Sony Handycam HDR-CX380 Troubleshooting

No matter what you do, you can’t turn your handycam on.

Charge the handycam by plugging it into the wall using a USB adaptor or by connecting it to your computer.

If after connecting the camera to the computer or plugging it into the wall, it still doesn’t work, the battery may not be charging properly. To replace the InfoLITHIUM® battery, open the LCD screen and push the slider that reads ‘batt’ in the direction of the arrow. Use the battery replacement guide for more information.

The movies you recorded with your camera either freeze during playback or don’t play at all.

Using the touchscreen, press menu -> image quality/size. Be sure that the image quality you select is the same as the video you recorded.

In addition to the fact that videos will not play, the camera displays the error code C:13:01. This is usually an indication that the contacts on the memory stick are not functioning properly. To repair the memory stick, simply remove it from the camera and rub the contacts with an eraser for 20 to 30 seconds. For more information, follow the memory card replacement guide.

No matter what you do with your camera, you can’t get it to play videos over your television set.

Check to see which input you used to connect the HDMI cable, and change the input on the TV accordingly.

Make sure that the HDMI cable is securely connected to both the TV and the camera itself.

Replace the mini HDMI cable you are using with another one.

In order to repair a damaged HDMI output terminal, you will need to replace the entire motherboard. To do this, you will need to disassemble the entire camera. For information on how to replace the motherboard, follow this guide.

My screen is showing the subject I am pointing the camera at, but the picture is blurry and out of focus.

The autofocus may not be working properly in low light conditions. Try reshooting in better lighting.

Autofocus may not be turned on. From the menu, navigate to Camera/Mic -> Manual Settings -> Focus and select Auto.

Reboot the camera. Turn off the camera and remove the battery using the battery replacement guide and wait 6 seconds. Reinsert the battery and turn the camera back on.

No matter what you do, you can’t get the camera to record video.

The memory is full. Delete unwanted recordings or use a fresh memory card. To delete unwanted recordings, open the LCD screen and press the play button located above the power button. Use the left and right buttons on the LCD screen to navigate through the recordings. Select the recording using the (2) button on the screen and delete by pressing the trash can icon.

The memory card is damaged. Replace the card using this guide.

The LCD screen is displaying an error code in the format C:##:xx. For instance, if the LCD screen is showing an error code of C:04:02, then the part of this guide whose subheading is Error Code C:04:xx will apply to that specific problem.

The camera can show the error code C:04:xx if the battery has been damaged or degraded. The camera might also show this error code if the battery is not an InfoLITHIUM® brand battery. In either case, replace the battery using this guide.

The camera can show the error code C:23:xx if the battery has been damaged or degraded. The camera might also show this error code if the battery is not an InfoLITHIUM® brand battery. In either case, replace the battery using this guide.

This error code indicates that the memory card is either damaged, unsupported by the camera, or its contacts are not functioning properly. To repair the memory stick, simply remove it from the camera and gently rub the contacts with an eraser for 20 to 30 seconds. For more information, follow the memory card replacement guide In either case, replace the memory card, preferably with Sony brand version to avoid this error code.

This error code says that the dew sensor has detected moisture in the camera. Therefore, the first thing to do is to try to dry it out. Do this by putting two cups of white rice into a zip bag big enough to hold the rice and the camera. Next, place the camera on the rice, inside the bag and close the bag so it is air-tight. Be careful not to let rice get into the camera. Then place the bag with the camera and the rice into a dry place for at least an hour. After that time, take the camera out of the bag and try turning it on again. The rice acts to dry out the electronics in the camera. The rice cure can be tried again for a longer period of time if the first hour does not succeed (a day or two might do the job).

A section of the LCD screen is discolored or dark.

First remove anything that might be pressing up against the screen and then give it a few seconds to settle. If the problem persists then reset the camera. If the LCD screen has a crease, dimple or divot, that might be causing the screen to detect the pressure. If crease, dimple or divot can be smoothed out gently then do so. Otherwise, this link goes to a replacement guide for the LCD touch screen.

The chemicals inside the LCD screen can react in a way that damages the camera, if the LCD screen is exposed to enough heat or light. They can also react to certain frequencies in sunlight, though this takes several minutes to start to be damaging to the LCD screen. In each case the solutions are the same. First, turn off the camera, then close the LCD screen and place the camera in a cool, dry place for an hour. After an hour, turn on the camera again and check the screen. If the LCD screen did not improve, then it needs to be replaced. A replacement guide can be found here.

The LCD display is not clear, has static, has a portion that is discolored, or has spots that stay the same color no matter what the screen is supposed to be showing.

if the LCD screen is dirty, use a felt cloth to gently clear away dirt and grime from the screen. Specialty LCD cleaning cloths are designed specifically to clean electronic screens, and they can also be used.

If this problem only occurs while recording, then please see the recording section of this guide. If this problem only occurs during playback, then please see the playback section of this guide. If this problem is happening during both recording and playback then try replacing the memory device, resetting the camera, and trying again.

The replacement guide for the motherboard will have a procedure for checking and fixing that connection.

This guide has directions on how to replace the LCD screen.

Usually, if the motherboard is damaged there will be some part of it that seems burnt or has melted. Since the motherboard is the circuit that controls that whole camera, damage to it can affect the camera’s performance. This is the replacement guide for the motherboard.

When you press a button, the camera acts like you pressed a different button.

Try softly using a plastic stylus or the eraser of a pencil to press buttons on the LCD touch screen.

Pressing down on the LCD touch screen too hard may confuse the camera about what button was actually pressed. In this case a button near the intended button is the button the camera registers as being pressed instead of the correct button. Pressing down too hard can also crack the glass inside the LCD touch screen which would cause permanent damage to the LCD touch screen. Try to ease the pressure when pressing buttons.

This might be because there is a crease, dimple or divot in the LCD touch screen. That defect can cause the camera to register it as a button press. This guide has directions on how to replace the LCD touch screen.

This means that the LCD touch screen is having trouble accepting button presses or is not registering them at all. It might be a fluke electrical problem which can be solved by resetting the camera. If the problem persists, then the LCD touch screen or the motherboard might need to be replaced. This guide has directions for replacing the LCD touch screen. This is the link to the motherboard replacement guide.