Sony MVCCD500 CD Mavica 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

by Sony

Product Details

Product Manual [6.26mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 4 x 5.4 x 3.8 inches ; 1.4 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: B00008O37P
• Item model number: MVCCD500
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,531 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 24, 2003

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Sony Mavica CD500 combines the advantages and capacity of the instant-archive CD-R/RW format with advanced resolution and control flexibility. The Mavica CD500 features a 5-megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom, and a movie mode that shoots full-frame video.

Step-up Value
Here's a Sony feature that adds value to this digital camera and differentiates it from other models in the Sony lineup.

CD-RW Media: CD Mavica cameras shoot directly to 156 MB CD-R/RW discs, so there's room for hundreds of images and movie clips for instant archiving.

Optics and Resolution
Optimized for photo enthusiasts, the MVC-CD500 offers a 5-megapixel Super HAD sensor for image detail up to 2,592 x 1,944 pixels and print enlargements up to 20 by 30 inches. Get closer to your subjects with the Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 3x optical zoom lens (34-102mm equivalency in 35mm photography). The Mavica CD500 also features a 3.2x digital zoom.

Storage and Transfer
Images are stored on high-capacity 156 MB CD-R (recordable) and CD-RW (rewritable) discs, enabling you to instantly archive your shots. Images can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC via USB connectivity, which means it can be connected to any USB-based Windows 98/Me/2000/XP and Mac OS 8.6 or later computer without installing any software.

Movie Mode
You can capture far more than still images with the MPEG Movie VX function. Most digital cameras' movie modes are limited to 30- or 60-second clips, but the Mavica CD500 can keep shooting until you've filled the CD-R/RW, approximately 6 minutes at full VGA resolution (640 x 480, 16 frames per second).

More Features
Flexible exposure control is provided with aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual exposure modes. For better command of motion and depth of field, the Program Shift feature allows various aperture and shutter-speed combinations from within the auto mode. The Mavica CD500's five-area multipoint AF can also evaluate five separate areas of the frame and intelligently focuses on the subject, displaying the selected focus point; or, the user can choose any of the five points for manual control.

With single, monitoring, and continuous AF modes, the photographer can optimize focusing to the situation, which is especially useful for capturing action shots. The hologram AF illuminator projects a laser pattern on the subject to artificially create contrast, even in low or no light.

Multipattern measuring independently meters the light in 49 points of the frame to establish the optimum exposure, even when highlight and shadow are not centered in the frame.

Other features include:

• Large 2.5-inch TFT LCD monitor
• Pop-up flash with auto, on, off, slow, and red-eye reduction modes
• Hot-shoe for connecting external flash or remote control
• Scene modes include twilight, twilight portrait, landscape, beach, and snow
• Two-shot burst mode and multiburst mode of 16 images at 320 x 240 pixels

Power, Size, and Contents
The camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery NP-FM50 (included). It measures 5.5 x 3.8 x 4.1 inches and weighs 1.3 pounds. This package includes the Mavica CD500 digital camera, battery and battery charger, USB and AV cables, 1 blank CD-R, 1 blank CD-RW, and CD-ROM with imaging software and USB drivers for Windows and Mac.

Product Description

Sony Mavica MVC-CD500 Battery Slim. This is a 7.2 Volt, 1000 mAh, Li-Ion Battery . Dimensions: 2.19 x 1.50 x 0.75. 100% OEM compatible.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

230 of 233 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars it's the little things that set this apart, July 9, 2003

By 

Amazon Customer "7864845763574" (Michigan USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony MVCCD500 CD Mavica 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

First i want to dispell any misconceptions: just because this is a CD-based digicam does not mean it's big, slow, loud, and a battery hog. It's not exactly tiny, but it's not huge either. It's about the same size as a 35mm SLR with a small normal lens. It's as fast, if not faster, than digicams without moving parts. You can't hear the disc spinning unless you're in a quiet room and you actually put your ear up to the camera and listen carefully. The rechargeable battery that comes with it lasts over 2 hours easy (or well over 200 shots). Not bad for a cam with a CD burner and a huge LCD.

The pros:
Carl Zeiss lens. Name brand lens known among professionals for its high quality.

Big fat beautiful LCD. Its impressive. Several people can gather around and watch movies or images taken with the camera.

It can record movies. I know a lot of digicams can do this as a bonus feature, but lets face it no one uses this feature because most digicams [are bad] at taking movies. NOT THIS ONE. it takes very good movies. so you'll actually use the movie feature. about 6 min of video (640x480) with audio on a 156MB CD. There is a good mic and good speaker (for playback).

The MENUS ARE GREAT. A lot of people overlook this detail. What do i mean? well, digicams use menus for changing settings. with most of them, the menus are confusing and stupid. like you have to dig through 2 submenus and hit ok 5 times before you can change the image size/resolution. not this camera! the menus are clear and simple and there are no submenus! even a novice can pick this up and figure it out without studying an instruction manual. for example: to change image size/resolution you simply hit the image size button push up or down (theres 5 different sizes) then thats it. also there buttons for commonly used things like changing flash mode and switching to macro (close up) mode. i also love the jog dial. this is for manual focus as well as for changing the shutter speed and aperture on the fly WITHOUT ANY... MENUS! you have to actually use the camera to appreciate how important this is.

the infolithium battery that comes with it is nice. it tells you EXACTLY how much time you have left (like 113min instead of a stupid little meaningless battery icon). if you want another battery, (strongly recommended) its expensive though. it's nice to be able to use the camera without constantly worrying about how much battery life is remaining.

CD-RW discs cost next to nothing. its very cool to be able to take a disc out and pop it into any computer to view images. it comes with usb cable and a/v cable for tv viewing. no remote control though :-(

the built-in flash is very good. range is little over 16feet. not bad at all for built-in. there's a hot shoe if youre hardcore and want to get a bigger flash.

The cons:
expensive proprietary rechargeable batteries and no streaming USB. whats streaming USB? with it you can hook up a digicam to your computer and use it as a webcam on steroids. not many digicams have this feature though. WHY?????????

you will not be disappointed with this camera. now click yes this review was helpful! >:O

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Currently Available, November 10, 2004

By 

Richard R. Carlton (Ada, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sony MVCCD500 CD Mavica 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I am a professional radiographer and photographer (25 years now) and I used both the Sony CD500, CD400, CD350, CD300, as well as a Nikon Coolpix for field research x-raying mummies in Peru. This means the cameras were pushed hard.....blowing sand, huge contrast ranges, high resolution radiographs needed, fast manual control of radical light conditions, etc.....essentially most of the tough conditions and imaging requirements you can imagine. Here's what I found:

The Sony Mavica CD500 & 300 beat them all. It's not the most expensive or the best resolution but we all thought it did the best job.

Mavica CD500: best of all....resolution, reasonable recording time, great image control for exposure, close-ups, better controls, pretty much everything

Mavica CD400: best resolution but extremely slow recording time made it impossible to work with most of the time....the CD300 often got 3-4 shots while the 400 was recording one.

Mavica CD350: not enough manual control for us, but usually got great images on automatic....some problems with exposure range for close-ups though

Mavica CD300: not the best resolution, but now that I've done some prints for publication from it's highest res setting I will not be buying any more 400s....just not a significant enough difference,
plus it's not as heavy or bulky.

Nikon Coolpix: not in the running by comparison with the Sonys....although it is more lightweight....we are buying mini CDs for 33 cents each in bulk... and getting 140-180 high res
images per CD.....they are so easy to format, initialize, and copy on any CD burner that I can't believe we even considered using memory stiks, or USB downloads.

The best features are common to both the Sony Mavica CD300 and 400 series though.....manual control of the images, excellent close up abilities, decent wide angle (which can be enhanced with add-on lenses if necessary), and both rapid video and automatic functions with night focusing for flash, etc., etc.

Finally! There is a great digital camera!

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply amazing photographs!, August 5, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Sony MVCCD500 CD Mavica 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I purchased this camera as a replacement for a Sony Mavica about 4 years old. I had a really good experience over those 4 years with the other Mavica.
Wanting to take advantage of the current technology in digital photography, I don't think I could have chosen better.
The quality of the 5mp photos is outstanding. This is a digital photograph that can really compete with film photography. I can't say enough about the clarity and detail that this captures. You'll have to see it to believe it.

I was able to install the software on my Windows XP home edition after a very quick phone call to the software mfg which is listed on the envelope. For XP - don't download the first driver on the list of options. The second option - Image Maker - is the only one you need and it installs fine. You see - the first option on the list isn't needed for Windows XP.

The storage on mini-CD's is perfect...and a much cheaper alternative to having film developed. With the USB connection, no need to remove the disc or finalize it until it is full.

In only 24 hours - I know this was a great decision. You'll love it!