Sony Mavica CD500 Review

For those who want the convenience of floppy storage, but with more capacity, Sony offers their CD Mavica line. Instead of a measly 1.4MB floppy, the CD Mavicas can store 156MB of photos and videos on a single 8 cm disc. There are two 2003 CD Mavicas: the smaller, 3.2 Megapixel MVC-CD350 ($499), and the top-of-the-line 5 Megapixel MVC-CD500 ($699) reviewed here. The CD500 has all of the features of Sony’s high-end cameras, including Hologram AF, MPEGMovie VX, full manual controls, and a Carl Zeiss lens.

Specifications

More information: Announced 24-Feb-03
Max resolution : 2592 x 1944
Low resolution : 2048 x 1536, 1280 x 960, 640 x 480
Image ratio w:h : 4:3, 3:2
Effective pixels : 5.0 million
Sensor photo detectors : 5.2 million
Sensor size : 1/1.8 ” (7.18 x 5.32 mm)
Sensor type : CCD
Colour filter array : RGB
Sensor manufacturer : Sony
ISO rating : Auto, 100, 200, 400
Zoom wide (W): 34 mm
Zoom tele (T) : 102 mm (3 x)
Digital zoom : Yes, 4 x (VGA)
Image stabilization : No
Auto Focus : Yes
Manual Focus : Yes, 13 steps
Auto focus type : Multi-point 5 area (selectable)
Normal focus range : 50 cm
Macro focus range : 4 cm
White balance override : 5 positions plus manual
Aperture range : F2.0 – F2.5 / F8.0
Min shutter : 8 sec
Max shutter : 1/1000 sec
Built-in Flash: Yes, pop-up
Flash guide no. : 5.0 m (16.4 ft) 0 m
External flash : Yes, hot-shoe
Flash modes : Auto, On, Off, Slow, Ext
Exposure compensation : -2 EV to +2 EV in 1/3 EV Steps
Metering : Multi-Segment, Center weighted, Spot
Aperture priority : Yes
Shutter priority : Yes
Focal length multiplier
Lens thread : 52 mm (with adapter)
Continuous Drive : Yes, 3 images
Movie Clips : Yes, MPEG VX (VGA, 16 fps, unlimited)
Remote control : Optional wired
Tripod mount : Yes
Self-timer : 10 sec
Timelapse recording : No
Orientation sensor: No
Storage types : CD-R, CD-RW (8 cm)
Storage included : 1 x 8 cm CD-R, 1 x CD-RW
Uncompressed format : TIFF
Compressed format : JPEG (EXIF 2.2)
Quality Levels : Fine, Standard
Viewfinder : No
LCD : 2.5 ”
LCD Pixels : 123,000
Video out : Yes
USB : Yes, 2.0
Firewire (IEEE 1394) : No
Battery / Charger : Yes
Battery : InfoLithium (NP-FM50) & charger
Weight (inc. batteries) : 606 g (21.4 oz)
Dimensions : 139 x 96 x 103 mm (5.5 x 3.8 x 4.1 in

Review

Sony’s MVC-CD500 Digital Still Camera features massive 5.0 megapixel resolution (effective) with a Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar 3X optical/2X digital zoom lens and the ability to write…
more…to inexpensive optical media. The incredible photos and MPEG video clips you take are saved directly to 156MB CD-R/RW media, measuring only (8 cm) in diameter and readable on most CD-ROM equipped PCs. This incredible camera features a broad range of advanced features such as Multi-Point AF (Auto-Focus), Hologram AF, Continuous AF Mode, Multi-Pattern Metering, Pre-Flash Metering, and an advanced shoe for your flash attachment. Giving you all you need to create the most compelling images you’ve ever seen.