Sony Handycam HDRCX12 User Manual

							Customizing your camcorder
1
DISPLAY
You can select the number of thumbnails 
that appear on the [VISUAL INDEX] 
screen or the Playlist.
Thumbnail  Glossary (p. 112)
 ZOOM LINKChange the number of thumbnails (6 or 
12) with the power zoom lever on your 
camcorder.*
	6IMAGESDisplays thumbnails of 6 images.
	12IMAGESDisplays thumbnails of 12 images.
*  You can also operate with the zoom buttons on 
the LCD frame or on the Remote Commander. 
						

							2
SOUND/DISP SET
(Items to adjust the sound and the screen)
Touch , then .
If the item is not on the screen, touch  /  to change the page.
How to set
 (HOME) menu  page 59 (OPTION) menu  page 76
The default settings are marked with .
VOLUME
Touch / to adjust the volume.
BEEP
  ONA melody sounds when you start/stop 
recording, or operate the touch panel.
	OFFCancels the melody and shutter sound.
LCD BRIGHT
You can adjust the brightness of the LCD 
screen with  / .  Adjust the brightness with  / .
  Touch .
Tips This adjustment does not affect the recorded 
images in any way.

LCD BL LEVEL (LCD backlight 
level)
You can adjust the brightness of the LCD 
screen’s backlight.
  NORMAL
Standard brightness.
	BRIGHTBrightens the LCD screen.
Notes
 When you connect your camcorder to a wall 
outlet (wall socket) using the supplied AC 
Adaptor, [BRIGHT] is automatically selected 
for the setting.
  When you select [BRIGHT], battery life is 
slightly reduced during recording.
  If you open the LCD panel 180 degrees to face 
the screen outside and close the LCD panel 
to the camcorder body, the setting becomes 
[NORMAL] automatically.
Tips  This adjustment does not affect the recorded 
images in any way.
LCD COLOR
You can adjust the color of the LCD screen 
with /.
Tips  This adjustment does not affect the recorded 
images in any way.


 Low intensity High intensity          
						

							Customizing your camcorder

OUTPUT SETTINGS
(Items for when connecting other devices)
Touch , then .
If the item is not on the screen, touch  /  to change the page.
How to set
 (HOME) menu  page 59 (OPTION) menu  page 76
The default settings are marked with .
TV TYPE
You need to convert the signal depending 
on the TV connected when playing back 
the image. The recorded images are played 
back as following illustrations.
  16:9
Select this to view your images on a 16:9 
(wide) TV.
16:9 (wide) images 4:3 images
	 4:Select this to view your images on a 4:3 
standard TV.
16:9 (wide) images 4:3 images
Notes The aspect ratio of the image recorded with HD 
(high definition) image quality is 16:9.
  When you connect your camcorder to a TV 
compatible with the ID-1/ID-2 system, set [TV 
TYPE] to [16:9]. The TV switches to full mode 

automatically. Refer also to the instruction 
manuals supplied with your TV.
DISP OUTPUT
  LCD PANELShows displays such as the time code on 
the LCD screen.
	V-OUT/PANELShows displays such as the time code on 
the TV screen and the LCD screen.
COMPONENT
Select [COMPONENT] when connecting 
your camcorder to a TV with the 
component input jack.
	 480i
Select when connecting your camcorder to 
a TV with the component input jack.
 1080i/480iSelect when connecting your camcorder 
to a TV that has the component input 
jack and is capable of displaying the 1080i 
signal.
HDMI RESOLUTION
Select the output image resolution when 
connecting your camcorder to a TV with 
an HDMI cable.
 HD CONTENTS
Set the output image resolution recorded 
by HD (high definition) image quality.
  AUTO
Normal setting (outputs automatically)
	1080iOutputs 1080i signal
	20pOutputs 720p signal
	480pOutputs 480p signal 
						

							4
CLOCK/LANG
(Items to set clock and language)
Touch , then .
If the item is not on the screen, touch  /  to change the page.
How to set
 (HOME) menu  page 59 (OPTION) menu  page 76
The default settings are marked with .
CLOCK SET
See page 18.
AREA SET
You can adjust a time difference without 
stopping the clock.
Set your local area using 
 /  when 
using your camcorder in other time zones.
Refer to the world time difference on page 
95.
DST SET/SUMMERTIME
You can change this setting without 
stopping the clock.
Set to [ON] to move the time forward 1 
hour.
LANGUAGE SET
You can select the language to be used on 
the LCD screen.
Tips  Your camcorder offers [ENG[SIMP]] 
(simplified English) for when you cannot find 
your native tongue among the options.

 SD CONTENTS
Set the output image resolution recorded 
by SD (standard definition) image quality.
  AUTO
Normal setting (outputs automatically)
	480pOutputs 480p signal
	480iOutputs 480i signal 
						

							Customizing your camcorder
5
GENERAL SET
(Other setup items)
Touch , then .
If the item is not on the screen, touch  /  to change the page.
How to set
 (HOME) menu  page 59 (OPTION) menu  page 76
The default settings are marked with .
DEMO MODE
The default setting is [ON], allowing you 
to view the demonstration in about 10 
minutes, after you turn the POWER switch 
to 
 (Movie).
Tips  The demonstration will be suspended in the 
following situations.
  When you press START/STOP or PHOTO When you touch the screen during the 
demonstration (The demonstration starts 
again after about 10 minutes)
  When you turn the POWER switch to  
(Still)
  When you press  (HOME) or  (VIEW 
IMAGES)
REC LAMP (Recording lamp)
The camera recording lamp on the front 
of your camcorder lights up, as the default 
setting is [ON].
CALIBRATION
See page 101.

A.SHUT OFF (Auto shut off)
  5minThe camcorder is automatically turned off 
when you do not operate your camcorder 
for more than approximately 5 minutes.
	NEVERThe camcorder is not automatically turned 
off.
Notes
 When you connect your camcorder to a 
wall outlet (wall socket), [A.SHUT OFF] is 
automatically set to [NEVER].
QUICK ON STBY (Quick on 
standby)
You can set the desired turn off time of the 
camcorder with [QUICK ON STBY] while 
the Sleep mode is set (p.
 28). The default 
setting is [10min].
Notes  While the Sleep mode is set, the setting of 
[A.SHUT OFF] becomes ineffective.
REMOTE CTRL (Remote 
control)
The default setting is [ON], allowing you 
to use the supplied Remote Commander 
(p.  108).
Tips Set to [OFF] to prevent your camcorder from 
responding to a command sent by another VCR 
remote control unit.
CTRL FOR HDMI (Control for 
HDMI)
The default setting is [ON], allowing you to 
do the playback operation with the remote 
commander of your TV by connecting your 
camcorder to a “BRAVIA” Sync compatible 
TV with the HDMI cable (optional) (p.
  41).


 
						

							6
Activating functions using the  OPTION MENU
The  (OPTION) menu appears just like 
the pop-up window that appears when you 
right-click the mouse on a computer.
Various available functions are displayed.
Using the OPTION MENU
1  While using your camcorder, touch  (OPTION) on the screen.
2 Touch the desired item.
If you cannot find the desired item, 
touch another tab to change the page.
If you cannot find the item anywhere, 
the function does not work under the 
current situation.
3  Change the setting, then touch .
Notes The tabs and items that appear on the screen 
depend on the recording/playback status of 
your camcorder at the time.
  Some items appear without a tab. The  (OPTION) menu cannot be used during 
Easy Handycam operation.

Tab
 (OPTION)  
						

							Customizing your camcorder

Recording items on the OPTION MENU
Items*Page
 tab
SPOT MTR/FCS
 78
SPOT METER78
SPOT FOCUS78
TELE MACRO78
EXPOSURE79
FOCUS79
AE SHIFT 62
WB SHIFT62
SCENE SELECTION79
WHITE BAL.81
COLOR SLOW SHTR81
SUPER NIGHTSHOT81
 tab
FADER
 82
D.EFFECT82
PICT.EFFECT82
 tab
REC MODE
 62
BLT-IN ZOOM MIC82
MICREF LEVEL82
IMAGE SIZE 66
SELF-TIMER83
TIMING29
RECORD SOUND29
FLASH MODE 65
* 
Items that are included also in the HOME 
MENU.
Viewing items on the OPTION MENU
Items* Page
 tab
DELETE
 45
DELETE by date45
DELETE ALL45
 tab
DIVIDE
 48
ERASE ALL50
MOVE50
 tab
ADD49
ADD49
ADD by date49
ADD by date49
-- (The tab depends on the situation/No tab)
ERASE
50
ADD**49
ADD**49
ADD by date**49
ADD by date**49
PRINT54
SLIDE SHOW35
VOLUME 72
DATA CODE70
SLIDE SHOW SET35
COPIES54
DATE/TIME54
SIZE54
* 
Items that are included also in the HOME 
MENU.
**
  Items that are included also in the  HOME 
MENU, but the item names are different. 
						

							8
Functions set in the  OPTION MENU
Items you can set only on the  
(OPTION) menu will be described below.
The default settings are marked with .
SPOT MTR/FCS (Spot meter 
focus)
You can adjust the brightness and the focus 
of a picture at the same time.
You can use the functions [SPOT METER] 
(p.

 78) and [SPOT FOCUS] (p.  78) at the 
same time.
  Touch the subject you are recording on the 
screen. 
 and 
 appear.
  Touch [END].
To adjust the exposure and focus 
automatically, touch [AUTO]  [END] 
in step .
Notes If you set [SPOT MTR/FCS], [EXPOSURE] and 
[FOCUS] are automatically set to [MANUAL].
SPOT METER (Flexible spot 
meter)
You can adjust and fix the exposure 
to the subject, so that it is recorded in 
suitable brightness even when there is 
strong contrast between the subject and 
the background, such as subjects in the 
spotlight on stage.
  Touch the point where you want to fix and 

adjust the exposure on the screen.   appears.
  Touch [END].
To return the setting to automatic 
exposure, touch [AUTO]  [END] in 
step .
Notes If you set [SPOT METER], [EXPOSURE] is 
automatically set to [MANUAL].
SPOT FOCUS
You can select and adjust the focal point to 
aim it at a subject not located at the center 
of the screen.
  Touch the subject on the screen.  
 appears.
  Touch [END].
To adjust the focus automatically, touch 
[AUTO]  [END] in step .
Notes If you set [SPOT FOCUS], [FOCUS] is 
automatically set to [MANUAL].
TELE MACRO
This is useful to shoot small subjects, such 
as flowers or insects. You can blur out 
backgrounds and the subject stands out 
clearer.
When you set [TELE MACRO] to [ON] 
(
), the zoom (p. 27) moves to the top 
of the T (telephoto) side automatically 
and allows recording subjects at a close 
distance, down to about 47 cm (18 5/8 in.).

 
						

							Customizing your camcorder
9
To cancel, touch [OFF], or zoom to wide-
angle (W side).
Notes When recording a distant subject, focusing may 
be difficult and can take some time.
  Adjust the focus manually ([FOCUS], p.  79) 
when it is hard to focus automatically.
EXPOSURE
You can fix the brightness of a picture 
manually. Adjust the brightness when the 
subject is too bright or too dark relative to 
the back ground.
  Touch [MANUAL].   appears.
  Adjust the exposure by touching /.
  Touch .
To return the setting to automatic 
exposure, touch [AUTO]    in step .
Tips You can also adjust the setting manually using 
the CAMERA CONTROL dial (p.  30).
FOCUS
You can adjust the focus manually. You can 
select this function also when you want to 
focus on a certain subject intentionally.
 Touch [MANUAL].  
 appears.
  Touch 
 (focusing on close subjects)/ 
(focusing on distant subjects) to sharpen the 
focus. 
 appears when the focus cannot be 

 adjusted any closer, and 
 appears when the 
focus cannot be adjusted farther away.
  Touch 
.
To adjust the focus automatically, touch 
[AUTO]   in step .
Notes The minimum possible distance between 
camcorder and subject while maintaining sharp 
focus is about 1 cm (about 13/32 in.) for wide 
angle and about 80 cm (about 2 5/8 feet) for 
telephoto.
Tips  It is easier to focus on the subject by moving 
the power zoom lever towards T (telephoto) to 
adjust the focus, then towards W (wide angle) 
to adjust the zoom for recording. When you 
want to record a subject at close range, move 
the power zoom lever to W (wide angle), then 
adjust the focus.
  The focal distance information (distance at 
which the subject is focused on, if it is dark 
and focus adjustment is difficult) appears for 
a few seconds in the following cases (This 
information will not display correctly if an 
optional conversion lens is being used).
  When the focus mode is switched from 
automatic to manual
  When you set focus manually You can also adjust the focus manually using 
the CAMERA CONTROL dial (p.  30).
SCENE SELECTION
You can record images effectively in 
various situations.
  AUTO
Select to automatically record images 
effectively without the [SCENE 
SELECTION] function.
	TWILIGHT* (  )Select to maintain the darkening 
atmosphere of the distant surroundings in 
twilight scenes.

         
						

							80
	TWILIGHT PORT. ()Select to take a subject in the foreground 
against a night view.
	CANDLE (  )Select to maintain the dim atmosphere of a 
candlelit scene.
	SUNRISE&SUNSET* (  )Select to reproduce the atmosphere of 
scenes such as sunsets or sunrises.
	FIREWORKS* (  )Select to take spectacular shots of 
fireworks.
	LANDSCAPE* (  )Select to shoot distant subjects clearly. 
This setting also prevents your camcorder 
from focusing on glass or metal mesh in 
windows between the camcorder and the 
subject.
	PORTRAIT (Soft portrait) (  )Select to bring out the subject such as 
people or flowers while creating a soft 
background.
	SPOTLIGHT** (  )Select to prevent people’s faces from 
appearing excessively white when subjects 
are lit by strong light.
	BEACH** (  )Select to take the vivid blue of the ocean 
or a lake.
	SNOW** (  )Select to take bright pictures of a white 
landscape.
*  Adjusted to focus on subjects farther away 
only.
**
  Adjusted not to focus on subjects a short 
distance away.
Notes  If you set [SCENE SELECTION], [WHITE 
BAL.] setting is canceled.
  Even if you set [TWILIGHT PORT.] while 
the  (Still) lamp is lit, the setting changes to 
[AUTO] once the  (Movie) lamp lights up.
