Sony Digital Camcorder DSR PD170 Operating Instructions

							Recording – Basics
21
Recording a picture
Adjusting the brightness of the LCD screen
To adjust the brightness of the LCD screen, press LCD BRIGHT + or –.
The battery life is longer when the LCD panel is closed. Use the viewfin\
der instead of
the LCD screen to save the battery power.
On the LCD screen backlight
You can change the brightness of the backlight. Select LCD B.L. in the m\
enu settings
(p. 105).
Even if you do the LCD screen adjustment using the LCD BRIGHT +/– but\
tons, or
using LCD B.L. and LCD COLOR items in the menu settings
The recorded picture will not be affected.
Recording in a low position
You can record in a low position to get an interesting recording angle. \
Lift up the
viewfinder or rotate the LCD panel with the screen facing up to record f\
rom a low
position. In this case, it is useful to use the REC START/STOP located o\
n the handle or
front of the camcorder.
LCD BRIGHT
To brighten
To darken
RECSTART/ STOP
START/
STOP
REC 
						

							22
After recording
(1 ) Set the POWER switch to OFF (CHG).
( 2 ) Close the LCD panel.
( 3 ) Eject the cassette.
( 4 ) Remove the battery pack.
Adjusting the viewfinder
If you record pictures with the LCD panel closed, check the picture with\
 the viewfinder.
Adjust the viewfinder lens to your eyesight so that the images in the vi\
ewfinder come
into sharp focus.
Lift up the viewfinder and move the viewfinder lens adjustment lever.
To adjust the brightness of the viewfinder screen, use the VF B.L. item \
in the menu
settings (p. 105).
Even if you adjust the viewfinder screen backlight
The recorded picture will not be affected.
The eyecup
You can attach the eyecup with the large part of it located on both left\
 and right.
See page 164 for details.
Recording a picture
Viewfinder adjustment lever 
						

							Recording – Basics
23
W
T
TW
TW
Recording a picture
Using the zoom feature
To zoom using the zoom lever/handle zoom leverPress the power zoom lever a little for a slower zoom. Press it deeper f\
or a faster zoom.
Using the zoom function sparingly results in better-looking recordings.
“T” side: for telephoto (subject appears closer)
“W” side: for wide-angle (subject appears farther away)
When using the handle zoom lever, you can change the zooming speed using\
 the
handle zoom switch.
H: Fast
L: Slow
Notes
•When the handle zoom switch is set to OFF, you cannot operate the handle\
 zoom
lever.
• The handle zoom switch does not interlock with the zoom lever of the cam\
corder.
When you shoot close to a subject
If you cannot get a sharp focus, press the “W” side of the power z\
oom lever until the
focus is sharp. You can shoot a subject that is at least about 80 cm (a\
bout 2 feet 5/8 inch)
away from the lens surface in the telephoto position, or about 1 cm (ab\
out 1/2 inch)
away in the wide-angle position.
To zoom with the zoom ringUsing the zoom ring, you can control the zoom by your desired speed and \
you can
make fine adjustments.
During recording, turn the zoom ring to the desired speed.
Note
If you turn the zoom ring quickly, the zoom may not respond to the zoom \
ring
adjustment. Rotate the zoom ring with appropriate speed.
Handle zoom switch
Zoom ring
For telephoto
For wide-angle 
						

							24
Recording a picture
Using the digital zoom – Zoom greater than 12×
Zoom greater than 12× is performed digitally, if you set D ZOOM to  24× or 48×  in the
menu settings. The digital zoom function is set to OFF as a default sett\
ing (p. 105). If
you use the digital zoom function, the picture quality deteriorates.
You cannot use the digital zoom:
– When you set PROG. SCAN to ON in the menu settings (p. 105).
– When the POWER switch is set to MEMORY.
Indicators displayed during recording
The indicators are not recorded on the tapes.
[a ]Remaining battery time
This appears after you turn on the power and wait for a while.
[ b ]Cassette memory
This appears when using a tape with cassette memory.
[ c ] STBY/REC
[ d ]Time code/User bits
[ e ]Remaining tape
This appears after you insert a cassette.
[ f ] Guide frame
[ g ]DVCAM format/DV format in SP mode
[ h ]Audio mode
[ i] Time
[ j] ND filter
The most suitable mode will flash regardless of the current mode.
When you have selected it, the ND filter mode displayed on the LCD scree\
n or in the
viewfinder will disappear.
[ k ]Date
00:00:00:01
12:05:56PM 32K
DVCAM
45min40minREC
ND
1
[a] [b] [c]
[k]
[j] [i] [g]
[h] [e]
[f] [d]
JUL  4 2003
T
W
The right-ended portion of the bar shows the
digital zooming zone.
The digital zooming zone appears when you
set D ZOOM to 
24× or 48× . 
						

							Recording – Basics
25
Recording a picture
Time code
The time code indicates the recording or playback time, “00:00:00:00”\
 (hours : minutes :
seconds : frames). You cannot rewrite only the time code. You can prese\
t the time code.
The time code can be preset or be reset during recording (p. 90). You \
can select the drop
frame or non-drop frame system using the menu.
On user bits display
You can display the user bits, pressing TC/U-BIT (p. 94).
Remaining tape indicator
The indicator may not be displayed accurately depending on the tape.
Note on date/time
Recording date/time is not displayed during shooting, however, it is aut\
omatically
recorded on the tape. You can check the recording date/time during playb\
ack by
pressing DATA CODE. When you want to display the date and time during sh\
ooting,
set DATE REC to ON in the menu settings. However, once you record with t\
he date and
time, you cannot erase them.
Shooting backlit subjects (BACK LIGHT)
When you shoot a subject with the light source behind the subject or a s\
ubject with a
light background, use the backlight function.
Press BACK LIGHT in standby, recording, or memory mode.
The . indicator appears on the LCD screen or in the viewfinder.
To cancel, press BACK LIGHT again.
If you press SPOT LIGHT when using the backlight function
The backlight function will be canceled and the spot light function will\
 be enabled.
When you manually adjust more than two of the following functions: iris,\
 gain,
and shutter speed
You cannot use the backlight function.
FA D E RBACK LIGHT SPOT LIGHT
BACK LIGHT 
						

							26
Recording a picture
Spot light
This function prevents people’s faces, for example, from appearing ex\
cessively white
when shooting subjects lit by strong light, such as in the theater.
Press SPOT LIGHT in standby, recording, or memory mode.
The 
 indicator appears on the LCD screen or in the viewfinder.
To cancel, press SPOT LIGHT again.
If you press BACK LIGHT when using the spot light function
The spot light function will be canceled and the backlight function will\
 be enabled.
You cannot use the spotlight mode while in the following settings:
– Old movie
– Shutter speed value of 1/30 or smaller
– When you manually adjust more than two of the following functions: iris,\
 gain, and
shutter speed
FA D E RBACK LIGHT SPOT LIGHT
SPOT LIGHT 
						

							Recording – Basics
27
END SEARCH
EDITSEARCH
Checking the recording
– END SEARCH / EDITSEARCH / Rec Review
You can use these buttons to check recorded pictures or shoot so that th\
e transition
between the last recorded scene and the next scene you record is smooth.\
Searching the end point of the recording — END SEARCH
You can easily go to the end of the last recorded portion.
Press END SEARCH in standby mode.
The camcorder rewinds or fast-forwards the tape and the last five-second\
 recorded
picture is played back. After playback the camcorder turns to standby mode. You can
monitor the sound from the speaker or headphones.
Changing the next recording start point — EDITSEARCH
You can change the next recording start point in standby mode.
Hold down the +/– side of EDITSEARCH in standby mode. The recorded pi\
cture is
played back.
+:to go forward
–: to go backward
Release EDITSEARCH to stop playback. If you press START/STOP, re-recordi\
ng begins
from the point you released EDITSEARCH. You cannot monitor the sound.
Checking the last recorded picture — Rec Review
You can check the last recorded portion.
Press the – 7 side of EDITSEARCH momentarily in standby mode.
The last few-seconds of picture is played back and the camcorder returns\
 to standby.
You can monitor the sound from the speaker or headphones.
End search function
When you use a tape without cassette memory, the end search function doe\
s not work
once you eject the cassette after you have recorded on the tape. If you \
use a tape with
cassette memory, the end search function works even once you eject the c\
assette.
If there is a blank portion at the beginning or between the recorded por\
tions, the end
search function may not work correctly (p. 142). 
						

							28
— Playback – Basics —
Playing back a tape
You can monitor the playback picture on the LCD screen. If you close the\
 LCD panel,
you can monitor the playback picture in the viewfinder. You can also con\
trol playback
using the Remote Commander supplied with your camcorder.
(1 ) Install the power source and insert the recorded tape.
( 2 ) Set the POWER switch to VCR while pressing the small green button. The
video control buttons light up.
( 3 ) Slide OPEN in the direction of the  B mark to open the LCD panel.
( 4 ) Press  m to rewind the tape.
( 5 ) Press  N to start playback.
( 6 ) To adjust the volume, press either of the VOLUME +/– buttons .
To stop playbackPress  x.
4
2
6
1
3
VOLUME
5
POWER
OFF
(CHG)
CAMERAMEMORY
VCR
PLAYREW 
						

							29
Playback – Basics
Playing back a tape
When monitoring on the LCD screen
You can turn the LCD panel over and move it back to the camcorder body w\
ith the LCD
screen facing out.
When you close the LCD panel
You cannot monitor the sound from the speaker. However, when the LCD pan\
el is
turned over to view on the LCD screen, you can monitor the sound from th\
e speaker.
To control the display of the screen indicators
Press DISPLAY on the camcorder or on the Remote Commander supplied with \
your
camcorder.
The indicators appear on the LCD screen or in the viewfinder.
To make the indicators disappear, press DISPLAY again.
DATA CODE
DISPLAY
DATA CODE
DISPLAY 
						

							30
Playing back a tape
Using the data code functionYour camcorder automatically records not only images on the tape but als\
o the
recording data (date/time or various settings when recorded) (Data code).
Press DATA CODE on the camcorder or on the Remote Commander supplied wit\
h
your camcorder in playback mode.
The display changes as follows:
date/time  t various settings (SteadyShot, white balance, gain, shutter speed, aper\
ture
value, exposure mode)  t no indicator
[ a ] SteadyShot OFF
[ b ] Exposure mode
[ c ] White balance
[ d ] Gain
[ e ] Shutter speed
[ f ] Aperture value
To not display the various settings
Set DATA CODE to DATE in the menu settings (p. 105).
The display changes as follows:
date/time  y no indicator
Recording data
Recording data is your camcorder’s information when you have recorded\
 something. In
CAMERA mode, the recording data will not be displayed.
When you use the data code function, “--- -- ----” (date) or “\
-- : -- : --” (time)
appears if:
–A blank portion of the tape is being played back.
– The tape is unreadable due to tape damage or noise.
– The tape was recorded by the camcorder without the date and time set.
Data code
When you connect your camcorder to the TV, the data code also appears on\
 the TV
screen (p. 33).
Note on the date/time indicator
Recording date/time is not displayed during shooting, however, it is aut\
omatically
recorded on the tape. You can check the recording date/time during playb\
ack by
pressing DATA CODE. When you want to display the date and time during sh\
ooting,
set DATE REC to ON in the menu settings. However, once you record with t\
he date and
time, you cannot erase them.
If the aperture adjustment is set to minimum
“CLOSE” is displayed at the location of the aperture value.
Date/timeVarious settings
JUL   4  200312:05:56  AM       60   ATW
F1.6          0dB      AUTO
[a]
[b]
[c]
[d]
[e]
[f]