Sony Digital 8 Manual

							Customizing Your Camcorder
Customizing Your Camcorder41
BAdvanced operations
Customizing Your Camcorder
Changing the menu 
settings
You can change various settings or make 
detailed adjustments using the menu items 
displayed on the screen.
1Turn on the power (p. 15).
2Press MENU.
The menu screen appears.
3Turn the SEL/PUSH EXEC dial to 
select the desired menu, then press the 
dial.
 MANUAL SET (p. 42)
 CAMERA SET (p. 45)
 PLAYER SET (p. 49) ( TRV138/
338)  VCR SET (p. 49) ( TRV280)
 LCD SET (p. 51)
 TAPE SET (p. 52)
 SETUP MENU (p. 55)  OTHERS (p. 57)
4Turn the SEL/PUSH EXEC dial to 
select the desired item, then press the 
dial.
The available menu items vary depending 
on the position of the POWER switch.
Unavailable items will be grayed out.
5Turn the SEL/PUSH EXEC dial to 
select the desired mode, then press the 
dial.
6Press MENU to hide the menu screen.
If you want to change other items, select 
[ RETURN] and press the dial, then 
repeat steps from 3 to 5.
POWER switch
SEL/PUSH EXEC dial MENU
 MANUAL  SET
  PROGRAM  AE
  P  EFFECT
  AUTO  SHTR
[ MENU ]
 : ENDSTBY
[MENU ]
 : END
TAPE  SET
  REC  MODE
  AUDIO  MODE
      REMAIN
  FRAME  REC
  I N T. REC
    RETURNSPSTBY
[MENU ]
 : END
TAPE  SET
  REC  MODE
  AUDIO  MODE
      REMAIN
  FRAME  REC
  I N T. REC
    RETURN AUTO
ONSTBY
[
MENU ]
 : END
TAPE  SET
  REC  MODE
  AUDIO  MODE
      REMAIN
  FRAME  REC
  I N T. REC
    RETURN ONSTBY 
						

							Customizing Your Camcorder42
Using the  
(MANUAL SET) menu
 
– PROGRAM AE/P EFFECT, etc.
You can select items listed below in the 
MANUAL SET menu. To select these items, 
see “Changing the menu settings” (p. 41). The default settings are marked with 
G. The 
settings you can adjust vary depending on the 
power mode of your camcorder. The screen 
shows the items you can operate at the moment. 
Unavailable items will be grayed out.
PROGRAM AE
You can record pictures easily in a situation that requires various techniques by 
selecting the following settings.
* Your camcorder is adjusted to focus only on subjects in the middle to far distance.
 MANUAL  SET
  PROGRAM  AE
  P  EFFECT
  AUTO  SHTR
[ MENU ]
 : END
G  AUTO   Select this when not using PROGRAM AE.
SPOTLIGHT * 
(spotlight) ( ) Select to prevent people’s faces from appearing 
excessively white when subjects are lit by strong 
light, such as in a theater or at a wedding.
PORTRAIT (soft 
portrait) ( ) Select to bring out the subject such as people or 
flowers while creating a soft background.
SPORTS * (sports 
lesson) ( ) Select to minimize shake when shooting fast-
moving subjects such as in tennis or golf.
BEACH&SKI * 
(beach & ski) ( ) Select to prevent people’s faces from appearing 
d ark i n stron g lig ht or refl ect ed  l igh t, s uch as at  a 
beach in midsummer or on a ski slope.
SUNSETMOON
**  (sunset & 
moon) ( ) Select to maintain the atmosphere of situations 
such as sunsets, general night views, fireworks, 
and neon signs.
LANDSCAPE ** 
(landscape) ( ) Select when shooting distant subjects such as 
mountains. This setting also prevents your 
camcorder from focusing on glass or metal mesh 
in windows that comes in between the camcorder 
and the subject. 
						

							Customizing Your Camcorder
Customizing Your Camcorder43
**Your camcorder is adjusted to focus only on distant subjects.
b
Note When you set the NIGHTSHOT PLUS switch to ON, [PROGRAM AE] does not work.
P EFFECT
For TRV138/338:
You can add special effects (such as films) to a picture before recording.  appears when each effect is selected. 
For TRV280:
You can add special effects (such as films) to a picture before or after recording.   appears when each effect is selected. 
bNote For TRV280:You cannot add effects to externally input pictures. Also, you cannot output pictures edited 
with Picture effects via the   DV Interface.
G
OFF Select when not using the Picture effect setting.
NEG.ART Select to record/play the picture with the color 
and brightness of the picture reversed.
SEPIA Select to record/play the picture appearing in sepia.
B&W Select to record/play the picture appearing in monochrome (black-
and-white).
SOLARIZE Select to record/play the picture looking like an 
illustration with strong contrast.
SLIM Select to record the picture appearing vertically 
expanded. (This effect is not available during 
playback.)
STRETCH Select to record the picture appearing 
horizontally expanded. (This effect is not 
available during playback.)
PASTEL Select to record the picture looking like a pale 
pastel drawing. (This effect is not available 
during playback.)
MOSAIC Select to record the picture appearing mosaic-
patterned. (This effect is not available during 
playback.)
,continued 
						

							Customizing Your Camcorder44
zTip  For  TRV280:You can copy pictures edited using picture effects to another tape (p. 61).
 AUTO SHTR
G ON Select to automatically activate the electronic shutter to adjust the 
shutter speed when recording in bright conditions.
OFF Select when recording without using the electronic shutter. 
						

							Customizing Your Camcorder
Customizing Your Camcorder45
Using the  
(CAMERA SET) menu
 
– 16:9 WIDE/STEADYSHOT, etc.
You can select items listed below in the 
CAMERA SET menu. To select these items, see 
“Changing the menu settings” (p. 41). The default settings are marked with 
G. The 
settings you can adjust vary depending on the 
power mode of your camcorder. The screen 
shows the items you can operate at the moment. 
Unavailable items will be grayed out.
D ZOOM
You can select the maximum zoom level in case you want to zoom to a level 
greater than 20 times while recording on a tape. Note that the image quality 
decreases when you are using the digital zoom. This function is useful when 
recording enlarged pictures of a distant subject, such as a bird.
 CAMERA  SET
  D  ZOOM
  1 6 : 9W I DE
  STEADYSHOT
  N. S.  L I GHT
[ MENU ]
 : END
G OFF Select to deactivate the digital zoom. Up to 20 times zoom is 
performed optically.
40  × Select to activate the digital zoom. 20 times through 40 times zoom is 
performed digitally.
990  × Select to activate the digital zoom. 20 times through 990 times zoom 
is performed digitally.
The right side of the bar shows the digital 
zooming zone.
The zooming zone appears when you select 
the zooming level.
,continued 
						

							Customizing Your Camcorder46
16:9 WIDE
For TRV138/338:
You can record a cinema-like picture ([CINEMA] mode) or a 16:9 wide picture 
([16:9 FULL] mode) to watch on the 16:9 wide-screen TV. 
Refer also to the manuals supplied with your TV.
In [CINEMA] mode
In [16:9 FULL] mode
* Picture appears in full screen when the wide-screen TV switches to full mode.
**When you play a picture in 4:3 mode, it appears as you have seen on the LCD screen or in the viewfinder.
G OFF Standard setting (to record pictures to play back on a 4:3 TV). The 
recorded picture will not be wide.
CINEMA ( ) Select to record a picture to be played back in CINEMA mode.
16:9 FULL ( ) Select to record a picture to be played back on a 16:9 wide TV.
When viewed on the LCD screen/viewfinder
When viewed on a 16:9 wide screen TV *
When viewed on a standard TV **
When viewed on the LCD screen/viewfinder
When viewed on a 16:9 wide screen TV *
When viewed on a standard TV ** 
						

							Customizing Your Camcorder
Customizing Your Camcorder47
zTips The ID-1 system sends aspect ratio information (16:9, 4:3, or letter box) by inserting signals between video signals.
 When you record in the [16:9 FULL], the date or time indicator will be widened on wide- screen TVs. 
 For TRV338: The SteadyShot does not work. If you set [16:9 FULL] in the menu settings when the 
SteadyShot is working,   flashes and the SteadyShot does not function.
For TRV280:
You can record a 16:9 wide picture on the tape to watch on a 16:9 wide-screen TV 
([16:9 WIDE] mode).
When you connect your camcorder to a TV compatible with the ID-1/ID-2 system 
and play the tape, the TV switches to full mode automatically.
Refer also to the manuals supplied with your TV.
* Picture appears in full screen when the wide-screen TV switches to full mode.
**In 4:3 mode. When you play a picture in the wide mode, it appears as you have seen on the LCD screen.
z
Tips The ID-1 system sends aspect ratio information (16:9, 4:3, or letter box) by inserting  signals between video signals.
 The ID-2 system sends a copyright protection signal with the ID-1 signals inserted between  video signals in an analog connection.
 The SteadyShot does not work. If you set [16:9 WIDE] to [ON] in the menu settings when  the SteadyShot is working,   flashes and the SteadyShot does not function. 
G
OFF Standard setting (to record pictures to play back on a 4:3 TV). The 
recorded picture will not be wide.
ON ( ) Select to record a picture to be played back on a 16:9 wide TV. The 
recorded picture will be played in full mode when you connect to your 
TV compatible with ID-1/ID-2 systems.
When viewed on the LCD screen
When viewed on a 16:9 wide screen TV *
When viewed on a standard TV **
,continued 
						

							Customizing Your Camcorder48
STEADYSHOT
For TRV338/ TRV280:
You can select this function to compensate for camera-shake.
bNote For TRV280: Camera-shake cannot be completely compensated for in the following cases:
– When recording in a dark place
– When recording a subject with little contrast to the background
– When recording horizontal stripes
– When using the zoom
– When recording a fast moving subject
– When the zoom position is set to the W-end side
N.S. LIGHT
When using the NightShot plus function to record, you can record clearer pictures 
by using the NightShot Light to emit infrared rays (invisible).
G ON Standard setting (enable the SteadyShot function). If you select a 
function that STEADYSHOT cannot work with,   appears.
OFF ( ) Select to deactivate the SteadyShot function. 
Select to shoot a stationary subject with a tripod, or when using a 
conversion lens (optional). Natural pictures are produced.
G ON Select to use the NightShot Light. (p. 28)
OFF Select to disable the NightShot Light. (p. 28) 
						

							Customizing Your Camcorder
Customizing Your Camcorder49
Using the  (PLAYER 
SET)/
 (VCR SET) 
menu
 – HiFi SOUND/EDIT, etc.
You can select the items listed below in the 
menu (the PLAYER SET menu for 
TRV138/338, the VCR SET menu for 
TRV280). To select these items, see 
“Changing the menu settings” (p. 41). The default settings are marked with 
G. The 
settings you can adjust vary depending on the 
power mode of your camcorder. 
The screen 
shows the items you can operate at the moment. 
Unavailable items will be grayed out.
 HiFi SOUND 
For TRV280:
You can select how to play back audio recorded on a tape in stereo mode.
bNotes You can play back a dual sound track cassette on this camcorder. However, you cannot  record a dual sound track on this camcorder.
 The setting returns to [STEREO] when you disconnect the power source from your  camcorder for more than 5 minutes. 
EDIT 
For TRV138/338:
Picture degradation is minimized when you dub or edit a tape using the camcorder 
as the playback device.
bNote The setting returns to [OFF] when you disconnect the power source from your camcorder for more than 5 minutes.
 VCR  SET
  HiFi   SOUND
  AUDIO  MIX
[ MENU ]
 : END
G STEREO Select to play back a stereo tape or dual sound track tape with main 
and sub sound.
1 Select to play back a stereo tape with the left channel sound or a dual 
sound track tape with main sound.
2 Select to play back a stereo tape with the right channel sound or a dual 
sound track tape with sub sound.
G OFF  Select this for no compensation.
ON  Select to minimize picture degradation.
,continued 
						

							Customizing Your Camcorder50
TBC 
For TRV138/338:
DNR 
For TRV138/338:
AUDIO MIX 
For TRV280:
You can adjust the audio balance between ST1 (the originally recorded sound) 
and ST2.
bNotes You cannot adjust sound recorded in 16 bit audio mode.
 Only the originally recorded sound will be heard when you disconnect the power source from your camcorder for more than 5 minutes. 
G
ON Select to correct jitter (horizontal picture shake during playback).
OFF Select to not compensate picture distortion when playing back a tape 
on which you have dubbed repeatedly or recorded TV game signals.
G ON Select to eliminate color noise in the picture.
OFF Select to minimize picture artifacts in a picture containing lots of 
movement.