VPC-MZ3EX VPC-MZ3 VPC-MZ3GX
 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
 Do not use while driving
Using Your Digital Camera Safely and Correctly
Be aware of your surroundings when using the digital camera
Do not modify or open the cabinet
 Do not look through the digital camera into the sun
Do not get the digital camera wet
Do not use during a storm
Do not place on an unstable surface
 Keep the digital camera out of the reach of children
Do not use where there is risk of explosion
 Operating environment
 Use a 100 to 240 V AC power supply
Do not disassemble or modify the battery pack charger
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
 Operating and storage conditions
Do not damage the power cord
 Do not transform, take apart, or modify
Concerning the Lithium-ion battery pack Model DB-L10
 Temperature when using or recharging 0 to 40C
Storage temperature -10C to 30C
Humidity 10% to 90% no condensation
 Use the battery pack only in the specified device
Insert the battery pack correctly, as specified
Do not peel or damage the outer case
 Charge the battery pack before using it
Recycling the battery pack
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
 Sicon
 Checking the Included Accessories
Handstrap
CompactFlash 16MB
 Microdrive
Media cards that can be used with this digital camera
What card means in this manual
CompactFlash
 Quick Start for Capturing Images
Charge the battery pack
Connect the supplied power cord to the battery pack charger
Plug the power plug into a power outlet AC 100 to
 Install the battery pack and card
Insert the battery pack
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
 Recharging the Battery Pack
Ambient temperature during recharging
Recharge a battery pack in the following cases
 Charge indicator
About the Charge indicator
 Reformat
Display the Shooting Option Setting Screen see
Formatting a Card
Press j on the arrow button to select YES
 To cancel reformatting
Reformatting is also possible in the playback mode
Reformatting erases the data
 When playing back images
Turning the Power ON/OFF
Turning the power on
When capturing images
 When playing back images
Turning the power off
Turning the power on when the power save function is active
When capturing images
 Shooting Playback
Setting Screens and Option Setting Screens
Displaying a Setting Screen
Set the main switch
 Exiting the Shooting/Playback Setting Screen
Exiting the Shooting/Playback Option Setting Screen
Full Auto
 Press d on the arrow button twice
Setting Screens and Option Setting Screens
Display the Shooting Setting Screen
Expert mode
 Shooting in the Basic mode
Basic mode settings
Video clip shooting
 When selecting a setting icon
Setting screen basic operation
Shooting Setting Screen
When selecting a menu
 Other operations
Playback Setting Screen
 Scene Select Full Auto
Shooting Setting Screens
Still Image Shooting Setting Screen
Resolution
 ISO sensitivity menu page 109 c Ä Auto sensitivity icon
Compression menu
Voice Memo menu page 104 c b Voice memo off icon
Spot focus menu page 105 c j Spot focus off icon
 Sequential Shots Shooting Setting Screen
Sequential shots mode Method menu
Method Best
 Sequential shots interval menu
 Resolution menu
Video Clip Shooting Setting Screen
 Compression menu page 82 c D Fine icon low
Flicker-reduction Flicker Reduct menu
White Balance menu page 107 c H Auto white balance icon
 Shooting status display
 +0.3
 Volume
Playback Setting Screens
 Audio recording
Shooting/Playback Option Setting Screens
Color correction setting real color equalizer
Slideshow settings
 Correct hold
Before Taking Pictures
For best results
Holding the camera
 When both near and far objects are present
Conditions that may cause incorrect focus
Subjects without vertical lines
 Hints for taking pictures
Before Taking Pictures
 About sequential shots shooting
Where is the image and audio data saved?
Field of view differs depending on the shooting mode
Taking pictures in backlight conditions
 SHOOTING/RECORDING Mode Settings
Shooting mode
Set the selector dial to the desired
 Area in the center of the LCD
Capturing Still Images
 Resolution Compression rate
Sequential Shots
Maximum number of sequential shots
 Interval
Standard sequential shots Ö
Method
Standard
 Finish capturing images
Sequential Shots
 Bracket
AE shift sequential auto bracket shots a
 Best select shot Ä
 Select the image that you want to save
 Best Shot Confirmation Screen
Select YES, and press the SET button
 To save all four images
Capturing images without using the LCD monitor
 End the recording
Video Clips
 Audio Recordings
Audio REC
REC
 Audio Recordings
End the audio recording
Recording time minsec
 Basic Shooting Functions
Setting the focus
 Using the flash
Basic Shooting Functions
Set the camera to the still image
 Flash mode
Press the flash button to select
Press the shutter release button
 Shooting without using the LCD monitor
Automatic flash mode
Set the shooting mode see Set the main switch to à
 Using the zoom
 Select the scene select menu
Basic Mode
Set to a shooting mode see
Example Still image shooting Mode
 To return to normal shooting
About other settings
Select the desired icon, and press the SET button
About the wide-range shot
 Basic Mode
Setting the resolution
 Using the self-timer
About the resolution and compression settings see
OFF
 This completes the self-timer setting
 Fine
Setting the compression rate
 Selected compression rate is set English
 Setting the frame rate
Frame Rate
15FPS
 Video clip playback mode
Playback Mode Settings
Still image playback mode
Sequential shots playback mode
 Audio
Playing back audio recordings
Turn the selector dial to P
Select the audio playback icon M, and press the SET button
 Image display playback
Playing Back Still Images
Play back still images one by one
Play back a voice memo
 Hint
 To quickly change to a different sequential shots folder
Playing Back Sequential Shots
To change to a different sequential shots folder
If the 9-image display appears in step
 Playing Back Video Clips
 Example of button operations
 To view video clips on your computer
 Play
Listening to Audio Recordings
Select the audio playback icon Ô, and press the SET button
To fast forward or rewind
 To stop playback
To select a different audio recording
 Automatic playback slideshow
Slideshow
Select START, and press the SET button
 Magnifying zooming in the image
 To magnify the image from the Playback Setting Screen
Using the Various Playback Functions
 Rotate
Example Still Image Playback Mode
Rotating an image
Select the rotate image icon Ç, and press the SET button
 Audio recording playback see
Playing back images on a TV set
Connections
Playback
Page
 Displaying Image Information Playback Info Screen
 100-0001
 Press the shutter release button About the wide-range shot
WIDE-RANGE Shot
 Adding a Voice Memo
 When the spot focus setting is selected
Setting the Focus Mode
 Shooting with the spot light-measuring mode
LIGHT-MEASURING Mode Setting
 Auto
White Balance Setting
 Setting procedure
To cancel the white balance setting
To capture sepia-tone images
 ISO Sensitivity Setting
 Setting the Exposure Control
 Shutter speed priority AE Ì
Setting the Exposure Control
Aperture and shutter variable program AE Ï
Aperture priority AE Î
 Manual exposure control Í
Select
 Screen see
Adjust the color tones with the digital camera
Display the Shooting Option Setting
Select the color adjustment icon
 HUE SAT BR
 Adjust the color
Initial color Adjusted color
Select the ùicon, and press SET button
 Select the mark, and press the SET button
About the hue setting
About the saturation setting
About the brightness setting
 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
 Select Setting Data 01MOUNT SP 02SUNSET GLW
Load Setting DATA? YES
 For 12-color mode setting data
Select Where to Save Mount SP SEA Mode Sunset GLW
About the Real Color Equalizer 3.0 on PC
 Display a Shooting Setting Screen
To select previously set color correction settings
 Digital Zoom Setting
 Quick Shot Setting Still Image Shooting Mode only
How to use the quick shot
Quick Shot
 Exposure Correction
Shortcut for setting the exposure correction
 FLICKER-REDUCTION Setting Video Clip Shooting only
 Display the Shooting Information Screen
Shooting Setting Information Display Shooting Info Screen
Still image shooting mode
Sequential shots shooting mode
 When using the LCD monitor
When not using the LCD monitor
Exit the Shooting Information Screen
 To select a different image frame in step
Example Sequential shots Playback mode Copy
Copying Images
Copy
 Resize
Changing Image Size
Edit Photo
Select the edit photo icon r, and press the SET button
 RESIZE? YES
 Select the add text icon 2, and press the SET button
Adding Text
 R S T
Press the arrow button to select the desired character row
 You can change the color of the text
Adding Text
 Parade
 Select the add audio icon p, and press the SET button
Exit
 Recording
 Combining Images ADD Photo Function
Image combining procedure
 ADD Photo
Display the background image
 Combining Images ADD Photo Function
Determine the size of the superimposed image
 Press the arrow button to specify the end point
 Determine the position of the superimposed image
Capture the superimposed image
Compose the picture, and press the shutter release button
Page
 Editing Video Clips
Video clip clipping procedure
 Video clip joining procedure
Display the video clip for the first part
Join the two video clips press the SET button
 Saving part of a video clip clipping
Editing Video Clips
Edit Video
 Clipping
Clip Former
POINT?
 Erase ORIGINAL? YES Exit
Edit Do not Power OFF
 Joint
Joining two video clips
Display the first video clip
Press l on the arrow button to select the joint icon m
 9-image playback display for Video clips appears
Joined video clip is saved YES The original video clips are
Erased No The original video clips are not
 Edit Do not Power OFF
 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
 Select Exit and press the SET button
Specifying the number of prints
 Changing the print settings
Index print
ALL Images Date
 Clearing the print settings
 Info
 LOCK? YES
Image Protect Mode Preventing Accidental Erasure
 To select a different image in steps 4
To cancel the protect mode for an image
 Erase
Select the erase mode icon q
Example Still Image Playback Mode Press the SET button
Erasing Data
 ONE ERASE?
For sequential shots
For video clips
For audio recordings
 To quickly erase the currently displayed image
To select a different data in step
 Image and Audio Data Storage
Data file formats
Type of data Data format File name structure
 Concerning the video clip data saved by the digital camera
Configuration of directories for the stored data
About file names when the card is replaced
Image and Audio Data Storage
 Using the camera as your computer’s external drive
Using the Camera with a Computer
 Connect the digital camera to a personal computer
Using the camera as a PC camera
Using the Camera with a Computer
Set the selector dial to Ü, and turn on the power
 Disp
Setting the Date and Time
Clock SET
Time
 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
 Beep
Setting the Operational Sounds
Setting the operational sounds
Display the Operational Sounds Screen
 Select BEEP, and press the SET button
Setting the Operational Sounds
 Select on or OFF, and press the SET button
Turning the operational sounds on/off
 Help
Select the desired setting, and press the SET button
Help Function
Select the help display icon ç, and press the SET button
 ENGLISH@
Display Language
Language
Select the language icon à, and press the SET button
 Power Save Mode
Select the power save icon é, and press the SET button
Power Save
 Is selected
Press j or l on the arrow button to set the standby time
 PAL
Setting the TV System
TV System
Ntsc
 Assigning File Names
 Select OFF, and press the SET button
Assigning File Names
 Information Screen see pages
Checking the Remaining Battery Pack Charge
Battery pack remaining charge
Display a Shooting or Playback
 Checking the Remaining Battery Pack Charge
 Checking the Remaining Card Memory
Set the main switch to á, and press the power button
 Checking the Remaining Card Memory
 Checking the remaining audio recording time
 Troubleshooting
Problem Cause Action
Power
 Battery
 Shooting
Troubleshooting
 Problem Cause Action
 Troubleshooting
 Problem Cause Action
 Troubleshooting
 AE Ì
 There are black
 Images
 Exposure 124 Correction
 Fluorescent
 Troubleshooting
 No voice memo Select the add Was recorded Voice memo
 Image
Video
 Misc
 Protected
 System Problem has Check
 Digital Camera
Specifications
 For playback 1x to 31x varies with resolution
 Specifications
 Battery pack operation
Digital camera connectors
 Microdrive 1GB
 12 min
 Supplied Lithium-ion battery pack
Supplied battery pack charger
 Video clip
Basic mode and Expert mode
 Others