Sony MVCCD350 CD Mavica 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

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Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2.9 x 5.4 x 3.6 inches ; 1.1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00008O35Z
• Item model number: CD350
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,385 in Camera & Photo (See Bestsellers in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 24, 2003

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Sony Mavica CD350 combines the advantages and capacity of the instant-archive CD-R/RW format with a compact size that's easy to carry with you anywhere you roam. The Mavica CD350 features a 3.2-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
The 3.2-megapixel resolution creates images up to 2,048 x 1,536 pixels, large enough to print 11-by-17-inch enlargements. Get closer to your subjects with the 3x optical zoom lens (41-123mm equivalency in 35mm photography). The Mavica CD350 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 the camera 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 CD350 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
Though simple enough for a novice, the Mavica CD350 model includes advanced multipoint autofocus and multipattern exposure systems to capture the shot properly the first time. The camera's new auto fill-flash function can even sense when a subject is in shadow and automatically fire the flash.

Other features include:

• Large 2.5-inch TFT LCD monitor
• Built-in flash with auto, on, off, slow, and red-eye reduction modes
• Scene modes include twilight, twilight portrait, landscape, beach, snow, fireworks, and fast shutter
• Two-shot burst mode and multiburst mode of 16 images sized at 320 x 240 pixels

Power, Size, and Contents
The camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery NP-FM50 (included). It measures 5.2 by 3.6 by 2.9 inches and weighs 1.2 pounds. This package includes the Mavica CD350 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

Now, 20% slimmer than previous CD Mavica models, Sony's MVC-CD350 Digital Still Camera features 3.2 megapixel resolution (effective), 3X optical/2X digital zoom, and the ability to write to affordable CD-R/RW media. Capture exceptional still images and MPEG video clips directly to convenient CDs measuring only 8 cm in diameter. And your picture-taking will get all the benefits of Sony digital imaging technology, including 3-Area Multi-Point AF (Auto-Focus) for super-sharp focus every time, and Multi-Pattern and Spot Metering AE. You also get a selectable Confirm Before Write option that allows you to preview images before writing them to disk.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An easy to use camera., June 11, 2003

By	R. Foo "tarf" (Vista, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought the Sony Mavica MVC-350 camera to compliment my Nikon film cameras. I wanted a camera to build a website and to take photos of things that did not necessarily need to be printed out on photo paper. Most of the digital cameras I found were small and the controls tiny. Or they needed a memory stick with very limited photo storage space an then these memory sticks were expensive. Some cameras are so small you can barely hold them without fear of dropping them and this is not the case for the Sony. Also battery life was also a concern as my first digital camera ate AA batteries for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Floppy disks were ok, but again, photo capacity was not very large in the higher resolution modes. That's when I found the Sony MVC-CD350. It is a 3.2 megapixel camera with a 3x lens and built-in flash. It has a CD-R/RW drive in it for high capacity storage onto a 8 cm CD-R or 8 cm CD-RW disc. The MVC-CD350 uses a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery and it's life is about 130 minutes. It was exactly what I was looking for! The picture quality and the speed of the drive is very good.

After charging the battery (it comes with one and a charger) I dropped in a CD-RW and turned on the camera. No, I did not read the manual.... I was asked to initialize the CD-RW and after a few seconds I was snapping pictures. I also discovered, on my own and not by reading the manual, that it can take MPEG movies. I will never use this mode but I know it would be a handy feature for some folks.

After filling the disk with a few dozen pictures I finalized the disk (had to read the well laid out manual) and put then it into my computer. It was very simple. The MVC-CD350 also comes with a USB cable (version 2.0 compatible) and, after installing the software on my PC, I downloaded the pictures from the camera. There were about 50 MB (or so) of photos and the transfer process went rather quickly; I'll guess 3 minutes or less.

The controls for the camera are nice size, even for my fat fingers and the layout is fairly logical. The only thing I do not care for is the location of the power button. I think it's too close to the shutter release. A friend owns the same camera and she doesn't think it's a problem, so it has to be me.

The built-in flash does a pretty good job and it has the red-eye reduction mode. You can vary the light output from the flash to from "Low/Normal/High". I call it a "party flash." You can buy a better flash from Sony but, like any powerful flash, it's big. For a party or casual use, the built-in flash seems to work fine.

The display/viewfinder on the back is bright and quite large. It measures 2" wide and 1-1/2" high. The display is of high enough resolution so you can review all pictures you have taken.

Overall I like this camera. The CD drive and rechargeable battery are big selling factors for me. Also, since it is made by Sony I know parts and service are easy enough to find.

What would I improve? The lens. I wish you could change the lens out, like an SLR type camera. The lens is ok, but I would love it if Sony had a interchangeable lens system. Otherwise, no complaints from me!

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great camera!, October 18, 2003

By	Elizabeth Josleyn "movie connoiseur" (Meridian, Idaho United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I love this camera. I don't have to develop film anymore or find a computer to remove the pictures from my camera when I am on a trip. I just need to pop in a new cd and keep on snapping! This camera takes great pictures in all kinds of light--we have beautiful pictures of sunsets and the ocean on a bright sunny day and clear pictures of us around a campfire. I don't have the problem of waiting for the camera between pictures like I had with previous digital cameras. You can also film close to an hour of mpeg movies on one disc. The battery runs practically all day, too. The only drawback I found was it was a little heavy to lug around Disneyland all day. We solved this problem by rotating it among our family members, though (everyone got to take their own pictures then, too). If you are a novice at photography like I am, this camera is for you. It is easy to learn how to use features like the zoom and flash (even without the manual) and takes nearly foolproof pictures, although you still have to remember to keep your thumb out of the way! The cds are great for storage of pictures--no more boxes of pictures that can get ruined over time or big, bulky photo albums. To anyone considering this camera, I say throw away those old rolls of film and buy this camera!

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Camera takes great photos, but be careful of the disks, October 10, 2003

By	Larry Lowenthal (Cooper City, Florida United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After a couple of years of using a Mavica 73 for web shots and a Canon 35mm for vacation photos (the serious stuff), I decided to upgrade digitally for a much higher resolution with the 350.

After taking some test shots, I realized I could trust this camera with the vacation and family photos that required superior reproduction for prints. The resolution is terrific! This is coming from someone who made money with theatrical, model, and advertising photograpy and even had a photo published in the World Book article on theater.

This is actually a computer that takes pictures and movies, and is easy to operate if you limit your technical requirements. There is very little intuitive about using the buttons & controls through series of menus, so I brought copies of the most important instruction book pages along on our cruise, and did refer to them two or three times.

Just like with the 73, the results appear much better on the LCD screen than on the monitor, so most shots needed photoshop enhancing to increase bot brightness and contrast. Of course, the corner drug store photo processors will also increase brightness, but they ordinarily do not touch contrast.

Also, several shots needed -cyan for better color balance -- just like the early 73 Mavica.

Two of my Sony disks failed in the camera, and my friend, who bought a 350 because she like mine, also lost all her photos when her Sony disk failed in the camera. The Sony tech support guy said "It happens," and sent me a replacement for the first one. But after 30 days, no more replacements. I did buy three costly re-writeable disks at $6 each from Sony on line, one failed with only 12 photos taken, but it was too late to get a replacement from Sony. "Sorry."

Luckily, I came across some software that lets users miraculously recover otherwise "lost" files on CDs and DVDs, and I was able to save nearly all the shots from disks that, when examined with Windows Explorer, showed NO FILES! I recommend non-Sony disks that are five for six dollar at retail, and the first five that I used not only worked flawlessly, but held about 30 more photos than the Sony disks. It's because of the latent possibility of such devastating disk errors that I took one star off the rating.

Also, the file transfer software supplied with the camera does not display any text, so I have to rely on using a magnifying glass to read the tiny screen captures in the instruction manual.

Neither Sony nor the software publisher's tech support could help with this stupidity, and each referred me to the other.