SONY o_oo_-_, _1 Video Camera Recorder I_ CCD-FXa95 AC Power Adaptor AC-V25 Operation Manual 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 on the right hand. Refer to these numbers whenever you call upon your Sony dealer regarding this product. Model No. CCD-FX425 Serial No. Model No. AC-V25 Serial No.
WARNING To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose the unit to rain or moisture. the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation.
Before You Begin About this manual .......................................................................................................... Checking supplied accessories ...................................................................................... Before you start ............................................................................................................ 4 5 5 Getting Started i,,. £ a. r- o Charging and installing the battery pack ......................................
Welcome to Video 8 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. This manual shows you how to operate your camcorder.
Check that the following • Wireless Remote accessories are supplied with your camcorder. • Size AA (R6) battery for Remote Commander (2) • Battery pack NP-55 (1) • AC power adaptor AC-V25 (1) • Lithium battery CR2025 (1) • RFU adaptor RFU-90UC/95UC (1) • Shoulder strap (1) • Lens cap (1) (attached to the camcorder) Commander (1) • Jack cover (1) (attached to the camcorder) Before using your camcorder, you need to: 1 2 3 4 5 Charge and install the battery pack. Insert atape.
Before you can use this camcorder, you need to charge and install the battery pack. 1 1 2 Plug the AC power adaptor into a wall outlet. Align the flat side of the battery pack with the lines on the AC power adaptor and the 3 4 battery pack. Push down and slide the battery pack in the direction of the arrow. Set the VTR (DC OUT)/CHARGE selector to CHARGE.
1 2 3 Notes Align the flat side of the battery pack with the white line on the camcorder. Make sure that the arrow on the battery pack is close to the top of the camcorder. Push down and slide the battery pack in the direction of the arrow. • Make sure the battery is securely installed so that it does not fall off. If the battery installed properly, the camcorder will not record accurately. • You can use the AC power adaptor as a power source when recording indoors.
Make sure that the battery pack or another power source is attached. 1 Press the small blue button on the EJECT switch and simultaneously slide EJECT in the direction of the arrow. The cassette compartment automatically lifts up and opens toward you. Insert a tape with the window facing outside. Close the cassette holder by pressing the area on the cassette compartment marked "PUSH", Slide the red tab closing the windowto prevent accidental recording.
Before using your camcorder for the first time or after anether person used it, adjust the viewfinder lens to best fit your eyesight. Make sure that a battery pack or another power source is attached to the camcorder. (a :3". 2 5" 4 3 r-I Ih Press the small green button on POWER and set the POWER switch to CAMERA. Insert a tape. (See page 8.) 3 Set the STANDBY switch up.
To keep birth dates in the camcorder's memory and to activate the clock, the lithium battery must be installed. 1 2 Remove the lithium battery holder located at the bottom of the camcorder, Install the supplied 0R2025 lithium battery with the + side facing down, Put the lithium battery holder into the camcorder. Lithium battery life The battery will last for approximately 1 year in normal operation.
( You need to set your camcorder's date and time to be able to superimpose time onto your video. Make sure that the power source and lithium battery are attached. the date and c m Q 3,4,5,6 = 3 Press the small green button on the POWER switch and slide the POWER switch to CAMERA. POWER Set the STANDBY switch up. START 3 4 / STOP Press DATE (+) and TIME (NEXT) simultaneously for a few seconds until the date indicator appears in the viewfinder.
When you preset your child's birth date in your camcorcer, you can put your child's age in years and months on your tape. You can also preset the date of an event. Once you enter the birth date of your child, the clock inside your camcorder will automatically update age of your child. You can superimpose the age anytime on your recording.You can preset up to three birth dates or events.
6 Enter the birth date. First adjust the blinking digits by pressing DATE (+), and then press TIME (NEXT). The age (year and month) appears when all the items are adjusted. _eIRT_O_ 0 o,T .... l_x _[_ pl_TH 0A -A uG.,.,,,_98U If you missed the correct number with DATE (+) Keep pressing DATE (+). The indicator changes as follows: Year: 1900 -_ 1901 - - - -_ Current year Current year- (minus) 99 J Month: JAN. -_ FEB. - - - --_ DEC.
Before you record one-time events, make a trial recordinc camcorder is working properly. Keep the lens clean, or the focus cannot be adjusted It is very easy to start recording to make sure that your properly. scenes. 1 4 1 2 3 Hold the camcorder by putting your hand through the grip belt so that your thumb can easily press the red START/STOP button. By pressing the release on the lens cap, remove and attach it to the grip belt.
Automatic recording With the PROGRAM AE switch set to the green position, all the camera functions are on automatic (i.e. auto iris, auto white balance, auto focus) and the shutter ,.speedis set at normal (1/60 second). Note about covering the camcorder Do not use marine packs, sports packs, or rain jackets to cover the camcorder. focus on the front glass of the packs or transparent plate of the jacket. The camcorder will To stop recording momentarily Press START/STOP again.
You can create a professional-looking home video using these sepcial effects; zoom, close-up, fade-in and fade-out. Zooming is a recording technique that lets you change the size of the subject in the scene. Use "Zoom-in (telephoto)" for dramatic close-ups, and "zoom-out (wide-angle)" for panoramic long shots. You can also use zooming to focus manually or to decide on a shooting angle. For more professional-looking recordings, use zooming sparingly.
You can use this camcorder as a VCR by connecting it directly to your TV for playback. After you connect this camcorder to your TV, use the Remote Commander for convenient control of the camcorder. Use the supplied RFU adaptor to connect your camcorder to your TV. Before connecting, make sure that the TV is turned off to prevent speaker damage. If your TV has audio/ video inputs, see page 33.
1 _==z 2 4 o : signal flow Press the small green button on the POWER switch and set the POWER switch to PLAYER. 2 Insert a tape. (See page 8.) Turn on the TV and select the channel to which you adjusted the RFU adaptor (3 CH or 4 CH). If you are connecting with audio/video inputs, set your TV's TV/VlDEO selector to VIDEO. 4 PLAY PressD (PLAY). To stop playback, press [] (STOP). To rewind the tape, press <1<1(REW). To advance the tape rapidly, press _ (FF).
By using the Remote Commander, you can be in the picture with your friends and family, or conveniently control the playback of your tape from a distance. 1 Insert two size AA (R6) batteries with the + and - ends properly positioned. 2 Se, the [].E.OTE CO..A.OE.",, I,,k_l, ll_ / switch on the battery mounting surface ....... _.,L_7:_,_ .[ of the camcorder. _ -"_- J If the battery is attached, remove it. Reattach the battery after setting the REMOTE COMMANDER ON/OFF switch.
Have sufficient recording battery than pack you have power to do 2 or 3 times as much planned. "Battery life" indicated in this manual is measured by the continuous recording time of the camcorder, placed at room temperature using a fully-charged battery. Battery life is shorter in cold climates. Battery efficiency up more quickly. is decreased and the battery Set the STANDBY switch of the camcorder recording battery power.
If the terminals (metal parts on the back) are not clean, the battery duration will be shortened. When the terminals are not clean or when the battery pack has not been used for a long time, install and remove the battery pack from time to time. This will improve the contact condition.Also, wipe the + and - terminals with a soft cloth or paper. Why the battery pack heats up? During charging or recording, the battery pack heats up.
You can choose any of the following power sources for your camcorder: battery pack (see page 6), house current, and 12/24 V car battery. The appropriate power source for you to choose depends on the place where you want to use your camcorder.
The DCP-77 DC pack (not supplied) is required. 1 1 2 Align the flat side of the DO pack with the white line on the camcorder, and push down and slide it in the direction of the arrow. o "-i Connect the cord of the DC pack to the cigarette lighter socket of a car O (12 V or 24 V). To remove the DO pack (D Remove it the same way as you do with the battery pack. See page 7. • BC-77, BC-S10 portable battery charger: You can charge a battery pack on 100 - 240 V AC.
In the previous chapter "Basic Camera Operation", you le_Lrned the basic recording operations. This section shows you how to record the date or time, record an age, re-record a picture and more. Date or time can be superimposed on your recording. t'- DATEI+I TIME(NEXTJ I 5:30:00 P_l J During camera recording or when in standby mode, press DATE for date indication or TIME for time indication. The date or time displayedin the viewfinderis recordedwith the picture.
Note You cannot add the age later during To stop recording playing back or editing. the age Press AGE/EVENT until the indicator goes out. To change the display while recording Press AGE/EVENT untilthe indicatoryou want to record is displayed. Recording of the indicator you select starts when [_, [_], or [] goes out. To cancel the stored 1 2 3 4 birth date Perform steps 1 to 4 the memory number Press TIME (NEXT) Press DATE (+) until Press TIME (NEXT). The birth date is deleted EVENT.
You can check the last portion of a scene you just recorded the POWER switch using EDITSEARCH. without changing pressing the START/STOP button. mode by Put the camcorder in the standby the setting of i_ START I STOP Press the - _) side of EDITSEARCH momentarily. The last few seconds of the recorded portion will be played back in the viewfinder. After a few seconds of playback, the camcorder goes back to the standby mode, ready for the next recording.
You can reshoot 3reviously a scene over the last recorded recorded portion using EDITSEARCH. The portion will be erased. Set the STANDBY switch up. START ISTOP 2 Look in the viewfinder and find the point from where you want to begin recording by: Keep pressing the + side of EDITSEARCH continuously to advance the picture at a normal playback speed, or the - side to reverse the picture. + EDITSEARCH-{_ O At the desired point, release EDITSEARCH. 3 =0 o o Press START/STOP.
__ _]_ Ih]lh_ l_';Fh_ [_ _-]I;r_f._N';t_] I_ --,_ You can insert a scene in the middle of a recorded tape by setting the starting ending point. A previously recorded portion will be erased. point and 3,5 4 6 1 P,ess,,,e sn, a,, green but,on a°0 s,i0e I1 the POWER switch to CAMERA. CAM[.___/OF_B._I POWER Set the STANDBY switch up. STARTISTOP While looking in the viewfinder, keep pressing the + or- side of EDITSEARCH and release the button where you want to end the insertion.
You can connect an external microphone (not supplied) tc the MIC jack. This jack also accepts a "plug-in-power" microphone. Attach the microphone to the accessory shoe of the camcorder. If the microphone has two plugs, connect the DC IN plug to the RFU DC OUT jack on the camcorder. Accessory shoe MiC jack RFU DC OUT jack Note When recording with an external microphone, wind noise is not muted.
The camcorder's automatic functions offer you worry-free operation under most shooting conditions. But in some circumstances, manual adjustment is better for effective recording. You can manually maintain focus and compensate for backlighting with this camcorder. Some shooting situations may call for using some items manually, while others may call for using them automatically. The previous manual settings are retained, as long as you do not remove even if you set the POWER switch to OFF.
When you use the PROGRAM AE (Auto Exposure) function, you can give a "portrait" effect (the object is in focus and the background is out of focus) or capture high-speed action with "sports" mode or "high speed shutter" mode Select from three types of mode referring to the following To choose best programmed table.
You can fade-in or fade-out to give your recording a professional appearance. When fading-in, the picture will gradually appear from black or mosaic. The sound will also gradually increase. When fading-out, the picture will gradually fade to black or mosaic. The sound will also decrease. FADE IN II FADER Mosaic FADER FADE '_ Ill|ill IIII OUT 2 1 Note on the FADER button Each time you press FADER, the fade indicator changes as follow: No indicator 1" When --> FADER (black fade) --_ M.
In the earlier section (page 17) we explained the basic connection to your TV with the RFU adaptor. In this section we discuss several other ways of connecting to your TV. There are several ways to connect your camcorder to you- TV. If your TV has audio/video inputs, use an A/V cable. Before connecting, make sure that your TV is turned off to prevent speaker damage. If your TV has only an antenna inpul, see page 17.
If your TV has no AUDIO/VIDEO input jacks Disconnectthe antenna connection between the TV and the VCR, and connect the RFU adaptor to the VHF/UHF inputof the TV and VHF/UHF output of the VCR. VHF/UHF -_ _'-z-.i"=_.Z._'_:=_: Signal flow OUT ANT _ -I I _RFU-90UC/ 95UC The RFU adaptor used in the illustration is RFU-90UC. If your TV has AUDIO/VIDEO input jacks Connect Audio and Video from the camcorder to the VCR instead of to the TV. Set the input selector of the VCR to LINE, if available. VHF/UHF .
The supplied wireless Remote Commander is useful to control the camcorder from a distance. When using it, be sure to set the [] REMOTE COMMANDER ON/OFF switch to ON. To make the same indications in the viewfinder on the TV (only on the Commander) Press DATA SCREEN. To turn the indications off, press it again. This DATA SCREEN on TV will tell you which playback mode you are using.
During recording or playback, the digits on the counter indicate the actual recording or playback time. To count the whole tape Press COUNTER RESET at the beginning of the tape so that the counter shows "0:00:00". Write down the counter reading at a particular point so that you can easily find that point later by referring to the tape counter. To return to a preset point 3 ! 4 2 1 During playback, press COUNTER RESET at the point you later want to locate. The countershows "0:00:00".
You can edit a tape with an additional [] 8mm, r8 Betamax or _ VHS format VCR. This portion is not edited. r--------k-_,, Original tape Edited ta ;)e _V _"_"__ r Pause How to connect Make connections using the appropriate A/V cable (such as Sony VMC-710Mi720M for monaural VCR or VMC-910MS/920MS for stereo VCR) and set the CHARGENTR selector on the AC power adaptor to VTR. Set the input selector of the VCR to LINE, if available. o" &l m a. DIO (-m--] 4.
How to edit Insert a tape to be recorded into recording VCR. Slide EDIT on the camcorder to the direction of the arrow. ED,...J1 Set the POWER switch of the camcorder to PLAYER, then insert the recorded tape. 4 5 6 Play back a tape on the camcorder until you locate the point where you want to start editing, then press II PAUSE to set the camcorder to the playback pause mode. On the recording VCR, locate the recording starting point and set the VCR to the recording pause mode.
If the camcorder is brought directly from a cold place to a warm place, moisture may condense inside the camcorder, on the surface of the tape or on the lens. In this condition, the tape may stick to the head drum and be damaged or the unit may not operate correctly. To prevent possible damage under these circumstances, the camcorder is furnished with moisture sensors. However, If moisture condenses take the following inside precautions.
Slight contamination | Critical contamination To ensure a clear picture, clean the video heads periodically When playbackpicturesbecomenoisyor hardlyvisible,the video heads may be contaminated. In such cases, 1 Clean the video heads with the Sony V8-25CLH cleaning cassette (not supplied), referring to its instructions. 2 After cleaning, check if the picture is clear by recording or playing back with an ordinary tape. 3 If the picture is still noisy, repeat cleaning.
To reattach the eyecup 1 Align the groove on the eyecup with the • mark on the barrel Mark 2 Groove Turn the eyecup in the reverse direction of the arrow. Take a good posture for shooting For hand-held shots, it is importantto hold the camcorder properly. • Hold the camcorder firmly and secure it with the grip belt so that you can easily manipulate the camcorder with your thumb. • Place your right elbow firmly against your side.
Plan ahead If you are going to edit the tape after recording, shoot the scene a little longer to make the editing easier. Lighting Shoot with the sun behind you. When the light source is behind the subject, or in the following situations, the subject will be recorded too dark and the background too light. • The subject is indoors and there is a window behind the subject. ° Bright sources such as fluorescent or incandescent lamps are included in the scene.
Camcorder operation • Operate the camcorder on 6.0 V (battery pack) or 7.5 V (AC power adaptor). • For DC or AC operation, use the accessories recommended in this manual. • Should any solid object or liquid fall into the casing, unplug the camcorder and have it checked by qualified personnel before operating it any further. • Do not hold the camcorder by the viewfinder or the microphone. • Avoid rough handling or mechanical shock. Be particularly careful of the lens.
For details on the use of each part, refer to the pages indicated in the circle.
[] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] Tape transport buttons 1_) PLAY (playback) FF (fast-forward) -
[] [] [] [] [] [] 46 [] Accessory shoe [] Remote control sensor _) [] PUSH FOCUS HOLD button _) [] Tripod receptacle (bottom) [] FADER button (_) [] BACK LIGHT button _) [] DATE (+) button • [] TIME (NEXT) button • [] AGE/EVENT [] PROGRAM AE selector _) _) [] BATT (battery eject) knob O [] Hook for shoulder strap Additional Information (_) _) _) _) button _) _)
[] [] i¸ • [] [] [] [] Viewfinder [] Camera recording/battery [] COUNTER RESET button _) [] ZERO MEM button _) 1_) [] TAPE/BATr [] Viewfinder adjustment [] Eyecup [] BEEP ON/OFF switch O [] [] REMOTE COMMANDER [] Battery mounting surface lamp • CHECK button O i_) ring 0 ON/OFF switch _) Additional Information 47
[] [] [] [] [] [] [] _ PLAY (play back) button 1_) [] <1-4 REW (rewind) button 1_) [] E_STOP button [] I! PAUSE button _) [] DATA SCREEN button* _) [] HOLD switch* _) [] START/STOP [] FF _ [] Power zoom button [] I=- SLOW (slow playback) button • button (fast forward) button i_) Note The '_ indicates the functions which are operable only with the commander.
Whenyourunintoanyproblems duringoperation Check through thefollowing table to troubleshootthe problem. Should the difficultypersist, unplugthe unit and contact your Sony dealer or localauthorized Sony service facility. Corrective actions Cause Symptom The power does not turn on. The battery is not attached. The battery is used up. The AC power adaptor is not connected to a wall outlet. Attach the battery. Use a charged battery. Connect the adaptor to a wall outlet.
When an indicator in the viewfinder or a camcorder's caution lamp flashes Check the following table. slow blinking Camera operation VCR operation Camera operation fast blinking The battery is weak. Prepare a charged one. The battery is used up. Use a charged battery. The tape is at its end. Use a new tape. The tape is near its end. Prepare a new one. No tape is inserted. Insert a tape. Slide the tab. Battery lamp B Battery lamp The tab on the tape is out (red).
Video camera recorder General Power requirements System Video recording system Rotary two heads, Helical scanning FM system Audio recording system Rotary head, FM system NTSC color, EIA standards 8 mm video format cassette Video signal Usable cassette Tape speed Recording time Playback time Fast forward/rewind Image device Viewfinder Lens Color temperature Minimum illumination SP mode: Approx. 1.43 cm ('9/32inch)/sec. LP mode: Approx. 0.72 cm (5/_6inch)/sec.
A M,N,O,P AC Adaptor ........................................................ 6, Accessory Shoe ..................................................... Adjusting Viewfinder ................................................ Age Button ....................................................... 12, Audio Output .......................................................... Audio/Video Cable ................................................. 22 29 9 24 33 33 B Back Light ...............................................
