Sony Handycam DCR-SR15E User Manual Download

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2010 Sony Corporation

4-209-890-

(1)

Digital Video Camera Recorder

Operating Guide

DCR-SR15E/SR20E/SX15E/

SX20E/SX20EK

Table of contents

Getting started

Recording/Playback

Making good use of your

camcorder

Saving movies and photos

with a computer

Saving images with an

external device

Customizing your

camcorder

Additional information

Quick reference

Summary of Contents for Handycam DCR-SR15E

Page 1: ... SR15E SR20E SX15E SX20E SX20EK Table of contents 8 Getting started 10 Recording Playback 20 Making good use of your camcorder 30 Saving movies and photos with a computer 32 Saving images with an external device 39 Customizing your camcorder 47 Additional information 54 Quick reference 63 ...

Page 2: ...y Dispose of used battery packs promptly as described in the instructions Replace the battery with the specified type only Otherwise fire or injury may result AC Adaptor Do not use the AC Adaptor placed in a narrow space such as between a wall and furniture Use the nearby wall outlet wall socket when using the AC Adaptor Disconnect the AC Adaptor from the wall outlet wall socket immediately if any...

Page 3: ...in batteries this symbol might be used in combination with a chemical symbol The chemical symbols for mercury Hg or lead Pb are added if the battery contains more than 0 0005 mercury or 0 004 lead By ensuring these batteries are disposed of correctly you will help prevent potentially negative consequences for the environment and human health which could otherwise be caused by inappropriate waste h...

Page 4: ...rder Using the camcorder Do not hold the camcorder by the following parts and also do not hold the camcorder by the jack covers LCD screen Battery pack The camcorder is not dustproofed dripproofed or waterproofed See Precautions p 59 Menu items LCD panel and lens A menu item that is grayed out is not available under the current recording or playback conditions The LCD screen is manufactured using ...

Page 5: ...lly It is recommended that you save the image data on a disc such as a DVD R using your computer Also you can save your image data using a VCR or a DVD HDD recorder etc p 42 Notes on battery pack AC Adaptor Be sure to remove the battery pack or the AC Adaptor after turning off the camcorder Disconnect the AC Adaptor from the camcorder holding both the camcorder and the DC plug Note on the camcorde...

Page 6: ...R SX15E Memory card Output only DCR SX20E Input output Notes on use Do not do any of the following otherwise the recording media may be damaged recorded images may be impossible to play back or may be lost or other malfunctions could occur Eject the memory card when the access lamp p 18 is lit or flashing Remove the battery pack or AC Adaptor from the camcorder or subject the camcorder to shock or...

Page 7: ...photos p 23 Playing movies and photos Playback on the camcorder p 25 Playing images on a TV p 28 Saving images Saving movies and photos with a computer p 32 Saving movies and photos in external media p 39 Saving images with a DVD writer recorder p 42 Deleting movies and photos p 30 If you delete the image data that has been saved on your computer or a disc you can record new images on the free med...

Page 8: ...card DCR SR15E SR20E 19 Recording Playback Recording 20 Playback on the camcorder 25 Playing images on a TV 28 Making good use of your camcorder Deleting movies and photos 30 Saving movies and photos with a computer Preparing a computer Windows 32 When using a Macintosh 32 Starting PMB Picture Motion Browser 35 Creating a disc with one touch One Touch Disc Burn 35 Importing movies and photos to a ...

Page 9: ... 47 Getting detailed information from the Handycam Handbook 53 Additional information Troubleshooting 54 Recording time of movies number of recordable photos 57 Precautions 59 Specifications 61 Quick reference Screen indicators 63 Parts and controls 64 Index 67 ...

Page 10: ...V series after attaching it to your camcorder DCR SX15E SX20E Battery pack DC IN jack DC plug AC Adaptor Power cord Mains lead CHG charge lamp To the wall outlet wall socket Battery pack DC IN jack CHG charge lamp DC plug AC Adaptor To the wall outlet wall socket Power cord Mains lead DCR SR15E SR20E ...

Page 11: ...rging starts The CHG charge lamp turns off when the battery pack is fully charged 4 When the battery is charged disconnect the AC Adaptor from the DC IN jack of your camcorder Tips See page 57 on recording and playing time When your camcorder is on you can check the approximate amount of remaining battery power with the remaining battery indicator at the upper left on the LCD screen Charging time ...

Page 12: ...p flashes during charging under the following conditions The battery pack is not attached correctly The battery pack is damaged The temperature of the battery pack is low Remove the battery pack from your camcorder and put it in a warm place The temperature of the battery pack is high Remove the battery pack from your camcorder and put it in a cool place In the default setting the power turns off ...

Page 13: ...ical area is turned on a light See page 15 for the detail of the using the multi selector To set the date and time again operate the multi selector to select MENU Show others CLOCK LANG under GENERAL SET category CLOCK SET When an item is not on the screen select until the item appears 3 Select NEXT with of the multi selector then press the center of the multi selector 4 Select setting of SUMMERTI...

Page 14: ...of the multi selector then press the center of the multi selector The clock starts Notes The date and time do not appear during recording but they are automatically recorded on the recording media and can be displayed during playback To display the date and time select MENU Show others PLAYBACK SET under PLAYBACK category DATA CODE DATE TIME You can turn off the operation beeps by selecting MENU S...

Page 15: ... of the multi selector Press the center of the multi selector to confirm your selection Changing the language setting You can change the on screen displays to show messages in a specified language Select MENU Show others CLOCK LANG under GENERAL SET category LANGUAGE SET a desired language Multi selector ...

Page 16: ...You can perform recording playback and editing operations on the selected medium Select with and press the button in the center of the multi selector to confirm your selection Tips See page 57 for the recordable time of movies See page 58 for the number of recordable photos Selecting the recording media for movies DCR SR15E SR20E Select MENU Show others MEDIA SETTINGS under MANAGE MEDIA category M...

Page 17: ...Class 2 or faster can be used with this camcorder Operation with all memory cards is not assured Memory Stick PRO Duo media of up to 32 GB and SD memory cards of up to 64 GB have been tested and proven to operate with your camcorder For recording movies on Memory Stick PRO Duo media it is recommended that you use Memory Stick PRO Duo media of 512 MB or larger In this manual Memory Stick PRO Duo me...

Page 18: ...card In that case select YES If you record only photos on the memory card select NO Confirm the direction of the memory card If you forcibly insert the memory card in the wrong direction the memory card memory card slot or image data may be damaged Notes If Failed to create a new Image Database File It may be possible that there is not enough free space is displayed initialize the memory card by s...

Page 19: ...arted GB Dubbing or copying movies and photos from the internal recording media to memory card DCR SR15E SR20E Select MENU Show others MOVIE DUB PHOTO COPY under EDIT category then follow the displays on the screen ...

Page 20: ...X15E SX20E Memory card DCR SR15E SR20E Internal hard disk Tips See page 16 on changing the recording media DCR SR15E SR20E To open the lens cover Slide the LENS COVER switch to open Tips When you finish recording or when you play back images close the lens cover 1 Fasten the grip belt DCR SR15E SR20E DCR SX15E SX20E ...

Page 21: ...mcorder turns on You can switch recording modes by pressing MODE Press MODE until the desired mode icon appears Recording movies Press START STOP to start recording To stop recording press START STOP again MODE button Movie When recording a movie STBY REC START STOP button ...

Page 22: ... lit or flashing The media icon in the upper right of the LCD screen is flashing Tips When a face is detected a white frame appears and the image quality around the face is optimized automatically FACE DETECTION You can capture photos from recorded movies DCR SR15E SR20E SX20E See page 57 on the recordable time of movies You can check the recordable time estimated remaining capacity etc by selecti...

Page 23: ...t MENU Show others PLAYBACK SET under PLAYBACK category a desired setting Shooting photos In the default setting photos are recorded on the following recording media DCR SX15E SX20E Memory card DCR SR15E SR20E Internal hard disk Tips See page 16 on changing the recording media DCR SR15E SR20E Press MODE until the Photo icon appears The LCD screen display switches for photo recording mode and the s...

Page 24: ...appears the photo is recorded Tips See page 58 on the recordable number of photos To change the image size select MENU Show others IMAGE SIZE under PHOTO SETTINGS category a desired setting You can check the recordable number of photos on the LCD screen p 63 Flashes Lights up ...

Page 25: ...recording media DCR SR15E SR20E 1 Open the LCD screen of your camcorder Your camcorder turns on 2 Press VIEW IMAGES The VISUAL INDEX screen appears after some seconds 3 Select the Movie a desired movie to play back a movie Select the Photo a desired photo to view a photo Movies are displayed and sorted by recording date To MENU screen Displays movies recorded on the previous next date Displays the...

Page 26: ...ayed as fast as about 5 times about 10 times about 30 times about 60 times You can display the VISUAL INDEX by selecting MENU Show others VISUAL INDEX under PLAYBACK category The recording date time and shooting conditions are recorded automatically during recording This information is not displayed during recording but you can display it during playback by selecting MENU Show others PLAYBACK SET ...

Page 27: ... GB Viewing photos Your camcorder displays the selected photo Tips When viewing photos recorded on a memory card playback folder appears on the screen Previous To the VISUAL INDEX screen To start stop slide show Next OPTION ...

Page 28: ...the instruction manuals supplied with the TV Connect your camcorder to a TV with the A V connecting cable supplied Connect your camcorder to the input jack of the TV Play back movies and photos on your camcorder p 25 To set the aspect ratio according to the connected TV 16 9 4 3 Select MENU Show others OUTPUT SETTINGS under GENERAL SET category TV TYPE 16 9 or 4 3 When connecting to your TV via a ...

Page 29: ...s Notes When you set TV TYPE to 4 3 the image quality may deteriorate Also when the recorded image s aspect ratio switches between 16 9 wide and 4 3 the image may jitter On some 4 3 TVs the photos recorded in 4 3 aspect ratio may not be displayed full screen This is not a malfunction When you play back an image recorded in 16 9 wide aspect ratio on a 4 3 TV not compatible with the 16 9 wide signal...

Page 30: ... You can delete an image on the playback screen from OPTION MENU To delete all images recorded in the recording media and recover all the recordable space of the media format the media Reduced size images which enable you to view many images at the same time on an index screen are called thumbnails 1 Select MENU Show others DELETE under EDIT category 2 To delete movies select DELETE DELETE To dele...

Page 31: ...by date To delete all photos on the same day at one time select DELETE DELETE by date Select to select the recording date of the desired movies photos then select Press LIGHT when thumbnail is selected to confirm the image Select to return to the previous screen Select YES ...

Page 32: ... DVD discs Display Minimum 1 024 dots 768 dots Others USB port this must be provided as standard Hi Speed USB USB 2 0 compatible DVD burner CD ROM drive is necessary for installation 1 Standard installation is required Operation is not assured if the OS has been upgraded or in a multi boot environment 2 64 bit editions and Starter Edition are not supported Windows Image Mastering API IMAPI Ver 2 0...

Page 33: ...efully If you agree to the terms change to and then click Next Install Turn on your camcorder then connect the camcorder to the computer using the supplied USB cable The USB SELECT screen appears on the camcorder screen automatically Select the one of the media types displayed on the screen to make the computer recognize your camcorder USB CONNECT Internal hard disk DCR SR15E SR20E USB CONNECT Mem...

Page 34: ... install Image Mastering API v2 0 for Windows XP in response to the message displayed when you try to start those functions To disconnect your camcorder from the computer Click the icon at the bottom right of the desktop of the computer Safely remove USB Mass Storage Device Select END YES on the camcorder screen Disconnect the USB cable Notes Access from the computer using the supplied software PM...

Page 35: ...m Help of PMB Creating a disc with one touch One Touch Disc Burn Movies and photos recorded on your camcorder that have not yet been saved with One Touch Disc Burn function can be saved on a disc automatically Install PMB beforehand p 32 however do not start PMB Connect your camcorder to the wall outlet wall socket using the AC Adaptor supplied for this operation p 12 With One Touch Disc Burn func...

Page 36: ...socket using the supplied AC Adaptor for this operation p 12 1 Turn on your camcorder then connect the camcorder to the computer using the supplied USB cable The USB SELECT screen appears on the camcorder screen 2 Select the recording media that contains the images you want to save on the camcorder screen USB CONNECT Internal hard disk USB CONNECT Memory card The displayed recording media differ d...

Page 37: ...D drive See page 32 for the type of discs you can use If any other software than PMB starts automatically shut it down 2 Start PMB p 35 3 Click Calendar or Index on the left side in the window and select the folder or date then select the movies To select plural movies hold the Ctrl key down and click thumbnails 4 At the top of the window click Create DVD Video Format Discs STD The window used to ...

Page 38: ...e operation Editing movies You can cut out only necessary parts from a movie and save it as another file Double click the movie to be edited on PMB then click Show Edit Palette on the right side of the screen Trim Video or select the Manipulate menu Edit Trim Video See PMB Help p 35 for details Capturing photos from a movie You can save a frame of a movie as a photo file Double click the movie to ...

Page 39: ...the external media on your camcorder before use The format screen appears when the external media is connected to your camcorder The format screen may appear even in the case of media utilizing the FAT file system Operation is not assured with every connectable device Connect your camcorder to the wall outlet wall socket using the supplied AC adaptor p 12 Refer to the instruction manual supplied w...

Page 40: ...ge as illustrated below You can make menu settings of the external media such as deleting images Select MENU Show others on the VISUAL INDEX screen To save desired movies and photos You can also save images recorded on memory cards Notes You cannot search or copy photos recorded on memory card by recording date Select Play without copying in step 5 above The VISUAL INDEX screen of the external med...

Page 41: ... images on a TV connected to your camcorder p 28 Notes The Date Index of photos cannot be displayed If your camcorder does not recognize the external media try the following operations Reconnect the USB Adaptor Cable to your camcorder If the external media has the AC power cable connect it to the wall outlet wall socket To finish the external media connection Select on the VISUAL INDEX screen of t...

Page 42: ... this section Connect the AC Adaptor and the power cord mains lead to the DC IN jack of your camcorder and the wall outlet wall socket p 12 Turn on your camcorder and connect the DVD writer to the USB jack of your camcorder with the USB cable of the DVD writer Insert an unused disc into the DVD writer and close the disc tray The DISC BURN screen appears on the screen Press DISC BURN on the DVD wri...

Page 43: ...your camcorder To play back a disc on the DVD writer Connect the AC Adaptor and the power cord mains lead to the DC IN jack of your camcorder and the wall outlet wall socket p 12 Turn on your camcorder and connect the DVD writer to the USB jack of your camcorder with the USB cable of the DVD writer You can play back movies on the TV screen by connecting the camcorder to a TV p 28 Insert a created ...

Page 44: ...evices such as a Sony DVD writer other than DVDirect Express with the USB cable Refer also to the instruction manuals supplied with the devices to be connected Notes Sony DVD writer may not be available in some countries regions Connect your camcorder to the wall outlet wall socket using the supplied AC Adaptor for this operation p 12 Connect the AC Adaptor and the power cord mains lead to the DC ...

Page 45: ...irect Express with the A V connecting cable supplied Refer also to the instruction manuals supplied with the devices to be connected Notes Connect your camcorder to the wall outlet wall socket using the supplied AC Adaptor for this operation p 12 Sony DVD writer may not be available in some countries regions Insert the recording media in the recording device If your recording device has an input s...

Page 46: ...SETTINGS under GENERAL SET category DISP OUTPUT LCD PANEL the default setting To record the date time or camera settings data select MENU Show others PLAYBACK SET under PLAYBACK category DATA CODE a desired setting In addition select MENU Show others OUTPUT SETTINGS under GENERAL SET category DISP OUTPUT V OUT PANEL When the screen size of display devices TV etc is 4 3 select MENU Show others OUTP...

Page 47: ...G SET Items for customized shooting p 50 PHOTO SETTINGS Items for recording photos p 50 PLAYBACK Items for playback p 50 EDIT Items for editing p 51 OTHERS Items for other settings p 51 MANAGE MEDIA Items for recording media p 51 GENERAL SET Other setup items p 52 Operating menus Select with and press the center of the multi selector to confirm your selection An orange frame appears on the selecte...

Page 48: ...playback conditions Grayed out menu items or settings are not available Tips Depending on the menu items being changed your camcorder switches between playback mode and recording mode movie photo Using MY MENU You can use the menu items more easily by registering the menu items you use most often on MY MENU You can register 6 menu items on each MY MENU of the MOVIE PHOTO and PLAYBACK Example delet...

Page 49: ...a computer When is displayed at bottom right of the screen you can use the OPTION MENU You select and the menu items you can change in the context appear Select OPTION Select the desired tab the item to change the setting After completing the setting select Notes Grayed out menu items or settings are not available When the item you want is not on the screen select another tab There may be no tab T...

Page 50: ...y FACE DETECTION Adjusts the image quality of the face s automatically AUDIO REC SET BLT IN ZOOM MIC Records movies with vivid sound appropriate to the zoom position MICREF LEVEL Sets the microphone level OTHER REC SET DIGITAL ZOOM Sets the maximum zoom level of the digital zoom that exceeds the zoom level of the optical zoom WIDE SELECT Sets the horizontal to vertical ratio when recording movies ...

Page 51: ...SE Erases movies from a playlist ERASE ALL Erases all movies from a playlist MOVE Changes the order of movies in a playlist OTHERS category USB CONNECT USB CONNECT 1 Connects the internal hard disk via USB USB CONNECT Connects the memory card via USB DISC BURN Allows you to save images onto discs p 35 42 BATTERY INFO Displays the battery information MANAGE MEDIA category MEDIA SETTINGS 1 MOVIE MED...

Page 52: ...e LCD screen OUTPUT SETTINGS TV TYPE Converts the signal depending on the TV connected p 28 DISP OUTPUT Sets whether the on screen displays appears on the TV screen or not CLOCK LANG CLOCK SET Sets the date and time p 13 AREA SET Adjusts for a time difference without stopping the clock p 13 SUMMERTIME Sets the summertime p 13 LANGUAGE SET Sets the display language p 15 POWER SETTINGS A SHUT OFF Ch...

Page 53: ...splayed click Handbook 3 Select the desired language and the model name of your camcorder then click Install Install by following the instructions on the screen The model name of your camcorder is printed on its bottom surface To view the Handycam Handbook double click the short cut icon on the computer screen When using a Macintosh open the Handbook GB folder in the CD ROM then copy Handbook pdf ...

Page 54: ...ug of the AC Adaptor to the wall outlet wall socket p 12 The camcorder does not operate even when the power is set to on It takes a few seconds for your camcorder to be ready to shoot after the power is turned on This is not a malfunction Disconnect the AC Adaptor from the wall outlet wall socket or remove the battery pack then reconnect it after about 1 minute If your camcorder still does not wor...

Page 55: ...f the error code beginning with C or E C 04 The battery pack is not an InfoLITHIUM battery pack V series Use an InfoLITHIUM battery pack V series p 10 Connect the DC plug of the AC Adaptor to your camcorder securely p 10 C 06 The battery pack temperature is high Change the battery pack or place it in a cool place C 13 C 32 Remove the power source Reconnect it and operate your camcorder again E Fol...

Page 56: ...rd is damaged Format the memory card with your camcorder p 51 Incompatible memory card is inserted p 18 Access to the memory card was restricted on another device The camcorder is unsteady Hold the camcorder steady with both hands However note that the camera shake warning indicator does not disappear The drop sensor function is activated You may not be able to record nor play back images ...

Page 57: ...hen using the camcorder at 25 C 77 F 10 C to 30 C 50 F to 86 F is recommended The recording and playback time will be shorter when you use your camcorder in low temperatures The recording and playback time will be shorter depending on the conditions under which you use your camcorder Playing time Approximate time available when you use a fully charged battery pack DCR SR15E SR20E unit minute Batte...

Page 58: ... 1GB 5700 2GB 11500 4GB 23000 8GB 47000 16GB 95000 32GB 185000 The indicated number of recordable photos on a memory card is based on the maximum image size of your camcorder The actual number of recordable photos is displayed on the LCD screen during recording p 63 The maximum number of recordable photos on a memory card may vary depending on the recording conditions Tips You can also use memory ...

Page 59: ...our camcorder Do not wrap your camcorder with a towel for example and operate it Doing so might cause heat to build up inside When disconnecting the power cord mains lead pull it by the plug and not the cord lead Do not damage the power cord mains lead such as by placing anything heavy on it Do not use a deformed or damaged battery pack Keep metal contacts clean If the battery electrolytic liquid ...

Page 60: ...echargeable battery However even if the pre installed rechargeable battery is not charged the camcorder operation will not be affected as long as you are not recording the date Procedures Connect your camcorder to a wall outlet wall socket using the supplied AC Adaptor and leave it with the LCD screen closed for more than 24 hours Note on disposal transfer of the camcorder DCR SR15E SR20E Even if ...

Page 61: ... V OUT jack Video audio output jack USB jack mini AB DCR SR15E SX15E output only LCD screen Picture 6 7 cm 2 7 type aspect ratio 16 9 Total number of pixels 230 400 960 240 General Power requirements DC 6 8 V 7 2 V battery pack DC 8 4 V AC Adaptor Average power consumption During camera recording using LCD screen at normal brightness DCR SR15E SR20E 2 1 W DCR SX15E SX20E 1 9 W Operating temperatur...

Page 62: ...gistered trademarks of Sony Corporation InfoLITHIUM is a trademark of Sony Corporation DVDirect is a trademark of Sony Corporation Dolby and the double D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories Microsoft Windows Windows Vista and DirectX are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and or other countries Macintosh and Mac OS are registered tradem...

Page 63: ...cording remaining time FADER Drop sensor off Drop sensor activated 9999 9999 Approximate number of recordable photos and recording media Playback folder of memory card 100 112 Current playing movie or photo Number of total recorded movies or photos Bottom Indicator Meaning FACE DETECTION set to OFF Manual focus SCENE SELECTION White balance SteadyShot off EXPOSURE TELE MACRO Backlight OPTION butto...

Page 64: ...D panel 180 degrees you can close the LCD panel with the LCD screen facing out This is convenient during playback operations LIGHT button Press to light up the LIGHT Multi selector 15 VIEW IMAGES button 25 DCR SR15E SR20E Speaker USB jack 33 36 39 42 DCR SR15E output only A V OUT jack 28 MODE button 21 Backlight button RESET button Press RESET using a pointed object Press RESET to initialize all t...

Page 65: ... Power zoom lever PHOTO button 24 POWER lamp CHG charge lamp 10 Battery pack 10 START STOP button 21 DC IN jack 10 Grip belt 20 Hook for a shoulder belt Access lamp memory card 17 While the lamp is lit or flashing the camcorder is reading or writing data BATT battery release lever 12 Tripod receptacle Attach a tripod sold separately to the tripod receptacle using a tripod screw sold separately the...

Page 66: ... DC IN jack 10 Access lamp memory card 17 While the lamp is lit or flashing the camcorder is reading or writing data BATT battery release lever 12 Tripod receptacle Attach a tripod sold separately to the tripod receptacle using a tripod screw sold separately the length of the screw must be less than 5 5 mm 7 32 in Memory card slot 17 ...

Page 67: ...en indicators 63 Self diagnosis display 55 Setting the date and time 13 Software 32 Specifications 61 Supplied items 4 T Thumbnail 30 Tripod 66 Troubleshooting 54 Turning the power on 13 TV 28 TV TYPE 28 U USB cable 42 44 USB CONNECT 42 44 V VBR 57 VIEW IMAGES 25 VISUAL INDEX 25 Volume 26 W Wall outlet wall socket 10 Warning indicators 55 Windows 32 Z Zoom 65 Symbols 16 9 28 4 3 28 A A V connectin...

Page 68: ...GB Additional information on this product and answers to frequently asked questions can be found at our Customer Support Website http www sony net Printed in China ...

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