Sony DSC-F55, DSC-F55E Operating Instruction

Digital Still
Camera

3-866-309-12 (1)

Operating Instructions

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

Manual de instrucciones

Antes de utilizar la unidad, lea detenidamente este manual de
instrucciones y consérvelo para futuras referencias.

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. DSC­Serial No. ________________________

DSC-F55/F55E

1999 by Sony Corporation

GB

ES

English
WARNING

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

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.

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

CAUTION

TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO
NOT USE THIS POLARIZED AC PLUG
WITH AN EXTENSION CORD,
RECEPTACLE OR OTHER OUTLET
UNLESS THE BLADES CAN BE FULLY
INSERTED TO PREVENT BLADE
EXPOSURE.
You are cautioned that any changes or
modifications not expressly approved in
this manual could void your authority to
operate this equipment.

2-GB

Declaration of Conformity

Trade Name: SONY
Model No.: DSC-F55
Responsible Party: Sony Electronics Inc.
Address: 1 Sony Drive, Park

Ridge, NJ.07656 USA

Telephone No.: 201-930-6970

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.

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

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

DISPOSAL OF LITHIUM ION
BATTERY.

LITHIUM ION BATTERY.
DISPOSE OF PROPERLY.

You can return your unwanted lithium ion
batteries to your nearest Sony Service
Center or Factory Service Center.
Note: In some areas the disposal of lithium

ion batteries in household or business

trash may be prohibited.
For the Sony Service Center nearest you call
1-800-222-SONY (United States only)
For the Sony Factory Service Center nearest
you call 416-499-SONY (Canada only)
Caution: Do not handle damaged or

leaking lithium ion battery.

NOTICE FOR THE CUSTOMERS
IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

A moulded plug complying with BS 1363 is
fitted to this equipment for your safety and
convenience.

Should the fuse in the plug supplied
need to be replaced, a 5 AMP fuse
approved by ASTA or BSI to BS 1362, (i.e.
marked with 2 or @ mark) must be
used.

If the plug supplied with this equipment
has a detachable fuse cover, be sure to
attach the fuse cover after you change the
fuse. Never use the plug without the fuse
cover. If you should lose the fuse cover,
please contact your nearest Sony service
station.

Attention

The electromagnetic fields at the specific
frequencies may influence the picture and
sound of this camera.

Memory Stick

N50

For the Customers in CANADA

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

For the Customers in the
U.S.A.

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.

For the Customers in Germany

Directive: EMC Directive 89/336/

EEC.92/31/EEC
This equipment complies with the EMC
regulations when used under the
following circumstances:

• Residential area

• Business district

• Light-industry district
(This equipment complies with the EMC
standard regulations EN55022 Class B.)

Battery Pack

For the Customers in the U.S.A.
and Canada

THIS CLASS B DIGITAL DEVICE
COMPLIES WITH PART 15 OF THE
FCC RULES AND THE CANADIAN
ICES-003. 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.

3-GB

About the Carl Zeiss lens

This camera is equipped with a Carl
Zeiss lens which can reproduce a fine
image.
The lens for this camera was
developed jointly by Carl Zeiss, in
Germany, and Sony Corporation. It
adopts the MTF* measurement
system for camera and offers a quality
as the Carl Zeiss lens.

* MTF is an abbreviation of

Modulation Transfer Function/
Factor.
The value number indicates the
amount of light of a subject
penetrating into the lens.

• IBM PC/AT is a registered trademark
of International Business Machines
Corporation of the U.S.A.

• MS-DOS and Windows are registered
trademarks licensed to Microsoft
Corporation, registered in the U.S.A.
and other countries.

• Macintosh is a trademark licensed to
Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the
U.S.A. and other countries.

• All other product names mentioned
herein may be the trademarks or
registered trademarks of their
respective companies.

Furthermore, “™‘” and “®” are not
mentioned in each case in this manual.

4-GB

Table of contents

Parts identification .......... 7

Preparation

1 Charging the battery pack .... 9

2 Installing the battery pack .. 10

3 Inserting a Memory Stick.... 11

4 Setting the date and time .... 12

Recording

1 Recording still images ......... 14

2 Recording moving images

............................................... 15

Playing back

1 Playing back still images.....17

2 Playing back moving images

............................................... 18

3 Viewing images using a

personal computer ............. 21

Various ways of recording

Changing the lens orientation

– Face to face recording ........... 24

Using the self-timer ....................... 24

Selecting brightness of the flash

(FLASH LEVEL) ....................... 25

Recording images in macro..........25

Recording enlarged images

– Zoom recording.....................26

Enjoying Picture Effect..................26

Selecting image quality

(QUALITY) ............................... 27

Selecting image size.......................28

Selecting recording mode

(REC MODE) ............................ 29

Adjusting exposure

(EXPOSURE)............................. 31

Adjusting the white balance ........32

Various ways of playback

Playing back multiple images at a

time (INDEX) ............................ 33

Enlarging a part of the image

– Zoom and trimming ............. 34

Rotating image (ROTATE) ........... 35

Playing back images in a continuous

loop (SLIDE SHOW)................ 36

Preventing accidental erasure

(PROTECT) ............................... 37

Deleting images (DELETE) .......... 38

Formatting (initializing) a Memory

Stick ............................................ 40

Changing the menu setting

Changing the menu setting .......... 41

Setting the mode of each item......42

Using image data with
other equipment

Using the house current (mains)

.................................................... 45

Watching images on a TV screen

.................................................... 45

Printing the recorded images.......46

Marking a print mark on an image

.................................................... 46

Additional information

Precautions ..................................... 48

Troubleshooting............................. 50

Self-diagnosis display ................... 52

Warning and notice messages ..... 53

Specifications.................................. 54

Index ................................................ 55

GB

5-GB

Be sure to read the following before using your camera

LCD screen

The LCD screen is manufactured using high-precision technology. However, there
may be some tiny black points and/or bright points (red, blue or green in color) that
constantly appear on the LCD screen. These points are normal in the manufacturing
process and do not affect the recorded image in any way. Over 99.99 % are operational
for effective use.

Trial recording

Before you record one-time events, you may want to make a trial recording to make
sure that the camera is working correctly.

No compensation for contents of the recording

Contents of the recording cannot be compensated for if recording or playback is not
made due to a malfunction of the camera, etc.

Note on image data compatibility

Image data files recorded on Memory Sticks by your camera conform with the Design
Rules for Camera File Systems universal standard established by the JEIDA (Japan
Electronic Industry Development Association).
You cannot play back on your camera still images recorded on other equipment (DCR­TRV890E/TRV900/TRV900E, DSC-D700) that does not conform with this universal
standard. (These models are not sold in some areas.)

Precaution on copyright

Television programs, films, video tapes, and other materials may be copyrighted.
Unauthorized recording of such materials may be contrary to the provision of the
copyright laws.

Before using your camera

This digital still camera uses a Memory Stick as a medium for recording images.

Do not shake or strike the unit

Malfunctions, inability to record images as well as inability to use Memory Sticks or
image and memory data breakdown, damage or loss may occur.

Do not get the unit wet

When taking pictures outdoors in the rain or under similar conditions, be careful not to
get the unit wet.
If moisture condensation occurs, refer to page 48 and follow instructions on how to
remove it before using.

Back up recommendations

To avoid the potential risk of data loss always copy (back up) data to disk.

Supplied accessories

AC-VF10 AC power adaptor/charger (1)
A/V connecting cable (1)
NP-F10 Battery pack (1)
DK-115 DC connecting cable (1)
Hand strap (1)
Lens cap (1)
Lens cap strap (1)

Your dealer may not handle some of the above listed accessories. Please ask the dealer for
detailed information about the accessories in your country.

Memory Stick (4 MB) (1)
PC serial cable (1)
Power cord (1)
Sony PictureGear 3.2 Lite (1)
Operating instructions (1)

6-GB

Parts identification

See pages in parentheses for more details.

Flash emitter (25)

Shutter button (14)

Lens

MODE selector
(PLAY/STILL/MOVIE)
(14)

Hook for hand strap

Speaker

Recording lamp

Attaching the lens cap (supplied) and the hand strap (supplied).

Lens cap

Be careful that the lens cap strap does not touch the projections on both sides of the
lens cap hole.

Hand strap

Lens cap strap

Photocell window
for flash

Do not block when
recording.

MIC (Microphone)

Parts identification

Access
lamp (11)

Memory Stick eject
button (11)

Memory Stick cover
(11)

Tripod receptacle

Make sure that the length of the tripod
screw is less than 7/32 inch (6.5 mm).

Battery eject
switch (10)

OPEN (BATT)
switch (10)

7-GB

LCD BACK LIGHT switch

Normally set to ON.
Set to OFF to save the
battery if you use the
camera in bright place.

LCD BRIGHT +/–
buttons

Press to adjust the
brightness of the
LCD screen.

Slot cover for AC
power adaptor/
charger (45)

A/V OUT jack
(45, 46)

Audio is monaural.

DIGITAL I/O jack (22)

DISPLAY button

Press to display or turn
off the indicators on the
LCD screen.

Control button

(Macro) button (25)

Flash lamp (25)

LCD screen
(16, 19)

+ (Zoom)
button (26, 34)

– (Zoom)
button (26, 34)

POWER switch/
POWER lamp
(12)

(Flash) button (25)

AUTO (no indication) is set at the
factory.
Each time you press the button, the
flash mode changes as follows:

AUTO (no indication) t forced-

flash t no flash t AUTO.
In AUTO mode, flashes automatically
according to the brightness of the
surroundings.
The subject must be 11 7/8 inches to
8 1/3 feet (0.3 m to 2.5 m) away.

8-GB

Control button

Upper side

Left
side

Lower
side

Right
side

Press to
execute

Function of the control button

You can execute the functions by
pressing the upper, lower, left, or right
side of the control button. When an
item is selected in the menu, the color
of the item changes from blue to
yellow. To enter your selection, press
the center of the control button.

Preparation

1

Charging the battery pack

To charge the battery pack, use the AC power adaptor/charger.
Your camera operates only with the “InfoLITHIUM” battery pack (S series).
“InfoLITHIUM” is a trademark of Sony Corporation.

3

2

1

1 Insert the battery pack in the direction of the V mark. Slide the

battery pack in the direction of the arrow.

2 Connect the power cord to the AC power adaptor/charger.
3 Connect the power cord to a wall outlet.

The CHARGE lamp (orange) lights up when charging begins.
When the CHARGE lamp goes off, normal charge is completed. For full charge,
which allows you to use the battery longer than usual, leave the battery pack
attached for about one hour after normal charge is completed.

Preparation

To remove the battery
pack

Slide the battery pack in the opposite
direction of the arrow as illustrated
above.

Charging time

Battery Full charge* Normal charge**

NP-F10 145 min. 85 min.

Approximate minutes to charge a
discharged battery pack using the AC
power adaptor/charger AC-VF10.
(Lower temperature require a longer
charging time.)

* Charging for about one hour after

the CHARGE lamp goes out.

** Charging just until the CHARGE

lamp goes out.

For details on battery life, see page 20.

What is “InfoLITHIUM”?

The ”InfoLITHIUM” is a lithium ion
battery pack which can exchange data
such as battery consumption with
compatible video equipment. This unit is
compatible with the “InfoLITHIUM”
battery pack (S series). Your camera
operates only with the “InfoLITHIUM”
battery. “InfoLITHIUM” battery packs
have the
“InfoLITHIUM” is a trademark of Sony
Corporation.

mark.

9-GB

2

Installing the battery pack

12 3

1 Open the battery cover.

Open the cover while sliding the OPEN (BATT) switch in the direction of the
arrow.

2 Install the battery pack.

While sliding down the battery eject switch, insert the battery pack with the v mark
facing toward the battery compartment.

3 Close the cover.

Press the cover until it clicks.

To remove the battery
pack

Open the battery cover. Slide down
the battery eject switch, and remove
the battery pack.

Be careful not to drop the battery pack
when removing.

10-GB

Battery remaining indicator

This camera shows on the LCD screen
how many minutes you can still keep on
recording or playing back images.

Auto power-off function

During recording if you leave the camera
inactivate for about three minutes while
the power is on, the camera turns off
automatically to prevent wearing down
the battery.
Auto power-off does not function when
you use the AC power adaptor/charger.

3

Inserting a Memory Stick

“Memory Stick” is a trademark of Sony Corporation.

Access lamp

1 Open the Memory Stick cover.

Slide it in the direction of the arrow mark on the cover.

2 Insert the Memory Stick.

Insert it with the v mark pointing inward.

3 Close the Memory Stick cover.

Preparation

To remove the Memory
Stick

Open the Memory Stick cover, then
press the Memory Stick eject button.

PNote

When the access lamp lights up, be
sure not to remove the Memory Stick
or turn off the power.

Connector

LOCK
switch

PNote on Memory Stick

You cannot record on a Memory Stick
if the LOCK switch is set to LOCK
position.

LOCK

Label space

11-GB

4

Setting the date and time

When you use the camera first, set the date and time. If they are not set, incorrect date
and time are recorded, and CLOCK SET screen in the step 5 appears whenever you
turn on the camera in STILL/MOVIE mode.

Control button

POWER switch

1 Slide the POWER switch down to turn on the power.

The POWER lamp lights up.

2 Press v of the control button.

The menu bar appears on the LCD screen.

INDEX FILEDELETE SETUP

SELECT OK

3 Select “SETUP” with the control button, then press it.

/LANGUAGE
CLOCK SET
BEEP

INDEX FILEDELETE SETUP

SELECT OK

12-GB

MENU BAR OFF

4 Select “CLOCK SET” with the control button, then press it.

Preparation

/LANGUAGE
CLOCK SET
BEEP

INDEX FILEDELETE SETUP

SELECT OK

CLOCK SET

1999JAN AM// : 1 12 00

SELECT/ADJUST OK

Y/M/D
M/D/Y
D/M/Y

ENTER

CANCEL

5 Select the desired display of the date with the control button,

then press it.

Y/M/D (year/month/day)
M/D/Y (month/day/year)
D/M/Y (day/month/year)

CLOCK SET

1999 AM// : 1 1 12 00

SELECT/ADJUST OK

Y/M/D
M/D/Y
D/M/Y

ENTER

CANCEL

6 Select the date and time with the control button, then press it.

The item to be changed is indicated with
v/V. Select number by pressing v/V of
the control button, then press it to enter
the number.
After entering the number, v/V moves
to the next item.
When “D/M/Y” is selected, set the time
on a 24-hour cycle.

CLOCK SET

1999 AM// : 1 1 12 00

SELECT/ADJUST OK

Y/M/D
M/D/Y
D/M/Y

ENTER

CANCEL

7 Select “ENTER” with the control button, then press it at the

desired moment to begin clock movement.

CLOCK SET

1999 PM// : 7 4 10 30

SELECT/ADJUST OK

Y/M/D
M/D/Y
D/M/Y

ENTER

CANCEL

To cancel the date and time setting

Select “CANCEL” with the control button, then press it.

13-GB

Recording

1

Recording still images

To record images, slide the POWER switch down to turn on the power (The POWER
lamp lights up) and insert the Memory Stick.

Shutter button

MODE selector

POWER switch

1 Set the MODE selector to STILL.
2 Press the shutter button halfway down.

When AE (auto exposure), AWB (auto white balance) and AF (auto focus) are
frozen, the AE lock indicator z (green) lights up.

3 Press the shutter button fully down.

The image is recorded on the Memory Stick.

PNote

When the image is recorded on the
Memory Stick, “RECORDING” appears
on the LCD screen. When this indication
appears, never shake or strike the unit.
Also, do not turn the power off, or
remove the battery pack or Memory Stick.
Otherwise, an image data breakdown
may occur and the Memory Stick may
become unusable.

14-GB

Do not hold the camera by the LCD
screen.

2

Recording moving images

To record images, slide the POWER switch down to turn on the power (The POWER
lamp lights up) and insert the Memory Stick.

Shutter button

MODE selector

POWER switch

1 Set the MODE selector to MOVIE.
2 Press the shutter button fully down momentarily.

The image and sound are recorded for five seconds, 10 seconds, or 15 seconds. (The
time is set at “REC TIME SET” in the menu.) (page 43)

Hold the shutter button fully down.

The image and sound are recorded until you release it.

Video mail mode: maximum 60 seconds when recording 160 × 112 size
Presentation mode: maximum 15 seconds when recording 320 × 240 size
However, the minimum recording time depends on the “REC TIME SET” setting
above.

Moving images will be softer than still images.

160

320

Recording

Checking the last recorded image (Review)

When you want to check the last
recorded image, press b of the control
button. The last recorded image is
displayed on the LCD screen. To
return to normal mode, press the

shutter button or select “RETURN”
with the control button, then press it.

15-GB

The indicators during recording

The indicators on the LCD screen are not recorded.

Image size indicator (28)/
Zoom indicator (26)

Recording mode indicator (29)

AE/Focus lock indicator (14)

Battery remaining
indicator (10)

Focus mode
indicator (25)

Flash level indicator (25)

SELF

TIMER

White balance indicator (32)

Picture effect indicator (26)/
LCD bright level indicator* (8)/
Volume level indicator* (18)

60

min

+1.0

Image quality indicator (27)

Number of stored images

When “FILE NUMBER” is
set to “SERIES,” the
numbers are put to files in
sequence even if the
Memory Stick is changed.

Remaining
memory capacity
indicator

FINE

1600

EV

REC

15sBRT

0:10

48

Self-diagnosis
function indicator
(52)/Recording
time indicator (43)

Recording time
indicator (43)

FILE

SETUPCAMERAEFFECT

MENU BAR OFFSELECT OK

Menu bar and
guide menu

They appear by
pressing v of the
control button and
disappear by
pressing V of it.

EV level indicator (31)

* Only displayed during operation.

16-GB

Self-timer indicator (24)

Playing back

1

Playing back still images

To play back images, slide the POWER switch down to turn on the power (The
POWER lamp lights up) and insert the Memory Stick.

MODE selector

Control button

POWER switch

1 Set the MODE selector to PLAY.

The last recorded image appears on the LCD screen.
“NO FILE” indicator appears on the LCD screen when there is no image.

2 Press v of the control button to display the menu bar on the LCD

screen.

3 Select the recorded image with the control button.

Select the button on the LCD screen with the control button, then press it.

'b: To display the preceding recorded image.
B': To display the next image.

INDEX: To display six recorded images at a time (INDEX screen).

Playing back

z When the menu bar is not

displayed

You can directly select the image with b
or B of the control button.

17-GB