Sony NEX-VG10 Handycam® User manual

4-257-862-11(1)
GB
© 2010 Sony Corporation
NEX-VG10/VG10E
Interchangeable Lens
Digital HD Video
Camera Recorder
“Handycam” Handbook
Table of contents
Sample images
Menu
Index

2GB
Table of
contents
Sample
images Menu Index
Notes on using the camcorder
How to use this handbook
Click on a button at upper right on the cover and each page to jump to the corresponding
page.
This is convenient when searching for a function you want to use.
You can jump to the pages by clicking on the page numbers mentioned in the book.
Search for information by
function.
Search for information by
sample images.
Search for information in
a listing of menu items.
Search for information by
keyword.
Marks and notations used in this handbook
In this handbook, the sequence of
operations is shown by arrows (t).
Operate the camcorder in the order
indicated.
The default setting is indicated by .
Indicates cautions and limitations
relevant to the correct operation of the
camcorder.
zIndicates information that is useful
to know.

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Table of contents
Notes on using the camcorder
How to use this handbook ·····································2
Sample images······················································5
Basic operations
Using the operating buttons ··································8
Menu ···································································10
Using functions with the buttons on the
control panel
DISP (Display Contents) ·····································14
FOCUS (AF/MF Select)········································· 16
GAIN (Gain)··························································· 18
ISO········································································· 19
(Exposure Comp.) ··········································20
WB (White Balance) ············································21
(Image Index) ·················································23
Using functions in the menu
Shoot Mode ·························································10
Camera································································11
Rec Mode/Image Size ·········································11
Brightness/Color ··················································11
Playback······························································12
Setup ···································································12
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Connecting with other equipment
Creating a disc using a computer ························72
Creating a disc using a DVD writer/recorder ·······75
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting···················································76
Warning messages··············································82
Others
Using the camcorder abroad ·······························85
AVCHD format·····················································86
Memory card ·······················································87
Battery pack ························································89
Battery charger····················································90
Mount Adaptor·····················································91
Cleaning ······························································92
Index
Index····································································93

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Sample images
“This is the scene I want to capture in an image, but how can I do?”
You may find the answer by going through the sample images listed here. Click the
desired sample image.
Shooting movies as clear as still images (page 6)
Shooting when holding the camcorder by hand (page 6)
Shooting landscapes (page 6)
Shooting clear still images (page 7)
If you click on an image, the screen will jump to the page describing the function
recommended for shooting that kind of image.
Click!
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Shooting movies as clear as still images
Defocusing the background (25) Adjusting the color (21)
Focusing manually (16) In better brightness (20)
Shooting when holding the camcorder by hand
Preventing camera shake (32) Following a moving subject (31)
Shooting landscapes
The sky in vivid colors (20) Colored leaves (41)
Vivid green colors (41) Keeping your shot level (53)
25 21
16 20
32 31
20 41
41 53
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Shooting clear still images
In candle light (29) Holding the camera by hand (28)
The same scene with different brightness
(36)
Scenery with a wide range of brightness
(44)
Light outdoors shot from a dark interior (44) Capturing the best moment (34)
29 28
36
44
44 34

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Basic operations
Using the operating buttons
When you turn the control dial or press the v/V/b/Bbuttons following the on-screen
display, you can select items and settings. Your selection is determined when you press
the control dial.
The control dial and v/V/b/Bbuttons allow you to use
various functions of the camcorder.
v/V/b/B
Control dial
MENU
FOCUS
The arrow means you can turn the control dial.
When options are displayed on the screen, you can browse through them by turning the control dial
or press the v/V/b/Bbuttons. Press the control dial to make your choice.
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The MENU and FOCUS buttons and the control dial have different roles, depending on
the screen display. The assigned role (function) of each button is shown on the screen.
To use the function shown at the upper right corner of the screen, press the MENU
button. To use the function shown at the center, press the control dial. To use the
function shown at the lower right corner of the screen, press the FOCUS button.
In this manual, the buttons are indicated by the icon or the function shown on the screen.
The v/V/b/Bbuttons are assigned with the functions that will be used frequently.
v: DISP (Display Contents) (page 14)
V: (Exposure Comp.) during recording (page 20)/ (Image Index) during playback
(page 48)
b: WB (White Balance) (page 21)
B: GAIN (Gain) (page 18)
In this case, the MENU button works as [Menu], and the control dial as [Shoot Mode], and the
FOCUS button as [AF/MF Select].
Control dial
MENU
FOCUS

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Using functions in the menu
Menu
You can set up the basic settings for the camcorder as a whole, or execute functions such
as recording, playback, or other operations.
Allows you to select a shooting mode.
* Still image only
1Press the MENU button.
2Select the desired item by turning the
control dial, or pressing the v/V/b/B
buttons, and then press the control dial.
3Following the instructions on the
screen, select the desired item and
press the control dial to make your
choice.
Shoot Mode
Program Auto Allows you to customize settings, except for the exposure
(shutter speed and aperture).
Hand-held Twilight* Shoots night scenes with less noise and blur without using a
tripod.
Anti Motion Blur* Reduces the camera shake when shooting a slightly dark
indoor scene or a telephoto.
Manual Exposure Adjusts the aperture and shutter speed.
Shutter Priority Adjusts the shutter speed to express the movement of the
subject.
Aperture Priority Adjusts the range in focus, or defocuses the background.
Control dial
v/V/b/B
MENU
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Allows you to set focusing method, continuous shooting, self-timer, etc.
* Still image only
Allows you to set the recording mode of movies and the image size of still images.
Allows you to make brightness settings such as exposure compensation, and color
settings such as white balance.
* Still image only
Camera
AF/MF Select Selects auto focusing or manual focusing.
Autofocus Area* Selects the area to be focused on.
Autofocus Mode* Selects the autofocus method.
SteadyShot Sets camera shake compensation.
Drive Mode* Selects the drive mode, such as continuous shooting,
self-timer, or bracket shooting.
Flash Mode* Selects the method used to fire the attached flash (sold
separately).
DISP (Display Contents) Switches the information to be displayed on the shooting
screen.
Rec Mode/Image Size
Movie
Rec Mode Selects the image quality.
Still
Image Size Selects the image size.
Aspect Ratio Selects the aspect ratio.
Brightness/Color
Exposure Comp. Compensates for the brightness of the entire image.
Gain Sets the luminous sensitivity for movie recording.
ISO* Sets the luminous sensitivity for still image shooting.
White Balance Selects the color tones according to the ambient light
conditions.
Creative Style Selects the image processing method.
Metering Mode* Selects the method used for measuring the brightness.
Flash Compensation* Adjusts the light amount of the attached flash (sold
separately).
DRO/Auto HDR* Corrects the brightness or contrast automatically.
Display Contents
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Allows you to set playback functions.
* Still image only
Allows you to make more detailed shooting settings, or change the camcorder settings.
Playback
Delete Deletes images.
Movie/Still Select Selects a movie or still image to play back.
Image Index Selects the number of images to be displayed on the index
screen.
Protect Protects images, or cancels the protection.
Still Slide Show* Plays back still images automatically.
Enlarge Still image* Enlarges the still image.
During playback Switches the information to be displayed on the playback
screen.
Setup
Shooting Settings
Movie Audio Rec Sets whether or not to record the sound for movie recording.
Grid Line Turns on the grid line that helps you to adjust the
composition of images.
Shoot w/o Lens Sets whether or not to record images when there is no lens.
Red Eye Reduction* When using a flash (sold separately), prevents eyes from
being shot in red.
Auto Review* Shows the image right after shooting.
Main Settings
Volume Settings Sets the sound volume of movies.
Beep Sets the sound produced when you operate the camcorder.
Language Selects the language used on the screen.
Date/Time Setup Sets the date and time.
Area Setting Selects the area where you are using the camcorder.
Power Save Turns the camcorder to the power save mode.
LCD Brightness Sets the brightness of the LCD monitor.
Viewfinder Bright. Sets the brightness of the viewfinder.
Cleaning Mode Allows you to clean the image sensor.
Version Displays the version of the camcorder and the lens.
Demo Mode Sets whether or not to use the movie for the demonstration.
Reset Default Resets the camcorder to the factory-settings.
D
i
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C
ontents
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* Still image only
Memory Card Tool
Format Formats the memory card.
Recover Image DB Repairs the image database file of movies when
inconsistencies are found.
File Number* Selects the method used for assigning file numbers to
images.

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Using functions with the buttons on the control panel
DISP (Display Contents)
Using the button:
1Press the DISP button repeatedly to select the desired mode.
Using the menu:
1During shooting, MENU button t[Camera] t[Display Contents].
During playback, MENU button t[Playback] t[Display Contents].
2Select the desired mode by turning the control dial.
During shooting
Display Info. Shows basic shooting information.
Histogram Displays the luminance distribution
graphically, in addition to recording
condition.
No Disp. Info. Does not show recording
information.
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• The TV or monitor connected to the camcorder using an HDMI cable (sold separately) will show the
same display contents set with [Display Contents].
During playback
Disp. Basic Info Shows recording information.
Disp. Detail Info Shows detailed recording
information.
No Disp. Info. Does not show recording
information.
Note
zWhat is histogram
The histogram displays the luminance distribution that shows how many pixels of a
particular brightness exist in the picture. Brighter image will make the entire histogram shift
to the right side, and darker image to the left side.
Dark Bright
ANumber of pixels
BBrightness

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AF/MF Select
Selects auto focusing or manual focusing.
1FOCUS button tdesired mode.
Or, MENU button t[Camera] t[AF/MF Select] tdesired mode.
* Still image only
(Autofocus) Focuses automatically.
(DMF)*After focusing automatically, make fine focus adjustment
manually (Direct Manual Focus).
(Manualfocus)
Adjusts the focus manually. Turn the focusing ring right or left
to make the subject look clearer.
zUsing auto focusing effectively
If it is difficult to focus on a subject while recording a movie, press PHOTO halfway down
to activate [Single-shot AF] (page 31) temporarily. This will make focusing easier.
zUsing manual focusing effectively
Use manual focusing to record the following subjects.
• A subject behind a window covered with raindrops.
• A subject behind a glass window with horizontal stripes.
• A subject with little contrast between the subject and its background.
• When an object in the foreground is in focus, but you want to shift to focus on a subject in
the background.
Tip on focusing
Focus on the subject with the telephoto side of zoom first, and then move the zoom toward
the wide side. When recording a close-up image, focus on the subject with the wide end of
zoom.
“Focus fixing” is convenient when you can predict the distance
to the subject. With “Focus fixing,” you can fix the focus in
advance to the distance at which the subject is to pass.
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1MENU button t[Camera] t[AF/MF Select] t[DMF].
2Press the PHOTO button halfway down to focus automatically.
3Keep the PHOTO button halfway down, rotate the focusing ring of the
lens to achieve a sharp focus.
• [Autofocus Mode] is fixed to [Single-shot AF].
DMF (Direct Manual Focus)
Note
zTo measure the exact distance to the subject
Lens mount
18 mm
(23/32 in.)
The mark shows the location of the image sensor1). When
you measure the exact distance between the camcorder and the
subject, refer to the position of the line. The distance from the
lens contact surface to the image sensor is about 18 mm (23/32
in.).
1) The image sensor is the part of the camcorder that acts as the film.
• If the subject is closer than the minimum shooting distance2) of the
attached lens, the focus cannot be confirmed. Make sure you put
enough distance between the subject and the camcorder.
2) The minimum shooting distance of the supplied E18 – 200 mm
zoom lens is 0.3 m (11 7/8 in.) (Wide end) – 0.5 m (19 3/4 in.)
(Telephoto end).

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Gain
Increase the gain when recording in dim places. Select the desired gain value when you
do not want the gain to be increased with the [Auto] setting.
1In movie recording mode, GAIN button tdesired setting.
Or, MENU button t[Brightness/Color] t[Gain] tdesired setting.
• The larger the number, the higher the noise level.
• When the exposure mode is set to [Program Auto], [Aperture Priority], [Shutter Priority], and [Gain] is
set to [Auto], [Gain] is automatically set between 0 dB and 21 dB.
• The [Auto] setting is not provided in [Manual Exposure]. If you change the exposure mode to [Manual
Exposure] with the [Auto] setting, it is switched to 0 dB. Set the gain according to your shooting
conditions.
(Auto) Sets the gain automatically.
0dB/3dB/6dB/9dB/
12dB/15dB/18dB/
21dB/24dB/27dB
You can set a larger number, and reduce image blur in dark
locations or of moving subjects by increasing gain.
Notes
GAIN
AUTO
zAdjusting Gain/ISO Sensitivity (Recommended
Exposure Index)
Gain/ISO setting is the sensitivity to light of recording media that incorporates an image
sensor that receives light. Even when the exposure is the same, images differ depending on
the Gain/ISO setting.
High Gain/ISO sensitivity
With high Gain/ISO sensitivity, images will be captured with
an appropriate brightness even under insufficient exposure.
However, increasing Gain/ISO sensitivity will cause images to
become noisy.
Low Gain/ISO sensitivity
You can record smooth images. However, the shutter speed
may slow down to compensate for low Gain/ISO sensitivity.
You should take camera shake or movement of subjects into
account, too.

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ISO
Sets the luminous sensitivity for recording still images.
1In still image recording mode, GAIN button tdesired setting.
Or, MENU button t[Brightness/Color] t[ISO] tdesired setting.
• [ISO AUTO] is selected when using the following functions:
– [Hand-held Twilight]
– [Anti Motion Blur]
• The larger the number, the higher the noise level.
• When the exposure mode is set to [Program Auto], [Aperture Priority], [Shutter Priority], and [ISO] is set
to [ISO AUTO], ISO is automatically set between ISO 200 and 1600.
• The [ISO AUTO] setting is not provided in [Manual Exposure]. If you change the exposure mode to
[Manual Exposure] with the [ISO AUTO] setting, it is switched to 200. Set the ISO according to your
shooting conditions.
(ISO AUTO) Sets the ISO sensitivity automatically.
200/400/800/1600/
3200/6400/12800
You can set a faster shutter speed, and reduce image blur in dark
locations or of moving subjects by increasing ISO sensitivity
(select a larger number).
Notes
zAdjusting Gain/ISO Sensitivity (Recommended
Exposure Index)
Gain/ISO setting is the sensitivity to light of recording media that incorporates an image
sensor that receives light. Even when the exposure is the same, images differ depending on
the Gain/ISO setting.
High Gain/ISO sensitivity
With high Gain/ISO sensitivity, images will be captured with
an appropriate brightness even under insufficient exposure.
However, increasing Gain/ISO sensitivity will cause images to
become noisy.
Low Gain/ISO sensitivity
You can record smooth images. However, the shutter speed
may slow down to compensate for low Gain/ISO sensitivity.
You should take camera shake or movement of subjects into
account, too.

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Exposure Comp.
You can adjust the exposure in 1/3 EV steps in a range of –2.0 EV to +2.0 EV.
1(Exposure Comp.) button tdesired value.
Or, MENU button t[Brightness/Color] t[Exposure Comp.] tdesired
value.
• You cannot use [Exposure Comp.] when using [Manual Exposure].
• If you shoot a subject in extremely bright or dark conditions, or when you use a flash (sold separately),
you may not be able to get a satisfactory effect.
Notes
zAdjusting the exposure for better looking images
• To shoot subjects in brighter tones, set a +-side exposure compensation.
To make photos of food look more appealing, shoot the food a little brighter than usual
and try to use a white background.
• When shooting a blue sky, setting a –-side exposure compensation will allow you to
capture the sky in vivid colors.
Overexposure = too much light
Whitish image
Correct exposure
Underexposure = too little light
Darker image
Set [Exposure Comp.] toward –.
Set [Exposure Comp.] toward +.
m
M