Sony Alpha NEX-3 User manual

SONY:
Interchang.eable
Lens Digital Camera
4-183-856-12{1)
Preparing the camera
Mastering the basic
operation
Using the recording
functions
Using the playback
functions
+9hecking the functions
'fvailable
orting images to the
puter
E-mount

Engl ish
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. NEX-3/3C/ NEX-5/5C
Serial No.
To reduce fire or shock hazard, do not expose the unit to rain or
moisture.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
-SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
DANGER
-TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR
ELECTRIC SHOCK, CAREFUllY FOllOW
THESE INSTRUCTIONS
If the shape of the plug does not fit the power outlet, use an attachment plug adaptor of the
proper configuration for the power outlet.
iBattery pack
If the battery pack is mishandled, the battery pack can burst. cause afire or even chemical
burns. Observe the following cautions.
•Do not disassemble.
•Do not crush and do not expose the battery pack to any shock
or force such as
hammering, dropping
or stepping on it.
•Do not short circuit and do not allow metal objects to
come into contact with the battery
terminals.
•Do not expose to high temperature above 60°C (140°F) such as in direct sunlight or in a
car parked in the sun.
•Do not incinerate
or dispose of in fire.
GB •Do not handle damaged or leaking lithium ion batteries.
2

•Be sure to charge the battery pack using agenuine Sony battery charger or adevice that
can charge the battery pack.
•Keep the battery pack out
of the reach of small children.
•Keep the battery pack dry.
•Replace only with the same
or equivalent type recommended by Sony.
•Dispose
of used battery packs promptly as described in the instructions.
IBattery charger
Even if the CHARGE lamp is not lit, the battery charger is not disconnected from the AC
power source (mains) as long as it is connected to the wall outlet (wall socket).
If some
trouble occurs while using the battery charger, immediately shut off the power
by
disconnecting the plug from the wall outlet (wall socket).
When apower cord (mains lead) is supplied, the power cord (mains lead) can
be used with
this unit only, and should not be used with any other unit.
iRECYCLING LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES
Lithium-Ion batteries are recyclable.
You can help preserve our environment by returning your used
rechargeable batteries to the collection and recycling location nearest
you.
For more information regarding recycling
of rechargeable batteries,
call toll free
1-800-822-8837, or visit http://www.rbrc.org/
Caution: Do not handle damaged or leaking Lithium-Ion batteries.
~ Battery pack
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(I) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any
interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
This Class Bdigital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
GB
3

GB
4
UL is an internationally recognized safety organization.
The UL Mark on the product means it has been UL Listed.
If you have any questions about this product, you may call:
Sony Customer Information Center
1-800-222-S0NY (7669)
The number below is for the FCC related matters only.
IRegulatory Information
Declaration of Conformity
Trade Name: SONY
Model No.: NEX-3
Responsible Party: Sony Electronics Inc.
Address: 16530 Via Esprillo,
San Diego,
CA 92127 U.S.A.
Telephone No.: 858-942-2230
This device complies with Part15
of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
(l) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2)
this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation.
Declaration of Conformity
Trade Name: SONY
Model No.: NEX-5
Responsible Party: Sony Electronics Inc.
Address: 16530 Via Esprillo,
San Diego,
CA 92127 U.S.A.
Telephone No.: 858-942-2230
This device complies with Part15
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.
ICAUTION
You are cautioned that any changes or modifications not expressly approved in this manual
could void your authority to operate this equipment.

INote:
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for aClass Bdigital
device, pursuant to Part
15 of the FCC Rules.
These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference
in
aresidential 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 aparticular 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 acircuit different from that
to which the
receiver is connected.
-Consult the dealer or
an experienced radiorrV technician for help.
The supplied interface cable must be used with the equipment in order to comply with the
limits for adigital device pursuant to Subpart B
of Part 15 of FCC Rules.
INotice for the customers in the countries applying EU Directives
The manufacturer of this product is Sony Corporation, 1-7-1 Konan Minato-ku Tokyo,
108-0075 Japan. The Authorized Representative for EMC and product safety
is Sony
Deutschland GmbH, Hedelfinger Strasse 61, 70327 Stuttgart, Germany. For any service or
guarantee matters please refer to the addresses given in separate service or guarantee
documents.
This product has been tested and found compliant with the limits set out
in the EMC
Directive for using connection cables shorter than 3meters (9.8 feet).
IAttention
The electromagnetic fields at the specific frequencies may influence the picture and sound
of this unit.
INotice
If static electricity or electromagnetism causes data transfer to discontinue midway (fail),
restart the application or disconnect and connect the communication cable (USB, etc.)
agam.
GB
5

iDisposal of Old Electrical &Electronic Equipment (Applicable in
the European Union and other European countries with separate
collection systems)
This symbol on the product or on its packaging indicates that this product
shall not be treated as household waste. Instead it shall be handed over to
the applicable collection point for the recycling
of electrical and electronic
equipment. By ensuring this product is disposed
of correctly, you will help
prevent potential negative consequences for the environment and human
_health, which could otherwise be caused by inappropriate waste handling
of this product. The recycling of materials will help to conserve natural
resources.
For more detailed information about recycling of this product,
please contact your local Civic Office, your household waste disposal service
or the shop
where you purchased the product.
Disposal of waste batteries (applicable in the European Union
and other European countries with separate collection systems)
This symbol on the battery or on the packaging indicates that the battery
provided with this product shall not be treated
as household waste.
On certain batteries this symbol might be used in combination with a
chemical symbol.
The chemical symbols for mercury (Hg) or lead (Pb) are
added
if the battery contains more than 0.0005% mercury or 0.004% lead.
By ensuring these batteries are disposed
of correctly, you will help prevent
potentially negative consequences for the environment and human health which could
otherwise be caused by inappropriate waste handling
of the battery. The recycling of the
materials will help to conserve natural resources.
In case
of products that for safety, performance or data integrity reasons require a
permanent connection with an incorporated battery, this battery should be replaced by
qualified service staffonly.
To ensure that the battery will be treated properly, hand over
the product at end-of-Iife to the applicable collection point for the recycling
of electrical
and electronic equipment.
For all other batteries, please view the section on how to remove the battery from the
product safely.
Hand the battery over to the applicable collection point for the recycling
of waste batteries.
For more detailed information about recycling
of this product or battery, please contact
your local Civic Office, your household waste disposal service or the shop where you
purchased the product.
Amoulded plug complying with BS 1363
is fitted to this equipment for your safety and
convelllence.
Should the fuse in the plug supplied need to be replaced, afuse
of the same rating as the
supplied one and approved by
AST Aor BSI to BS 1362, (i.e., marked with an <g> or ~
mark) must be used.
If the plug supplied with this equipment has adetachable fuse cover, be sure to attach the
GB fuse cover after you change the fuse. Never use the plug without the fuse cover. If you
6should lose the fuse cover, please contact your nearest Sony service station.

Table of contents
Preparing the camera
Checking the accessories supplied 10
Identifying parts ,
.. ,12
Preparing the battery pack 16
Attaching/removing the lens 19
Inserting amemory card (sold separately)
21
Attaching the flash , .. , , 23
Turning
on the camera and setting up the date 25
Mastering the basic operation
Shooting still images 27
Recording movies
.. , , , 28
Playing back images 29
Deleting images
.. , , , , .. ,30
Using the control wheel and soft keys 32
Using the guide function of the camera 34
Using the recording functions
Defocusing the background easily (Background Defocus
Control) 35
Selecting the flash mode 36
Adjusting the brightness of still images (Exposure
compensation) , , 37
Using the self-timer 37
Shooting still images continuously 38
Changing the screen display (DISP) 38
Shooting with various drive mode 39
Selecting the image size 44
Focusing
on the face (Face Detection) 46
Using the playback functions
Enlarging the playback image (Enlarge Image) 47
Displaying the image list 48
GB
Viewing images on a TV 49 7

Checking the functions available
Menu list 50
Functions available for each shooting mode 56
Flash modes available 57
Importing images to the computer
Installing the software 58
What you can
do with the supplied software 60
Creating amovie disc (NEX-5/5C)
61
Others
Checking the number of recordable images 63
List of icons
on the LCD monitor 65
Learning more about the camera (a Handbook) 68
Troubleshooting 69
Precautions....................................................................... 73
Specifications 76
Index ,
.. ,, """ , 81
This instruction manual is for models NEX-3/3C and NEX-S/SC. The NEX-S/SC is
used for illustrations in this manual, unless otherwise specified.
The differences between each model are as follows:
NEX-S/SC*
NEX-3/3C*
AVCHD**/MPEG-4
MPEG-4
Available
Not available
GB
8
*NEX-SC/3C are not compatible with Eye-Fi.
** To check whether the camera is 1080 60i-compatible or 1080 SOi-compatible,
check for the following marks on the bottom
of the camera.
1080 60i-compatible camera: 60i
1080 SOi-compatible camera:
SOi

This manual covers several models supplied with different lenses.
The model name varies depending on the supplied lens.
NEX-5A/5CA/3A/3CA
NEX-5D/5CD/3D/3CD
NEX-5H15CH
NEX-5K/5CK/3K/3CK
E16mm
E18 -55 mm and E16 mm
E18 -200 mm
E18 -
55 mm
GB
9

Checking the accessories supplied
First check the model name of your camera (page 9). The accessories supplied
differ depending on the model.
The number
in parentheses indicates the number of pieces.
"1J
.,
CD
""0
Ol
::::t
::::s
(Q
.-+
~
CD
()
Ol
3
CD
0)
GB
10
~~ Common accessories
•Battery charger BC- VW 1(1)
•Power cord (mains lead)
(1) (not
supplied in the U.S.A. and Canada)
•Rechargeable battery pack
NP-FW50 (1)
•USB cable (1)
•Shoulder strap (1)
•Flash
(1 )/Flash case (1)
•CD-ROM (1)
-Application Software for
acamera
- a Handbook
•Instruction Manual (This manual)
(1)
~ NEX-5A/5CA/3A/3CA
• E 16 mm single focus lenslLens cap
(1) (attached to the camera)
INEX-5D/5CD/3D/3CD
• E16 mm single focus lenslLens
caplLens rear cap (1)
•E18 -55 mm zoom lens/Lens cap
(l) (attached to the camera)/Lens
hood (1)
t:\ NEX-5H/5CH
• E 18 -200 mm zoom lens/Lens
caplLens rear cap
(l) (attached to
the camera)/Lens hood
(l)
•Extender for Flash (1 )/Extender
case (1)
•Body cap (1) (attached to the
camera)

INEX-5K/5CK/3K/3CK
•E18 -55 mm zoom lenslLens cap
(1) (attached to the camera)lLens
hood (1)
-
:J
CD
()
Q,)
3
CD
"""'
Q,)
GB
11

Identifying parts
See the pages in parentheses for details of operation.
NEX-5/5C
r-+
::T
CD
()
~ NEX-3/3C
CD
~
~
'-----------110
rn ~ (Playback) button (29)
[2] ON/OFF (Power) switch (25)
~ Shutter button (28)
@] Remote sensor
[§] AF illuminator/Self-timer lamp/
Smile Shutter lamp
[ID Speaker
IlJ Microphone*
[ID Smart Accessory Terminal (23)
~ Lens (19)
[Q] Lens release button (20)
[j] Mount
1121 Image sensor**
~ Lens contact**
*Do not cover this part during movie
recording.
** Do not touch this part directly.
When the lens is removed
(NEX-5/5C/3/3C)
GB
12

NEX-5/5C
NEX-3/3C
[] ~ (USB) terminal
[g] Hook for shoulder strap
Attaching the shoulder strap
is
recommended not to drop the
camera.
rn:J HDMI terminal (49)
[II Light sensor
[ID LCD monitor
The tilting LCD monitor ofthe
camera allows flexible shooting
positions.
[§] MOVIE button (28)
[l] Control wheel (32)
rn:J Soft keys (33)
[ID -e- Image sensor position mark
-
:::J'"
CD
()
l:U
3
CD
...,.
l:U
GB
13

NEX-5/5C
?~ Flash
*Do not touch this part directly.
ITJ Screw
[2J Flash
@] Connector*
""'0
"""'I
CD
~ NEX-3/3C
~.
:J
(Q
ITJ Battery/Memory card cover (17,
21)
[2] Tripod receptacle
•Use atripod with ascrew length
of less than 5.5 mm (7/32 inch).
You will be unable to firmly
secure the camera
to tripods
having screws longer than 5.5
mm (7/32 inch), and may damage
the camera.
@] -e- Image sensor position mark
@] Connection plate cover
For using the AC-PW20 AC
Adaptor (sold separately)
[§] Access lamp (22)
[IDMemory card insertion slot (21)
[l] Battery compartment (17)
GB
14

-
::::T
CD
()
Q)
3
CD
,
Q)
*Aconverter is sold separately.
** Do not touch this part directly.
[] Converterindex*
[2J Focusing ring
~ Lens contacts**
@] Mounting index
E16 mm F2.8 (supplied with
NEX-5A15CAl3A13CA)
ILens
On the E18 -200 mm lens, refer to
the instruction manual
of the E 18 -
200
mm lens (supplied).
E18 -55 mm F3.5-5.6 ass
(supplied with NEX-5DI
5CD/5K15CKl3D/3CD/3K1
3CK)
[] Hood index
[2J Focusing ring
~ Zooming ring
@] Focal-length scale
[§] Focal-length index
[§] Lens contacts*
[Z] Mounting index
*Do not touch this part directly.
GB
15

Preparing the battery pack
When using the camera for the first time, be sure to charge the NP-FW50
"InfoLITHIUM" battery pack (supplied).
"Charging the battery pack
The "InfoLITHIUM" battery pack can be charged even when it has not been
fully depleted.
It can also be used when it has not been fully charged.
For the U.S.A and Canada
PluQ-----,
2Connect the battery charger to
the wall outlet (wall socket).
•The CHARGE lamp turns off when
charging is finished.
•
Time required to charge afully depleted
battery pack at atemperature of 25 DC
(77 OF) is about 250 minutes.
1 Insert the battery pack onto the
battery charger.
•Push the battery pack until it clicks.
CHARGE lamp
For countries/regions other
than the U.S.A. and Canada
GB
16

• The charging time differs depending on the remaining capacity of the battery pack
or charging conditions.
•
We recommend charging the battery pack in an ambient temperature of between
10 DC to 30°C (50 of to 86 OF). You may not be able to efficiently charge the
battery pack outside
of this temperature range.
•
Connect the battery charger to the nearest wall outlet (wall socket).
•
Do not try to charge the battery pack again right after it has been charged, or when
it has not been used after being charged. Doing so will affect the performance
of
the battery pack.
IInserting the charged battery pack
1 While sliding the cover open
lever, open the cover.
GB
17

-: ... ~: ..
2Firmly insert the battery pack NEX-5/5C
all the way while pressing the
lock lever with the tip of the
battery.
NEX-3/3C Lock lever
3Close the cover.
~ Checking the remaining battery level
Check the level with the following indicators and percent figures displayed on
the LCD monitor.
~IZZZII
~rz"l
4_711
~~I
g"Battery
exhausted."
Battery level You cannot
High
.. Low shoot any more
Image.
-
GB •The displayed level may not be correct under certain circumstances.
18

~ Removing the battery pack
Tum off the camera and slide the lock
lever in the direction
of the arrow. Be
careful not to drop the battery pack.
NEX-S/SC
Lock lever
NEX-3/3C Lock lever
,....
:::J
CD
C"')
Q)
3
CD
..,
Q)
Attaching/removing the lens
The camera will come with the lens attached (except for the NEX-5H/5CH).
Refer to the steps below when attaching other lenses.
1 If the body cap or the
packaging lid is attached,
remove it from the camera or
the lens.
•Quickly change the lens somewhere
away from dusty locations so as to
keep dust or debris from getting
inside the camera.
GB
19

2 Mount the lens by aligning the
white index marks on the lens
and the camera.
•Hold the camera's face downward
to prevent the dust from entering
into the camera.
White index marks
r-+
::::r
CD
n
0)
3
CD
""'"
0)
3 While pusing the lens lightly
toward the camera, turn the
lens clockwise until it clicks
into the locked position.
•Be sure to put the lens on straight.
•When attaching alens, do not press the lens release button.
•Do not use force when attaching alens.
•The Mount Adaptor (sold separately) is required to use an A-mount lens (sold
separately). For details, refer to the operating manual supplied with the Mount
Adaptor.
•Removing the lens
1 Press the lens release button
all the way in and turn the lens
counterclockwise until it
stops.
GB
20
Lens release button