Customer Reviews

Sony MVC-FD73 0.3MP Mavica Digital Camera w/ 10x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have used this camera extensively for over a year. I use theMavica almost exclusively for pictures at my web site. Many are shrunkfor quick download times, but you can still see the output quality.

After using the MVC-FD73 for this long there are many pros and cons that I have come up with.

Pros:

1 - easy to use

2 - nice LCD viewer for scrolling through previous shots

3 - floppies are a very convenient reusable medium

Cons:

1 - LCD viewer gets scratched easily

2 - Viewer LCD hard to see in very strong outdoor light (a better camera would have an interchangeable regular viewfinder AND an LCD viewer)

3 - Flash always seems too strong - a lot of red eye incidents indoors

4 - Has a hard time focusing in low light

5 - Floppies, while convenient, are FAR too small for high res pics. Why Sony hasn't made a Zip Drive or Super Disk drive version is beyond me.

In the future I will buy another camera that clears up the problems listed above. It probably won't be a Sony since Sony's pushing proprietary media in their future digital cameras.

If you want this camera for the long haul I'd suggest doing a little more homework and being fully aware of the 5 problems I mentioned above before buying this one.

I purchased my camera (display model) when a large chain was relocating to a new store for a very good price. I had been looking for quite some time and a friend had the FD-71 and was very happy with it. So easy to use a 4th grader could immediately use. I was not looking for the features that the FD83 had as I already had a digital video camera. I really like the idea of being able to click in a floppy and start shooting and not having to hook up anything once I get home to start printing out my shots. The only disappointment to me is the low resolution. If you want to print anything larger than a 4 x 6, you loose the clarity. On a scale of 1 - 10, I would rate the SOny Mavica FD-73 a 9

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...

I have had this camera 11 months. It is very easy to handle, zoom is excellent, using ordinary discs is great, battery system fine. But very often I have been disappointed with the quality of pictures. There is simply not enough pixels. Pictures from houses for instance are good enough, from people so and so, mostly not. Near shots from flowers look little bit waxy and stiff but I have taken lots's of them. Most disappointments I have had with nature pictures, grass looks odd, too much details for such a few pixels. If I would have known this I would have choosen more pixels. Still this has been a great joy and I am hungry for a new megapixel digital camera. Before you shop try to see pictures. For e-mail and web they are OK.

I got a Sony MVC-FD73 Mavica Digital Camera for Christmas and have used it a lot since receiving it. It is an excellent camera and I certainly would recommend it to anyone looking to purchase a Digital Camera at a reasonable price.

However, a couple of points about the camera. First, the LCD view finder gets dirty and scratched easily. There should be a cover for it when not in use. Second, it is almost impossible to see the view finder when outside in bright sunshine, making it hard to take a picture. Cannot see what you are viewing. I think it would be nice if Sony had put a regular view finder on the camera for taking outdoor pictures.

If you take only 1 thing from this review, let it be this: THIS CAMERA IS NOT FOR YOU IF YOU PLAN TO DO PHOTO-EDITING (MANIPULATION)

Most of the photos you take with this camera will look a little blurry on your computer screen, and God forbid you ZOOM-IN on the photo using your photo-viewing program. The quality of the photos is horrible (mostly due to the .jpg compression) and gives the photo a 'pastel-color' look to it. The camera does have a setting to take better quality pictures using .BMP capability but when you use this setting you will be able to fit ONLY 1 PHOTO PER FLOPPY DISK. Although the quality is better when using .BMP it is still not good enough for a serious photographer.

The LCD screen will get fingerprints on it if you even THINK about putting your finger anywhere near it and if you're under strong sunlight it is hard to see the image. A viewfinder would've come in handy, however.. I like the idea of not having to put the camera up to my face to take a pic. A necessary evil you might say.

If you DON'T have money to burn, do yourself a favor and either wait until digital cameras are a dime-per-dozen or take out a mortgage loan to save up for the FD-90 Sony model. I don't know about you, but ...+ is not something I part with easily least of all for a camera.

WHAT IT IS GOOD FOR: Online Auctions (Ebay), Unimportant pics. Also, credit must be given where credit is due: For me, the main selling point of the Sony FD series is disk storage capacity. This is a definite plus that enables you to share photographs with other people when they dont have a photo-downloading facility in their PC (in my experience this includes one hell of alot of people).

The 10x zoom is also a God-send. You can almost use the camera as binoculars if you want to. The camera also enables you to format a floppy disk (at the expense of alot of battery life). A fully charged battery will give u approximately 2.5 hrs of camera use.

In closing; Get this camera if you truly have your heart set on it, but be forewarned about the day that you are going to want to take the PERFECT PHOTO. It's not going to happen with the FD73. Not in the standard .jpg compression it delivers, and not at the 640x480 maximum capacity size.

The Sony Mavica was my first color digital camera. Although I took a lot of pictures with it, I eventually bought another digital camera. The biggest problems with the Mavica are.

1. The resolution - 640 by 480 just isn't good enough. If you do any photo editing at all, the quality suffers because of the low resolution. You need at least a 1200 by 800-1000 resolution, preferably more.

2. The LCD is too hard to use, especially in strong light. You really need a viewfinder.

3. The floppys just don't store enough. If you go on vacation, you need to carry a bunch of extra floppies in your pocket.

On the plus side, the battery life and 10x zoom are great. But that just doesn't make up for the weaknesses mentioned above. Do your self a favor and get camera with better resolution - and maybe you'll only have to buy one.

P.S. I traded up to a Kodak DC260 and like it fine.

This Sony MVC-FD73 is a really great camera. It has outstanding zoom abilities that will put you at center stage from as far as 150 ft from the stage, and while holding the camera above the crowds heads. The only draw back is, as with most digitals, recording time is slow. Be prepared to miss several shots due to slow recording time, but the upside is, you do not have to down load your pics, just change the disk and keep going. As far as the price, you can find a better deal at national retail stores and get availible warranties without the cost or bother of unpredictable shipping.

I bought this model over the higher-resolution Sony versions, and I'm very satisfied. If you want 1024x768 pictures, go ahead and spend the extra money. But this one does just great. The ability to pop in a fresh diskette and keep shooting is addictive. Preview and delete shots easily. Remarkably good battery life. The 10x zoom is amazing, will blow you away. I've used it to document everything from the wiring and hoses on my sailboat to furniture we might want to add to our home. Incredibly convenient, simple to use. One thing to watch for: bright sunlight behind you can wash out the LCD display so it's hard to see what you're shooting. So just find some shade or reposition your shot. Only if you're stuck in the Sahara is it that a big deal. Highly recommended, you'll love it.

I needed a digital camera for listing auctions on eBay. Being that I'm a computer dolt, I sought out the easiest camera to use. The disc feature seemed easiest thus best suited and Consumers' report spoke highly of the camera. My photos are some of the best I've ever seen on eBay and it was a cinch to figure out and use. I have not used many of the bells and whistles, but habitually use the "bright +/-" feature: you click that feature a couple of times to compensate for the excesses of natural or man-made light or to get a photo that closer approximates the color of the item photographed. It works miracles and if, in order to closer approximate the color of the object, I end up with a dark photo, my computer software allows me to brighten the image again without distorting the color. Another beneficial characteristic is the clarity of the photos taken from close up. Holding the camera steady is essential. I often need extreme close ups if the object is a war medal or coin or token and get amazing photos by holding the object close to a light in the basement and photographing close up, such that I've got the coin in one hand held toward the basement ceiling and the camera in the other, with the camera between the light and the object so that light hits the object with no shadow. I'm beginning to use this technique for all my close ups of any object. Also, I'm using one of those spiral shaped long-lasting bulbs in the basement, but don't know whether that plays a role in my success with this technique or not. Another great thing about this "close up" technique is that I have total control over the light, and can see what image I'm going to get, unlike flash. It is obvious from surfing eBay that most sellers are not savvy to this technique. I sorely wish the camera had a hair trigger though. Especially when I'm doing the basement close up technique, where both hands are over my head and a steady hand is at a premium, yet physically taxing at my age (47), the click button is cumbersome, refusing to respond to gentle suggestion. This problem is distracting, but a small price to pay for the amazing photos that help maximize my sales. This is one great camera.