Sony DCR-SR68, DCR-SR88, DCR-SX43, DCR-SX44, DCR-SX63 User Manual

4-170-098-11(1)

US/ES

Additional information on this product and answers to frequently asked questions can be found at our Customer Support Website.

http://www.sony.net/

DCR-SR68/SR88/SX43/SX44/SX63

Digital Video Camera Recorder
Operating Guide	US
Guía de operaciones	ES

Printed in China

2010 Sony Corporation

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. DCR-

Serial No.

Model No. AC-

Serial No.

WARNING

To reduce fire or shock hazard, do not expose the unit to rain or moisture.

Do not expose the batteries to excessive heat such as sunshine, fire or the like.

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.

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS.

DANGER - TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE

OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, CAREFULLY FOLLOW THESE

INSTRUCTIONS.

Read these instructions.

Keep these instructions.

Heed all warnings.

Follow all instructions.

Do not use this apparatus near water.

Clean only with dry cloth.

Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.

Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug

has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a
third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If
the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the
obsolete outlet.	US

Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.

Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.

Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.

Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.

Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

If the shape of the plug does not fit the power outlet, use an attachment plug adaptor of the proper configuration for the power outlet.

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Representative plug of power supply cord of countries/regions around the world.

A Type	B Type	BF Type	B3 Type	C Type	SE Type	O Type
(American	(British Type)	(British Type)	(British Type)	(CEE Type)	(CEE Type)	(Ocean Type)
Type)

The representative supply voltage and plug type are described in this chart. Depend on an area, Different type of plug and supply voltage are used. Attention: Power cord meeting demands from each country shall be used.

For only the United States

Use a UL Listed, 1.5-3 m (5-10 ft.), Type SPT-2 or NISPT-2, AWG no. 18 power supply cord, rated for 125 V 7 A, with a NEMA 1-15P plug rated for 125 V 15 A.”

Europe

	Countries/regions	Voltage	Frequency (Hz)	Plug type
	Austria	230	50	C
	Belgium	230	50	C
	Czech	220	50	C
	Denmark	230	50	C
	Finland	230	50	C
	France	230	50	C
	Germany	230	50	C
	Greece	220	50	C
	Hungary	220	50	C
	Iceland	230	50	C
	Ireland	230	50	C/BF
	Italy	220	50	C
	Luxemburg	230	50	C
	Netherlands	230	50	C
	Norway	230	50	C
	Poland	220	50	C
	Portugal	230	50	C
	Romania	220	50	C
	Russia	220	50	C
	Slovak	220	50	C
	Spain	127/230	50	C
	Sweden	230	50	C
	Switzerland	230	50	C
	UK	240	50	BF
	Asia
	Countries/regions	Voltage	Frequency (Hz)	Plug type
	China	220	50	A
	Hong Kong	200/220	50	BF
	India	230/240	50	C
	Indonesia	127/230	50	C
	Japan	100	50/60	A
	Korea (rep)	220	60	C
	Malaysia	240	50	BF
	Philippines	220/230	60	A/C
	Singapore	230	50	BF
	Taiwan	110	60	A
US	Thailand	220	50	C/BF

Countries/regions	Voltage	Frequency (Hz)	Plug type
Vietnam	220	50	A/C
Oceania
Countries/regions	Voltage	Frequency (Hz)	Plug type
Australia	240	50	O
New Zealand	230/240	50	O
North America
Countries/regions	Voltage	Frequency (Hz)	Plug type
Canada	120	60	A
USA	120	60	A
Central America
Countries/regions	Voltage	Frequency (Hz)	Plug type
Bahamas	120/240	60	A
Costa Rica	110	60	A
Cuba	110/220	60	A/C
Dominican (rep)	110	60	A
El Salvador	110	60	A
Guatemala	120	60	A
Honduras	110	60	A
Jamaica	110	50	A
Mexico	120/127	60	A
Nicaragua	120/240	60	A
Panama	110/220	60	A
South America
Countries/regions	Voltage	Frequency (Hz)	Plug type
Argentina	220	50	C/BF/O
Brazil	127/220	60	A/C
Chile	220	50	C
Colombia	120	60	A
Peru	220	60	A/C
Venezuela	120	60	A
Middle East
Countries/regions	Voltage	Frequency (Hz)	Plug type
Iran	220	50	C/BF
Iraq	220	50	C/BF
Israel	230	50	C
Saudi Arabia	127/220	50	A/C/BF
Turkey	220	50	C
UAE	240	50	C/BF
Africa
Countries/regions	Voltage	Frequency (Hz)	Plug type
Algeria	127/220	50	C
Congo (dem)	220	50	C
Egypt	220	50	C
Ethiopia	220	50	C
Kenya	240	50	C/BF
Nigeria	230	50	C/BF
South Africa	220/230	50	C/BF
Tanzania	230	50	C/BF
Tunisia	220	50	C

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Read this first

Before operating the unit, please read this manual thoroughly, and retain it for future reference.

CAUTION

Battery pack

If the battery pack is mishandled, the battery pack can burst, cause a fire or even chemical burns. Observe the following cautions.

Do not disassemble.

Do not crush and do not expose the battery pack to any shock or force such as hammering, dropping or stepping on it.

Do not short circuit and do not allow metal objects to come into contact with the battery terminals.

Do not expose to high temperature above 60°C (140 °F) such as in direct sunlight or in a car parked in the sun.

Do not incinerate or dispose of in fire.

Do not handle damaged or leaking lithium ion batteries.

Be sure to charge the battery pack using a genuine Sony battery charger or a device that can charge the battery pack.

Keep the battery pack out of the reach of small children.

Keep the battery pack dry.

Replace only with the same or equivalent type recommended by Sony.

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 malfunction occurs while using your camcorder.

Even if your camcorder is turned off, AC power source (mains) is still supplied to it while connected to the wall outlet (wall socket) via the AC Adaptor.

For customers in the U.S.A. and CANADA

RECYCLING LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES

Lithium-Ion batteries are recyclable.

You can help preserve our environment by returning your used rechargeable batteries to the collection and recycling location nearest you.

For more information regarding recycling of rechargeable batteries, call toll free 1-800-822- 8837, or visit http://www.rbrc.org/ Caution: Do not handle damaged or leaking LithiumIon batteries.

Battery pack

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and

(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.

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For the customers in the U.S.A.

UL is an internationally recognized safety organization.

The UL Mark on the product means it has been UL Listed.

If you have any questions about this product, you may call:

Sony Customer Information Center 1-800- 222-SONY (7669).

The number below is for the FCC related matters only.

Regulatory Information

Declaration of Conformity

Trade Name: SONY Model No.: DCR-SX43

Responsible Party: Sony Electronics Inc. Address: 16530 Via Esprillo, San Diego, CA 92127 U.S.A.

Telephone No.: 858-942-2230

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Declaration of Conformity

Trade Name: SONY Model No.: DCR-SX44

Responsible Party: Sony Electronics Inc. Address: 16530 Via Esprillo, San Diego, CA 92127 U.S.A.

Telephone No.: 858-942-2230

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Declaration of Conformity

Trade Name: SONY Model No.: DCR-SX63

Responsible Party: Sony Electronics Inc. Address: 16530 Via Esprillo, San Diego, CA 92127 U.S.A.

Telephone No.: 858-942-2230

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Declaration of Conformity

Trade Name: SONY Model No.: DCR-SR68

Responsible Party: Sony Electronics Inc. Address: 16530 Via Esprillo, San Diego, CA 92127 U.S.A.

Telephone No.: 858-942-2230

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Declaration of Conformity

Trade Name: SONY Model No.: DCR-SR88

Responsible Party: Sony Electronics Inc. Address: 16530 Via Esprillo, San Diego, CA 92127 U.S.A.

Telephone No.: 858-942-2230

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

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CAUTION

You are cautioned that any changes or modifications not expressly approved in this manual could void your authority to operate this equipment.

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.

The supplied interface cable must be used with the equipment in order to comply with the limits for a digital device pursuant to Subpart B of Part 15 of FCC Rules.

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Supplied items

The numbers in ( ) are the supplied quantity.

AC Adaptor (1)

Power cord (Mains lead) (1)

A/V connecting cable (1)

USB cable (1)

Rechargeable battery pack NP-FV30 (1)

CD-ROM “Handycam” Application Software (1)

“PMB” (software, including “PMB Help”)

“Handycam” Handbook (PDF)

“Operating Guide” (This manual) (1)

See page 21 for the memory card you can use with this camcorder.

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. 60).

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 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 appear constantly on the LCD screen. These points are normal results of

the manufacturing process and do not affect the recording in any way.

Black points

White, red, blue or green points

Exposing the LCD screen or the lens to direct sunlight for long periods of time may cause malfunctions.

Do not aim at the sun. Doing so might cause your camcorder to malfunction. Take images of the sun only in low light conditions, such as at dusk.

About changing the language setting

The on-screen displays in each local language are used for illustrating the operating procedures. Change the screen language before using your camcorder if necessary (p. 19).

Recording

When you use a memory card with your camcorder for the first time, formatting the memory card with your camcorder (p. 55) is recommended for stable operation.

All data recorded on the memory card will be deleted when it is formatted, and cannot be recovered. Save important data to your computer, etc., beforehand.

Before starting to record, test the recording function to make sure that the image and sound are recorded without any problems.

Compensation for the contents of recordings cannot be provided, even if recording or playback is not possible due to a malfunction of the camcorder, storage media, etc.

TV color systems differ depending on the country/region. To view your recordings on a TV, you need an NTSC system-based TV.

Television programs, films, video tapes, and other materials may be copyrighted.

Unauthorized recording of such materials may be contrary to copyright laws.

Note on playback

Images recorded on your camcorder may not play correctly on other devices.

Conversely, images recorded on other devices may not play correctly on this camcorder.

Save all your recorded image data

To prevent your image data from being lost, save all your recorded images on external media periodically. 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. 45).

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 camcorder/battery pack temperature

When the temperature of the camcorder or battery pack becomes extremely high or

extremely low, you may not be able to record or play back on the camcorder, due to the protection features of the camcorder being activated in such situations. In this case, an indicator appears on the LCD screen.

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When the camcorder is connected to a computer or accessories

Do not try to format the recording media of the camcorder using a computer. If you do so, your camcorder may not operate correctly.

When connecting your camcorder to another device with a cable, be sure to insert the connector plug in the correct way. Pushing the plug forcibly into the terminal will damage the terminal and may result in a malfunction of your camcorder.

If you cannot record/play back images, perform [MEDIA FORMAT]

If you repeat recording/deleting images for a long time, fragmentation of data occurs on the recording media. Images cannot be saved or recorded. In such a case, save your images

on some type of external media first, and then

perform [MEDIA FORMAT] by touching (MENU) [Show others] [MEDIA FORMAT] (under [MANAGE MEDIA] category) the desired medium (DCRSR68/SR88/SX44/SX63) [YES] [YES]

.

Carl Zeiss lens

Your camcorder is equipped with a Carl Zeiss lens, which was developed jointly by Carl Zeiss, in Germany, and Sony Corporation, and produces superior images. It adopts the MTF measurement system for video cameras and offers a quality typical of a Carl Zeiss lens. MTF= Modulation Transfer Function. The number value indicates the amount of light from a subject coming into the lens.

Notes on optional accessories

We recommend using genuine Sony accessories.

Availability of such products is subject to country/region.

About images, illustrations, and screen displays of this manual

The example images used in this manual for illustration purposes are captured using a digital still camera, and therefore may appear different from images and screen indicators that actually appear on your camcorder. And, the illustrations of your camcorder and its screen indication are exaggerated or simplified for understandability.

In this manual, the internal hard disk (DCRSR68/SR88), the internal memory (DCR-SX44/ SX63) of your camcorder and memory card are called “recording media.”

Design and specifications of your camcorder and accessories are subject to change without notice.

Confirm the model name of your camcorder

The model name is shown in this manual when there is a difference in specification between models. Confirm the model name on the bottom of your camcorder.

The main differences in specification of this series are as follows.

	Recording	Capacity	USB jack
	media	of internal
		recording
		media
DCR-	Internal	80 GB
SR68	hard
DCR-	disk +	120 GB
	memory
SR88
	card
DCR-	Memory		Input/
SX43	card		output
DCR-	Internal	4 GB
SX44	memory
DCR-	+	16 GB
	memory
SX63
	card

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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. 22) is lit or flashing

Remove the battery pack or AC Adaptor from the camcorder, or subject the camcorder shock or vibration when the

(Photo) lamps (p. 18) or the access lamp (p. 22) are lit or flashing

When using a shoulder belt (sold separately), do not crash the camcorder against an object.

Do not use your camcorder in very loud areas.

On the drop sensor (DCR-SR68/SR88)

To protect the internal hard disk from shock by dropping, the camcorder has a drop sensor function. When a drop occurs, or under a nongravity condition, the block noise made when this function is activated by the camcorder may also be recorded. If the drop sensor catches a drop repeatedly, recording/playback may be stopped.

Note on using the camcorder at high altitudes (DCR-SR68/SR88)

Do not turn on the camcorder in a low-pressure area, where the altitude is more than 5,000 meters (16,000 feet). Doing so may damage the internal hard disk drive of your camcorder.

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Operation flow

Getting started (p. 15)

Prepare the power source and recording media.

Recording movies and photos (p. 23)

Recording movies p. 25

Changing the recording mode

Expected recording time (MEDIA INFO)

Shooting photos p. 26

Playing movies and photos

Playback on the camcorder p. 28

Playing images on a TV p. 31

Saving images

Saving movies and photos with a computer p. 36 Saving movies and photos in external media p. 43 Saving images with a DVD writer/recorder p. 45

Deleting movies and photos (p. 34)

If you delete the image data that has been saved on your computer or a disc, you can record new images on the free media space again.

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Table of contents

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Read this first. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Operation flow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Getting started

Step 1: Charging the battery pack.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Charging the battery pack abroad.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Step 2: Turning the power on, and setting the date and time.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Changing the language setting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Step 3: Preparing the recording media.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 To check the recording media settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Dubbing or copying movies and photos from the internal recording media

to memory card (DCR-SR68/SR88/SX44/SX63).. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Recording/Playback

Recording. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Playback on the camcorder.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Playing images on a TV.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Making good use of your camcorder

Deleting movies and photos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Saving movies and photos with a computer

Preparing a computer (Windows).. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 When using a Macintosh.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Starting PMB (Picture Motion Browser). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Creating a disc with one touch (One Touch Disc Burn).. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Importing movies and photos to a computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Creating a disc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Copying a disc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Editing movies.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Capturing photos from a movie.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Saving images with an external device

Saving images in external media (DIRECT COPY). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Creating a disc with a DVD writer, recorder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

contents of Table

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Customizing your camcorder

Using menus.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Getting detailed information from the “Handycam” Handbook.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Additional information

Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Precautions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Specifications.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Quick reference

Screen indicators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Parts and controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

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Getting started

Step 1: Charging the battery pack

DCR-SR68/SR88

DC IN jack

Battery pack

	Power cord
	(Mains lead)
DC plug
AC Adaptor	To the wall outlet
	(wall socket)

CHG (charge) lamp

DCR-SX43/SX44/SX63

CHG (charge) lamp

Battery pack

DC IN jack

	DC plug	Power cord
		(Mains lead)
	AC Adaptor	To the wall outlet
		(wall socket)

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You can charge the “InfoLITHIUM” battery pack (V series) after attaching it to your camcorder.

Notes

You cannot attach any “InfoLITHIUM” battery pack other than the V series to your camcorder.

1 Turn off your camcorder by closing the LCD screen.

2 Attachclicks. the battery pack by sliding it in the direction of the arrow until it

3 Connect the AC Adaptor and the power cord (mains lead) to your camcorder and the wall outlet (wall socket).

Align the mark on the DC plug with that on the DC IN jack.

The CHG (charge) lamp lights up and charging 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 64 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.

To remove the battery pack

Close the LCD screen. Slide the BATT (battery) release lever ( ) and remove the battery pack ( ).

DCR-SR68/SR88

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DCR-SX43/SX44/SX63

To use a wall outlet (wall socket) as a power source

Make the same connections as “Step 1: Charging the battery pack.” Even if the battery pack is attached, the battery pack is not discharged.

Charging the battery pack abroad

You can charge the battery pack in any countries/regions using the AC Adaptor supplied with your camcorder within the AC 100 V - 240 V, 50 Hz/60 Hz range.

Notes

Do not use an electronic voltage transformer.

Notes on the battery pack

When you remove					battery pack or disconnect the AC Adaptor, close the LCD screen and make sure
that the				(Movie)/	(Photo) lamps (p. 18), the access lamp (p. 22) are turned off.

The CHG (charge) lamp 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 automatically if you leave your camcorder without any operation for about 5 minutes, to save battery power ([A.SHUT OFF]).

Notes on the AC Adaptor

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 malfunction occurs while using your camcorder.

Do not use the AC Adaptor placed in a narrow space, such as between a wall and furniture.

Do not short-circuit the DC plug of the AC Adaptor or battery terminal with any metallic objects. This may cause a malfunction.

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Step 2: Turning the power on, and setting the date and time

1

2

Open the LCD screen of your camcorder.

Your camcorder turns on.

To turn on your camcorder when the LCD screen is open, press POWER.

POWER button

MODE lamp

Select the desired geographical area with /, then touch [NEXT].

Touch the button on the LCD screen.

To set the date and time again, touch		(MENU) [Show others] [CLOCK/	LANG]
	(under [GENERAL SET] category) [CLOCK SET]. When an item is not on the screen, touch
3	/ until the item appears.
	Set [DST SET] or [SUMMERTIME], date and time, then touch		.

The clock starts.

If you set [DST SET] or [SUMMERTIME] to [ON], the clock advances 1 hour.

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Notes
The date and time do not appear during recording, but they are automatically recorded							the recording
media, and can be displayed during playback				display the date and time, touch		(MENU)
[Show others]	[PLAYBACK		(under	[PLAYBACK] category) [DATA CODE] [DATE/
TIME]			.	(MENU)	others]	[SOUND/DISP
You can turn	the operation beeps by touching
SET] (under	[GENERAL SET] category) [BEEP] [OFF]						.

If the button you touch does not react correctly, calibrate the touch panel.

To turn off the power

Close the LCD screen. The (Movie) lamp flashes for a few seconds and the power is turned off.

Tips

You can turn off your camcorder also by pressing POWER.

When [POWER ON BY LCD] is set to [OFF], turn off your camcorder by pressing POWER.

Changing the language setting

You can change the on-screen displays to show messages in a specified language.

Touch (MENU) [Show others] [CLOCK/LANG] (under [GENERAL SET] category) [LANGUAGE SET] a desired language .

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Step 3: Preparing the recording media

The recording media that can be used differs depending on your camcorder. The following icons are displayed on the screen of your camcorder.

DCR-SX43:

Memory card

DCR-SX44/SX63:

Internal*memory	Memory card
DCR-SR68/SR88:
*	Memory card
Internal hard disk

*In the default setting, both movies and photos are recorded on this recording media. You can perform recording, playback and editing operations on the selected medium.

Tips

See page 64 for the recordable time of movies.

Selecting the recording media for movies (DCR-SR68/SR88/SX44/SX63)

Touch (MENU) [Show others] [MEDIA SETTINGS] (under [MANAGE MEDIA] category) [MOVIE MEDIA SET].

The [MOVIE MEDIA SET] screen appears.

Touch the desired recording media.

Touch [YES] .

The recording medium is changed.

Selecting the recording media for photos (DCR-SR68/SR88/SX44/SX63)

Touch (MENU) [Show others] [MEDIA SETTINGS] (under [MANAGE MEDIA] category) [PHOTO MEDIA SET].

The [PHOTO MEDIA SET] screen appears.

Touch the desired recording media.

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Touch [YES]

.

The recording medium is changed.

To check the recording media settings

When recording in movie recording mode or photo recording mode, the recording media icon is displayed in the top right corner of the screen.

Recording media icon

The icon displayed on the LCD screen varies depending on the camcorder you use.

Inserting a memory card

Notes

Set the recording medium to [MEMORY CARD] to record movies and/or photos on memory card (DCR-SR68/SR88/SX44/SX63).

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Types of memory card that can be used with your camcorder

Only “Memory Stick PRO Duo” media, “Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo” media, SD memory cards and SDHC memory cards can be used with this camcorder. A MultiMediaCard cannot be used with this camcorder.

In this manual, “Memory Stick PRO Duo” media and “Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo” media are referred to as “Memory Stick PRO Duo” media.

Memory cards of up to 32 GB are guaranteed to work with your camcorder.

Types of “Memory Stick” media that can be used with your camcorder

For recording movies, it is recommended that you use “Memory Stick PRO Duo” media of 512 MB or larger marked with:

(“Memory Stick PRO Duo” media)*

(“Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo” media)

*Marked with Mark2 or not, either can be used.

“Memory Stick PRO Duo” media/“Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo” media (This size can be used with your camcorder.)

“Memory Stick PRO Duo” media can be used only with “Memory Stick PRO” media compatible equipment.

Do not attach a label or the like on “Memory Stick PRO Duo” media or “Memory Stick Duo” media

adaptor.

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Open the cover, orient the memory card’s notched corner as shown in the illustration, and insert into the memory card slot until it clicks.

Close the cover after inserting the memory card.

DCR-SR68/SR88

DCR-SX43/SX44/SX63

Access lamp

Note direction of notched corner.

Access lamp Note direction of notched corner.

The [Create a new Image Database File.] screen may appear if you insert a new memory card. In that case, touch [YES]. If you record only photos on the memory card, touch [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	possible that there is not enough free space.]
is displayed, initialize the memory card by touching	(MENU) [Show others] [MEDIA

FORMAT] (under[MANAGE MEDIA] category) [MEMORY CARD] (DCR-SR68/SR88/SX44/ SX63) [YES] [YES] .

To eject the memory card

Open the cover and lightly push the memory card in once.

Do not open the cover during recording.

When inserting or ejecting the memory card, be careful so that the memory card does not pop out and drop.

Dubbing or copying movies and photos from the internal recording media to memory card (DCR-SR68/SR88/SX44/SX63)

Touch (MENU) [Show others] [MOVIE DUB]/[PHOTO COPY] (under [EDIT] category), then follow the displays on the screen.

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Fasten the grip belt.

Recording/Playback

Recording

In the default setting, movies are recorded on the following recording media. DCR-SX43: Memory card

DCR-SX44/SX63: Internal memory DCR-SR68/SR88: Internal hard disk

Tips

See page 20 on changing the recording media (DCR-SR68/SR88/SX44/SX63).

To open the lens cover

Slide the LENS COVER switch to open.

DCR-SR68/SR88 DCR-SX43/SX44/SX63

Tips

When you finish recording or when you play back images, close the lens cover.

1

DCR-SR68/SR88

Recording/Playback

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DCR-SX43/SX44/SX63

2 Open the LCD screen of your camcorder.

Your camcorder turns on.

To turn on your camcorder when the LCD screen is already open, press POWER (p. 18).

You can switch recording modes by pressing MODE. Press MODE to light up the desired recording mode lamp.

DCR-SR68/SR88

MODE button

(Movie): When recording a movie

(Photo): When shooting a photo

DCR-SX43/SX44/SX63

MODE button

(Movie): When recording a movie

(Photo): When

shooting a photo

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Recording movies

Press START/STOP to start recording.

You can start recording also by touching in the bottom left of the LCD screen.

DCR-SR68/SR88 DCR-SX43/SX44/SX63

START/STOP button

[STBY] [REC]

To stop recording, press START/STOP again.

You can stop recording also by touching in the bottom left of LCD screen.

The icons and indicators on the LCD panel will be displayed for about 3 seconds, then disappear after turning on your camcorder or switching the recording (movie/photo)/playback modes. To display the icons and indicators again, touch anywhere on the screen except the rec & zoom buttons on the LCD.

Rec & zoom buttons on LCD

about 3sec after

Notes

If you close the LCD screen while recording movies, the camcorder stops recording.

The maximum continuous recordable time of movies is about 13 hours.

When a movie file exceeds 2 GB, the next movie file is created automatically.

It will take several seconds until you can start recording after you turn on the camcorder. You cannot operate your camcorder during this time.

Recording/Playback

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The following states will be indicated if data is still being written onto the recording media after recording has finished. During this time, do not apply shock or vibration to the camcorder, or remove the battery or AC Adaptor.

Access lamp (p. 22) is 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.

See page 64 on the recordable time of movies.

You can check the recordable time, estimated remaining capacity, etc., by touching (MENU) [Show others] [MEDIA INFO] (under[MANAGE MEDIA] category).

The LCD screen of your camcorder can display recording images across the entire screen (full pixel display). However, this may cause slight trimming of the top, bottom, right and left edges of images when played back on a TV which is not compatible with full pixel display. In this case, set [GUIDEFRAME] to [ON], and record images using the outer frame displayed on the screen as a guide.

[STEADYSHOT] is set to [ON] in the default setting.

To adjust the angle of the LCD panel, first open the LCD panel 90 degrees to the camcorder ( ), and then adjust the angle ( ).

90 degrees (max.)

	180 degrees (max.)	90 degrees to
		the camcorder

Data code during recording

The recording date, time and condition are recorded automatically on the recording media.

They are not displayed during recording	you can check them as [DATA CODE]
during playback To display them, touch	(MENU) [Show	[PLAYBACK
SET] (under [PLAYBACK] category) a desired setting		.

Shooting photos

In the default setting, photos are recorded on the following recording media. DCR-SX43: Memory card

DCR-SX44/SX63: Internal memory DCR-SR68/SR88: Internal hard disk

Tips

See page 20 on changing the recording media (DCR-SR68/SR88/SX44/SX63).

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Press MODE to turn on

(Photo) lamp.

The LCD screen display switches for photo recording mode, and the screen aspect ratio becomes 4:3.

Press PHOTO lightly to adjust the focus, then press it fully.

You can record photos also by touchingon the LCD screen.

DCR-SR68/SR88 DCR-SX43/SX44/SX63

Flashes Lights up

When

disappears, the photo is recorded.

Tips

To change the image size, touch

(MENU)

IMAGE SIZE] (under

[PHOTO SETTINGS] category) a desired setting

.

You can check the recordable number of photos on the LCD screen (p. 66).

Recording/Playback

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The VISUAL INDEX screen appears after some seconds.

Press

(VIEW IMAGES).

To turn on your camcorder when the LCD screen is already open, press POWER (p. 18).

Your camcorder turns on.

Open the LCD screen of your camcorder.

Tips

See page 20 on changing the recording media (DCR-SR68/SR88/SX44/SX63).

1

2

In the default setting, movies and photos that are recorded on the following recording media are played.

DCR-SX43: Memory card DCR-SX44/SX63: Internal memory DCR-SR68/SR88: Internal hard disk

Playback on the camcorder

You can display the VISUAL INDEX screen also by touching	(VIEW IMAGES) on the LCD
screen.

3 Touch (Movie) ( ) a desired movie ( ) to play back a movie. Touch the (Photo) ( ) a desired photo ( ) to view a photo.

Movies are displayed and sorted by recording date.

Switches operating button display.To MENU screen

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Displays the screen to select the index type ([DATE INDEX]/[FILM ROLL]/ [FACE]).

/ : Displays movies recorded on the previous/next date.*

/ : Displays the previous/next movie.Returns to the recording screen.

* is displayed when is touched.

You can scroll the display by touching and dragging or .

appears with the movie or photo that was most recently played or recorded. If you touch the movie or photo with , you can continue playback from the previous time. ( appears on the photo recorded on a memory card.)

Playing movies

Your camcorder starts playing the selected movie.

	Volume adjustment
	Previous	Next
	To stop	OPTION
		To fast-forward
	To fast-reverse	To pause/play

Tips

When playback from the selected movie reaches the last movie, the screen returns to the VISUAL INDEX screen

Touch

back movies slowly.

As you repeat touching during playback, movies are played as fast as about 5 times about 10 times about 30 times about 60

You can display	VISUAL INDEX by touching	(MENU) [Show others] [VISUAL
INDEX] (under	[PLAYBACK] category).

The recording date, time, and shooting conditions are recorded automatically during recording.

information is not displayed during recording, but you		it during playback by touching
(MENU) [Show others] [PLAYBACK		[PLAYBACK] category) [DATA
CODE] a desired setting	.
To adjust the sound volume of movies
While playing back movies, touch	adjust with	.

You can also adjust the sound volume by using / in the OPTION MENU.

Recording/Playback

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Viewing photos

Your camcorder displays the selected photo.

Previous	To start/stop slide show
	Next
To the VISUAL	OPTION
INDEX screen

Tips

When viewing photos recorded on a memory

(playback folder) appears on the screen.

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