Might help if you specified which camera you have. I have a MVC-CD500. There is a disc displayed in the upper right hand corner. If it is solid "white", then the CD is empty. As more and more of the disc is used, the "white" turns into transparent (can see whatever the camera is looking at), which a white circle around the edge. When it's all transparent, except for the circle the disk is full. The battery uses a similar scheme.