Sony BETAMOVIE BMC-220 User manual

SONY@
~
BETAMOVIE IU
BMC-220
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS!
Before oper ating t he unit, please read thi s manual thoroughly ,
and retain it fo r future reference.
OWNER'S RECORD
The model and serial numbers are located at the rear.
Record these numbers in the spaces provided below.
Refer
to these numbers whenever you ca ll upon Sony
dealer regarding
th is product.
Model No. BMC-220 Serial No._
_____ _ _
©1984 by Sony C orpor a ti on
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Features ..... .. . ... ....... .... .. .... . ... ..... ... .. . .. ... 2
Precautions
for using Betamoive. ... . .. 2
Location and
function of parts
and
co ntrols..... .. ... ...... .. ...... .. ... . ... . .. .. 3
Operation
Preparations for recording.. .. .............. 6
Recording................
... ........ .... ............... 10
Using autofocus .. .. ...... ... . .... .. ... .. .. ........ 12
Manual focusing.. .. . .. ... .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. . ... .. ... 14
M ak ing consecutive re co rding . .... .. .. .. 15
Battery charging and use of
e
xte rnal power sources . ..... .. .... .. .. .. .16
Video casset
te tapes ... ....... .. ....... .. ......17
Two
tips for optimizing color
balance
.. . .. ...... .. ... ... ... .. .... ... .. .. .. ... ......18
Handy fun
ctions ................................... 20
Notes on operation ... .... . ... .... .. ... . .. ....... 22
Hints for better shooting
Basic ca me r awork .................... .... ...... .. 27
Lig hting for indoorsh oo ting .. ..... .... .. .. 31
For more effecti ve production.. .. ... .....32
R
ef ining recorded tapes .. .. .......... .. ......32
Understa nd ing li ght and co lor .. .. .. ... ...33
Other
Using your Betamovie abro ad .. ..........34
Specifica tions .... ... .... .. ............ ... .. .........35
' Troubleshooting .
.. ... .. ......... .... .. .. .... ...... 36
Prerecording che
ck l is t.......... b~c k co ve r

WARNING
To prevent fire or shock hazard, do
not expose the unit
to rain or
moisture.
CAUTION TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK.
DO NOT REMOVE COVER iO R BACK !
NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
REFER SERVICING
TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL
Th is symbol is intended to alert the
user to the presence of uninsulated
"dangerous voltage" within the pro-
duct's enclosure that may be of suffi-
;ient magnitude to constitute a risk of
,1ectric shock to persons.
This symbol is intended to alert the
user to the presence of important
operating and maintenance (servicing)
instructions in the literature accompa-
nying the appliance.
This equipment generates and uses radio frequency
energy and
if not installed and used properl y, that is,
in strict accordance with the manufacturer's instruc-
tions, may cause interference to radio and television
reception. It has been type tested and found
to comply
with the limits for a Class B computing device in ac-
cordance with the specifications in Subpart J of Part
15 of FCC Rules, which are designed to provide
reasonable protection against such interference in a
residential installation. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a par-
ticular installation. If this equipment does cause in-
terference to radio or television reception, which can
be determined by turning the equipment off and on,
the user is encouraged to tr y to correct the in -
terference by one or more of the following measures:
- reorient the receiving antenna
-relocate this equipment with respect to the
receiver
-move this equipment away from the receiver
-plug the ac power ad aptor into a different outlet so
that adaptor and receiver are on different branch
circuits.
If necessary, the user should consult the dealer or an
expe
ri enced r ad io/television technician for additional
suggestions. T he user may find the following booklet
prepared by the Federal Communications Commis-
sion helpful:
How to Identify and Resolve Radio-TV Interference
Problems ".
This booklet is available from the U. S. Government
Printing Offic
e, Washington, DC 20402 , Stock No.
004-000 - 00345 - 4.
FEATURES
• Betamovie is a compact, lightweight com-
bination VCR/camera.
• Incorporation
of a compact, high-precision
TCL* Auto Focusing System assures
sharp focus.
• A PUSH AUTO button provides easy
changeover from manual
to auto focus to
keep up with subject movement.
• Recordings as long as 3 hours
20 minutes
on L-830 tape can be made-b-y.changing the
battery.
• The Sony-developed SMF Trinicon* tube is
a high-precision design providing excellent
co lor reproduction and resolution.
• A motorized
auto zoom lens assures
smooth zooms.
*TCL and SMF Trinicon are registered
trademarks.
For "once-only" events such as weddings
etc ., it is strongly recommended to have a
trial run
to check that everything working
perfectly.
PRECAUTIONS
Mechanism
• Betamovie is for recording use onl y.
• Cassettes cannot be loaded or removed if
the battery pack is not inserted or if the AC
power adaptor
is not connected. Further-
more,
if a cassette is not loaded, only the
EJECT button will operate.
Tape Compatibility
• The unit can be used with any video
cassette tapes having the mark m.
e Tape recording speed is the nllI mode (2. 00
cm/sec.).
Tapes cannot be played
back on m1 mode-
only (4.00 cm/sec.) decks.
• Tapes recorded with Betamovie can be
played back on any Beta
format mVCR.
Color System
Your Betamovie is manufactured for use with
NTSC broadcast systems, which are used in
the USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and
other countries.This means
that tapes record-
ed on your Betamoive can be played back on
the Beta format VCR in NTSC-system coun-
tries. Recordings made in non-NTSC-system
countries (Europe, the Middle East, Africa,
parts
of Asia) ca nn ot be played ba ck on Beta
format VCRs in those countries. See page 34.
2

LOCATION AND FUNCTION OF PARTS AND
C0 NTR0
LS For details, refer to the pages in parentheses.
,----------. Built-in microphone (p.20)
,--------a. .. Hand grip/battery case (p.6, p.9)
,___ ____ .. , RELEASE switch (p . 6, p.8)
'
'-----@ White lens cap (p .1 O)
: Tripod receptacle
EARP HONE ja ck (p.11)
---~ -----' -'--=l l-- -----t1li11 FILTER selector (p.10, p.18)
Optical viewfinder (p.1
0)
Eyesight correction knob (p.9)
1
POWER button and STANDBY
-----wi; indicator (p.10, p.11)
WH I TE BALANCE button (p.10, p.18)
~ --- - -----1 r.11 Indication lamps (p.22)
------------- ........:.r.1 FOCUS switch (p.12, p.14)
'----- ------- --- - -t'JCt PUSH AUTO focus button (p.15)
- - -------------- ~[. " Power zoom button (p.21)
~------ --- ----- -- - ---«:...~ BATTERY knob (p.6)
~
3
---- -- ----- - ------ ---__.~, Ey ec upcove r

O EJECT button and cassette compartment
Slide down to open the cassette compart-
ment.
The
button does not operate when the
power is
not supplied or the battery power
is exhausted.
If a cassette is not loaded, no
function except the EJECT button will
work.
f) Built-in microphone
Sound is recorded simultaneously with
video taping.
E) Accessory shoe
For attachment of an external microphone
(with a SAD-100 external microphone shoe).
0 REC START/STOP button
Press to start recording, press again to
stop.
0 Hand grip
Comfortable grip that also holds the bat-
tery pack.
0 RELEASE switch
Slide to unlock the hand grip. Hand grip
angle can be set in one
of three positions.
f) White lens cap
Snap onto the hand grip belt when
shooting. Place on the lens hood when the
unit is not in use, or to adjust the white
balance.
O Tripod receptacle
Attach the shoulder strap here and to the
hook on
the back when carrying the uinit.
0 MIC jack
For connection of an external microphone.
The built-in microphone
is automatically
disconnected.
~ REMOTE jack
For connection of an optional Betamovie
Commander
to control the unit from a
distance.
Q) EARPHONE jack
For connection of an optional earphone to
monitor the sound being recorded.
~ DC IN 9.6 V jack
4
For connection of an ac power adaptor or
car battery cord.The internal battery power
is
automatically disconnected.
@Lens hood
Usually attached to the Betamovi e. Re-
move when shooting close-ups or using an
optional
filter .
«.) Focus ring /
Turn the ring to focus while looking
through
the viewfinder.
~ Zoom lever
Use the zoom lever to turn the zoom ring
manually between W(wide-angle) and
T(telephoto) position.
For
close -ups, turn the knob of the lever in
the
direction of arrow, then turn the lever
counterclockwise
until the ring is in the
MACRO position.
© FILTER selector
Set to the proper position in accordance
with prevailing light condit ions.
·¢
-:Sunlight (outdoors or indoors)
:() -: Incandescen t lamps , f luo r escent
lamps or photo-flood lamps (indoors)
4D Optical viewfinder
Place your right eye here so tha t the lens'
full field
of view can be seen.
It is possible to focus the lens with the
power
off. The l etter lamps inside the
viewfinder indicate all the
info rmation
necessary
fo r operation.
© Eyesight correcti on knob
Adjust to your ey esight to assure good
focus.
Be sure to adjust when shooting f or
the first time .
~ POWER button and STANDBY indicator
Press to adjus t the white balance or to set
the standby mode for immediate recording
starts . The indicator lamp will light.
Press again and the lamp goes o
ff .
WWHITE BALANCE button
Press to adjust the white balance with the
white lens cap on, after settin g the FILTER
selector.

® Indication lamps
These lamps indicate certain ascpects of
Betamovie operation by lighting steadily or
by flashing.
/TAPE/BATT/:
Lights steady when the tape is running.
Blinks when the battery is exhausted.
Replace the battery pack.
/DEW/:
Lights when moisture has condensed in-
side the unit. Eject the cassette and let
the Betamovie sit
until the moisture
evaporates. The unit can be used again
if the light does not come on when the
cassette is reinserted.
/CAUTION/:
Blinks when the video head becomes
clogged
or dirty . Clean the video head
with a Sony L-25CL video head cleaning
cassette.
Lights steady when the
unit is out of
order. Contact the nearest Sony dealer
or local Sony service
facility.
@ FOCUS switch
Set to the AUTO position for normal
shooting; the subject centered
in the
marker in the viewfinder
will automatically
be kept in focus. Set to the MANUAL posi-
tion
to focus manually with the focus ring.
fl) PUSH AUTO focus button
During manual focus operation, push this
button to convert the camera to autofocus
operation. The camera returns to manual
focus when the button is released.
~ Power zoom button
Press for smooth power zooming between
the W(wide-angle) and T(telephoto) posi-
tions .
~ BATTERY knob OPEN/CLOSE
To open the lid of the battery compartment,
turn
this knob to OPEN and to close the lid,
turn
to CLOSE.
flll Eye cup cover
Attach to the viewfinder eye cup when you
set the FOCUS
sw itch to AUTO and you do
not use the viewfinder,
or when you remote-
ly control
the Betamovie.
Attach the cover to the shoulder strap
when not in use.
Note
If light enters through the viewfinder during
the
auto focus operation (FOCUS switch to
AUTO), the auto focusing may not function
properly. Therefore please note whenever
you do
not use t he viewfinder while the
auto focus operation, put the eye cup cover
in the eye cup
of the viewfinder.
5

OPERATION
PREPARATIONS FOR RECORDING
0 Install a charged battery
pack, NP-11 (supplied, abt.
60 min.).
1 Slide
the RELEASE switch up to bring
down
the hand grip.
2 Turn the BATTERY knob to OPEN , and
open
the lid.
3 Insert a battery , close the lid and turn the
knob to CLOSE .
6
To remove the battery pack
Hold the unit with the hand grip pointing up to
open the battery compartment. Do not point
the grip downward when turning the BATTERY
knob as
the battery can easily falI out.
For i
nformation on battery charging and
handling, see page
16.

fJ Load the cassette.
The EJECT button will not operate if the
power is off.
•
Insert
this way.
1 Press the EJECT button.
Tape viewing
window on right.
2 Insert a cassette with the round window
to the right and press firmly into place.
3 Press the l eft side of the compartment lid
(indicated PUSH) to close.
Checking the cassette
Cassette safety tab
Make sure that a cassette to be rec or ded has
a safety
tab or piece of tape in place over the
opening on
the cassette bottom .
Recording from the beginning of the tape
Run Betamovie for about 25 seconds at the
beginning
of a cassette before recording to
avoid missing the starting poi nt during
playback on a video cassette recorder.
Using partially-recorded tapes
Wind the tape to the point from which
playback on a VCR or further recording is
to
begin. When recordi ng is resumed from the
end of a previously-recorded portion, the sec-
tion of tape wound on the drum will not be
recorded (about 10 seconds).
Cassette Recording time mmmode)
L-830 200 min.
(3 hr. 20 min.)
L-750 180 min.
(3 hr .)
L-500 120 min.
(2 hr .)
L-370 90 min.
(1 hr. 30 min.)
L-330 80 min.
(1 hr. 20 min.)
L-250 60 min.
(1 hr .)
L-165 40 min.
L-125 30 min.
7

EJ Set the FOCUS switch to the AUTO position.
IJ Rest Betamovie on the shoulder.
1 Press the RELEASE switch and adjust the
hand grip to the most comfortable angle;
release the
switch to lock .
RELEASE
2 Sna p the viewf in der down to the
operating position.
3 With Betamovie comfortably on shoulder,
place eye or glasses securely against the
eye cup.
Eye cup
8
Placing the Betamovie on your shoulder
provides stable recording for most situa-
tions. For additional
stability , a tripod or
monopod can be attached to the tripod
receptacle located on the underside
of
the unit. Monopods are convenient and
easy
to transport.

Grip belt adjustment
Adjust the length. (A tight belt makes opera-
tion easier .)
O Unhook the buttons to open the cover.
f) Adjust the strap length to fit your hand.
0 Hook the buttons to secure the cover.
Carrying Betamovie
Att acht th e supplied shoulder strap.
Press the POWER button.
Adjust eyesight correction
knob.
Set the zoom ring to 54 (telephot o) and a im the
camera at a high-contrast subject (
that in-
cludes both
light and dark images) so that it
fills the marker section in the viewfinder. Ad-
just the eyesight correction knob so that the
subject is in best focus.
For
quick future reference and adjustment,
memorize the setting
of the eyesight co rrec-
tion knob.
Adjusting the setting when using the
Be tamovie for the first time or after someone
elese has used the camera.
For easy adjustmen
t, use a calendar or other
subject with numbers when making se
tti ngs
indoors,
or a letter on billboard or other high-
contrast subject outdoors.
If a suitable subject is n
ot available, ad just so
that the marker's focus Iines are sharpest.
Eyesi ght correc-
__ ....,.... _ li on knob
Zo
om ring
Viewfin der
M
arl< er
Adjustment should be made for optimum
visibility , with the vi ewfinder as bright as
possible
for easy viewing.
9

RECORDING
With the white lens cap in place th rou gh step
2 below:
1 Press th e POWER button.
Confirm operating readiness by the
indication
lamps in the viewfinder.
Lamps will
light initially in each corner.
2 Set the FlLTEA sel ector to the ap-
propriate position,
direct the unit to the
major light source and then press the
WHITE BALANCE
button . LTER
Bl inks while the whi te balance is being adj u sted .
When it is adjusted, the lamp will turn off.
3 i=rame the subject inside the autofocus
marker and begin recording by pressing
th e REC START/STOP button.
(green)
Lights when subject
is in focus .\
[]
,.,
• T-
'o'
The "T " light s
during recording.
LR
EC STA RT /STOP
10 The TAPE/BATT lamp
will then
light. - -------- - --
4 To sto p recording, press the REC
START/STOP button again. (The STAND-
BY indicator will light.)
To resume recording, press the
REC
ST ART/STOP button once more.
For consecutive recording on a cassette,
do
not remove it from the camera. For details on
consecutive recording, refer to page 15.
The lamps inside the
viewfinder
Four lamps at the corner light up at first when
the POWER or
REC START/STOP button is
pressed.
The lamps
blink or light steadily to indicate
the informati on necessary for oepration.
Lights steadily when the wh ite
balan
ce is not adjusted, or when it
ca n no t be a djus ted.
Bl
inks while it is being adjusted.
T (red)
Ligh
ts steadily when the subject is in
focus correctly in the aut ofocus
mode .
Bli
nks when the camera or s ub j ect
moves.
Lights
steadily when
the p
icture tube is
out of order.
Bli
nks when the video
head is
dirty or clogged.
Lights when the light
level is insu
fficient.
Lights steadily when th e tape is run-
ning.
Bli
nk s when the inse rted ba ttery is
exh
aus ted.

After recording
1 Press the POWER button if the ST AN OBY
indicator is on.
2 Press the EJECT button to remove the
recorded cassette.
If the battery power is exhausted and the com-
partment lid cannot
be opened, replace wi th a
charg ed battery or connect with an ac power
adapto
r.
Playback of recorded tapes
A Beta f or mat vi deo cassette recorder and a
TV (NTSC
color sy st em) are requi re d.
For detaiIs, refer
to the instruc tion manual of
the VCR.
POWER and
REC START/STOP button oper·
ation and timing of recording operations
When recording is suspended by pressing the
REC START/STOP button, the STANDBY in·
dicator lights and the camera remains in the
standby mode for about 3 minutes. Recording
will resume when the REC START/STOP but-
ton is pressed again
du ring the standby mode.
After 3 minutes
The STANDBY in
dicator will turn off .
I
Press the PO W ER
bu tto n. The STAN D-
BY i ndicator will
light. '
\
Press the REC START/
STOP
button . Record-
ing will st
art in about
3 seconds.
Press
the REC START/STOP butto i;i .
Re cording will start immediately.
It ta kes about 3 seconds for the picture tube
warm-up before recording.
To
monitor the sound being recorded
Attach an
optional earphone to the EAR-
PHONE jack (mi nija ck) to monitor the sound
being reco r de d t hr ough the bu il t-in
microphone.
Accurate measurement
of camera-to- subject
distance ·
To accurately determine the
actua l distance
from the camera to the subj
ect dur ing recor-
ding, use the di sta nc es indicated on the outer
sur face.
11

USING AUTOFOCUS
For automatic focusing
•
Set the FOCUS switch to
the AUTO position.
TCL autofocus system
,,,.
- • - (green)
,.,,
The autofocus system incorporated in
Betamovie utilizes high-precision sensors
to
determine contrast and adjust focus accor-
dingly for automatic, highly accurate focus-
ing.
When the
subject is in focus , the green lamp
in the viewfinder lights. This allows you
to
concentrate on follow ing the subject, without
worrying about maintaining focus.
For optimum results using autofocus , it is im-
port
ant to choose scenes with good contrast
and to set the subject in easily-focused
scenes.
Almost all well-lighted situations, in-
doors or out, will produce best results with
this autofocus system.
12
Difficult autofocus condi·
tions
Autofocus may not operate properly under the
condition s outlined below. For best re sults in
these
conditions, set the FOCUS switch to the
MANUAL
posit ion and focus manually wi th
the focus ring.
[Insufficient light]
Note
Viewfinder
indica
to r lamp
_:. , ~ (yellow)
" i'
The " L" lamp will l ight when
l
ight is insuffic ie nt .
Subj
ect is empha sized with
str ong backlight ing, t hat is ,
to o much bright lig ht behind
your subject .
If recording is continued with the " L" lamp
lit while the camera is in the AUTO mode,
incorrect
focus may result.

[For difficult-to-focus subjects]
. .
. . .
...
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . .
...... . . ..
.. .. ... .
.·. ·. ·.· ....·.. ... ..·.·.._ ..
Finely-detailed
repetitive pat-
terns.
..
[Close-ups]
Flat colors, walls,
skies, etc., as
main
subjects
when they fill the
entire screen
...
Subjects which include
stripes as shown
When
the distance between
subjects in the marker is ex-
treme (e.g. one
subject is
close, the
other is away)
Subjects beyond screens,
nets, etc. .
..
When the zoom lever is moved from the 9 mm
to the MACRO position (green line area)
...
[Use of special lenses]
Special lenses are often used to emphasize
certain
effects , and it is possible that the
autofocus
function will be lost to preserve
polarization effects. If special effects lenses
are used, focus should
be set manuall y.
Uftml
• Do not touch the focus ring as it rotates
while pressing the EJECT button or
operating the unit in the AUTO mode or
while operating the
unit in the autofocus
mode.
• Continued operation of the unit in the
autofocus mode with the "L" lamp on can
result in improper focus.
•
In the AUTO position, the autofocus func-
tion will operate (and the lens will
automatically focus) even when the unit is
in the standby mode (the STANDBY in-
dicator lights). To preserve the battery,
switch the unit
to the MANUAL position
when in the standby mode for extended
periods of time.
• When you are using the Betamovie on a
tripod
to shoot a still subject, focus should
be set manually.
• If another subject happens
to come across
the camera when you are autofocusing on
a subject away, the autofocus function will
not operate properly.
13

MANUAL FOCUSING
To focus the unit manually using the focus
ring, set the FOCUS switch to the MANUAL
position.
Focusing
To fucus, first make the subject as large as
possible in the viewfinder by using the
telephoto lens setting.
After the focus is set,
the subject will remain in perfect focus
regardless of the zoom setting.
Turn the zoom ring all
the way to the right (Tele-
photo 54) to make the
subject as large as
possible in the view-
finder.
Turn
the focus ring from
the 1 m position to the oo
(infinity) posit ion to
achieve sharp focus .
Set
the desired shot
l ength using the zoom
ring.
Focusing with the lens in wide angle can lead
to shots being out of focus.
This is because the focusing field is wider in
wide angle than in telephoto, making
it harder
to achieve sharp focus.
14
How to ensure proper focus·
ing
To achieve properly focused recordings:
•
Adjust focus sh arply on the subject (use
vertical lines for reference, if possible).
• A well-lighted subject provided sharper
focus.
When
shoot ing a scene with l ots of move-
ment outdoors, the subject can be kept in
good focus regardless of movement by:
Setting the zoom ring to 9
and the foucs ring to 2 m.
Focus dep th of field
Indoors 1.2- 9 .5 m (4- 30 ft.)
Outdoors, clear
40 cm-oo (1 5 in.-oo)
Reference
Focus depth of field with zoom ring set at 9:
Focus ring Foc us depth of field
1 m (3 ft. 3 in.) 0.72-1.65 m (2ft. 4
in.-5 ft . 5 in.)
1
.2 m (3 ft. 11 in.)
0.81 -2.28 m (2 ft. 8 in. -7 ft . 6 in.)
1.5 m
(4 ft. 11 in.) 0.94-3.68 m (3 ft. 1 in. -12 ft. 1 in.)
2 m
(6 ft. 7 in.) 1.12- 9.53 m (3 ft. 8 in.- 31 ft. 3 in.)
3 m
(9 ft. 10 in.) 1
.37 - oo (4 ft. 6 in.-oo)

Quick focus adjustment
For quick, automatic adjustment of focus
while recording in the manual focus mode,
merely press the PUSH AUTO button. The
auto focus function will be engaged to proper-
ly focus on the subject during pressing the
button.
MAKING CONSECU·
TIVE RECORDING
Smooth, "gap-free" recordings can be made
on the tape, even if the power is shut off, as
long as the tape is n ot removed from the
camera before it is fully
re corded. To ensure
that the tape does not have to be removed
before being f
ully recorded, obser ve the
following:
Se lect the recording time of the cassette ac-
cording to the planned recording time, and
devote one tape
to a single theme (wedding,
birthday, etc .) .
If the tape
must be removed before being fully
recorded, keep in mind
that there will be about
a 10 second gap when the tape is inserted and
recorded on again. Therefore, the last scene
should
be extended for a few seconds to allow
a margin
for overlapping the ne xt scene when
recording is resumed.
When the cassette is re·
moved before being fully
recorded
When reloaded, the tape will automatically be
advanced by about 10 seconds, which can
cause gaps
to be inserted in the tape. It is
possible
to eliminate these gaps by using a
video deck
to rewind the cassette, but please
keep in mind
that it is unlikely that the gaps
can be perfectly bridged. This
is why it is
recommended
that the cassette should not be
removed
until fully recorded if at all possible.
umm
• It is possible that a "rainbow effect " will be
seen in por ti ons where the previously
recorded and newly recorded portions
overlap when the tape
is rewound on a
video deck.
•
Be careful not to touch the tape while
handling the cassette. This can affect the
tape's
characteristics to lower recording
quality.
15

l
BATTERY CHARGING AND USE OF EXTERNAL
POWER SOURCES
POWR SOURCE
Select a battery pack (supplied NP-11), ac
power adaptor, or
optional car battery cord,
depending on the
situatio n.
Battery pack NP-11 (sup·
plied)
How to charge
The AC-M110 ac power adaptor (supplied) is
required.
16
~
0 Plug into a
wall outlet.
Press the POWER button
of the adaptor.
When the charging finishes,
the CHARGE lamp will turn off.
When the battery has been fully charged
Set the FULL/EMP indicator to FULL.
Attach the supplied decals (1 to 5)
and use batteries in order to avoid
confusion .
~ 1 11 1=
umrn
• If the battery pack is not fully charged or if
it is used in a cold place, the operating time
is shortened. Keep batteries as warm as
possible
to avoid power drainage.
• The battery power is being used even in the
standby mode. For
outdoor shooting, you
should carry extra battery packs
to provide
2 or 3
times of the recording time you an-
ticipate .
When to replace a battery pack
When the battery is being exhausted, the
TAPE/BATT lamp or the
"T" lamp in the
viewfinder begins
to blink sl owly (1 /1 sec.).
Take the battery pack
out and charge it or
replace
it with a charged one.
If you
continue to use the exhausted battery,
the
unit is automatically turned o ff and
recording
stops .Then the lamp keeps blinking
quickly (5/1 sec.) for about 30 second s.
When the battery is exhausted
Set the FULL/EMP i ndicator to EMP .
The indicator will tell you at a glance the con-
dition of battery.

With a wall outlet
AC POWER ADAPTOR
(supplied)
•unm
G
0
Connect to the
f) Plug into a
walI outlet.
~=~~
DC IN 9 .6 V jack adaptor .
of the Betamovie.
• When an adaptor is connected to the
Betamovie, the internal battery power is
automatically disconnected.
•
If a battery pack is installed in the adaptor,
power will not be supplied to the
Betamovie through the adaptor cable.
In a car
CAR BATTERY CORD
DCC-2600 (optional)
For details, refer to the instruction manual of
the DCC-2600.
VIDEO CASSETTE
TAPES
The cassette safety tab on
the bottom
Make sure that a casset te to be recorded has
a safety tab or a piece of tape over the open-
ing.
When a new recording is made on a previously
recorded cassette, the previous recording
will
be automatically erased.
To avoid erasing a recording
Break off the safety tab using a screwdri ve r or
similar object . With the safety tab removed,
the unit will not
operate when the
POWER button is
pressed. This ensures
protection of impor-
tant tapes.
To re-record on a cassette which has had its
safety tab removed_
Cover the hole with a
piece
of plastic tape.
Notes on video cassette
storage
• Unevenly wound tape can be damaged in
storage. To prevent this, make sure
that all
tapes are wound evenly.
• Insert
cassettes in their cases and store in
an upright position to prevent intrusion of
dust and uneven winding.
•
Do not store in a place subject to dust, high
heat or humidity,
direct sunlight , or near
heaters,
motors , transformers, or magnetic
sources. Color quaI
ity and tape transport
can be adversely affected.
•
Do not place on a car dashboard or rear
window ledge to prevent warp of the case
and damage
to the tape.
•
Do not store tapes for long periods of tim e
without usage. Wind and rewind them on a
VCR at least once a year.
17

TWO TIPS FOR OPTIMIZING COLOR BALANCE
POINT 1
Brightness
Is the subject sufficiently Iighted? Because
the Betamovie uses Sony's SMF Trinicon
tube,
most recording can be done without
special lighting , indoors or outdoors. But for
best results and for proper function of the
autofocus system, which operates according
to light contrast , there are times when addi-
tional lighting is ne cessary (especially in low
light conditions indoors). When the li ght level
is
too low , the letter " L" will appear in the
viewfinder ; increase the light level as
necessary.
(For further details, refer
to the section entitl -
ed "Lighting for indoor shoot ing" on page 31. )
Light direction
Generally, shooting should be done with the
sun at your back (front-
lighting ). This will il-
luminate the subject naturally and provide the
best results from the
ve ry beginning of your
shooting.
It is also possible
to shoot with the sun
behind your subject (back-lighting),
but this
technique
is more likely to produce less than
satisfactory results until you be come profi-
cient. Fron-
lighting usually provides better
results unless you'
re trying to create special
effects.
18
POINT 2
White Balance
Because Betamovie uses an optical
viewfinder, the image you see in it is usually
the same
color as that of the subject. This is
not always the case
with the image being
recorded, however, because
of the f act that
the
color of the subject can be affected by the
color temperature of the ambient light. The
human eye has the ability to adapt to th is
situation , but a video camera does not. So to
compensate for light temperature variations,
the
white balance control is used.
(See "Understanding light and color " on page
33.)
White balance adjustment
First, set the FILTER to the appropriate am-
bient
light position, depending on the most
dominant light source.
( yellow ) Re cording in doo rs in
i
ncandes cent or
f
luor escent li ght
(blue) Recording out doors
in sunlight
If the camera is indoors but the subject being
recorded is in a window or outdoors, set
the
FI LTER to the ·O-position.
Recording indoors,
but with sunligh t as
the dominant light
so urc e.

With the FlLTER set and the white lens cap in
place on the lens hood, aim the lens at a light
source (indoors) or a subject from a distance
of at least two meters (outdoors). Then merely
press the WHITE BALANCE button and the
white balance will be perfectly adjusted
automatically.
When adjusting white balance outdoors, more
accurate
adjustment can be made by setting
the
white balance in accordance with the light
conditions the subject will be taped under.
For example,
if the subject will be taped in
sunlight, put the white lens cap on the lens
hood and point
the camera toward the sun. If
the subject
will be taped in shadows, white
balance should also be adjusted in shadows.
When
white balance adjustment is completed
the
"W" lamp in the viewfinder will go off.
Press.
Adjustment completed
Cautions on white balance adjustment
Losing white balance adjustment
The white balance adju stment is preserved for
about
30 minutes after the power is turned off .
If the power is
off for more than 30 minutes, or
if the FILTER selector position is changed,the
white blance adjustment will be lost and the
"W" lamp
will light when the power is turned
on. Set the white balance adjustment again as
outlined above.
"W" lamp stays on after the WHITE BALANCE
button
is pushed.
• Adjustment cannot be made because of in·
sufficient light (the " L" lamp will also
light.)
• Adjustment cannot be made because
of
the presence of certain types of light , such
as neon signs or tunnel
lights .
Even
if the "W" lamp does not go off , the
white balance is nearly properly adjusted by
the position
of the FlLTER selector, so record·
ing is
still possible.
Changing light sources
If a major light sour ce change is made, such
as from indoor
to outdoor shooting, the white
balance will have to be readjusted. When set·
ting the white balance, choose lighting condi·
tions that will mat ch those for actua l shooting
as closely as possible (such as when se
tti ng
up to shoot stage pr oductions with special
lighting).
Because
lighting remains basically the same
for a given source, the white balance adjust·
ment does not have to be changed very often.
19

HANDY FUNCTIONS
Sound recording
(Simultaneous audio/video)
Sound is recorded simultaneously
with the
video portion through
the built-in microphone.
Because this mic is a uni-directional
monaural type, precise recording of the
scene's
subject is possible.
When
to use an external microphone (op-
tional)
If you are concerned about extraneous noises
being recorded, such as when shooting in
quiet indoor scenes or in windy conditions
outdoors, using one of the optional external
microphones (ECM-K100
or ECM-2300) and ex-
ternal microphone shoe (SAD-100) are recom-
mended you
to achieve superior results.
The built-in
mic is automatically disconnected
when
an external microphone is plugged into
the MIC jack .
For isolating sounds in the direction the Betamovie is
aimed-uni-directional mic (built-in)
For recording a narrower field-supercardioid
mic (external)
For recording field
width in accordance with the lens' focal length-zoom mic (external)
For
optimum recording quality, locate the mic as close as possible to the subject.
20
Zoom mic
ECM-Z300
-p
- ff.'