3-065-645-11 (3) Video Camera Recorder Operating Instructions Before operating the unit, please read this manual thoroughly, and retain it for future reference. Owner's Record The model and serial numbers are located on the bottom. Record the serial number in the space provided below. Refer to these numbers whenever you call upon your Sony dealer regarding this product. Model No. CCD-TR Serial No. Model No. AC-L Serial No. CCD-TR818 CCD-TR618/TR818 ©2001 Sony Corporation Welcome! Congratulations on your purchase of this Sony Handycam® camcorder. With your Handycam, you can capture life's precious moments with superior picture and sound quality. Your Handycam is loaded with advanced features, but at the same time it is very easy to use. You will soon be producing home video that you can enjoy for years to come. WARNING To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose the unit to rain or moisture. For customers in the United States and Canada DISPOSAL OF LITHIUM ION BATTERY. LITHIUM ION BATTERY. DISPOSE OF PROPERLY. You can return your unwanted lithium ion batteries to your nearest Sony Service Center or Factory Service Center. Note: In some areas the disposal of lithium ion batteries in household or business trash may be prohibited. For the Sony Service Center nearest you call 1-800-222-SONY (United States only) For the Sony Factory Service Center nearest you call 416-499-SONY (Canada only) Caution: Do not handle damaged or leaking lithium ion battery. For customers in the U.S.A. This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated "dangerous voltage" within the product's enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons. This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance. CAUTION You are cautioned that any changes or modifications not expressly approved in this manual could void your authority to operate this equipment. Never expose the battery pack to temperatures above 60°C (140°F) such as in a car parked in the sun or under direct sunlight. 2 Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: -- Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. -- Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. -- Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected. -- Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/ TV technician for help. Getting started For customers in CANADA CAUTION TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK, MATCH WIDE BLADE OF PLUG TO WIDE SLOT, FULLY INSERT. 3 Main Features Functions to adjust exposure (in the recording mode) ·In a dark place ·In dark environments such as sunset, fireworks, or general night views ·Shooting backlit subjects ·In spotlight, such as at the theater or a formal event ·In strong light or reflected light, such as at a beach in midsummer or on a ski slope NIGHTSHOT (p. 24) Sunset & moon mode (p. 34) BACK LIGHT (p. 24) Spotlight mode (p. 34) Beach & ski mode (p. 34) Functions to give images more impact (in the recording mode) ·Smooth transition between scenes ·Digital processing of images ·Creating a soft background for subjects ·Superimposing a title FADER (p. 31) PICTURE EFFECT (p. 33) Soft portrait mode (p. 34) TITLE (p. 38) Functions to give a natural appearance to your recordings (in the recording mode) ·Preventing deterioration of picture quality in digital zoom The default setting is set to OFF. (To zoom greater than 20×, select the digital zoom power in D ZOOM in the menu settings.) ·Focusing manually ·Shooting distant subjects ·Recording fast-moving subjects D ZOOM [MENU] (p. 47) Manual focus (p. 37) Landscape mode (p. 34) Sports lesson mode (p. 34) Functions to use in editing (in the recording mode) ·Watching the picture on a wide-screen TV ·Recording with the date/time ·Enhancing old tapes Wide mode (p. 29) Date and time (p. 25) ORC [MENU] (p. 49) Functions to use after recording (in the playback mode) ·Correcting jitter ·Correcting color noise TBC [MENU] (p. 48) DNR [MENU] (p. 48) 4 Table of contents Main Features .......................................... 4 Editing Dubbing a tape ...................................... 45 Getting started Quick Start Guide ............................... 6 Getting started Using this manual ................................... 8 Checking supplied accessories ............ 10 Step 1 Preparing the power supply ... 11 Installing the battery pack ............ 11 Charging the battery pack ............ 12 Connecting to a wall outlet ........... 16 Step 2 Setting the date and time ........ 17 Step 3 Inserting a cassette ................... 19 Customizing Your Camcorder Changing the menu settings ................ 46 Troubleshooting Types of trouble and their solutions ........................................................... 52 Self-diagnosis display .......................... 55 Warning indicators and messages ...... 56 Additional Information Recording ­ Basics Recording a picture .............................. 20 Shooting backlit subjects ­ BACK LIGHT ........................ 24 Shooting in the dark ­ NightShot ............................... 24 Superimposing the date and time on pictures ................................ 25 Usable cassettes and playback modes ........................................................... 57 About "InfoLITHIUM" battery ........... 58 Using your camcorder abroad ............ 59 Maintenance information and precautions ...................................... 60 Specifications ......................................... 65 Quick Reference Playback ­ Basics Connections for playback .................... 26 Playing back a tape ............................... 27 Identifying the parts and controls ...... 66 Index ........................................ Back cover Advanced Recording Operations Using the wide mode ........................... 29 Using the fader function ...................... 31 Using special effects ­ Picture effect ................................. 33 Using the PROGRAM AE function .... 34 Adjusting the exposure manually ...... 36 Focusing manually ................................ 37 Superimposing a title ........................... 38 Making your own titles ........................ 40 Using the built-in light ......................... 42 5 Quick Start Guide This chapter introduces you to the basic features of your camcorder. See the page in parentheses "( )" for more information. Connecting the power cord (p. 16) Use the battery pack when using your camcorder outdoors (p. 11). Open the DC IN jack cover. 6 Quick Start Guide AC power adaptor (supplied) Connect the plug with its v mark facing up. Inserting a cassette 1 Open the lid of the cassette compartment, and press EJECT. The compartment opens automatically. EJE CT (p. 19) 2 Insert a cassette into the cassette compartment with its window facing out and the write-protect tab on the cassette up. 3 Close the cassette compartment by pressing the mark on the cassette compartment. The cassette compartment automatically goes down. Close the lid of the cassette compartment. Recording a picture (p. 20) 1 Remove the lens cap. 2 Set the POWER switch to CAMERA while pressing the small green button. The picture appears in the viewfinder. OFF (CHARGE) CAMERA POWER PLAYER 3 Press the red button. Your camcorder starts recording. To stop recording, press the red button again. OFF (CHARGE) CAMERA POWER Viewfinder Use the viewfinder placing your eye against its eyecup. The picture in the viewfinder is black and white. (CCD-TR618 only) Quick Start Guide When you purchase your camcorder, the clock setting is set to off. If you want to record the date and time for a picture, set the clock setting before recording. (p. 17) PLAYER Monitoring the playback picture in the viewfinder (p. 27) 2 Press m to rewind the tape. REW 3 Press N to start playback. PLAY 1 Set the POWER switch to PLAYER while pressing the small green button. OFF (CHARGE) CAMERA POWER NOTE Do not pick up your camcorder by holding the viewfinder or the battery pack. PLAYER 7 -- Getting started -- Using this manual The instructions in this manual are for the two models listed in the table below. Before you start reading this manual and operating your camcorder, check the model number by looking at the bottom of your camcorder. The CCD-TR818 is the model used for illustration purposes. Otherwise, the model name is indicated in the illustrations. Any differences in operation are clearly indicated in the text, for example, "CCD-TR818 only." As you read through this manual, buttons and settings on your camcorder are shown in capital letters. e.g. Set the POWER switch to CAMERA. When you carry out an operation, you can hear a beep sound to indicate that the operation is being carried out. Types of differences CCDViewfinder Built-in light Digital zoom SteadyShot z Provided -- Not provided TR618 B/W z 450 × -- TR818 Color -- 460 × z Note on TV colour systems TV colour systems differ from country to country. To view your recordings on a TV, you need an NTSC system-based TV. 8 Using this manual Precautions on camcorder care Lens and LCD screen/finder (on mounted models only) · The LCD screen and the finder are manufactured using extremely high-precision technology so over 99.99% of the pixels are operational for effective use. However, there may be some tiny black points and/or bright points (white, red, blue or green in color) that constantly appear on the LCD screen and the finder. These points are normal in the manufacturing process and do not affect the recording in any way. · Do not let your camcorder get wet. Keep your camcorder away from rain and sea water. Letting your camcorder get wet may cause your camcorder to malfunction. Sometimes this malfunction cannot be repaired [a]. · Never leave your camcorder exposed to temperatures above 60°C (140°F), such as in a car parked in the sun or under direct sunlight [b]. · Be careful when placing the camera near a window or outdoors. Exposing the LCD screen, the finder or the lens to direct sunlight for long periods may cause malfunctions [c]. · Do not directly shoot the sun. Doing so might cause your camcorder to malfunction. Take pictures of the sun in low light coditions such as duck [d]. Getting started [a] [b] [c] [d] 9 Checking supplied accessories Make sure that the following accessories are supplied with your camcorder. 1 2 3 4 5 1 AC-L10A/L10B/L10C AC power adaptor (1), Power cord (1) (p. 16) 2 NP-F330 battery pack(1) (p. 11, 12) 3 A/V connecting cable(1) (p. 26) 4 Shoulder strap(1) (p. 68) 5 Lens cap (1) (p. 20, 69) Contents of the recording cannot be compensated if recording or playback is not made due to a malfunction of the camcorder, storage media, etc. 10 Step 1 Preparing the power supply Installing the battery pack Install the battery pack to use your camcorder outdoors. Slide the battery pack down until it clicks. Getting started To remove the battery pack Slide the battery pack out in the direction of the arrow while pressing RELEASE down. BATT BATT RELEASE 11 Step 1 Preparing the power supply Charging the battery pack Use the battery pack after charging it for your camcorder. Your camcorder operates only with the "InfoLITHIUM" battery pack (L series). See page 58 for more information about "InfoLITHIUM" battery pack. (1) Open the DC IN jack cover and connect the AC power adaptor supplied with your camcorder to the DC IN jack with the plug's v mark facing up. (2) Connect the power cord to the AC power adaptor. (3) Connect the power cord to a wall outlet. (4) Set the POWER switch to OFF (CHARGE). Charging begins. The remaining battery time is indicated in minutes on the display window. The charging is completed when the remainnig battery indicator changes to u and the FULL appears on the display window. 4 OFF (CHARGE) CAMERA POWER After charging the battery pack Disconnect the AC power adaptor from the DC IN jack on your camcorder. PLAYER 1 2 12 Step 1 Preparing the power supply Notes · Prevent metallic objects from coming int ...