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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-V1: manual and user guide

Sony’s 5 MP compact, with 4× zoom and NightShot. Its official PDF manual, then the essentials for using it.

The PDF opens directly, served by Sony. Source: its official support page.

Getting started

Battery Slide the battery/Memory Stick cover to open it. Insert the InfoLITHIUM NP-FC11 battery, the only C series battery it accepts, then close the cover. To take it out, push the battery eject lever.
Charging The battery charges in the camera while it’s switched off: open the jack cover, plug the AC-LS5 AC adapter into the DC IN jack, then its cord into a wall socket. The orange CHG lamp lights up and goes out when it’s done: about 150 minutes for a flat battery. Charge it ideally between 10 and 30 °C.
Card In the same compartment, push a Memory Stick all the way in until it clicks, then close the cover. It also accepts Memory Stick PRO up to 1 GB, and Memory Stick Duo in its adapter.
Switching on for the first time Press POWER: the green lamp lights up and, the first time, the clock set screen opens. Choose the date format with the control button, set the year, month, day, hours and minutes, then confirm with OK. The language is changed at the SET UP position of the mode dial, Setup 1 page, Language line.
Your first photo Set the mode dial to auto adjustment, the camera icon, and centre the subject in the frame. Press the shutter button halfway: a beep, and when the AE/AF lock lamp stays lit, press all the way. In low light, the flash pops up and fires by itself.

P, S, A and M modes: in S, the shutter speed goes from 1/1000 s to 30 s. In A, the aperture goes from f/2.8 to f/8, depending on the zoom position. At slow speeds (1/6 s and slower, 1/25 s and slower at ISO 800), NR noise reduction comes on by itself.
NightShot: push the NIGHTSHOT/NIGHTFRAMING lever to NIGHTSHOT and the infrared emitter lets you take photos in the dark, in auto, P or Clip Motion mode. Images come out with a green tint. Recommended range 2.5 m at wide angle, 2 m at telephoto. Don’t use it in bright light.
NightFraming: you see the subject in the dark, then the photo is taken with flash, in natural colours.
MPEG movies with sound, at 640 (VGA) or 160 (Mail): first set Moving Image to MPEG Movie in SET UP. The zoom doesn’t move while filming.
Macro down to about 10 cm from the lens at wide angle, 40 cm at telephoto: press the macro side of the control button.

Each press on the top of the control button changes mode: auto, flash always on, slow sync, no flash. At ISO Auto, it reaches from 0.4 to 2.8 m at wide angle and from 0.4 to 2 m at telephoto.
The advanced accessory shoe takes the Sony HVL-F32X and HVL-F1000 flashes. The HVL-F1000 also connects to the ACC jack. With a Sony flash, leave Hot Shoe set to Off in SET UP.
With a third-party flash, set Hot Shoe to On (SET UP, Camera 2) and preferably shoot in M or A, with the aperture chosen according to the guide number and the distance.
Avoid multi-contact flashes made for another camera and high-voltage flashes: the camera may not work properly. The external flash and the built-in flash don’t fire together.

Hologram AF projects a red light to focus in the dark, from about 0.5 to 2.8 m at wide angle. Don’t cover it with your fingers. It’s turned off via Hologram AF in SET UP.
The viewfinder doesn’t show the actual field of the photo: check the framing on the screen.
Don’t leave it for long with the lens extended and no battery or AC adapter, and don’t touch the lens while it’s moving.
In cold weather, keep the battery warm in a pocket and put it in just before shooting. If it’s stored for a long time, charge it fully and then run it down in the camera once a year.

Sensor: 1/1.8-inch CCD (9.04 mm), about 5,090,000 effective pixels
Lens: Carl Zeiss, 4× zoom, 7-28 mm (34-136 mm in 35 mm equivalent), f/2.8-4
Exposure: auto, P, S (1/1000 s to 30 s), A (f/2.8 to f/8), M, 6 scene modes
Sensitivity: Auto, ISO 100, 200, 400 or 800
Screen: 3.8 cm (1.5-inch) TFT, 123,200 dots, plus a viewfinder
Flash: built-in, 0.4 to 2.8 m at ISO Auto, advanced accessory shoe and ACC jack
Video: MPEG1, 640 (VGA) or 160 (Mail), mono sound
Battery: InfoLITHIUM NP-FC11 lithium-ion (780 mAh), about 150 shots with the screen on
Card: Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO up to 1 GB, Memory Stick Duo with adapter
Dimensions and weight: 99.5 × 65.2 × 56.8 mm, about 300 g with battery, Memory Stick and wrist strap