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Using the THS Library's
Digital Camera
[the Sony FD200]
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| The MVC-FD200 is a 2 megapixel
camera that gives you the option of recording your digital photos to a
standard floppy disk or Memory Stick® Media. While floppy disks
(1.44 MB capacity) are convenient for transferring the images to any computer,
they don't hold many images. If we get a Memory Stick (with capacities
from 8 MB to 256 MB), we could take many more pictures. Then, pictures
could be put onto a floppy in-camera and transferred to your computer a
few at a time. |
Specs:
• 2.0 Mega Pixel
CCD
• Dual Media
Slots - 3.5" floppy disk and Sony Memory Stick
• SXGA/XGA/VGA
Image Resolution
• 3X Optical/
6X Precision Digital Zoom
• E-Mail Mode
- automatically makes small images
• Intelligent
Flash with Red-Eye Reduction
• MPEG Movie
Mode (No Audio)
Word
document version of this page
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These are the main parameters that
you may need to adjust when using the camera.
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Image size
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Flash
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ISO (film speed)
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The main control for changing these
settings is the round control button. It toggles in four directions.
By pressing on it, the menu bar shows up at the bottom of the screen.
You will press the control button to the left or right to travel across
the menu bar. When you get to the choice you need, click the up direction
on the control button. Then move up and click right on the control
button when you reach the specific feature you want to adjust.
The choices on the menu bar
will be: Effect | File | Camera | Setup.
- Effect: the choices above the Effect selection are P.Effect |
Date/Time
- P.Effect: allows you to apply a photographic effect to the image in-camera;
the choices are: solarization, B&W, sepia, negative
- Date/Time: allows you to put the date or day/time on the image
- File: don't worry about it
- Camera: the choices are: ISO | Digital Zoom | Sharpness | White
Balance | Flash Level | Exposure
- ISO is the film speed (Auto/100/200/400); leave it on auto unless you
want to take pictures inside without a flash or to catch fast movement
... then change the setting to 400
- don't worry about the other settings; see the manual
for more information
- Setup: the only setting you may need to adjust is beep or LCD
bright
- Beep: if you need quiet, you can turn the beep sound off
- LCD Bright: you may need to increae the brightness of the LCD screen
if you go outside
Note: on the far left
of the menu bar is the self-timer.
Image size
The larger the numbers,
the better quality pictures you will get. If you are going
to print the images, you may want to use high or at least medium resolution.
If you are emailing them or using them on a web page, you can use the low
or medium resolutions. The larger the resolution, the more memory
an image uses. Here is an example of how many pictures you can fit
on a floppy for the different resolutions.
| High
resolution (1600x1200): 4 |
Medium
resolution (1024x768): 10 |
Low
resolution (640x480): 30 |
To change the resolution (image quality), go to the Menu, then File, then
Image size. Make your selection from the 3 main resolutions (all
three 1600x1200 selections are about the same).
Flash
- If there
is no indication of flash setting, then it is on automatic. It will
flash as needed.
You will probably want to leave
it at the automatic setting in most cases.
- If the eye
symbol is showing, then it is set to red-eye reduction. There will
be 2 flashes ... the first makes your pupil smaller and the second illuminates
the subject to take the picture. So you may want to tell your subjects
to keep smiling :)
- The lightning
symbol means that the flash will fire for every shot.
- The lightning
symbol with the circle/bar means the flash will definitely not fire.
The bottom left button on the
back of the camera is for the flash. It will light up as the flash
is charging (or is charged). By pressing the button, you can toggle
between the flash choices.
ISO (film speed)
The equivalent film speed of the camera
can be left on automatic or manually set to 100, 200 or 400. The
lower the number, the better quality the image. But, with higher
numbers you can take pictures in lower light with less blurriness. If
you are outside or inside using a flash, keep it on automatic.
If you want to take pictures inside without a flash or if you want to take
pictures of something moving, change the setting to 400. If you want
to make sure you have the best quality picture, and light or movement is
not a problem ... then set it to 100.
Other controls (see picture below) you
may need:
On
the right side of the LCD Screen:
Power switch
- immediately to the top right of the screen
MS-FD
- this blue sliding button below the power button should be kept in the
FD position unless you are using a memory stick
Disk eject
- a sliding button on the top right edge of the back of the camera
Right
below the LCD Screen:
LCD Backlight
switch - you will need this on if you want to see the image (while
photographing or in playback) or operate the menu bar; you may want to
switch it off if you want to keep the camera turned on but aren't using
it for a while since the LCD uses a lot of battery power
Play/Still/Movie
switch - play is for playback of images/video; still is for taking
pictures; movie is for video clips (see below)
At
the bottom of the back of the camera:
Flash
- covered above
Focus
- allows you to manually focus the camera; you probably won't need this
Program
- there are several built-in programs for special applications; just leave
it on the normal program (check the manual if you want details on the other
programs, such as twilight mode, landscape mode, etc.)
Display
- changes the amount of information displayed on the LCD screen
Control
button - this round button with arrows on it is labeled Menu, because
you can access the on-screen menu bar by pressing the up arrow
In
the front of the camera:
Trigger
- takes the picture (or starts/stops taking a video)
Zoom
- below the shutter release is the zoom switch to change from wide to tele
views
Video
The FD200 does take video clips, but
they do not record sound.
You can create 2 sizes of clips ... small (160x120 pixels) or "large" (320x240).
On a floppy disk, you can record up to 15 seconds of large video or up
to 60 seconds of small video.
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