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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

Built-in Projector: The Sony HDR-PJ50V Handycam allows you to share your movies or photos virtually anywhere with its built-in high contrast projector and stereo speakers with Clear Phase technology. The DLP projector is built into the LCD panel, and is powerful enough to project a 60" diagonal screen. It has a throw distance of approximately 18" to 9'. With a fully charged battery pack, the PJ50V can project continuously for about 1.5 hours.

Global Positioning System: The PJ50V is equipped with a built-in GPS which receives location data from any of the 24 GPS satellites located above the earth and records it onto your movies and photos. You can locate movies and photos with embedded GPS data on a map. You can also use the data to display a map of your current location. The camcorder can use the GPS data to automatically set the clock and the time zone.

Active Interface Shoe: The Active Interface Shoe located on the top of the camcorder supplies power to accessories such as a video light, a flash, or a microphone. The accessory is turned on and off as you open and close the LCD screen of the camcorder.

Recording Media: The HDR-PJ50V can record video and photos onto its internal 220 GB hard disk drive (HDD). There is also a slot for Memory Stick PRO Duo and PRO-HG Duo cards up to 32 GB in capacity, as well as Class 4 or faster SD, SDHC, and SDXC Memory Cards up to 64 GB.

3" Touch Panel LCD Screen: The 3" Clear Photo LCD Plus touch panel display 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 HDR-PJ50V features an advanced 1/4" (4.5mm) "Exmor R" CMOS imaging sensor with 4,200,000 gross pixels. The 2,650,000 effective video pixels provide excellent detail and clarity. For still images, the unique pixel array of Sony's ClearVid and the Bionz image processing system allows the camera to produce the equivalent of 7.1 Mega-pixel resolution (3072 x 2304).

Sony G Lens: The camcorder features a professional-quality, wide-angle F1.8-3.4 Sony G lens for superior optical performance. The lens delivers brilliant, accurate color reproduction and detailed images.

Zoom: The camcorder has a 12x Optical Zoom (17x extended optical zoom) for bringing your subject up close. Combined with the digital zoom of approximately 13.3x, the total zoom capability is 160x. 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 12x (no extended optical zoom).

Optical SteadyShot Picture Stabilization: The Optical SteadyShot picture stabilization system uses innovative 3-way shake-canceling and electronic roll stability to eliminate unwanted picture shake without compromising picture quality. 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. You can select which faces (children or adults) you want to detect with priority, if desired.

Focus Modes: The Sony Handycam HDR-PJ50V 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 record subjects as close as 9-7/8" 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 HDR-PJ50V 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
  • Twilight Portrait: enables you to take photos of people and background using the flash
  • 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
  • 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: You can adjust 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.

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

Guide Frame: The Guide Frame displays a frame and grid around your subject and allows you to check the horizontal and vertical position. The grid divides the frame into 9 areas (3 x 3).

Data Code Function: The camcorder automatically records time codes along with the images you shoot, so you can display the date and time, as well as the camera settings, 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.

Video Camcorder Features

Video Recording: The Sony HDR-PJ50V Handycam records high definition video in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 (AVCHD) and standard definition video in MPEG2-PS. You can select a 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio and 60p or 60i frame rate for HD recordings. You have several choices of video resolution quality: PS, FX, FH, HQ, and LP. The approximate recording time for each recording mode is:

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 Zoom Mic feature can be turned off, if desired. The microphone reference level can be set to normal or low. If you encounter wind noise on the audio track while recording, you can reduce the effect by activating the Wind Noise Reduction feature.

Smooth Slow Record: Fast-moving subjects and actions which cannot be captured under ordinary shooting conditions can be shot in smooth slow-motion for about 3 seconds. The 3-second movie is recorded as a 12-second slow-motion movie.

Golf Shot: Using the same technology as the Smooth Slow Recording, the Golf Shot feature captures a few seconds of motion as a sequence of up to 22 still images. These images can be viewed or printed individually or as a composite sequence shot image. This feature is helpful in analyzing a golf swing, tennis serve, or other fast action.

Dual Recording: You can record high quality photos during movie recording. The photos are 3072 x 1728 when recording in 16:9 or 2304 x 1728 when in 4:3.

Capturing Still Images From Video: You can capture still images from movies recorded with the camcorder. 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. The image size is fixed, based on the image quality of the movie:

• High Definition (16:9): 2.1M (1920 x 1080)
• Standard Definition (16:9): 0.2 M (640 x 360)
• Standard Definition (4:3): 0.3 M (640 x 480)

Divide Movies: The Divide Movies feature allows you to divide movies on the inserted memory card. You cannot restore movies once they are divided.

Highlight Playback: The camcorder can select scenes at random, puts them together, and plays them back as a digest of your HD movies and photos with music and visual effects. You can set the playback range of the highlight from the saved movie clips on the memory card, select a theme, and use music or the original sound. If you like the Highlight Playback, you can save it and watch it repeatedly.

Digital Still Camera Features

Image Resolution: Still images are recorded in the following resolutions:

• 4:3 / 7.1M: 3072 x 2304
• 16:9 / 5.3M: 3072 x 1728
• 4:3 / 1.9M: 1600 x 1200
• 4:3 / VGA (0.3M): 640 x 480

Images Stored on Memory Card: The number of highest resolution photos that can be stored on a memory card or on the internal memory is as follows:

Smile Shutter: When the Smile Shutter feature is activated, the camcorder takes a still photo automatically when a smile is detected. The Smile Shutter can be activated only during movie recording (Dual Capture), or can be "Always On," capturing a photo whenever the camera is in recording mode. You can set the "Smile Sensitivity" at Normal Smile, Slight Smile, or Big Smile.

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 memory card in a slide-show fashion.

Battery Information

Battery: This unit comes with an NP-FV50 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 HDR-PJ50V 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

HDMI Output: The HDR-PJ50V is equipped with a mini-HDMI (Type C) output for connecting your camcorder to an HDTV. You can set the HDMI output resolution to 1080p/480p, 1080i/480i, 720p/480p, 480p, or 480i, depending upon the capability of the TV's input. The Auto setting will output the signal according to the TV's capability. When connecting the camcorder to a Bravia Sync-compatible TV via HDMI, you can control play back on the camcorder by aiming the TV's Remote Commander at the TV.

A/V Output: This camcorder features a proprietary Audio/Video connection for use with the supplied A/V connecting cables 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. Both composite and component video cables are supplied with the camcorder. When using the component video cable, you can set the output resolution to 480i, 1080i/480i, or 1080p/480i. An optional A/V connecting cable with S-Video is also available.

Built-in USB: The camcorder has a built-in male USB Type A plug and a 5' USB extension cable (Type A USB female-to-Type A USB male) for connecting to a PC. Connecting to a PC via USB allows you to download still images and video files on the memory card. You can edit and save your video files onto your computer, then make DVDs of them using the supplied Picture Motion Browser software.

Microphone/Headphone Jacks: The camcorder is equipped with a 3.5mm microphone input with plug-in power. For more critical audio monitoring, a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack is provided.

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

Software and Computer Information

Creating a Disc: There are several methods for creating an HD or SD disc from your movies or photos. You can save HD images on a Blu-ray disc or an AVCHD-recording DVD disc. SD movies can be saved to a Standard-definition DVD. The Disc Burn function can save movies and photos to a disc automatically with one touch.

Saving to External Devices: You can save high definition movies directly to an external device without the use of a computer. Some external devices require an optional USB Adapter cable (VMC-UAM1), others can use the built-in USB cable of the camcorder or the device, and some require the use of the supplied A/V connecting cable. In addition, you can use the camcorder's playback features to access videos stored on the external device for playback on your TV.

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.5.5
• 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 (Windows only):

• 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):

PMB Portable: With PMB Portable, which is pre-installed on the camcorder, you can play back or upload your images to the web by connecting your camcorder to a computer away from home. PMB Portable is compatible with Windows and Macintosh (OS X v10.5-v10.6). The supplied PMB software (on CD-ROM) is not compatible with Macintosh.