DCR-VX2100e - transferring more shot than framed

[smcanary]

Hello,

I am very new to filming, so please do be gentle!

I do hope someone can help - I have borrowed a Sony Handycam DCR-VX2100e and have downloaded the manual, but, unfortunately, it doesn't cover my two issues.

FIRST

I have set up a shot, framed it, and recorded. However, when I transferred the video to my PC Laptop (to Windows MovieMaker), the framing is completely out. Moviemaker is showing so much more of the shot than what I am seeing in my viewfinder, or on the screen viewfinder of the Handycam.

This is on the widescreen setting (as this is the setting I require for my film).

Is there a setting I have missed? The manual does not cover this.

SECOND

Also - the handycam keeps turning itself off when in standby. Even when in the middle of zooming etc. I can't seem to locate the standby turnoff setting (and does it still turn off when doing something??)

Cheers,

Sarah

[Mick2011 · Accepted solution]

Hi Sarah, welcome to the Sony Forums

The camera will power off after 5 minutes of standby to reduce tape wear. I don't think you can switch this function off, but if you remove the tape it will remain on standby indefinitely. The only workaround with a tape inserted is to power off and on again to reset the 5 minute interval.

The first problem is vaguely familiar, to do with enlarging a portion of the viewfinder image, but I can't quite remember how you change the setting. Shooting 16:9 you should see black bars top & bottom of the screen while recording; if you don't see them your viewfinder is basically magnifying the image.

Either that or I'm reading you wrong... perhaps you're using wide mode and viewing in 4:3 check the manual p.54.

If that's not the problem it might be easiest just to reset the camera: using a sharp-pointed object, press the RESET button located under the ZEBRA selector. This will return the camera to its default settings, but you will have to reset the date and time afterwards: see p.20 of the manual.

Hope that helps you out

Mick

[smcanary]

Hi Mick, Apologies for the long delay - but I would like to thank you for your advice. The standby thing worked like a dream - thank you! The shot thing...well I couldn't get that to work at all. So I have a nice lot of footage that needs cropping in editing. C'est La Vie. Hilarious though was that I did ineed Reset the camera as a final resort, then forgot to set the time. Thus my day's shooting has no timecodes. Oh the fun! And needless to say The Lesson Learnt 😄 Still smiling though. Thanks again. Sarah