Sony MVC-FD200 Mavica

With several friends and family members using the Microsoft TV Photo Viewer system as our main picture-viewing device, a camera that can record 640 X 480 images directly to a floppy disk is the perfect tool to take to any kind of social gathering. Not only can we all comfortably view the pictures immediately on a large screen, the camera will make disk copies itself so the images can be shared with anyone who wants a copy with no computer required (really nice for picnics and camping trips). Pictures recorded to the floppy can also be copied over to the memory stick, and look very nice on a high definition television with a built-in memory stick reader. Large enough and comfortable enough to hand-hold securely even at rather long shutter speeds, I've gotten dandy pictures even in dim museums with the flash off. Picture quality at 640 X 480 looks great whether on a screen or when made into 4 X 6 prints. Macro focusing to 1 3/16 inches opens up a lot of possibilities. I've even adapted an old Praktica slide copier for use with the FD200 and gotten fine results with much less time and effort than using a scanner. Very easy to use; logically arranged controls and menu system; most settings (such as flash mode, program mode, exposure compensation, focus setting, ISO, etc) stay where you put them even when the camera has been turned off (I've used some cameras that irritatingly return to factory defaults every time they're shut down). I've only had it for a month, but this camera is really a lot of fun to use. After seeing my FD200 in use, two other family members have bought them and are highly satisfied.

floppy disk storage; memory stick option; comfortable size and shape; macro fosusing to 1 3/16 inches; ability to write to and from either media; makes disk copies in camera; high picture quality even at 640 X 480 resolution and standard compression (to give about 30 pictures on a single floppy disk)

can't choose standard compression when recording directly to memory stick (limited to "fine"); need to be more careful in backlit situations as the lens is a little more prone to flare than that on my Leica digital

I also own a Leica Digilux 1, a few Exakta and Contax 35mm SLR's and lenses, a Zeiss Ikoflex twin-lens reflex camera, Minox and Olympus pocket-sized cameras, and have used many other film and digital cameras.

Not needed as yet.