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Use the following batteries in this camera.

R6 (size AA) Nickel-Metal Hydride 
batteries (2) 

NH-AA-DI  (2)  (supplied)

NH-AA-2DI  twin-pack  (recommended, not 
supplied)

Manganese batteries, lithium batteries, ni-
cad batteries, alkaline batteries (cannot be 
used with the DSC-P71)

Use of AA alkaline batteries may result in 
shorter than desired operating time. (only in the 
DSC-P31) 
When alkaline batteries are used, take note of 
the following information.

Turn POWER SAVE “ON”, shut the LCD 
screen off, and use the Finder to shoot your 
images. This will lengthen battery life 
(page 16).

There is a big difference in the performance 
of batteries of different types and of batteries 
made by different manufacturers. This is 
especially true in low temperatures, where 
some batteries are noticeably weaker.
You may not be able to shoot in temperatures 
below +5°C (41°F).

The battery remaining indicator may not 
display the correct information.

,

Be sure to charge the Nickel-Metal Hydride 
batteries supplied with your camera before 
using them.

Be sure to charge the batteries in an 
environment where the ambient temperature is 
10°C to 30°C (50°F to 86°F). If the batteries are 
charged in an environment where the 
temperature is outside that range, the batteries 
may not charge efficiently.

Connect the battery charger to an easily 
accessible wall outlet (mains) close by. If 
something goes wrong while you are using the 
charger, immediately shut off the power by 
pulling the plug out of the wall outlet.

+

−

,

Charging starts, and the charge lamp lights. 
When the charge lamp goes out, charging is 
finished.

When charging is finished, disconnect the 
power cord (mains lead) from the wall outlet 
(mains), and remove the Nickel-Metal Hydride 
batteries from the charger.

When transporting the Nickel-Metal Hydride 
batteries, be sure to use the battery case 
(supplied). If the 

+/− metal terminals are 

shorted, there is a possibility of danger from 
excessive heat or fire.

If the poles of the Nickel-Metal Hydride 
batteries are dirty, the batteries may not 
charge properly. Occasionally clean the poles 
of the batteries and the terminals of the 
charger by wiping them with a dry cloth.

At the time of purchase, or when the Nickel-
Metal Hydride batteries haven’t been used for 
a long time, they may not fully charge. This is 
typical of this type of battery, and is not a 
malfunction. If this happens, repeatedly using 
up the battery fully, and then recharging it, 
should correct the problem.

Even when Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries 
are not being used they loose their charge 
naturally over time. It is recommended that 
you recharge the batteries just before using 
them.

If you recharge Nickel-Metal Hydride 
batteries before fully using up the existing 
charge, the so-called memory effect* can 
occur, and the low battery warning will be 
triggered sooner than expected. Charging the 
battery after fully depleting the existing 
charge should correct the problem.

The “memory effect” – the situation in 
which a battery temporarily accepts a less 
than full charge.

• To use up the batteries completely, put 

the camera in “SLIDE SHOW” mode 
and leave it that way until the batteries 
are used up (page 67).

Do not charge any other batteries except Sony 
Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries in the charger 
supplied with your camera. If you try to 
charge any other type of battery (e.g., 
manganese batteries, alkaline dry cells, or 
one-time lithium batteries) than the batteries 
specified, those batteries may leak, overheat, 
or explode, causing the danger of burns or 
other injuries.

Be sure to charge both Nickel-Metal Hydride 
batteries at the same time.

When the batteries are charged, use them only 
in an environment where the temperature 
range is 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F). 
Otherwise, there is a danger of leaks, 
explosions, excessive heat, fire, or electric 
shock.

Do not charge fully charged Nickel Metal 
Hydride batteries again. Otherwise, there is a 
danger of leaks, explosions, excessive heat, 
fire, or electric shock.

Do not peel off the external seals or damage 
the batteries. Never use batteries from which 
the seals have been partially or completely 
removed, or batteries that have been split in 
any way.

This represents the time required to charge 
fully depleted Nickel-Metal Hydride 
batteries using the supplied BC-CS1 
charger in an environment where the 
ambient temperature is 25°C (77°F).

Charging is complete in approximately 13 
hours. The charge lamp may remain lit longer 
than 13 hours, but this is not a malfunction.

If you use the ACC-CSNQ STAMINA “Super 
Quick charge” kit (not supplied), the batteries 
will charge faster.

NH-AA-DI × 2 
(supplied)

Approx. 13 
hours

As the battery power decreases with use, 
the Battery remaining indicator displays 
the amount of power remaining using the 
following symbols.

If the LCD screen is off, press the DISPLAY/
LCD ON/OFF button to turn it on.

Based on the conditions under which the 
camera is being used and the state of the 
charge, or on the environment, this 
information may not be correctly indicated.

When the AC adaptor is being used, the 
Remaining battery information is not 
displayed.

When the POWER SAVE function is set 
to ON, you can shoot for a longer period of 
time. 

Turn the Mode dial to SET UP, and set 
“POWER SAVE” in “SETUP 2” to “ON”. 
When the camera is shipped from the 
factory, this item is set to “ON” (page 98).

Set the POWER SAVE switch to ON. 
When the camera is shipped from the 
factory, this switch is set to ON.

The LCD screen will be darker than it is when 
POWER SAVE is set to OFF. You cannot 
change the settings for “LCD BACKLIGHT” 
at this time (page 98).  To make the available 
shooting time even longer, it is recommended 
that you turn off the LCD screen and use the 
Finder to do your shooting (page 32).

In Flash mode, the “

” (No flash) is 

displayed. If you want to shoot using the 
flash, press v ( ) on the control button, and 
select “ ” (forced flash) or Auto (page 30).

When the power turns on, the Flash mode is 
normally set to “

” (No flash).

When the flash is charging (“ ” the Flash 
charge lamp blinks), the LCD screen turns 
off.

In shooting still images, the focus only 
focuses when the shutter is pushed down 
halfway.

Sufficient power 
remaining

Battery half full

Battery low, recording/
playback will stop soon.

Change the batteries for 
fully charged ones, or 
charge these batteries.

,

Slide it in the direction of the arrow, and it 
opens out.

,

Match the 

+

/

− poles of the batteries to the +

/

− marks inside the battery case.

Occasionally clean the poles of the batteries 
and the terminals of the Battery cover by 
wiping them with a dry cloth. If the poles of the 
batteries or the terminals become covered with 
a film of dirt or oil from the skin, the operating 
time of the camera can be greatly reduced.

,

Close the Battery cover while holding the 
batteries in. Make sure the cover is closed 
securely.

Stand the camera on end, open the Battery 
cover upward, then remove the batteries.

Make sure you don’t drop the batteries when 
opening or closing the Battery cover.

The tables show approximate guidelines 
for the length of time the camera can be 
used when picture quality is set to 
Standard, when you shoot in Flash mode 
“

”, and when you shoot in Normal 

mode in an environment where the 
ambient temperature is 25°C (77°F), and 
the supplied Nickel-Metal Hydride 
batteries are fully charged.  The guidelines 
for the number of images that can be 
recorded or played back allow for 
changing the “Memory Stick” as 
necessary. Actual results may differ 
slightly from these, depending on the 
conditions of use.

Recording one image every three seconds

With the LCD screen on, showing single 
images in order, one approximately every 
three seconds

Continuous recording with a picture size of 
160×112

2048×1536

ON

Approx. 90

Approx. 1800

OFF

Approx. 120 Approx. 2400

640×480 ON

Approx. 90

Approx. 1800

OFF

Approx. 120 Approx. 2400

1600×1200

ON

Approx. 120 Approx. 2400

OFF

Approx. 150 Approx. 3000

640×480 ON

Approx. 120 Approx. 2400

OFF

Approx. 150 Approx. 3000

2048×1536

Approx. 230 Approx. 4600

640×480

Approx. 230 Approx. 4600

1600×1200

Approx. 280 Approx. 5600

640×480

Approx. 280 Approx. 5600

DSC-P71

Approx. 120

Approx. 170

DSC-P31

Approx. 150

Approx. 200

,

Connect the cable with the v mark facing 
up.

Connect the AC power adaptor to an easily 
accessible wall outlet (mains) close by. If 
something goes wrong while you are using the 
adaptor, immediately shut off the power by 
pulling the plug out of the wall outlet.

,

When you have finished using the AC power 
adaptor, disconnect it from the DC IN jack of 
the camera.

To use power from an automobile, use a DC 
adaptor/Charger (not supplied).

If you insert or remove the DC plug while you 
are using the batteries, the power may shut off.

2

1

You can use your camera in any country or 
area with the supplied battery charger 
within 100 V to 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz. Use a 
commercially available AC plug adaptor 

, if necessary, depending on the design of 

the wall outlet (wall socket) 

.

,

The POWER ON/OFF lamp lights in green, 
the power is on, and the lens cover opens. 
When you turn on your camera for the first 
time, the “CLOCK SET” screen appears 
(see the next page).

If you press the POWER button again, the 
POWER ON/OFF lamp goes out, and the 
camera turns off.

if you turn the power on when the Mode dial is 
set to 

, 

, or SCN, the lens begins to move 

(DSC-P71 only). Please be careful not to touch 
the lens.

If no tasks are performed for a while* 
when shooting, playing back, or 
performing SET UP while using the 
batteries, power is automatically shut 
off to preserve battery power.
However, in the following 
circumstances, even if the battery is 
being used to power the camera, the 
Auto Power Off feature will not work.
• Movies are being played back
• A slide show is being shown
• There is a plug in the USB terminal 

or the VIDEO OUT jack 

When POWER SAVE is set to ON: 
approximately 90 seconds 
When POWER SAVE is set to OFF: 
approximately 3 minutes

To change the current settings of the 
camera, bring up the menu or SET UP on 
the LCD screen (page 55), and use the 
control button to make the changes. 
For each item, press v/V/b/B to select the 
desired value, then press the center z or 
b/B to make the setting.

 (Spot light-metering) is not displayed on 

the menu of the DSC-P31 (page 61).

AUTO

ISO

WB

ISO

0EV

0EV

,

To change values for the time and the date that 
have been previously set, change the Mode dial 
to SET UP, choose “CLOCK SET” in “SETUP 
1” (page 97), then proceed from Step 3.

You can also carry out this operation when the 
mode dial is set to SCN, 

, or 

.

,

The POWER lamp lights in green and the 
“CLOCK SET” screen appears.

,

v

V

z

You can choose from “Y/M/D” (year/
month/day), “M/D/Y”, and “D/M/Y”.

If the rechargeable button battery, which 
provides the power for saving the time data, 
ever loses its charge (page 99), the “CLOCK 
SET” screen automatically reappears. If this 
happens, reset the date and time by following 
the above procedure, starting from Step 3.

D/M/Y

OK

CANCEL

M/D/Y

Y/M/D

CLOCK SET

2002 /

:

/   1

  1

12

02

AM

OK

D/M/Y

OK

CANCEL

M/D/Y

Y/M/D

CLOCK SET

2002 /

:

/   1

  1

12

02

AM

OK