| This 500-word review was posted on CNET on October 30, 2002. This is the unedited version as submitted. Click here to see the edited version as published by CNET (and now re-edited to fit CNET's new review format.) |
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The good: Sharp, large LCD; records video clips and audio; long battery life; fast performance. The bad: Big and clunky; disappointing image quality; pedestrian feature set; expensive. The bottom line: The MVC-CD250's bulk, excess weight, and lackluster pictures are too big a price to pay for the supposed convenience of shooting onto mini CDs, which doesn't turn out to be all that convenient anyway. A heavy, ungainly, overpriced digital camera better have at least one great redeeming feature. On Sony's 2-megapixel CD Mavica MVC-CD250 that feature is supposed to be its recording media—relatively cheap 3-inch mini-CDs that you can pop directly into most CD drives. But the camera's lumpish mediocrity easily overwhelms that small convenience. Though small, the Mavica's mini-CDs still doomed Sony to bolting camera parts—lens, grip, LCD—onto a CD drive. The result is a blocky 1.4-lb. camera with styling by Dr. Frankenstein. It will neither impress your modish friends nor win you the thanks of your neck and shoulder. Still, the grip is comfortable, and the shutter release, zoom control, and main control button (a four-way rocker switch) are easy to access. The fit and finish of the camera's plastic body are good, and the buttons and controls operate smoothly. Though acceptable overall, the MVC-CD250's control logic occasionally slowed us down. Exposure compensation and white balance, for instance, are hidden away in menus. But what about those cheap and convenient CDs? Not so convenient, for starters. Our test CD worked fine with Windows XP but could not be read by at least one Windows 98SE computer. On Macs, the CDs are only compatible with OS 10.1 and 10.2. Why own the Quasimodo of digicams if you still can't be sure that everyone can read the pictures on your media? You can transfer photos to a Mac or PC with the Mavica's included USB cable, but you can do that with any number of sleek little 8 oz. digicams that'll nestle softly into your shirt pocket, too. The rest of the Mavica's feature set is adequate but unexciting. The 3x zoom lens operates smoothly and silently. You can record audio clips up to 40 seconds, as well as video (with sound) to the limit of the CD's capacity (about 5 minutes at highest quality). Some useful advanced features like adjustable sharpening and a spot meter are included, but others, like manual aperture or shutter speed control and custom white balance, are not. The MVC-CD250 has no optical viewfinder, but the excellent, oversized (2.5") LCD is sharp and easy to view in bright light. The camera's startup time is a mediocre 5 seconds, but shot-to-shot time is essentially as quick as you can pull the trigger. Focusing is fast but too often indecisive. Battery life, though, was very impressive, partly because a camcorder-sized power pack easily snuggles within the camera's ample confines. We shot extensively over a two day period on one battery charge. Our test pictures from the Mavica were disappointing. Though well exposed and vibrantly colorful, they weren't very detailed. And they had unusually high levels of electronic noise, too often producing a muddy, grainy look. The lens also shows significant distortion, making straight lines at the edge of the frame look curved. And then there's the price, a nervy $599. With excellent, compact 2-megapixel cameras like the Olympus Brio D-520 and Nikon Coolpix 775 selling for hundreds less, we can't see the merits of paying $600 for the "convenience" of mini-CDs. © 2002 CNET, Inc.
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