Precautions, Typical CCD Phenomena

Getting Started

Precautions

Operating or storage location

Operating or storing the camera in the following locations may cause damage to the camera:

•Extremely hot or cold places (Operating temperature: 0°C to 40°C [32°F to 104°F])

•Exposed in direct sunlight for a long time, or close to heating equipment (e.g., near heaters)

•Close to sources of strong magnetism

•Close to sources of powerful electromagnetic radiation, such as radios or TV transmitters

•Locations subject to strong vibration or shock

Ventilation

To prevent heat buildup, do not block air circulation around the camera.

Transportation

When transporting the camera, repack it as originally packed at the factory or in materials equal in quality.

Cleaning

•Use a blower to remove dust from the lens or optical filter.

•Use a soft, dry cloth to clean the external surfaces of the camera. Stubborn stains can be removed using a soft cloth dampened with a small quantity of detergent solution, then wipe dry.

•Do not use volatile solvents such as alcohol, benzene or thinners as they may damage the surface finishes.

Maintenance

The camera mechanism may cause abnormal noise due to wear and lubrication loss after a long period of use. To maintain optimum performance, we recommend periodical maintenance. If abnormal noise occurs, consult with your Sony dealer.

Note on laser beams

Laser beams may damage a CCD. You are cautioned that the surface of a CCD should not be exposed to laser beam radiation in an environment where a laser beam device is used.

Typical CCD Phenomena

The following phenomena may appear on the monitor screen while you are using the BRC-H700 color video camera. These phenomena stem from the high sensitivity of the CCD image sensors, and do not indicate a fault within the camera.

Vertical smear

A “smear” may appear to extend vertically from very bright subjects, as shown below.

	Video monitor	Pale vertical
	screen
		smear

Very bright subject (such as an electric lamp, fluorescent lamp, sunlight, or strong reflected light)

This phenomenon is common to CCD imaging elements using an interline transfer system, and is caused when electric charge induced by infrared radiation deep within the photo sensor is transferred to the resistors.

Aliasing

When shooting fine stripes, straight lines or similar patterns, the lines may become slightly jagged.

Blemishes

A CCD image sensor consists of an array of individual picture elements (pixels). A malfunctioning sensor element will show up as a single pixel blemish in the image. This is generally not a problem.

White speckles

When you shoot a poorly illuminated object at a high temperature, small white dots may appear all over the entire screen image.