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Sony SL-F1 Operating Instructions (1981)

Original Japanese manual for the portable Sony SL-F1 Betamax. Also available on the Internet Archive here or as a PDF. Click photos for full size

Geometric background, floating pastel colors making up both arbitrary shapes and real-world objects... it doesn't get much more authentically 1980s than this.

A more detailed table of contents, and a basic introduction to the machine as well as how to attach the strap and the recording time for different tape lengths.

This page outlines the different ways you can power the SL-F1, including from a DC power supply, with a battery, attached to the tuner/timer module, or plugged into a car accessory socket.

This page shows the basic for setting up for recording from a camera, attaching the camera and any other accessories like a microphone, turning the unit on, inserting the cassette, and then recording using the button on the camera.

This page shows how the deck can be hooked up for home use. The deck has a built-in RF output that can be plugged in directly, or the separate A/V cable can be plugged in for composite connections.

These pages show how to use the tuner-timer module to hook the deck up to a TV and antennae as well as set up a recording using the tuner and timer.

How to set a recording, about the dew sensor, and write-protecting (and un-write-protecting) tapes.

Trick-play options - double-speed playback, pause, frame-by-frame, slow motion, and reverse playback.

Using the counter and tracking controls.

Suggestions for recording from tape recorders or microphones.

Using the remote, how to hook up the deck to another video recorder as well as a PCM recorder.

Specifics about the buttons, jacks, and ports around the machine.

Some information about the beta cassette and tape path as well as the specifications of the machine.

Some troubleshooting steps.