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Sony DSC-F505V Sony updates their popular DSC-F505V with a 3 megapixel sensor (2.6 million effective pixels) and all-new electronics! Select a topic Reference: Datasheet Sony DSC-F505V Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Operation & User Interface :(Previous) | (Next): Image Storage & Interface>> Page 9:Camera Modes & Menus Review First Posted: 06/01/2000

Camera Modes and Menus

Mode
Accessed by turning the mode dial to the Play position, this mode allows you to play back captured images and movies along with their accompanying sounds. Pressing the Menu button brings up the Play menu with the following options:

• Index: displays the captured images six to a screen.
• Delete: deletes individual images.
  
  
• File: offers the following selections:
  • Format: formats the Memory Stick.
  • Print Mark: marks the image for printing.
  • Protect: protects selected images from accidental deletion or alteration. (NOTE that this offers no protection against the Format option above though!)
• Tool: offers the following options:
  • Copy: copies displayed image to another Memory Stick.
  • Resize: resizes images to 2240x1680, 1856x1392, 1280x960 or 640x480 with an option to cancel.
    
    
• Setup: offers the following setup selections:
  • Video Out: selects between NTSC and PAL video formats.
  • Language: selects between English and Japanese.
  • Clock Set: sets the camera date and time.
  • Beep: turns the camera beep on and off.
  • LCD Bright: adjusts the brightness of the LCD.

Mode
Accessed by turning the mode dial to the Still position, this mode allows you to capture still images. Pressing the Menu button brings up the record menu with these options:

• Self-Timer: activates the self-timer mode, which counts down from 10 seconds once the shutter button is fully pressed.
• Effect: offers the following image effects:
  • Neg. Art: reverses color and brightness on the image.
  • Sepia: records all tones in monochromatic sepia. (A range of tans and browns, rather than grays.)
  • B&W: records the image in monochromatic black and white.
  • Solarize: alters the image to look more like an illustration.
  • Date/Time: turns on and off the date and time time-stamp on an image. When enabled, the date or date & time will be overlaid on the image in every photo, in small red letters in the lower right-hand corner.
    
    
• File: offers the following file selections:
  • Format: formats the Memory Stick.
  • Pos. Sensor: Enables an internal camera-position sensor. When enabled, captured images are stored so as to appear vertically on the LCD (or on the computer after download), regardless of whether the camera was used in normal "landscape" orientation, or rotated 90 degrees to the right or left for a "portrait-format" shot. (Very handy!)
  • File Number: selects either Series or Normal file numbering modes.
  • Image Size: selects between 2240 x 1680, 1856 x 1392, 1856 (3:2), 1280 x 960 and 640 x 480 pixel sizes.
  • Rec Mode: selects between TIFF, Text (for recording white boards and documents), Voice (records 5-second sound bytes with each picture), E-Mail (for 320 x 240 JPEG images) and Normal. All modes besides "normal" record a standard JPEG copy of the image in addition to the specially sized or formatted-image corresponding to that mode. (That is, when TIFF is selected, every picture results in two files being saved to the Memory stick: One normal JPEG, and one in TIFF format.)
    
    
• Camera: sets the following exposure options:
  • Digital Zoom: turns the 2x digital zoom function on and off. When turned on, the zoom indicator in the record-mode display is extended to show a wider zoom range, with a small vertical white bar part way across indicating the end of normal optical zoom action and the beginning of the digital zoom range. Digital zoom occurs smoothly, rather than in the 2x jump common to many digicams. This lets you select exactly the amount of digital zoom you'd like, minimizing the image-quality tradeoff digital zoom always brings.
  • Sharpness: adjusts the image sharpness from -2 to +2 (five available settings).
  • Flash Level: adjusts the flash intensity to Low, Normal or High.
  • Exposure: sets exposure compensation in 1/3 EV increments from �2.0 to +2.0.
    
    
• Setup: offers the following camera settings:
  • Demo (When plugged into AC adapter only): Cycles through a demonstration of many of the F505V's key capabilities. (Once demo mode is activated, the only way to exit it is to turn the camera off.)
  • Video Out: selects between NTSC and PAL formats.
  • Language: selects between English and Japanese.
  • Clock Set: sets the camera date and time.
  • Beep: turns the camera beep on and off, or on only for the shutter sound.
  • LCD Bright: adjusts the brightness of the LCD.

Mode
Accessed by turning the mode dial to the Movie position, this mode allows you to capture movies with sound. Pressing the Menu button in this mode brings up the following menu:

• Self-Timer: activates the self-timer mode, which counts down from 10 seconds once the shutter button is fully pressed.
• Effect: offers the following image effects:
  • Neg. Art: reverses color and brightness on the image.
  • Sepia: records all tones in monochromatic sepia.
  • B&W: records the image in monochromatic black and white.
  • Solarize: alters the image to look more like an illustration.
    
    
• File: offers the following file selections:
  • Format: formats the Memory Stick.
  • File Number: selects either Series or Normal file numbering modes.
  • Image Size: sets the image size to either 320 x 240 HQ, 320 x 240 or 160 x 112 pixel MPEGs.
  • Rec Time Set: selects record times of 5, 10 or 15 seconds.
    
    
• Camera: offers the following file selections:
  • Exposure: sets exposure compensation in 1/3 EV increments from �2.0 to +2.0.
    
    
• Setup: offers the following camera settings:
  • Demo (When plugged into AC adapter only): Cycles through a demonstration of many of the F505V's key capabilities. (Once demo mode is activated, the only way to exit it is to turn the camera off.)
  • Video Out: selects between NTSC and PAL formats.
  • Language: selects between English and Japanese.
  • Clock Set: sets the camera date and time.
  • Beep: turns the camera beep on and off.
  • LCD Bright: adjusts the brightness of the LCD.