... 6 Part[...]

4 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Acquiring location information ( GPS) (HDR-XR500V/XR520V ) .................. 39 Playback on the camcorder ..................................................................... 41 Playing movies ............................................................................ 41 Viewing photos ....[...]

5 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Inser ting “Memor y Stick PRO Duo” media ........................................... 70 Checking the media information .............................................................. 72 Deleting all movies and photos (F ormatting) ................................................... 72 Prev [...]

6 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Useful rec ording techniques Capturing facial expressions in dim light Getting a good shot of a ski slope or beach L OW LUX ................................................... 35  AUT O BACK LIGHT ...................................... 80 BEACH ..............................................[...]

7 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index P ar ts and controls Figures in ( ) a re referen ce pages.  Built-in microphone (34) When an external micr ophone (sold separately) is co nnected, it takes precedence over the buil t-in microphone.  Active Interface Shoe The Active I nterface Shoe supp lies power to accessories such as a[...]

8 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index  Speaker  ( VIEW IMAGES) button (27, 41)  POWER button (21)  RESET button Press RES ET to initialize all the s ettings including the clock settin g.  DISP (display) button (38)  EASY button (24, 25)  GPS switch (HDR-XR500V/XR520V ) (39)  Access lamp (“Memory Stick PRO[...]

9 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Wir eless Remote Commander  DA T A CODE button (90) Displays the da te and time, camera setting data, or coor dinates (HDR -XR500V/XR520V) of the recor ded images when you pres s this butt on during playback.  PHOT O button (26, 32) The on-screen image when y ou press this butt on will b[...]

10 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Screen indicators U pper left Center Up per r ight B ottom Upper left Indicator Meaning HOME b utton (12) A UDIO MO DE (75) Self-timer recording (107) GPS tracking statu s (39) Y OUR LOCA TION (59) Flash, REDEYE RED UC (79, 84) BL T-IN ZOOM MI C (106) MICREF LEVEL lo w (107) WIDE SELECT (76) [...]

11 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Indicator Meaning 101-0005 Data file name (28, 43)  Prot ected image (63) VISU AL INDEX but ton (28, 43) Indica tors and their positions ar e appr oximate and may differ fr om what you actually see. Some indicato rs may not a ppear depending on the model.  [...]

12 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index “ HOME” and “ OPTION” - T ak ing advantage of two types of menus Using the HOME MENU When yo u press the (HOME) b utton, the HOME MENU a ppears. Y ou can ch ange the settings of yo ur camcorder , etc.  T ouch the desired category  the menu item to be changed. Men u item Catego r[...]

13 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Menu lists List of the HOME MENU (CAMERA) category MOVIE* 1 p. 30 PHOT O* 1 p. 32 SMTH SL W REC p. 37 ( VIEW IMAGES) category VISUAL INDEX* 1 p. 42 MAP* 1 * 3 p. 44 FILM ROLL* 1 p. 45 F ACE* 1 p. 46 PLA YLIST p. 65 (O THERS) categor y DELETE* 1 DELETE p. 57 DELETE p. 57 Y OUR LOCA TION* 1 * 3[...]

14 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index GUIDEFRAME p. 83 FLASH MODE* 1 p. 83 FLASH LEVEL p. 84 REDE YE REDUC p. 84 DIAL SE T TING p. 84 C ONVERSION LENS p. 85 A UT O BACK LIGHT p. 85 F ACE FUNC. SET F ACE DET. SETTING p. 86 SMILE SHUT TER* 2 p . 87 VIEW IMAGES SET / SET p. 88 DA T A CODE p. 88 SOUND/DISP SET VOL UME* 1 p. 91 BEEP* [...]

15 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Read this befor e operating y our camcorder Supplied items The num b ers in ( ) are the s upplied quan tity .  AC A dapto r (1)  P ower cord (M ains lead) (1)  Componen t A/V cable (1)   A/V connecting cable (1)   USB cable (1)   W ireless Remote Comman der (1) A bu[...]

16 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index The viewfinder and the LCD screen are manufactur ed using extremely high-precisio n technology , s o over 99.99% of the p ixels are operational fo r effective use. However , there may be some tin y black points and/or b right points (white , red, blue, or green in co lor) that appear co nstan[...]

17 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index On the drop sensor T o prot ec t the internal har d disk from shock by dro pping, the camcor der has a drop sensor f unction (p. 99). W hen a drop occurs, or under a non-gravi ty condition, the block noise made when this function is activated by the camcorder m ay also be recorded. If the dro[...]

18 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Getting star ted Step 1: Charg ing the batter y pack Y ou can cha rge the “Inf oLITHIUM” bat ter y pack (H series) after attaching i t to your camcor der . Y ou cannot at tach any “I nfoLITHIUM” bat ter y pack other than the H series to your camco rder . 1 T urn off your camcorder by [...]

19 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index See page 119 on recordin g and playing time. When your ca mcorder is on, yo u can check the appr oximate am ount of rema ining battery power with the remaining ba ttery indicator at the u pper left on the LCD screen. Charging time A ppro ximate time (min.) requir ed when you fully charge a fu[...]

20 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Notes on the AC A daptor U se the nearby wall outlet (wall socket) when using the AC A dapto r . Disconnect the AC Ada ptor from the wall outlet (wall socket) immediately if an y malfunction occurs while using your camcorder . Do not use the AC A dapto r placed in a narrow space, such as betw[...]

21 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Step 2: T urning the power on, and setting the date and time 1 Open the L CD screen of your camcorder . Y our camco rder is turned on. T o turn on your ca mcorder when the LCD screen is open, pres s POWER. POWER 2 Select the desired geographical area with / , then touch [NEXT ]. T o set the d[...]

22 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index If the bu tton you to uch does not react correctly , c alibrate the t ouch panel (p. 131). Once the clock is set, the clock time is aut omatically adjusted wi th [AUTO CL O CK ADJ] and [A UTO AREA AD J] set to [ON] (p . 96). The clock may not be ad justed to the correct time aut omatically , [...]

23 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Recording/Pla yback F ive pieces of advice f or successful r ecording Stabilizing your camcorder When yo u hold the camcorder , keep your up p er body upright, and hold yo ur arms close to your body . The SteadySh ot function is effective against camera-shake , however , it is essential that [...]

24 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Recording and pla ying movies and photos easily ( Easy Handycam Opera tion) Simp ly press EAS Y . Y ou can record o r play movies and p hotos easily (Easy Hand ycam operation). During Easy Handy cam operation, yo u can set basic options, such as c hanging the image size or deleting imag es, a[...]

25 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index  Press ST ART/STOP to start recording . [ S T B Y ]  [REC ] T o stop recordin g, press ST ART/STOP a gain. Tips The [REC MODE] is fixed to [HD S P] or [SD SP] (p . 74). Shooting photos  Open the L CD screen of your camcorder . Y our camco rder is turned on. T o turn on your ca mcorde[...]

26 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index  Press MODE t o turn on the (Photo) lamp.  Press PHO T O lightly to adjust the focus, then press it fully . F l a s h e s  Lights up When disappears, the photo is r ecorded on the internal ha rd disk. Playing movies  Open the L CD screen of your camcorder . Y our camco rder is tur[...]

27 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index  Press ( VIEW IMAGES). The VISU AL INDEX screen appears after som e se conds.  T ouch the (or ) tab (  )  a desired movie (  ).  : Displays the H ighlight Playback screen (p. 47).  : Displays the scr een to selec t the index type ([ MAP] (HDR-XR500V/XR520V)/ [ FILM ROLL]/[...]

28 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Y our camco rder starts playing the selected movie. Tips When pla y back from the selected movie reaches the last m ovie, the screen returns to the VIS U AL INDEX screen. Y ou can slow down the p layback spee d by touc hing / during pa use. Y ou can adjust the vo lume by touchin g  ad just[...]

29 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Tips The setting of [D A T A C ODE] is fixed to [D A TE/TIME] (p. 88). T o change the r ecording media, select the recording media on [P HOTO MEDI A SET] (p. 70). T o cancel Easy Handycam operation After you finish r ecording, or close men u setting screen, press EAS Y again. disappears from [...]

30 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Recording Recording movies In the defa ult setting, movies are r ecorded with high definition image q uality (HD) on the internal har d di sk (p . 70, 74).  F asten the grip belt.  Open the L CD screen of your camcorder . Y our camco rder is turned on. T o turn on your ca mcorder when t[...]

31 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index See page 120 on the recorda ble time of movies. The maximum co ntinuous reco rdable time of movies is a bout 13 hours. When a mo vie f ile exceeds 2 GB, the next movie file is crea ted automa tically . Y ou can chan ge the recording media and im age quality (p. 70, 74). [ STEAD YSHOT] i s set[...]

32 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Data code during recor ding The recor ding date, time and co ndition, and coor dinates (HDR -XR500V/XR520V) are recor ded automa tically on the recording media. They ar e not display ed during recordin g. H o wever , you can ch eck them as [DA T A CODE] during playback (p . 88). Shooting phot[...]

33 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index See page 121 on the recorda ble number of phot os. T o change the ima ge size, touch (HOME)  (SETTINGS)  [PHOTO SETTINGS]  [ IMAGE S IZE]  a desired setting    (p . 81). Y ou can record p hotos during movie r ecording by pr essing PHOTO ([Dual Rec], p. 35). Y our camcorde[...]

34 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Useful functions for rec ording movies and photos Zooming Y ou can magnify images up t o 12 times the original size with the power zoom lever or the zoom but tons on the LCD frame . Wider range o f view Close view ( W i d e a n g l e ) ( T e l e p h o t o ) Mo ve the power zoom lever slightly[...]

35 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Notes If you p lay back 5.1ch sound on yo ur camcorder , 5.1ch sound is autom atically converted and o utput in 2ch. T o enjoy the 5.1ch surr ound sound of the movies r ecorded with high definition image quality (HD) in 5.1ch sound, yo u need an A VCHD forma t device compatible with 5.1ch s u[...]

36 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index HDR-XR500V/XR520V Infrared port When yo u want to reco rd images in dim light, set the STD/LO W LUX/NI GHTSHOT switch to LOW L UX. appears, and images will be recor ded brighter than if you do no t use LOW L UX. When yo u set t he STD/LO W LUX/NI GHT SHOT swi tch to NIGHTSHO T , appears, a nd[...]

37 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Recording fast action in slow-motion (SMTH SL W REC ) Fast m oving subjects and actions, which canno t be captured under the o rdinary shooting conditio ns, can be shot in smooth moving s low-motion fo r about 3 seconds. This is useful to shoot fast actions suc h as a golf or tennis swing. ?[...]

38 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Switching the screen displa y, or turning the L CD back light on/off Y ou can swit ch the screen display when you p ress DISP while the power is set to o n. T o turn off the LCD backlight, press an d hold DISP down f or a few seconds until appears. This setting is practical when you use yo ur[...]

39 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index T o assign the menu items to the MANU AL dial  Press and hold MANU AL down for a few seconds.  Rotate the MANU AL dial and select the item to be assigned.  P ress MANU AL. Notes Man ual settings will b e retained even if you ch ange the assigned item of the MANU AL dial. Ho wever , i[...]

40 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Notes The indicato r changes accor ding to the strength of GPS signal reception. T riangulating status GPS indicators GPS reception status Function o f f No indicato r The GPS switch is set to OFF , or the GPS receiv er is not functioning normally . Difficult Y our camcor der cannot find a GP[...]

41 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Pla yback on the camcorder In the defa ult setting, movies and pho tos that are r ecorded on the int ernal hard disk are played (p . 70). Playing movies  Open the L CD screen of your camcorder . Y our camco rder is turned on. T o turn on your ca mcorder when the LCD screen is already open,[...]

42 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index  appears wi th t he movie or p hoto that was most r ecently played or r ecorded. If you t ouch the movie or p hoto with  , you can con tinue playback from the p revious time. (  appears o n the photo r ecorded on “M emory Stick PRO Duo ” media.) Y our camco rder starts playing th[...]

43 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Viewing photos T ouch (Photo) tab   a desired photo  on the VISUAL INDEX screen. Y our camco rder displays the selected photo . Tips When viewing phot os recorded on “ Memory Stick PRO Duo ” media, (playback folder) ap pears on the screen.   Previous T o t he VISU AL INDEX [...]

44 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Useful functions for playing mo vies and photos Searching for a desir ed scene by recording location (Map Index) (HDR- XR500V/XR520V ) Where m ovies and photos w ere recorded is ma rked on a map . Y ou can select a movie or p hoto by reco rding location. Select the recordin g media w hich con[...]

45 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index  T ouch the desired movie or photo . Playback starts from the selected scene. Notes Make sur e that you set the GPS switch to O N prior to recordin g, to be able to create mo vies and photos t hat yo u can search for on the M ap Index (p . 39). The map alwa ys displays the north at the to [...]

46 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index  T ouch / to select the desired movie.  T ouch / to search for the desir ed scene, then touch the scene you wan t to play back. Playback starts from the selected scene. Tips Y ou can also display the [Film Roll I ndex] screen by touching (HO ME)  (VIEW IMA GES)  [ FILM ROLL]. Sear[...]

47 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Notes Faces ma y not be detected depending on recording co nditions. Example: P eople wearing glasses or ha ts, or who do not face towa rds the camera. Make sur e that you set [F ACE DETECTIO N] to [ON] (the default setting) prio r to recording, to searc h m ovies on the F ace Index (p. 86). [...]

48 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index [THEME] Select one of the followin g: [SIMPLE], [NOST ALGIC], [STYLISH], [ACTIVE] (the defaul t setting) The music ca tegory is selec ted aut omatically according t o the t heme. [MUSIC] Fro m the music catego r y , you can select one of the f ollowing: [MUSIC1], [MUSI C2], [MUSIC3], [MUSIC4][...]

49 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index  T ouch date on the screen. The recor ding dates of imag es are displa yed on the screen. Returns to the VISU AL INDEX screen  T ouch / to select the date of the desired image, then touch . The images o f the s elected date ar e displayed on the VIS U AL INDEX screen. Tips On the [Film [...]

50 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index  Adjust the magnification with W ( Wide angle)/T ( T elephoto). T o cancel, touch . Playing back a series of photos (Slide show) T ouch on the photo playback screen. The slide sho w b egins from the selected photo . T o stop the slide show T ouch . T o restart the slide show T ouch again. [...]

51 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Playing images on a T V Connection methods and the image quali ty (hig h definition (HD) or stan dard definition (SD)) viewed on the TV screen differ depending on what type of TV is connected, and the connectors used. Y ou can connect your camco rder to the TV e asily followin g the instruc t[...]

52 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Connecting to a high definition T V High definition imag e quality (HD) movies are p layed back with high definition image quali ty (HD). Standar d definition image quality (S D) movies are pla yed back with standard definition image quality (S D).  (p. 52)  (p. 52) : Signal flow T ype [...]

53 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Some TVs may not function correctly (e.g., no sound o r image) with this connection. Do not connect the HDMI O UT jack of your camcor der and HDMI OUT jack of the external device with the HDMI cable. This m ay cause a malfunction. When the connected device is com patible with 5.1ch surround s[...]

54 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index : S ignal f low T ype Camcorder Cable TV HOME MENU setting (SETTINGS)  [OUTPUT SETTINGS]  [COMPONENT]  [480i] (p . 94) (SETTINGS)  [OUTPUT SETTINGS]  [TV T YPE]  [16:9]/[4:3]* (p . 93) Notes If you co nnect only componen t video plugs, audio signals are no t outpu t. C onnec[...]

55 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index When connecting to your T V via a VCR Connect your camcor der to the LINE IN inpu t on the VCR usin g the A/V connecting cable. Set the input selector o n the VCR to LINE (VID EO 1, VIDEO 2, etc.). When your T V is monaural ( When your T V has only one audio input jack) Connect the yellow plu[...]

56 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index  Operate your camc order with the Remote Commander of the T V . Y ou can do the follo wing operations. to displa y (VIEW IMA GES) or (HOME) by pr essing the SYNC MENU bu tton to displa y an index screen, such as the VISU AL INDEX screen, and play bac k the desired movies or photos b y pres[...]

57 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Editing Deleting movies and photos Y ou can free media space by deletin g movies and p hotos from reco rding media. Select the recording medium tha t contains the movies and p hotos you wan t to delete b efor e starting the operation (p . 70). For m ovies, select the image quality (p . 88). N[...]

58 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index  T ouch / to selec t the recordin g date of the desired mo vies/photos, then to uch . The movies/p hotos recor ded on the selected date are di splayed on the screen. Tips T ouch the image do wn on the LCD screen to confirm the image. T ouch to ret urn to the previous scr een.  T ouch ?[...]

59 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Ac quiring the cur rent location information (HDR- XR500V/XR520V ) Y ou can disp lay the current location o n a map . Set the GPS switch to ON so that y our camcor der can acquire the current loca tion inf orma tion (p. 39). T ouch ( Y OUR LOCA TION) on the recording scr een. The current loca[...]

60 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Capturing a photo from a movie Y ou can sav e a selec ted frame from a recor ded movie as a photo . Select the recording media which con tains movies and the ima ge quality , and the recor ding media where you wan t to save p hotos befo re the operation (p . 70, 88). 1 T ouch (HOME)  (O TH[...]

61 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Dubbing/copying movies and photos from the int ernal hard disk to “Memor y Stick PRO Duo ” media Dubbing movies Y ou can du b movies recorded o n the internal har d disk of your cam corder to “M emory Stick PRO Duo ” media. Insert “M emory Stick PRO Duo ” media into y our camcorde[...]

62 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index [DUB by da te]: Select t he recor ding date o f the movie to be dubbed, then touch . Y ou cannot select multiple dates.  T ouch  [ YES]   . Tips T o check the dubbed movies a fter dubbing is finished, select [MEMOR Y STICK] on [MO VIE MED I A SET] and play them back (p . 70). Copy[...]

63 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Pr otecting recorded movies and photos (Pr otect) Pro tect movies and photos t o avoid deleting them by mistake. Select the recording medium tha t contains the movies and p hotos you wan t to pro tect b efor e starting the operation (p . 70). For m ovies, select the image quality (p . 88). Ti[...]

64 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Dividing a movie Select the recording medium which conta ins the movie and the image q uality you wan t to divide before the o peration (p . 70, 88). 1 T ouch (HOME)  (O THERS)  [EDIT ]  [ DIVIDE]. 2 T ouch the movie to be divided. The selected movie starts playback. 3 T ouch at the [...]

65 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Using the Pla ylist of movies The Playlist is a lis t showing thum bnails of the movies that y ou have selected. The original movies ar e not chang ed e ven if you edit o r delete the movies added to the Playlist. Select the recording media and the ima ge quality you wa nt to crea te, play , [...]

66 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Playing the Playlist Select the recording media and the ima ge quality you wa nt to play a P laylist before t he operatio n (p. 70, 88).  T ouch (HOME)  ( VIEW IMAGES)  [PLA YLIST ]. Mo vies added to the Playlist ap p ear .  T ouch the movie you want to play back. The Playlist is [...]

67 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Creating a disc with a DVD writer , recorder Creating a high definition image quality (HD) disc with a DVD writer , etc. (USB cable connection) Y ou can sav e high def inition imag e quality (HD) movies on a di s c by conn ec ting your camco rder to disc creatio n de vices, such as a Son y DV[...]

68 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index with the devices to be connected. Select the recor ding medium that con tains movies and the image q uality you want t o dub b efor e starting the operation (p . 70, 74). Sony D VD writer may not be ava ilable in some countries/regio ns. Notes Connect your camcor der to the wall outlet (wall [...]

69 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index  Start playback on your camcorder , and record it on the recording devic e. Refer to the instruction man uals supplied with your reco rding device for details.  When dubbing is finished, stop the recording devic e, and then your camcorder . Notes Since dubb ing is performed via analog d[...]

70 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Utilizing recor ding media Changing the recor ding medium Y ou can select the internal har d disk or “M emory Stick PRO Duo ” media as the recor ding, playback, or editing medium o n your camco rder . S elect the medium to be used for movies a nd photos separat ely . In the default settin[...]

71 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index (“M emory Stick PRO-HG Duo ” media) * Marked wi th Mark2 or not, ei ther can be used. See page 119 for the recor dable time of “M emory Stick PRO Duo ” media. “Memory Stick PRO Duo” media/“Memor y Stick PRO-HG Duo” media (This size can be used with your camcor der .) “Memory[...]

72 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Checking the media information Y ou can check the r emaining recor dable time for each r ecording mode of the recor ding media selec ted on [MO VIE MED I A SET] (p . 70), and the app roximat e free and used media space of the recor ding media. Notes During Easy Handy cam operation, you cann o[...]

73 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Pr eventing data on the internal hard disk fr om being reco vered [ EMPTY ] allows you t o wr ite unintelligible da ta onto the in ternal hard disk of the camco rder . In this way , it may become more difficult to reco ver any original data. When y ou dispose of or transfer the camco rder , i[...]

74 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Customizing y our camcorder MOVIE SET TINGS (I tems for rec ording movies) The default set tings are marked with  . / SET Y ou can select image quality f or recordin g, playback, or editing from high definition ima ge quality (HD) or stan dard definition image q uality (SD). Steps (HOME) ?[...]

75 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Notes If you r ecord in the LP mode, the quality of mo vies may be degraded, or scenes with quick mov ements may a ppear with block noise when you pla y back the image. Tips See page 119 for the expected recording time o f each recording mode. Y ou can select the [REC MODE] for each r ecordin[...]

76 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index  OFF Ad justs the white balance aut omatically . ON ( and the adjustment value) Adj usts the white balance manually . Tips When the white balance is set to a lo wer value, images ap pear bluish, and when set to a higher value, images ap pear reddish. Y ou can also adjust the setting man ua[...]

77 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Steps (HOME)  (SET TINGS)  [MOVIE SE T TINGS]  [DIGIT AL ZOOM]  a desired setting    The right side of the bar sho ws the digital zooming factor . The zooming zone a ppears when you select the zooming level.  OFF U p to 12 × zoom is performed optically . 24 × U p to [...]

78 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index If the movie r ecorded with this function [ON] is played back o n a non-x.v .C olor-co mpliant TV , the color may no t b e repr oduced correctly . [X.V .COLOR] canno t be s et to [ON]: When reco rding standard definition im age quality (SD) movies While recor ding a movie. The LCD screen is c[...]

79 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index FLASH MODE Y ou can select the flash setting when you recor d photos using the b uilt-in f lash, or an ext erna l flash (sold separately) tha t is compatib le with your camcor der . Steps (HOME)  (SET TINGS)  [MOVIE SE T TINGS]  [FLASH MODE]  a desired setting     AUT [...]

80 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index  OFF Does not preven t redeye. ON ( ) Preven ts redeye. Notes The redeye reduction ma y not produce the desir ed ef fect due to individ ual dif ferences and o ther condition s. The redeye function does not wo rk with automa tic recording b y [SMILE SHUTTER]. DIAL SET TING Y ou can select a[...]

81 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index PHO T O SE T TINGS (I tems for r ecording photos) The default set tings are marked with  . IMAGE SIZE Y ou can select a photo size t o be shot. Steps (HOME)  (SET TINGS)  [PHOTO SETTINGS]  [ IMAGE SIZE]  a desir ed setting     12.0M ( ) Recor ds photos in the highes[...]

82 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index  OFF Ad justs the exposure aut omatically . ON ( and the adjustment value) Adj usts the exposure manually . Tips Y ou can adjust the a utomatic exposur e level to brighter or dark er when [EXPOSURE] is set to [A UTO]. T ouch if the subject is white or the backlight is bright, o r touch if [...]

83 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index STEAD YSHOT Y ou can com pensate for ca mera shake. Set [ STEADY SHOT] to [O FF] ( ) when using a tripod (s old separatel y), then the image becomes nat ural. Steps (HOME)  (SET TINGS)  [PHOTO SETTINGS]  [ STEADY SHOT ]  a desired setting     ON The SteadySho t functio[...]

84 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Notes The recommended dista nce to the subject when using the built-in flash is about 0.3 to 2.5 m (1 to 8 f eet). Remove an y dust from the surface o f the f lash before using i t. Flash effect may be impaired if heat discoloratio n or dust obscures the lamp . Y ou cannot set this item when [...]

85 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index CONVERSION LENS When using a co nversio n lens (sold separately), use this function to r ecord using the op timum compensa tion for camera sh ake and focus for each lens. Steps (HOME)  (SET TINGS)  [PHOTO SETTINGS]  [CONVERSION LENS]  a desired setting    WIDE CONVERSION [...]

86 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index F ACE FUNC. SE T (Items to set face function) The default set tings are marked with  . F ACE DE T . SE T TING Y ou can adj ust the settings for the F ACE DETECTION function. Steps (HOME)  (SET TINGS)  [F ACE FUNC. SET ]  [F ACE DET . SE T TING]  [F ACE DETEC TION]/[FRAME SE T T[...]

87 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index SMILE SHUT TER Y ou can adj ust the settings for the SMILE S HUT TER function. Steps (HOME)  (SET TINGS)  [F ACE FUNC. SET ]  [SMILE SHUT TER]  [DETEC TION SET ]/[SMILE SENSITIVIT Y ]/[SMILE PRIORITY ]/[FRAME SET TING]  a desired setting     DETEC TION SET The shu t[...]

88 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index VIEW IMAGES SET (Items to customize the display) The default set tings are marked with  . / SET Y ou can select image quality f or recordin g, playback, or editing from high definition ima ge quality (HD) or stan dard definition image q uality (SD). Steps (HOME)  (SET TINGS)  [ VIEW [...]

89 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index CAMERA DA T A M o v i e P h o t o  SteadySho t off  Brightness  White balance  Gain  Shu tter speed  A per ture value  Exposure Tips The data code is displa yed on the T V screen if you connect yo ur camcorder to a TV . Depending on the recor ding media condition, bars [-[...]

90 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index CAMERA DA T A M o v i e P h o t o  SteadySho t off  Brightness  White balance  Gain  Shu tter speed  A per ture value  Exposure COORDINA TES  Latitude  Longitude Tips appears f or a photo recor ded using a flash. The data code is displa yed on the T V screen if you [...]

91 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index SOUND/DISP SET (I tems to adjust the sound and the screen) The default set tings are marked with  . VOL UME Y ou can adj ust the volume o f playback sound. Steps (HOME)  (SET TINGS)  [SOUND/DISP SE T ]  [ VOLUME]  (quieter)/ (louder)    BEEP Steps (HOME)  (SET TINGS[...]

92 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index When you select [BRIGHT], ba ttery life is slightly reduced during r ecording. If you o pen the LCD panel 180 degrees to face the screen outside and c lose t he LCD panel to the camcorder body , the setting becomes [NORMAL] au tomatically . Tips This adjustmen t does not affect the recorded i[...]

93 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index OUTPUT SET TINGS (I tems for when connected to a T V ) The default set tings are marked with  . T V T YPE Y ou need to con vert the signal depending on the T V connected when playing back m ovies and pho tos. The recorded mo vies and photos ar e played back as follo wing illustrations. Ste[...]

94 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index DISP OUTPUT (Display output) Y ou can set where the screen disp lays are to be ou tput. Steps (HOME)  (SET TINGS)  [OUTPUT SE T TINGS]  [DISP OUTPUT ]  a desired setting     L CD P ANEL Shows disp lays such as the time code on the LCD screen. V-OUT/P ANEL Shows displa [...]

95 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index SD CONTENTS Set the outpu t image resolu tion recorded with standa rd definition image quali ty (SD).  AUT O Normal setting (o utputs the signal accordin g to the T V auto matically). 480p Outpu ts the 480p signal. 480i Outpu ts the 480i signal.[...]

96 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index CL OCK/ LANG (Items to set clock and language) The default set tings are marked with  . CL OCK SET See page 21. AREA SET Y ou can adj ust a time difference withou t stoppin g the clock. S et your local area when using your camco rder in other time zones. Refer t o the world time difference[...]

97 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Steps (HOME)  (SET TINGS)  [CLOCK/ LANG]  [AUT O AREA ADJ ]  a desired setting     ON Compensates f or the time difference with the current ar ea automa tically . OFF Does not compensa tes for the time difference with the curren t area aut omatically . Notes Y ou mus t[...]

98 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index GENERAL SE T (Other setup items) The default set tings are marked with  . DEMO MODE When yo ur camcorder is conn ec ted to a wall outlet (wall socket), a demonstra tion movie appear a b out 10 min utes after yo u turn on the (Mo vie) lamp by p ressing MOD E. Steps (HOME)  (SET TINGS) ?[...]

99 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index CALIBRA TION See page 131. A.SHUT OFF (Aut o shut off ) Y ou can set your ca mcorder to turn off a utoma tica lly when you do not o perate your camcor der for more tha n about 5 minu tes. Steps (HOME)  (SET TINGS)  [GENERAL SE T ]  [A.SHUT OFF]  a desired setting     5[...]

100 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Notes Set the drop sensor to [ON] when yo u use the camcorder . O therwis e, if you dr op the camcorder , you may damage the in ternal hard disk. In a non-gra vity situation, the dr op sensor activates. When y ou record images d uring an activity such as roller -coasting or skydiving, yo u c[...]

101 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index F unc tions set in the OPTION MENU I tems you can set only o n the OPTION MENU will be described below . The default set tings are marked with  . SPOT M TR/FCS Y ou can adj ust the brightness and f o cus for the selected subject simulta neously . This function enables yo u to use [SPOT ME[...]

102 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index SPOT FOCUS Y ou can select and adj ust the focal point to aim it a t a subject not located a t the center of the screen. Steps In recording mode, (OPTION)   [SPOT FOCUS]  touch the poin t to be focused within the frame on the screen  [END ]  T o adjust the focus aut omatically[...]

103 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index EXPOSURE Y ou can fix the brightness o f a picture man ually . Ad just the brightness when the sub je ct is too bright or t oo d ark. Steps In recording mode, (OPTION)   [EXPOSURE]  [MANU AL]  (darker)/ (brighter)   T o adjust the exposure a utomatically , touch [A UTO]. Ti[...]

104 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index The focal distance informa tion (distance at which the sub jec t is focused on; used as a guide if it is dark and focus adjus tment is difficu lt) ap pears for a few seconds in the followin g cases. (This information will not displa y correctly if a conver sion lens (sold separately) is bein[...]

105 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index * Adjusted t o focus on subjects farther away only . ** A djusted no t to focus on subjects a short distance awa y . Notes If you set [SCENE S ELECTION], [WHITE BAL.] setting is can celed. Even if y ou set [T WILIGHT POR T .] whi le the (Photo) lam p is lit, the setting changes t o [AUT O] o[...]

106 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index If you set [WHITE B AL.], [SCENE SELECTION] is set to [A UTO]. Tips If you h ave changed the ba tter y pack while [A UTO] was selected, or taken your camco rder outdoors after inside use (or vice versa), select [A UTO] and aim y our camcorder a t a nearby white object for abo ut 10 seconds f[...]

107 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index MICREF LEVEL (Microphone referenc e level) Y ou can select the microph one level for r ecording sound. Steps In recording mode, (OPTION)   [MICREF LE VEL]  a desired setting    NORMAL Records va rious ambient so unds, converting them int o the appro priate level. L OW ( ) R[...]

108 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index T roubleshooting T roubleshooting If yo u run into any p roblems using y our camcor der , use the following list to troubles hoot the problem. I f the problem persists, disconnect the power sour ce and contact yo ur S on y dea ler . Overall operations/Easy Ha ndycam operation/ W ireless Remo[...]

109 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index The (OPTION) button is not displayed. The OPTION MENU ca nnot be used during Easy Handy cam operation. The menu settings have changed automatically . During Easy Handy cam operation, nearly all the menu it ems will b e aut omatically set to the default settings. Some menu i tems, such as [ I[...]

110 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index prob lem persists, replace the battery pack with a new one (p . 130). The indicated time ma y not be correct depending on the en vironment of use. The battery pack is quickly discharged. The amb ient temperat ure is too high or low . This is not a malfunction. The battery pack has not been c[...]

111 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index The tempera ture of your ca mcorder is extremely lo w . T urn off your camcor der and take it to a warm place. Leav e the camcorder there for a while, then turn o n the camcorder . Photos cannot be recor ded. Y ou cannot reco rd photos together wi th: [SMTH SL W REC] [F ADER] The AC CESS/acc[...]

112 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index The subjects passing by the screen very fast appear crooked. This is called the focal plane phenomeno n. This is not a malfunction. Because of the way the image device (CMOS sensor) reads o ut image signals, the subjects passing b y the lens rapidly migh t appear crooked depending o n the re[...]

113 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Sounds cannot be reco rded while shooting an about-3-second m ovie using [SMTH SL W REC]. Left and right sound will be heard unbalanced when playing back movies on computers or other devices. This hap p ens when sound recor ded in 5.1ch surround is co nverted to 2ch (normal ster eo sound) by[...]

114 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index The top , bottom, right, and left edges of images are trimmed slightly on a connected T V . The LCD screen of yo ur camcorder can display r ecording images acr oss the entire screen (full pixel displa y). However , this may cause slight trimming o f the top, bot tom, right, and left edges of[...]

115 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Cannot use Because of following settings [FRAME SETTING] NightS hot, [SMTH SL W REC] [SCENE SELECTION] NightS hot, LOW L UX, [F ADER], [TELE MACRO] Self-diagnosis display/Warning indicators If indica tors ap pe ar on the LCD screen o r viewfinder , check the following. If the pr oblem persis[...]

116 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index The image da ta b ase file may be damaged. Check the data base file by touching (HOME)  (MAN AGE MEDI A)  [REP AIR IMG.DB F .]  the recording medium. The “M emory Stick PRO Duo ” media are damaged. ( Warning indicators pertaining to “Memory Stick PRO Duo” media formatting) T[...]

117 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index The Image Database File is damaged . Do you want to cr eate a new file? HD movie management information is damaged. Creat e new information? The image ma nagement file is damaged . When you to uch [YES], a new image managemen t file is created. The old r ecorded images on the media cannot be[...]

118 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Data protected. Y ou tried to delete prot ec ted data. Release the pro tect ion of the da ta. [...]

119 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Additional inf ormation Recording time of movies/number of recor dable photos “HD ” stands for high definitio n image quality , and “ SD” s tands for standar d image quality . Expected time of recording and playback with each battery pack Recording time A ppro ximate time ava ilable [...]

120 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Expected recording time of movies Internal hard disk High definition image quality (HD) (unit: hour min ute) Recording mode Recording time HDR-XR500 HDR- XR500V [HD FH] 14 h 30 m 14 h 30 m [HD HQ] 29 h 40 m 29 h 30 m [HD SP] 36 h 35 h 50 m [HD LP] (5.1ch) * 48 h 10 m 47 h 50 m [HD LP] (2ch) [...]

121 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index (unit: minu te) SD 9M (HQ) SD 6M (SP) SD 3M (LP) 5.1ch* SD 3M (LP) 2ch* 8GB 115 (100) 170 (100) 325 (215) 355 (230) 16GB 230 (205) 340 (205) 655 (435) 715 (460) * Y ou can change the r ecording sound forma t with [A UDIO MO DE] (p. 75). Notes Num bers in the table are based on using a Son y [...]

122 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Using your camc order abroad Po wer supply Y ou can use your ca mcorder in an y countries/r egions using the AC A dapto r supp lied with your camcorder wi thin the AC 100 V t o 240 V , 50 Hz/60 Hz ran ge. Viewing high definition image quality (HD) movies In coun tries/regions where 1080/60i [...]

123 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Setting to the local time Y ou can easily set the clock to the local time by setting a time difference when usin g your camcor der abroad. T ouch (HOME)  (SETTINGS)  [CLOCK/ LANG]  [AREA SET] and [DS T SET]/[SU MMERTIME] (p . 96). HDR-XR500V/XR520V When [A UTO CLOCK ADJ] and [A UTO [...]

124 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index F ile/folder structure on the internal har d disk and “Memor y Stick PRO Duo ” media The file/folder structure is sho wn below . Y ou do not usually need to acknowledge the file/ folder structure, when r ecording/pla ying back movies and pho tos on the camcorder . T o enjoy movies or p h[...]

125 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Do not modify the files or folders on the camcorder fr om the compu ter . The image files may be destro yed or may not be pla yed back. Operation is not gua ranteed, if you perform the above opera tion. When you de lete image files, follow the steps on page 57. Do not delet e the image files[...]

126 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index reach the camcor der as follows. In tunnel s, indoors or under the shade of buildings. Between tal l buildings or a t narrow streets surrounded b y buildings. In undergr ound locations, locations surrounded b y dense trees, under an elevated bridge, or in loca tions where magnetic fields are[...]

127 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index On the map data The camcor der contains ma p data for the following co untries/regions. Euro pe, Japan, N orth America, Oceania, etc. Built-in ma p is powered by com panies as follows; M ap of J apan by Zenrin Co., Ltd ., other areas by N A V TEQ. The map da ta included is as of the date o f[...]

128 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index T ypes of “Memory Stick” media Recor ding/Playback “M emory Stick Duo ” media (with MagicGa te) — “M emory Stick PRO Duo ” media  “M emory Stick PRO-HG Duo ” media  * * This product does not su pport 8-bit parallel data transfer b ut it supports 4-bi t parallel data t[...]

129 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index On image data compatibility Image da ta fi les recorded o n “Memo r y Stick PRO Duo ” media by your camcor der conform to the “Design rule for Camera File syst em ” universal standar d established by the JEIT A (Japan Electro nics and Informa tion T echnology Indus tries Association)[...]

130 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index About storage of the battery pack If the bat ter y pack is not used for a lon g time, fully charge the ba tter y pack and use it up o n your camco rder once a year to main tain proper function. T o store the ba ttery p ack, remo ve it from your ca mcorder and pu t it in a dr y , co ol place.[...]

131 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index When not using your camcor der for a long time T o keep your camco rder in optimum sta te for a long time, turn i t on and let it run by reco rding and playin g back images about once a mo nth. U se up the battery pack complet ely before storing i t. Moisture condensation If your ca mcorder [...]

132 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index About care and storage of the lens W ipe the surface of the lens clean with a soft cloth in the follo wing instances: When there a re fingerprints on the lens surface In hot o r humid locations When the lens is exposed to salty air such as at the seaside Stor e in a well-ventilated locatio n[...]

133 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index MANNER TH A T COMPLIES WITH THE MPEG-2 ST ANDARD FOR EN CODING VIDEO INFORMA TION FOR P ACKA GED MEDIA IS EXPRESSL Y PROHIBITED WITHOUT A LICENSE UNDER AP PLICABLE P A TENTS IN THE MPEG-2 P A TENT PORTFO LIO, WHI CH LICENSE IS A V AIL ABLE FROM MPEG LA, L.L.C., 250 STEELE STREET , SUITE 300,[...]

134 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Symbols 1080i/480i .................................... 94 16:9 ............................................... 93 4:3 ................................................. 93 480i ............................................... 94 5.1ch surround r ecording ..........34 A A.SHUT OFF ............[...]

135 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index MAN AGE MEDI A ..................... 70 MANU AL dial............................. 38 Map I ndex.................................... 44 MEDI A FORMA T ...................... 72 MEDI A INFO ............................. 72 “M emory Stick” ........................... 70 “M emory Stick” [...]

136 T able of Contents Useful Recording T echniques Index Addi tional information o n this product and answers t o frequently asked ques tions can be found a t our Custom er Support W ebsite. http://www.son y.net/[...]