Sony P50 - Manual

8 Getting started Identifying the parts See the pages in parentheses for details of operation. A POWER button/lamp (15) Press and hold down this button for approximately one second to turn on the camera. B Mode dial (18) (39) : To record in TWILIGHT mode : To record still images : To playback or edi...

Getting sta rted 9 A FinderSelf-timer/recording lamp (red)AE/AF lock lamp (green) /CHG (flash charge/battery charge) lamp (orange) (24) B MENU button (40) C DC IN jack cover (12) (14) D DC IN jack (12) (14) E Control button (18) (39) F LCD screen G DISPLAY/LCD ON/OFF button (21) H Zoom button (INDEX...

10 Preparing the power supply Installing the supplied batteries or an optional battery pack Your camera operates only with the following batteries. • Two size AA alkaline batteries (supplied) • “InfoLITHIUM” (S series) battery pack (NP-FS11) (not supplied) • Two size AA nickel metal hydride batterie...

Getting sta rted 11 Open the battery cover with the battery cover side facing upward and remove the batteries. Be careful not to drop the batteries when removing them. Power save mode When operating the camera with batteries, set POWER SAVE in the SET UP screen to ON to extend the battery life. The ...

12 You cannot charge the battery pack while your camera is turned on. Be sure to turn off your camera. After charging the battery pack Disconnect the AC power adaptor from the DC IN jack on your camera. Battery remaining indicator When using an optional “InfoLITHIUM” battery pack, the LCD screen on ...

Getting sta rted 13 Still image recording* Still image playback*** Approximate battery life and number of images that can be recorded/played back 640×480 image size, standard picture quality, no flash, and in NORMAL recording mode. ∗ Recording at about 3-second intervals with the power save mode off...

14 Approximate time to charge a completely discharged battery pack using the AC-LS1A AC power adaptor (not supplied) at a temperature of 25°C (77°F). Using a car battery Use Sony DC adaptor/charger (not supplied). Using your camera abroad For details, see page 74. When using the AC power adaptor Be ...

Getting sta rted 15 Setting the date and time When you first use your camera, set the date and time. If these are not set, the CLOCK SET screen appears whenever you turn on your camera. 1 Set the mode dial to , , or 2 Press and hold down the POWER button for approximately one second to turn on the p...

16 To cancel the date and time setting Select [CANCEL] with v / V / b / B on the control button, then press the center z . Note If the rechargeable button battery is ever fully discharged (page 72), the CLOCK SET screen will appear again. When this happens, reset the date and time by starting from s...

Getting sta rted 17 Inserting the “Memory Stick” Open the “Memory Stick” cover, then press the “Memory Stick” once lightly. Notes • Insert the “Memory Stick” firmly until it clicks, otherwise a message such as “MEMORY STICK ERROR” will be displayed. • Never remove the “Memory Stick” or turn off the ...

18 Basic operations B Recording Basic operations How to use the mode dial The mode dial switches the function which is used for recording, playback, or editing. Set the dial as follows before starting to operate your camera. How to use the control button When the menu is not displayed, the control b...

BBBB Rec o rd ing 19 Recording still images Still images are recorded in JPEG format. Before recording still images, press the POWER button to turn on the power and insert a “Memory Stick.” 1 Set the mode dial to or . 2 Press and hold the shutter button halfway down. The image freezes momentarily, b...

20 ∗ If the flashing AE/AF lock indicator changes to flashing slowly, the subject may be difficult to focus on (dark, poor contrast) or the subject may be extremely close. Release the shutter button, then focus again. The number of images you can record on a “Memory Stick” See pages 46 and 48 to 52....

BBBB Rec o rd ing 21 You can extend the battery time by turning off the LCD screen and recording using the finder. Each time you press DISPLAY/LCD ON/OFF, the status of the LCD screen changes as follows:See page 85 for a detailed description of the indicated items. The LCD backlight is turned on.(Al...

22 When recording with the LCD screen, align the AF frame in the center of the screen with the subject. You can check the last recorded image by clearing the menu from the screen (page 40) and pressing b ( 7 ) on the control button. (You can perform this operation even when the LCD screen is off.) T...

BBBB Rec o rd ing 23 Digital zoom function This camera has a digital zoom function.Digital zoom enlarges the image by digital processing and it starts to function when zoom exceeds 3 × . Using digital zoom • The maximum zoom magnification is 6 × . • Digital zooming deteriorates the picture quality. ...

24 The factory setting is auto (no indicator). In this mode, the flash automatically strobes when the surroundings is dark. To change the flash mode, clear the menu (page 40), then press the control button v ( ) repeatedly so that the flash mode indicator appears on the LCD screen. Each time you pre...

BBBB Rec o rd ing 25 The AF illuminator is fill light to focus on a subject easily under dark conditions. Set [AF ILLUMINATOR] (page 69) to [ON] in the setup settings, appears on the LCD screen and the AF illuminator emits light when the shutter button is pressed halfway. It keeps emitting light unt...

26 Recording moving images Moving images are recorded in MPEG format (page 38). To record moving images, press the POWER button to turn on the power and insert a “Memory Stick.” 1 Set the mode dial to SET UP. 2 Select [ ] (CAMERA) with v / V on the control button, then press B . 3 Select [MOVING IMA...

BBBB Rec o rd ing 27 When you use the self-timer function, the subject is recorded about 10 seconds after you press the shutter button.Clear the menu (page 40), then press the control button V ( ). The (self-timer) indicator appears on the LCD screen, and the recording starts about 10 seconds after ...

28 B Playback Playing back still images Notes • You might not be able to correctly play back images recorded with this camera on other equipment. • You cannot play back on this camera images larger than the maximum image size that can be recorded with this camera. Each time you press DSPL/LCD ON/OFF...

BBBB Pla y bac k 29 Playing back moving images To pause playback Press the center z on the control button to stop the playback. To advance or rewind the moving image Press the control button b / B during playback. To return to the normal playback, press the center z on the control button. Each time ...

BBBB Pla y bac k 31 Recommended Windows environment OS: Microsoft Windows 98, Windows 98SE, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows Millennium EditionThe above OS is required to be installed at the factory.Operation is not assured in an environment upgraded to the operating systems described above. CPU: ...

32 Before connecting your camera to your personal computer, install the USB driver to the computer. The USB driver is included with the application software in the CD-ROM which is supplied with your camera. See page 80 for corrective measures if the USB cable was connected before installing the driv...

BBBB Pla y bac k 33 For Macintosh users • When using MacOS9.1 It is not necessary to install the USB driver. The Macintosh recognizes the camera as a drive simply by connecting it to the Macintosh with the USB cable. • When using MacOS8.5.1/8.6/9.0 Follow the procedures below to install the driver. ...

34 When viewing moving images on a Windows system, RealPlayer, Windows Media Player or other moving image playback applications must be installed. When viewing moving images on a Macintosh system, QuickTime3.0 or later must be installed. Viewing images 1 Turn on the power of your personal computer a...

BBBB Pla y bac k 35 Follow the procedure 1 – 4 on page 34. “Memory Stick” • Operation is not guaranteed if you are using a “Memory Stick” that was formatted with a personal computer, or if you used a personal computer to format the “Memory Stick” in your camera through a USB connection. • Do not opt...

36 For Windows Me and Windows 2000 users The following procedures are recommended when disconnecting the USB cable from your personal computer or ejecting the “Memory Stick” from the camera while it is connected to your personal computer. 1 Stop the drive by clicking on the “Unplug/Eject” icon in th...

BBBB Pla y bac k 37 Image file storage destinations and image files Image files recorded with your camera are grouped in folders by recording mode.The meanings of the file names are as follows. ssss stands for any number within the range from 0001 to 9999. For Windows Me users (The drive recognizing...

38 The numerical portions of the following files are the same. – A small-size image file recorded in E-MAIL mode and its corresponding image file– An uncompressed image file recorded in TIFF mode and its corresponding image file– An image file recorded in TEXT mode and its corresponding index image ...

39 Bef o re perf ormi ng a d v a nce d op eratio ns Advanced operations Before performing advanced operations This section describes the basic control methods that are frequently used for “Advanced operations.” How to use the mode dial The mode dial switches the function which is used for recording,...

40 You can perform this operation even when the LCD screen is off. Turning on/off the operation buttons (menu) on the LCD screen Setting up the items in the setup or menu 1 Set the mode dial to SET UP so that the setup screen appears, or press MENU so that the menu appears. 2 When the mode dial is s...

Bef o re perf ormi ng a d v a nce d op eratio ns 41 Menu items that can be modified differ depending on the positions of the mode dial. The LCD screen shows only the items you can operate at the moment. Factory settings are indicated with x . When the mode dial is set to / Menu settings Item Setting...

46 The number of images* or the time** that you can record on a “Memory Stick” (4 MB) ∗ When MODE (REC MODE) is set to NORMAL. ∗∗ The maximum recording time in continuous recording ∗∗∗ When recording 10 frames per Clip Motion file. Remaining number of recordable images (page 85) The remaining number...

BBBB V a rious reco rd ing 47 B Various recording Records images according to shooting conditions (TWILIGHT mode) Mode dial: This camera has a preset TWILIGHT mode. This mode is suitable for the night scene. 1 Set the mode dial to . Allows you to record bright subjects in dark places without losing ...

48 Recording still images for e-mail (E-MAIL) Mode dial: / In the E-MAIL mode, a small-size image which is suitable for e-mail transmission is also recorded at the same time as recording a normal still image. (The size of the normal still image is set using [ ] (IMAGE SIZE) in the menu settings (pag...

BBBB V a rious reco rd ing 51 Creating Clip Motion Files Mode dial: Clip Motion is an animation function that plays back still images in succession. The images are stored in GIF format, which is convenient for creating home pages or attaching images to an e-mail. 1 Set the mode dial to SET UP. The s...

BBBB V a rious reco rd ing 53 Recording images in macro Mode dial: / / The macro recording is used when zooming up a little subject, such as flowers, insects. 1 Set the mode dial to , or . 2 Clear the menu, and press the control button B ( ). The (macro) indicator appears on the LCD screen.You can r...

54 Tips Normally, the camera automatically adjusts the exposure. If the color of the image is too dark or bright as illustrated below, we recommend that you adjust the exposure manually. When recording a backlighted subject or a subject in the snow, set it toward +, and when recording a dark subject...

BBBB V a rious reco rd ing 55 To reactivate auto adjustment Select [AUTO] with v / V in step 3 . Tips The image is susceptible to lighting conditions. The image looks blue under sunlight in the summer, and looks red under mercury lamps. Human eyes can resolve these problems. However, the camera cann...

58 B Various playback Playing back three or nine images at once Mode dial: You can display multiple images on the LCD screen at one time using the zoom buttons. 1 Set the mode dial to . 2 Press the zoom W button repeatedly. The LCD screen display changes as follows: • Single (single-image) screen • ...

BBBB V a rious pla y bac k 61 Rotating a still image (ROTATE) Mode dial: You can rotate the image recorded in portrait orientation and display it in landscape orientation. 1 Set the mode dial to , and display the image to rotate. 2 Press MENU. The menu appears. 3 Select [ROTATE] with b / B , then pr...

62 B Editing Deleting images (DELETE) Mode dial: You can delete unwanted files. 1 Set the mode dial to . 2 In single-image mode: Display the image you want to delete with b / B . In triple-image mode: Press the zoom W button twice to turn to the triple-image mode. Display the image you want to delet...

BBBB Edi ting 63 To cancel deleting Select [CANCEL] with b / B in step 4 or [EXIT] with b / B in step 5 , then press z . Note If there are files on the “Memory Stick” with names having the same last 4 digits as the file name of the image to be deleted, these files are also deleted at the same time. ...

64 1 Set the mode dial to , then display the index screen with the zoom W button. 2 Press MENU. The menu appears. 3 Select [PROTECT] with b / B , then press z . 4 Select [ALL] or [SELECT] with b / B , then press z . 5 When you select [ALL] Select [ON] with b / B , then press z . All the images in th...

66 Selecting still images to print (PRINT) Mode dial: You can mark a print mark on still images recorded with your camera. This mark is convenient when you have images printed at a shop that conforms with the DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) standard. . 1 Set the mode dial to . 2 In single-image mo...

68 You cannot divide the following types of files: • Clip Motion files • Still image files • Moving image files that are too short to divide The file number changes as follows when you divide a file. <eg.> If you divide the MOV0003.mpg file, the divided file numbers become MOV0004.mpg and MOV0...

Addi tiona l inf o rm atio n 71 Additional information Precautions Cleaning the LCD screen Wipe the screen surface with a cleaning cloth (not supplied) or a LCD cleaning kit (not supplied) to remove fingerprints, dust, etc. Cleaning the camera surface Clean the camera surface with a soft cloth sligh...

72 • Use only the specified charger with the charging function. • To prevent accident from a short circuit, do not allow metal objects to come into contact with the battery terminals. • Keep the battery pack away from fire. • Never expose the battery pack to temperatures above 60°C (140°F), such as ...

Addi tiona l inf o rm atio n 73 “Memory Stick”, , “MagicGate Memory Stick” and are trademarks of Sony Corporation. “MagicGate” and are trademarks of Sony Corporation. About “InfoLITHIUM” battery pack (not supplied) What is the “InfoLITHIUM” battery pack? The “InfoLITHIUM” battery pack (not supplied)...

Addi tiona l inf o rm atio n 75 Troubleshooting If you experience trouble with your camera, first check the following items. Should your camera still not operate properly after you have made these checks, press the reset button located on the bottom. (If you press the reset button, the date and time...

Addi tiona l inf o rm atio n 79 Your personal computer does not recognize your camera. • The battery level is low. t Use the AC power adaptor (not supplied) (page 14). • The camera is turned off. t Turn on the camera. • The USB cable is not connected firmly. t Disconnect the USB cable, and connect i...

80 Reinstall the USB driver when using Windows 98, Windows 98SE, Windows Me and Windows 2000 Professional Perform all steps without skipping. 1 Turn on your computer and allow Windows to load. 2 Connect the USB jack on the camera and the computer with the supplied USB cable. 3 Insert a “Memory Stick...

Addi tiona l inf o rm atio n 81 Warning and notice messages Various messages appear on the LCD screen. Check the corresponding descriptions in the following list. Message Meaning NO MEMORY STICK No “Memory Stick” has been inserted. SYSTEM ERROR Turn the power off and on again. MEMORY STICK ERROR • T...

Addi tiona l inf o rm atio n 83 Self-diagnosis display Your camera has a self-diagnosis display. This function displays the camera condition on the LCD screen with a combination of a letter and four digits of numbers. If this occurs, check the following code chart. The code informs you of the camera...

84 Specifications System Image device 6.64 mm (1/2.7 type) color CCD Lens 3× zoom lens f = 6.4 – 19.2 mm (9/32 – 25/32 inches)(41 – 123 mm (1 5/8 – 4 7/8 inches) when converted into a 35 mm still camera) F = 3.8 – 3.9 Exposure control Automatic exposure White balance Automatic, Indoor, Outdoor, Hold...

Addi tiona l inf o rm atio n 85 LCD screen indicators A Battery remaining indicator B Flash mode/red eye reduction/white balance/AF illuminator indicator C Date/time/ISO number indicator D Sharpness indicator E Picture effect indicator F AF frame G Spot light-metering cross hair H AE/AF lock indicat...

86 A Battery remaining indicator B White balance indicator C Picture effect indicator D Recording mode indicator E Image size indicator F Recording time (maximum recordable time) indicator/Self-diagnosis function indicator G Remaining memory capacity indicator H Macro /focus mode 9 indicator I Self-...

Addi tiona l inf o rm atio n 87 A Protect/print mark indicator B Zoom scaling indicator C File name D Recording mode indicator E Image size indicator F Image number G Number of stored images in “Memory Stick” H Remaining memory capacity indicator I Recording date of the playback image/menu and guide...

Addi tiona l inf o rm atio n 89 Index A Adjusting the exposure ... 53AF lock ........................... 19Auto power-off function . 11Auto red-eye reduction ............... 24, 69 B Battery battery life .................. 13battery remaining indicator...................... 85charging .................