will damage the terminal and may result in a malfunction of your camcorder.

About menu items, LCD panel, viewfinder, and lens

A menu item that is grayed out is not available under the current recording or playback conditions.

The LCD screen and the viewfinder are manufactured using extremely high- precision technology, so over 99.99% of the pixels are operational for effective use. However, there may be some tiny black points and/or bright points (white, red, blue, or green in color) that appear constantly on the LCD screen and the viewfinder. These points are normal results of the manufacturing process and do not affect the recording in any way.

Black point

White, red, blue or green point

Exposing the LCD screen, the viewfinder, or the lens to direct sunlight for long periods of time may cause malfunctions.

Do not aim at the sun. Doing so might cause your camcorder to malfunction. Take pictures of the sun only in low light conditions, such as at dusk.

About the language setting

The on-screen displays in each local language are used for illustrating the operating procedures. Change the screen language before using your camcorder if necessary (p. 16).

On recording

Before starting to record, test the recording function to make sure the picture and sound are recorded without any problems.

Compensation for the contents of recordings cannot be provided, even if recording or playback is not possible due to a malfunction of the camcorder, storage media, etc.

TV color systems differ depending on the country/region. To view your recordings on a TV, you need a NTSC system-based TV.

Television programs, films, video tapes, and other materials may be copyrighted. Unauthorized recording of such materials may be contrary to the copyright laws.

About this manual

The images of the LCD screen and the viewfinder used in this manual for illustration purposes are captured using a digital still camera, and therefore may appear different.

The illustrations used on this manual are based on the model DCR-HC54. The model name is indicated on the bottom of your camcorder.

Design and specifications of recording media and accessories are subject to change without notice.

About the Carl Zeiss lens

Your camcorder is equipped with a Carl Zeiss lens, which was developed jointly by Carl Zeiss, in Germany, and Sony Corporation, and produces superior images. It adopts the MTF* measurement system for

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