Title : Sony MVC-FD73 0.3MP Mavica Digital Camera w/ 10x Optical Zoom
Author : Sony
Release Date : 20010111
Binding : Electronics
Regular Price : $499.99
Amazon.com Price : $349.88
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Editorial Reviews : Sony deserves much of the credit for bringing digital photography to the masses. Americans have purchased more Mavicas than any other line of digital camera--and with good reason. The Mavicas feature high-quality optics and excellent battery life in an easy-to-use package. Yet the camera's biggest asset--floppy-disk image storage--is also its biggest liability. In some ways, floppy disks are great: they're inexpensive and available virtually everywhere, and transferring images to your computer is a snap--just pop the disk into your PC's floppy drive. Floppies act as both 'film' (for recording the image) and 'negatives' (for archiving your shots), saving the expense of the CD recorder most digital camera owners eventually purchase for long-term image storage.
On the other hand, floppies and floppy drives are big, making Mavicas some of the bulkiest of digital cameras. In addition, disks have moving parts and tend to be more prone to failure than solid-state memory. But the biggest problem with floppy disks is that they hold only 1.44 MB of information--a fraction the capacity of the solid-state cards most cameras use.
To compensate for this shortcoming in storage capacity (and to keep prices low), Sony uses a lower-resolution image sensor (640 x 480 pixels, or 0.3 megapixels) and higher levels of compression than you'll find on other similarly priced cameras. The resulting images look great as e-mailed attachments or on a Web site but lack the detail to produce quality prints at sizes beyond 3 by 5 inches.
With the exception of the low resolution, the MVC-FD73 Mavica is a great digital camera. Its 10x optical zoom lens is more powerful than that of any other camera in its price range. Compared to most other digital cameras, its battery life is fantastic, and the InfoLithium system even displays an estimate of remaining battery charge (in minutes). Sony includes a battery and charger (many manufacturers don't). The big 2.5-inch LCD screen is bright and clear, though we'd love to see an optical viewfinder on the camera, too. For ease of use, it's hard to beat--even digital photography neophytes will be able to use this camera in a matter of minutes.
Bottom line? If you're taking pictures to share with friends via e-mail or are posting your photos online, the MVC-FD73 is an excellent choice. It's well made, easy to use, and the battery life and zoom lens are both excellent. However, if you want the ability to make prints from your images, we'd recommend either a higher-resolution Mavica or a non floppy-based camera.
Buyer Reviews : I purchased this camera about a month ago and still am taking pictures galore. I have read the reviews given here and I must say, I agree and disagree with some. Personally, I love the floppy disk storage. It's not hard at all to throw a few extras in just in case you need them. I love the idea of not having to use any cables or 'special' programs to download my pics. I will say though, I have gotten quite a few pics. that were of poor quality (fuzzy) and then out of the blue...picture perfect. I use a photo program I bought from Walmart for $10, EZPhoto (I used it when I scanned my 'old' paper photos) and I normally reduce the size of my picture A LOT to send quicker through emails. This camera does have an email feature though. Quite a few people said that you don't get a very good quality pic. for printing, but I have to say I disagree. Maybe the printer they are using is of poor quality. I have printed hundreds of pics. and everyone has enjoyed them and are so surprised they came from a print off from the digital camera. One thing that disappointed me about this camera is...for the $ you spend, you don't get a carrying case. I bought a cheap 'purse' that looks like a camera case and has many compartments to carry all the extras (battery charger etc.). I spent $6 on it and it was well worth more than that. You can't tell it's even a purse. Another thing, I checked all over..stores and internet and the price of this camera does not really vary...and if there's a substantial difference in pricing somewhere..CHECK TO BE SURE YOU'RE GETTING THE BATTERY CHARGER WITH IT! I found a few places that advertised at a cheaper price and also found that the charger did not come with it...
(by Paula McEliece)
Features/Technical Specs : * 0.3 megapixel sensor is great for emails and posting on the web * 10x optical plus 2x digital zoom lens with autofocus * Images recorded on floppy disk; 1 disk holds 10 images at default resolution * 3.5 inch floppy disks can be read by any PC or Mac with a floppy drive * Rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery and AC adapter included
