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General Features
Video Camcorder Features
Digital Still Camera Features
Battery Information
Input and Output Notes
Software and Computer Information

General Features

Internal 16 GB Flash Memory: The Sony DCR-SX85 has an internal 16 GB flash memory which will allow you to record video and still images. Because a portion of the flash memory is used for system management and/or application files, the actual media capacity is approximately 15.5 GB.

Memory Card Slot: In addition to the built-in 16 GB flash memory, the camcorder has a slot for a memory card. You can record video and photos onto Memory Stick PRO Duo and PRO-HG Duo cards up to 32 GB in capacity, as well as Class 2 or faster SD, SDHC, and SDXC Memory Cards up to 64 GB. Memory cards of 512 MB or larger are recommended for recording video.

3" Touch Panel LCD Screen: The 3" touch panel LCD screen provides excellent viewing clarity with improved resolution. The high resolution 230,400-dot (960 x 240) LCD screen rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles providing sharp and detailed images for monitoring or playback. In addition, the touch panel LCD allows you to navigate through the menu system by touching the LCD screen. The LCD also features an adjustable brightness and color level. You can also power on this camcorder by simply opening its LCD display.

Note: This camcorder does not include a separate viewfinder.

Imaging Device: The DCR-SX85 features an advanced 1/8" (2.25mm) CCD imaging sensor with 680,000 gross pixels. The 410,000 effective video pixels provide excellent detail and clarity. The 470,000 effective still pixels in 4:3 and 410,000 effective still pixels in 16:9 mode provide exceptional digital still photography performance.

Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens: The camcorder features a professional-quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens designed specifically for compact camcorders.

Zoom: The camcorder has a 60x Optical Zoom (70x extended optical zoom) for bringing your subject up close. Combined with the digital zoom of approximately 33.3x, the total zoom capability is 2000x. Because the digital zoom processes the image digitally, the picture quality deteriorates the more you zoom in. The power zoom lever can be moved slightly for a slow zoom, or moved further for a faster zoom.

Note: When SteadyShot is set to Active, the optical zoom is limited to 60x.

SteadyShot Picture Stabilization: SteadyShot picture stabilization system uses motion sensors to remove unwanted picture shake without compromising picture quality like some other digital stabilization systems. You can choose between Standard SteadyShot, Active SteadyShot, or Off.

Face Detection: The camcorder's Face Detection technology recognizes faces and optimizes the camera settings for videos and still photos. Videos and photos recorded using Face Detection are indexed according to the faces detected in each scene. This allows you to search for what you want by selecting the faces displayed in the index.

Focus Modes: The Sony Handycam DCR-SX85 features Manual, Auto Focus, Spot Focus, and Tele Macro modes:

• Manual Focus: With manual focus, you can manually adjust the focus of the camcorder using the touch panel. Manual focusing also allows you to control the focus in difficult situations where either the environment or the subject does not allow the camcorder's auto focus to perform optimally, such as when shooting through a window or in a crowded environment.
• Auto Focus: You can also select automatic focusing. When using autofocus, you can choose to focus on a subject in the center of the screen or with Spot Focus, focus on an off-centered object.
• Spot Focus: You can select and adjust the focal point to aim it at a subject not located at the center of the screen.
• Tele Macro: This feature is useful when shooting small subjects, such as flowers or insects. You can blur out backgrounds and the subject stands out clearer. You can recorded subjects as close as 15 inches in Tele-Macro mode.

Spot Meter: You can adjust and fix the exposure to the subject, so that it is recorded in suitable brightness even when there is strong contrast between the subject and the background, such as subjects in the spotlight on a stage.

Exposure Modes: The Sony Handycam DCR-SX85 features the following Exposure Modes:

• Scene Selection Modes: The following Scene Selection modes are available to suit your specific shooting requirements:
  • Twilight: maintains the darkening atmosphere of the distant surroundings in twilight scenes
  • Candle: maintains the dim atmosphere of a candlelit scene
  • Sunrise/Sunset: maintains the atmosphere of situations such as sunset and sunrises
  • Fireworks: select to record all the splendor of fireworks
  • Landscape: allows you to shot distant subject clearly
  • Portrait: brings out the subject such as people or flowers while creating a soft background
  • Spotlight: prevents people's faces from appearing excessively white when subjects are lit by strong light
  • Sports: helps minimize shake when shooting fast moving subjects
  • Beach: prevents people's faces from appearing dark in strong light or reflected light
  • Snow: help with shooting in very bright white conditions
• Auto: Select this mode to automatically record pictures effectively without the preset scene select modes.
• Manual Adjust: Similar to exposure compensation, you can manually adjust the brightness when the subject is too bright or too dark.

White Balance Adjustment: Sets the color balance to the brightness of the recording environment. Your choices are:

• Auto: The white balance is adjusted automatically.
• Outdoor: The white balance is adjusted for the following conditions: Outdoors, night views, neon signs and fireworks, sunrise, sunsets, under daylight fluorescent lamps.
• Indoor: The white balance is adjusted for the following conditions: Indoors, party scenes and studios where lighting conditions change quickly, and under the video lamps or incandescent-like color lamps.
• One Push: The white balance will be adjusted according to the present ambient light.

Back Light: You can use the Backlight function to adjust the exposure for backlit subjects.

Guideframe: The Guideframe displays a frame and grid around your subject and allows you to check the horizontal and vertical position.

Data Code Function: The camcorder automatically records time codes along with the images you shoot, so you can display the date and time during playback or editing.

Protect: You can protect movies and photos to avoid deleting them by mistake.

Power On By LCD: You can set the camcorder to automatically power on when you open the LCD, and turn off when you close the LCD.

Lens Cap: The built-in lens cap opens automatically when the camcorder is turned on.

Video Camcorder Features

Video Recording: The Sony DCR-SX85 has a 16 GB built-in flash memory, and supports Memory Stick PRO Duo and SD/SDHC/SDXC media (sold separately) for recording video. The camcorder records at a resolution of 720 x 480 pixels with Dolby Digital 2-channel audio using the built-in microphone. You can select a 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio for your video recordings. You have three choices of video recording resolution quality: HQ, SP, and LP. The approximate recording time for each recording mode is:

Movie Dubbing: You can dub movies recorded on the internal flash memory to an inserted memory card within the camcorder without the use of a PC or other external dubbing device.

Fader Modes: You can record a transition between scenes, using a white fader or a black fader.

Built-In Zoom Mic: The built-in Zoom Microphone allows you to record sound with directivity as you move the power zoom lever. The camcorder's microphone level can be set to Low or Normal.

Film Roll Index: Like chapters in a book, Film Roll Index helps you easily find desired scenes in video footage. When using this feature, the camcorder previews the beginning of scenes and can create scene indexes set at specified display intervals (3, 6, or 12 seconds and 1 or 5 minutes).

Create Playlist: You can create a playlist of your favorite videos for playback using the internal flash memory or optional memory card. A Playlist is a list showing thumbnails of the movies that you have previously recorded and selected. The original movies are not modified even though you edit or delete the movies in the Playlist.

Divide Movies: The Divide Movies feature allows you to divide movies on the internal flash memory of the camcorder or on an inserted memory card. You cannot restore movies once they are divided.

Digital Still Camera Features

Digital Still Image Recording: The DCR-SX85 can record still images on either the unit's built-in 16 GB flash memory or on an optional memory card (sold separately). Still images are recorded on the internal flash memory in the default setting.

Image Resolution: Still images are recorded in the following resolutions: 640 x 480 (4:3) or 640 x 360 (16:9).

Capturing Still Images From Video: You can capture still images from recorded video onto the internal flash memory or an optional memory card. The image size is fixed depending upon the aspect ratio of the movie: 0.2M (640 x 360) in 16:9 or 0.3M (640 x 480) in 4:3. The recording date and time of the captured photos is the same as the recording date and time of the movie. If there is no data code on the movie, the recording date and time will be the date/time you captured the photo from the video.

Copying Still Images: You can copy still images from the camcorder's internal flash memory to an inserted memory card within the camcorder.

Self Timer: This feature allows you to record a still image about 10 seconds after the "Photo" button is depressed.

Slide Show: You can automatically play back images stored on the DCR-SX85's internal flash memory or from a memory card in a slide-show fashion.

Battery Information

Battery: This unit comes with an NP-FV30 InfoLithium battery. The InfoLithium system exchanges data about its actual power consumption with the camcorder for a more accurate estimate of recording time available. Cold temperatures will increase battery consumption. The DCR-SX85 is compatible with Sony InfoLithium V-series batteries:

Auto Shut Off: When powered by the battery the camcorder can be set to turn off automatically if not used for 5 minutes.

Input and Output Notes

A/V Output: This camcorder features a proprietary Audio/Video connection for use with the supplied A/V connecting cable for displaying the camcorder's contents on your television. You can change the aspect ratio of the camcorder's video output from 16:9 or 4:3 according to the screen aspect ratio of your TV. You can also choose to display the camcorder's information, such as the time code on the screen of your TV during playback from the camcorder. The supplied A/V cable has a proprietary plug on one end and male stereo RCA audio and RCA composite video connections on the other end. An optional A/V connecting cable with S-Video is also available.

USB Port: The camcorder has a mini-USB Ver.2.0 jack for connecting to a PC via the supplied USB cable. Connecting the to a PC via USB allows the computer to access the information on the camcorder's internal hard disk drive. You will be able to download still images and video files to your computer. This will also allow you to back up the files recorded on the internal flash memory onto a DVD. You can edit and save your video files onto your computer, then make DVDs of them using the supplied Picture Motion Browser software. The camcorder can also be used as an external storage device, convenient for archiving, storing and transporting your videos and still images.

Memory Card Slot: The camcorder features a memory card slot for recording video or still images using Memory Stick Pro Duo or SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards.

DC In Jack: The DC In Jack is for use with the supplied AC adapter and charger.

Software and Computer Information

Included Software: The included software allows you to transfer images and video from the camcorder to a computer hard drive and view and store transferred images/videos. The supplied CD-ROM includes:

• Picture Motion Browser Ver.5.3
• Handycam Handbook
• Product Registration

Picture Motion Browser Software: You can enjoy the following functions after installing the supplied Picture Motion Browser Software to your PC:

• Creating a disc
• Importing images to a computer.
• Viewing and editing imported images
• Uploading movies and photos to websites

Computer Requirements for Picture Motion Browser (Windows Only):