Sony Reviews

This is a great camera in most respects. It's hard to take a bad shot -- as someone who wouldn't be able to deal with all the adjustments on a real SLR, this seems to be the next best thing... good lens but the camera does the work as though its a point-and-shoot. I've taken 1000s of shots with it. Battery life is fine. CD as storage is rather convenient.

BUT, my complaint is the lag times. Power on lag, shutter lag, and shot-to-shot lag. It's painful to think of all the shots we've missed waiting for disc writing, or power on, or slow shutters. The Burst 3 mode is a silly answer -- just doesn't work right in practice. You can't even see the subject to know if you're still lined up once it starts bursting.

Net: this is an ideal camera for non-moving situations... sunsets come to mind. Not so much for taking shots of kids, which I do.

I have used several digital cameras and the Sony MVC-CD300 is the best by far. Being able to burn a rewritable CD - at a cost of less than $5 per CD with 150MB - is a BIG advantage over memory card style cameras (a 128MB card can run a couple hundred dollars). The electronic storage problem that I faced with memory cards no longer applies (I travel a lot and always have my camera in my hand so you can imagine the number of pictures taken).

I have been able to store close to 100 pictures at the highest resolution on one CD making it very easy to file, catalog and find my pictures. I have not had the problem that the previous reviewer did in being able to delete a picture and reuse the space. He must be using regular CDs (certainly an option) rather than the rewriteable ones.

It was very easy to initially set up and use and has multiple ways to get the pictures to my PC. I usually use the USB hook-up and even use the camera as a rewriteable CD for pictures other folks send me. When I am feeling lazy, I just plop the CD in my DVD drive which also works great.

With 3.3 megapixels, the picture clarity couldn't be better. I have printed out 8 x 10s that look like they were taken by an expensive 35mm camera. The number of options for picture sizing is also enough to satisfy any "normal" requirement.

If I had to point out one issue with the camera, it is size. While certainly not the largest camera on the market, it is a bit bulkier than I would prefer (I like sticking a camera in my pocket and I need to use a fanny pack to carry this one around).

All in all, if you are looking for a camera that can take 35mm quality pictures and still stay digital, I would highly recommend this Sony.

... I, too, love this camera and pretty much agree with everyone else. This is the best purchase I've made in quite some time, so I'm just going to provide some information that I wish I'd had before I ordered the camera.

The camera is fairly bulky. It's pretty much what you'd expect for a device with a built in CD writer but, when compared to other digital cameras, this thing's pretty big. I personally think that the benefits of writing the picture to a CD more than outweigh the minor inconveniences of a larger camera, but you should probably go to a local store that carries one and see if the size will bother you. Didn't bother me much at all.

The delay in taking the picture can be annoying at times. Yes, there is a delay BETWEEN pictures as well (a more pronounced delay, in fact) due to the camera writing the image to the CD, but there's also a lesser talked about delay for even the very first picture. You need to hold the button halfway down for the camera to focus properly, and then wait 'til the camera tells you it's ready before you can take the picture. There isn't much of a wait, but there IS one and it can be aggravating at times. This particular delay, however, as far as I know, is common to ALL digital cameras, so I'm assuming that a digital camera just isn't a very good option for taking pictures that require split-second timing.

You will probably want a case for this camera. The lens DOES have a cap, but the display doesn't and can be scratched fairly easily.
You'll probably also want an additional battery and separate charger if you're more than an occasional user. The battery lasts about 90 minutes (without flash) and has a built-in chip that tells the camera how much time is left ... a pretty nice feature that's displayed for all to see in picture taking mode.

I've seen mixed reviews on the CD-R / CD-RW debate. I have used the CD-RW discs exclusively so far and haven't had any problems. One thing you should be aware of is that you can't go back and erase the pictures on the discs selectively. You CAN erase the last picture taken (if using CD-RW media) and replace it with your very next picture, but you can't go back further than one picture. Well, to be more specific, you ARE allowed to go back and erase a picture older than your last one, but it won't gain you any more disc space.
You CAN, of course, erase the whole disc and use it again whenever you wish (again, if using CD-RW), but you just can't go back, let's say, five pictures, erase one picture, then expect the disc space to increase enough to allow more pictures than it would have had if you'd left that picture on the disc.

The camera often takes dark pictures. I've found that the picture is normally of better quality if I force the flash ... even in fairly well lit areas. There may be another technical tweak that would accomplish the same thing, but I'm an extreme novice when it comes to photography.

It's VERY hard to find cases to protect these little discs! I have yet to find one. When buying these little discs, you usually have a choice of approximately 50 CD-R's on a spindle, or approximately 10 Mavica CD-R's in little cases ... both cost roughly the same price, but you can't seem to find protective sleeves or cases for the ones with a spindle. Not exactly a deal breaker, but annoying nonetheless.

One disc holds about 81 pictures at the highest quality (which is absolutely breathtaking), and over 1000 at the lowest quality (which you will probably NEVER want to use).
If you have a good printer, print the picture on photo quality paper, and use the highest quality setting, I don't think you'll be able to tell the difference between that picture and an actual photograph.
I am an EXTREME novice at photography and I have taken some stunning pictures with the default settings, but this camera also has a dizzying array of manual settings for even the most advanced photographer.

I couldn't seem to easily find what out what this camera was SUPPOSED to come with, so that's what I'm supplying.

Camera.
One battery.
Lens cap.
Adaptec Direct CD software.
MGI Photo software.
USB cable for connection to computer.
Power supply for the camera (used to charge the battery).
8cm adapter to put the mini-discs into a regular drive.
Manufacturer warranty (I think it's one year, may be 90 days).
One CD-R media.
One CD-RW media.

Well that's about what I wanted to know when I was thinking of buying this camera. Hope this review helps.

People dont get me wrong i love the fd97 but sony customer care Sucks ...( i lost my drivers when my PC Crashed to download from the memory stick) i have contacted sony many times to no avail can anyone help me get a new copy of the photo drivers to download my photos from the memory stick ????????

I have had my FD97 for a year now. I bought it to replace my FD71 because I needed one that would give me pictures that would print out good 8 x 10s. This one takes excellent pictures that print perfect 8 x 10s, which I need for my business.
There are only a couple complaints I have about the camera, one is the slowness in recording, especially with the memory stick. The other is the problem to taking pictures of babies or any child that might move before the camera decides to record once I press the button. It is wonderful for stills, but misses a lot of otherwise good pictures of my grandchildren!

When asked to take pictures at work, my wife requested the use of my FD97. Not going into a lot of detail, the first comment out of a supervisor's mouth was "look at the blood glistening on the barb wire." That says it all in picture quality.
I will agree with one other person here who mentions the slowness in recording, especially with the memory stick. There is a problem taking pictures of active targets. And the picture you get may actually be a millisecond later than you pressed the button - a lot of time for those kids to move around.
Vacation shots are a dream come true. And the zoom telephoto let's you crop your pictures before taking them.
I get about 140 pictures using 1600 pix on the 128 memory stick. I recommend it five stars, my wife and I each own one now.

I bought this Mavica after using a friends older FD88. I have always been a big fan of the Mavica and its unique 3.5' drive but after having this camera for 3 months now I am pretty disappointed. The picture quality even on the highest setting is very poor compared to other digital cameras in this price range. The color is poor on all settings. 1.3 Megapixels is old news, not something you would want to spend 700 bucks on when you can get a Olypus 3.3 megapixel for that much. The Olympus I just bought makes the mavica seem like a toy, the color a clarity is unreal. I enjoyed the mavica for the 3.5 drive and its no fuss nature but now that I know what else can be had for the same money and giving up a perk the Mavica is on the shelf for my kid to use.

I have one and the led screen got broken and want to replace because of the ease to use. The pictures come out like a professionals when printed if right settings are used. Absolutely would recomend to most novice of photographers.

I am a first time user of a digital camera and I am awed by the outstanding quality of the pictures and the simple use of the camera. I reviewed quite a few different companies and cameras before settling on the Sony FD-90. Originally one of my criteria was size. Yes the Sony FD-90 is a little bulky because of the standard floppy drive but all in all it is just a little bigger then an ordinary 35mm camera and is probably lighter in weight. I use my FD-90 for work (and for play) and one of the features I enjoy is being able to make copies of the disks on the spot and to hand them out to other people at meetings. The floppy disk makes this camera absolutely simple to use. Shoot a picture and put the disk in your computer and the picture is there as quick as your computer can access the floppy drive. No cables to hook up! I have not used the new Memory Stick with this camera although it is an available option. For the price of floppies I don't foresee needing anything else. I had considered the Sony FD-88 but I saw a lot of reviews complaining about red eye in the pictures. I was pleased to find on this FD-90 there is a red eye reduction feature built into the flash and it actually works. Another feature I like is the MPEG capability. For me this feature is basically a toy and is really only useful for placing small MPEG movies on a web site or for emailing. From what I've seen in reviews of other cameras is that there is a problem with battery consumption. With the FD-90 you get a lithium ion battery and a charger so there will be no problem with that. I've been getting a full hour of shots with a full charge. Consider all the functions like flash and zoom and these use battery life so an hour is pretty good. I bought a spare battery as well but so far have not had to use it. Overall I would recommend this digital camera for everybody. From the box it is very simple to use. You'll be up and running as soon as you get the battery charged (you can read the manual while it's charging) and you'll be having fun with this camera in no time at all.

I have bought sony microvault (USM64U2) one months before from a sony showroom. But after a month this device is recognized as security device. I just astonished why sony has not admitted their fault.

I purchased my Sony Microvault 64MB about four months ago and have used it often to move files from one device to another when other options of moving them were not available (network, email, floppy, etc.). I also keep a few files permanently on the Microvault so that I have access to them whenever I need them. In general, I am very happy with the concept of a portable "key" drive.

However, I have three complaints on the Sony Microvault. First, it is a bit larger than I expected it to be, and is larger than other brands of similar capacity. Second, a standard metal key chain will not easily fit in the plastic loop provided for it. Third, the device is not sturdy enough to handle the everyday wear and tear on a key chain. The plastic silver outer casing on my Microvault has broken away from the interior casing, exposing the internal memory chip.

The primary appeal of this product for me was the ability to carry this around on my key chain for use wherever and whenever I needed it. Because the plastic casing is broken, I am reluctant to keep it on my key chain, thus eliminating the primary benefit of this item for me.

While I like this device in general, I am reluctant to recommend the Sony Microvault based on its durability.

Received today so this is very fresh. At work, plugged in and tested on a W2KP box with no problems, not even a reboot. Took to a ME laptop - was able to read Word docs I stored without any glitches.

Took same docs home - able to read fine on a XP-Pro System. Works just fine.

I like the look and feel. Good warranty. Came with some type of security (encription?) software on a very mini-cd that I have not installed yet but look forward to playing with shortly.

I think this has the capacity of about 45 floppies - for someone who carries work home this is really hard to beat. I suggest a short cable if your USB ports are in the back of your box like mine are. Just plug in and it shows up in explorer as a new disk. Complete cut & paste just fine. Works great.