VPC-AZ3EX VPC-AZ3
 Declaration of Conformity
For American Users
 For Canadian Users
 Take photos in the Basic operation mode*2
Outline of Operation
 Symbols used in this manual
 Contents
 Playback
 Contents
 Appendices
 Be aware of your surroundings when using the digital camera
Using Your Digital Camera Safely and Correctly
Do not modify or open the cabinet
Do not use while driving
 Do not use during a storm
Do not get the digital camera wet
Do not place on an unstable surface
Do not look through the digital camera into the sun
 Keep the digital camera out of the reach of children
Do not use where there is risk of explosion
 Operating environment
 Do not disassemble or modify the battery pack charger
Use a 100 to 240 V AC power supply
Do not get the battery pack charger wet
 Do not pull on the power cord to unplug it
 Do not handle with wet hands
Unplug the power cord from the power outlet when finished
 Do not connect to a voltage converter
Do not damage the power cord
Operating and storage conditions
 Do not transform, take apart, or modify
Concerning the Lithium-ion battery pack Model DB-L10
 Storage temperature -10C to 30C
Temperature when using or recharging 0 to 40C
Humidity 10% to 90% no condensation
 Insert the battery pack correctly, as specified
Use the battery pack only in the specified device
Do not peel or damage the outer case
 Recycling the battery pack
Charge the battery pack before using it
Keep out of the reach of children
 For Correct USE of Your Camera
Concerning the accessories
Page
 Be careful of condensation under the following conditions
If condensation seems likely to form
 Speaker
 For Correct USE of Your Camera
 High Temperature Warning Screen
Temperatures
Sicon
 Checking the Included Accessories
 What card means in this manual
Media cards that can be used with this digital camera
CompactFlash Microdrive
 Connect the supplied power cord to the battery pack charger
Charge the battery pack
Plug the power plug into a power outlet AC 100 to
Quick Start for Capturing Images
 Insert the battery pack
Install the battery pack and card
Insert the card
 Point the camera lens at Subject
Quick Start for Capturing Images
 Press the shutter release button halfway focus-lock
Set the main switch to Ô
 Front
Parts Names
 Rear
 Ambient temperature during recharging
Recharging the Battery Pack
Recharge a battery pack in the following cases
 Charge indicator
About the Charge indicator
 Formatting a Card
Display the Shooting Option Setting Screen see
Reformat
Press j on the arrow button to select YES
 Reformatting is also possible in the playback mode
To cancel reformatting
Reformatting erases the data
 Turning the power on
Turning the Power ON/OFF
When capturing images
When playing back images
 Turning the power on when the power save function is active
Turning the power off
When capturing images
When playing back images
 Displaying a Setting Screen
Setting Screens and Option Setting Screens
Set the main switch
Shooting Playback
 Exiting the Shooting/Playback Option Setting Screen
Exiting the Shooting/Playback Setting Screen
Full Auto
 Display the Shooting Setting Screen
Setting Screens and Option Setting Screens
Expert mode
Press d on the arrow button twice
 Basic mode settings
Shooting in the Basic mode
Scene Select
 Shooting Setting Screen
Setting screen basic operation
When selecting a menu
When selecting a setting icon
 Other operations
Playback Setting Screen
Zoom
Protect
 Still Image Shooting Setting Screen
Shooting Setting Screens
Resolution menu
Scene Select menu page 76 c B Full auto icon
 Spot focus menu page 102 c j Spot focus off icon
Compression menu
ISO sensitivity menu page 106 c Ä Auto sensitivity icon
Exposure control menu page 107 c Ï Program AE icon
 Sequential shots mode Method menu
Sequential Shots Shooting Setting Screen
Method Best
 Compression menu page 81 a Sfine icon super-low
 Resolution
Video Clip Shooting Setting Screen
 Flicker-reduction Flicker Reduct menu
 Still image shooting status display
Shooting status display
Sequential shots shooting status Display
 Video clip shooting status display
200 +0.3
 Image Display
Playback Setting Screens
 Color correction setting real color equalizer
Shooting/Playback Option Setting Screens
Date and time setting
Audio recording
 For best results
Before Taking Pictures
Holding the camera
Correct hold
 Conditions that may cause incorrect focus
When both near and far objects are present
Subjects without vertical lines
 Hints for taking pictures
Before Taking Pictures
 About sequential shots shooting
Did you snap a picture without a card installed?
If the motion alert icon appears
 Shooting mode
SHOOTING/RECORDING Mode Settings
Set the selector dial to the desired
 Area in the center of the LCD
Capturing Still Images
 Sequential Shots
Resolution
Maximum number of sequential shots
 Method
Standard sequential shots Ö
Standard
Finish capturing images
 Sequential Shots
AE shift sequential auto bracket shots a
Bracket
 Select the image that you want to save
Best select shot Ä
 Save Image Erase Others YES
Capturing images without using the LCD monitor
To save all four images
 End the recording
Video Clips
 Audio REC
Audio Recordings
REC
 Stop
Audio REC
End the audio recording
 Basic Shooting Functions
Setting the focus
 Hint
 Basic Shooting Functions
Using the flash
Set the camera to the still image
 Press the flash button to select
Flash mode
 Press the shutter release button
Automatic flash mode
 Set the shooting mode see Set the main switch to à
Shooting without using the LCD monitor
 Using the zoom
 Set to a shooting mode see
Basic Mode
Example Still image shooting Mode
Select the scene select menu
 About other settings
Basic Mode
Select the desired icon, and press the SET button
To return to normal shooting
 Resolution
Setting the resolution
 About the resolution and compression settings see
 OFF
Using the self-timer
 Compression
Setting the compression rate
Fine
 Selected compression rate is set English
 Still image playback mode
Playback Mode Settings
Sequential shots playback mode
Video clip playback mode
 Audio
Playing back audio recordings
Turn the selector dial to P
Select the audio playback icon M, and press the SET button
 Play back still images one by one
Playing Back Still Images
Play back a voice memo
Image display playback
 Hint
 To change to a different sequential shots folder
Playing Back Sequential Shots
If the 9-image display appears in step
To quickly change to a different sequential shots folder
 Playing Back Video Clips
 Example of button operations
Playing Back Video Clips
 To view video clips on your computer
 Play
Listening to Audio Recordings
Playback Stop
Select the audio playback icon Ô, and press the SET button
 To stop playback
To select a different audio recording
 Slideshow
Automatic playback slideshow
Time
Start Exit
 Move
Magnifying zooming in the image
Zoom I/O
 To magnify the image from the Playback Setting Screen
Using the Various Playback Functions
 Rotate
Rotating an image
Left
Exit
 Connections
Playing back images on a TV set
Playback
Audio recording playback see
Page
 Displaying Image Information Playback Info Screen
 0019
 Voice Memo
Adding a Voice Memo
 When the spot focus setting is selected
Setting the Focus Mode
Spot Focus
 Shooting with the spot light-measuring mode
LIGHT-MEASURING Mode Setting
Multi
 Auto
White Balance Setting
 To cancel the white balance setting
Setting procedure
To capture sepia-tone images
 ISO
ISO Sensitivity Setting
 Setting the Exposure Control
 Setting
Setting the Exposure Control
Aperture and shutter variable program AE Ï
Aperture priority AE Î
 Manual exposure control Í
Select Setting
 Display the Still Image Shooting Setting Screen see
Setting the Noise Reduction
 Select the color adjustment icon
Adjust the color tones with the digital camera
Select one from the ôto õ icons, and press the SET button
 SAT
 Abcde Scroll Select
Adjust the color
Select the ùicon, and press SET button
 About the saturation setting
About the hue setting
About the brightness setting
Select the mark, and press the SET button
 Example of hue and saturation settings
 About color correction with Real Color Equalizer 3.0 on PC
Icon Title Settings data file To photograph Name
 Load Setting DATA? YES
Color Adjustment
Select Setting Data Mount SP
 About the Real Color Equalizer 3.0 on PC
Select Where to Save Mount SP SEA Mode
 Display a Shooting Setting Screen
To select previously set color correction settings
 Digital Zoom Setting
 How to use the quick shot
Quick Shot Setting Still Image Shooting Mode only
 Exposure Correction
Shortcut for setting the exposure correction
 FLICKER-REDUCTION Setting Video Clip Shooting only
 When using the LCD monitor
Shooting Setting Information Display Shooting Info Screen
When not using the LCD monitor
Display the Shooting Information Screen
 P5.6 P1/500
 Copying Images
Example Sequential shots Playback mode
Copy
To select a different image frame in step
 Edit Photo
Changing Image Size
Resize
Select the edit photo icon r, and press the SET button
 RESIZE? YES
 Adding Text
Setting Point
Select the add text icon 2, and press the SET button
 Scroll Select Abcde
Character row chart
Press the arrow button to select the desired character row
 Scroll Select Pqrst
Adding Text
You can change the color of the text
 Scroll Select Abcde Parade
 Select the add audio icon p, and press the SET button
 Recording
ADD Audio
 Select the print setting icon n, and press the SET button
Print Settings
 About the Dpof format
 Standard print
Print Settings
 ALL Images
Select SETTING, and press the SET button
Date
 Specifying the number of prints
 To change the print settings
If the print settings are correct
To clear the print settings
Index print
 Follow steps 1 to 4 on pages 137
Changing the print settings
 ALL Clear
Clearing the print settings
 UNLOCK? YES
LOCK? YES
 To select a different image in steps 4
To cancel the protect mode for an image
 Example Still Image Playback Mode Press the SET button
Select the erase mode icon q
Erasing Data
Erase
 For video clips
For sequential shots
For audio recordings
 To select a different data in step
Erasing Data
To quickly erase the currently displayed image
 Data file formats
Image and Audio Data Storage
Type of data Data format File name structure
 About file names when the card is replaced
Configuration of directories for the stored data
Image and Audio Data Storage
Concerning the video clip data saved by the digital camera
 Using the camera as your computer’s external drive
Using the Camera with a Computer
To USB port
Terminal
 Using the Camera with a Computer
Using the camera as a PC camera
Set the selector dial to Ü, and turn on the power
Connect the digital camera to a personal computer
 Select Mode
Setup
USB DIRECT-PRINT
USB DIRECT-PRINT
 To print the images that are set to print
Print Setting
USB DIRECT-PRINT
Print Exit
 To cancel printing
Select Mode
To select one image and print it
 Next Setting
To change the print settings and print images
Display the Print Mode Screen
Select Custom MODE, and press the SET button
 Select Next SETTING, and press the SET button
Adjust the print settings
Media Type Printer Value
Date OFF
 TV System
Setting the TV System
Ntsc
PAL
 Example Shooting Option Setting Screen
Setting the Date and Time
Clock SET
Example To set the clock to January 23, 2003 at 730 p.m
 Clock SET
Setting the Date and Time
Set the date
Set the clock
 Select C, and press the SET button
Set the order in which the date is displayed during playback
 To correct the date and time settings
 Setting the operational sounds
Setting the Operational Sounds
Display the Operational Sounds Screen
Beep
 Beep
Setting the Operational Sounds
Select BEEP, and press the SET button
 Mute
Turning the operational sounds on/off
Select on or OFF, and press the SET button
 Help Function
Select the desired setting, and press the SET button
Help
Select the help display icon ç, and press the SET button
 Language
Display Language
Select the language icon à, and press the SET button
Select the desired language, and press the SET button
 Power Save
Power Save Mode
Select the power save icon é, and press the SET button
 Press j or l on the arrow button to set the standby time
Example When BATT/CAM Is selected
 Assigning File Names
 Select OFF, and press the SET button
Assigning File Names
 Info
Checking the Remaining Battery Pack Charge
 Checking the Remaining Battery Pack Charge
 Still image shooting mode
Set the main switch to á, and press the power button
Checking the Remaining Card Memory
 Checking the Remaining Card Memory
Sequential shots shooting mode
 Clock SET Beep Language TV System Reformat
Checking the remaining audio recording time
 Problem Cause Action
Troubleshooting
Power
 Troubleshooting
 Shooting
 Troubleshooting
 Problem Cause Action
 Troubleshooting
 Flicker-reduction
 There are black
 Images
 Exposure 122 Correction
 Fluorescent
 Troubleshooting
 No voice memo Select the add Was recorded Voice memo
 Image
Video
 Printing
 Misc
Print Busy
 Protected
 System Problem has Check
 Digital Camera
Specifications
 Specifications
 Reduction
 Battery pack operation
Digital camera connectors
 CompactFlash 16MB Microdrive 1GB
 Sion rate
 Supplied CompactFlash
Supplied battery pack charger
 Supplied Lithium-ion battery pack
 Video clip
Basic mode and Expert mode
 Others