Sony MVC-FD90 Mavica 1.2MP Digital Camera with 8x Optical Zoom

by Sony

Product Details

Product Manual [2.28mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 3.1 x 5.8 x 4.1 inches ; 1.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00004TEYZ
• Item model number: MVC-FD90
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,747 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 17, 2000

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Sony Mavica MVC-FD90 digital camera combines a powerful 8x optical zoom lens with a respectable 1.3-megapixel CCD. The camera also features an MPEG movie mode, audio annotation for your images, and a manual focus ring. The built-in flash features red-eye reduction and night-synch modes. Built-in zoom, trim, and resize functions encourage manipulation of the images while they are still in the camera. For maximum image resolution, the camera also includes an interpolated 1.6-megapixel image setting. Users compose images by viewing the 2.5-inch color LCD monitor on the back of the camera. This monitor also reveals the remaining shooting time in minutes, a well as having indicators for flash, focus, and other functions.

Like most of the other cameras in the Mavica line, the MVC-FD90 uses floppy disks to store photos. At maximum image quality, five images fit on one floppy. At the other end of the spectrum is the e-mail setting, which captures 80 images at 320 x 240 resolution on a single disk. To address concerns about the limited number of photos one can store on a low-capacity floppy disk, Sony has devised a high-capacity solution: the camera will accept the MSAC-FD2M floppy adapter, a device that looks like a floppy disk. Sony's Memory Stick (available in capacities up to 64 MB) slides into the adapter, and the adapter slides into the camera's floppy drive, essentially giving you a 64 MB floppy disk.

The package includes a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, a battery charger, a shoulder belt, AV cable, and ArcSoft PhotoStudio software for Windows.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

205 of 208 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome digital camera, June 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sony MVC-FD90 Mavica 1.2MP Digital Camera with 8x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

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.

145 of 146 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost Perfect!, December 28, 2000

By 

"netzen7" (Des Moines, IA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony MVC-FD90 Mavica 1.2MP Digital Camera with 8x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

We bought this camera and the starter kit (extra higher capacity battery and carrying case) in time for a weeklong family vacation. After shooting 2000 pictures and 200 video clips on $15 worth of floppy diskettes during the trip, I want to say this is a great camera. The film developing costs saved on this trip alone could have paid for the camera!

The mpeg movies are a great feature.

I almost settled for the FD85, I'm glad we didn't because of extra features gained. This camera is smaller and cheaper than the FD95, and smaller than our "good" SLR - but a bit bigger than the average point and shoot.

The FD90 works completely auto with the full range of point and shoot features found on our similarly priced SLR, or you can "cursor" through the on-screen menus and set a number of options including exposure and white balance. The "AE program button" allows you to quickly select "twilight mode", "twilight plus mode", "landscape mode", "panfocus mode" or "spot light-metering mode". The camera has a manual focus ring if you need to use it, and the flash can be set auto, manual on, manual off, or redeye. The camera also has a macro mode. I'm not a professional photographer, so I found myself playing with the manual settings learning what makes for a good photograph. It is great getting instant feedback on the digital screen. If it didn't work, I just reviewed, deleted and tried again - something I've longed for using our SLR. This camera is as fun as it is useful! The FD90 is an easy point and shoot - or if you want, you can control some of the action if you are just willing to read the manual and learn the controls. The camera is capable of more than just point and shoot, but the controls are unique.

Did I mention that this camera can also record short videos?

No hassle floppy diskettes are almost free these days and are available almost everywhere, only Mavica cameras write directly to them. Great feature when vacation down south got extended unexpectedly in winter months due to bad weather canceling flights back north. Windows 98/ME/2000 PC users don't need any additional software to view the pictures stored on the floppies - the camera creates an HTML page right on the diskette linking pictures and movies for easy viewing. There is also a freeware utility floating around the Internet specifically written for Mavica owning PC users that will thumbnail your shots if you are into quick website creations.

You can zoom into and crop pictures, copy and format diskettes, etc. right on the camera so you don't need a PC to enjoy this camera - especially with the supplied cable that plugs directly into composite inputs on your Television/VCR. Regarding the resolution, I take most of my pictures on the lowest resolutions and they are still good - they print 3 x 5 no problem, even larger with very little distortion. On screen (or my TV with the supplied cable) they are great at the wimpy 640 x 480, especially with the camera in slide-show mode. Plug the camera into a VCR directly and set it on a tripod at family or church events and you have an extra camcorder! It's when you try to "blow up" a picture, or digitally zoom into a recorded shot that the extra pixels matter.

I did take 20 or 30 pictures at higher resolutions, but rarely the highest. After visiting with friends who are digital camera owners, a few with 2 mega pixel and higher possibilities, I'm hard pressed to believe most of us care for more than a mega pixel, as evidenced by the popularity of the Mavica FD73 that doesn't even have the ability. If you are a true photography buff/professional, or have some specialized business need for super clarity, I can see the mega requirement. If you rarely venture beyond 200 speed 35mm film in your SLR, and you rarely deviate from dropping your film off at the local supermarket for developing doubles on 4 x 6 with an index print, lets be realistic. For me the pictures are for memories rather than for artistic impression, and with this camera I get hundreds where I used to get dozens. With the manual features I can tinker with art when so inclined. I almost forgot to mention the solarize, B&W, Sepia, and Neg.Art effects.

Why not perfect? Well, the shutter hesitation does take some getting used to, and the camera seems to struggle a bit in low lighting - although I'm not convinced I just haven't learned how to manually compensate with so many available options. I believe there is also an optional external flash. Lenses, external charger(s), memory sticks etc. are also available for this camera at an additional cost.

Oh, ya, this camera makes MPEG movies, up to 60 sec of audio/video per 1.44 diskette in the low-res mode!

We researched several cameras, and I am very pleased with this purchase. I think the Mavica FD90 has the best mix/compromise of digital camera features. For me the FD90 has set the standard for all others to compare. Sony has done it right.

75 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great camera, November 13, 2000

By 

Thom Fitzpatrick - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony MVC-FD90 Mavica 1.2MP Digital Camera with 8x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I hemmed and hawed for quite a while before making the plunge to buy a digital camera. I wanted something to use for online auctions, and take pix to use on my web site. I had been taking analog pix, getting them developed, scanning them, and tossing them in a box. I was going to get the FD-73, but decided I might want higher resolution, so I stepped up to the FD-90. Wow! The #1 selling point for me was the floppy disk storage; friends of mine have cameras with cables and whatnot, and it seems like a big pain. I like not being tied to a proprietary hardware and software interface. I can take pix in the car, and unload them at home, work, or at a friend's house. If I need more "film" I can stop at any supermarket or office supply store and pick up a box of floppies. Just this weekend, I took some pix of a car that a friend was selling, then just handed him the floppy to take home and upload to his own computer. Now the kicker: this camera has MPEG movie capability, which I wrote off as a "well, that's cool, but I probably won't use it" feature. I couldn't have been more wrong - that's the coolest thing about this camera! In addition to the pix I took of the car, I also created a "walk-around" video as well! Downsides? The zoom control is kinda awkward being on the front; they should have left it on the back, so you could work it with your thumb while working the shutter. It takes a great deal of dexterity to work the zoom while shooting a movie. The camera should also ship with the longer-life battery that's available as an option. And they should ship some sort of protective case with it.