Sony Mavica CD200 Review
Sony MVC-CD200
Introduction & Physical Views
Full review posted 7/21/01
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Click on the CD200 to take a QuickTime VR tour Just when it seemed like we had seen all the new cameras Sony had to offer, they go and announce two more Mavicas. The $999 MVC-CD300 and $799 MVC-CD200 are the latest Sony cameras to employ the spacious and economical CompactDisc storage technology. Last year's MVC-CD1000 was the first digital camera to use a miniature CD-Recorder instead of a floppy disk or a flash memory card. This year's Mavica CD300 and CD200 take that a step further, they're equipped with newly designed CD-Rewritable drives that can take both CD-R and CD-RW discs. The CD300 and CD200 are very similar on the outside and differ by the resolution of their CCD imager (CD300 uses a 3.3-megapixel and the CD200 uses a 2.1-megapixel sensor), the lens (CD300 employs a Carl Zeiss 3x Vario Sonnar zoom and the CD200 has a Sony 3x (37-119mm 35mm equiv) aspherical zoom, and the CD300's 3fps burst mode and AE Bracketing feature.  Both cameras uses a 14-bit A/D converter allowing for more accurate capture of detail. The focusing system is equipped with an AF illuminator to adjust focus in poor lighting situations. The CD200 has expanded manual controls. Aperture priority lets the photographer decide depth of field, or how much of the scene is in focus. Shutter priority lets the photographer choose shutter speed to freeze action appropriately and, with full-manual control, both aperture and shutter speeds can be adjusted to best fit picture needs. The InfoLithium® "M" series battery allows for up to 3,000 shots on a single charge. Sony MVC-CD200 Features:
Physical Views    
  The 3-megapixel Sony MVC-CD300 and the 2-megapixel MVC-CD200. |
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Page Two
MVC-CD200 Specifications
| Imager | 1/2.7" 2.1-megapixel CCD |
| Image Sizes | Still: 1600x1200, 1600(3:2) 1024x768, 640x480 MPEG: 320x240 and 160x120 ClipMotion GIF: 160x120 and 80x72 |
| Recording Formats | Still: JPEG, TIFF, GIF Movie: MPEG EX (160x112 or 320x240 @ 8fps up to 90 secs) MPEG HQ (160x112 or 320x240 @ 16fps preset lengths of 5, 10 15sec) |
| A/D Conversion | 14-bit DXP |
| Lens | Sony 3X F2.8-3.9 6.1-18.3mm (39-117mm 35mm equiv) 37mm filter threads |
| Focus | Contrast Detect w/AF illuminator light Autofocus 19.7" to infinity Macro AF 1.2" minimum 13-step Manual focus |
| ISO Sensitivity | Auto, 100, 200, 400 |
| White Balance | Auto, Outdoor, Indoor, One-Push Custom |
| Exposure Metering | Center-weighted Averaging or Spot |
| Shutter Priority Range | 8 sec to 1/800 sec in 39 steps |
| Aperture Priority Range | F2.8-11.0 in 13 steps |
| Manual Exposure | Yes with EV indicator |
| Program AE | Twilight, Landscape or Portrait |
| Exposure Compensation | +/- 2.0EV in 1/3EV increments |
| In-Camera Sharpening | +/- 2 in 1 step increments |
| Flash Modes | Auto, Forced, Redeye, Off |
| Flash Level Adjustment | Auto, High, Low |
| Flash Range | 1 to 8.2 feet |
| External Flash | Optional HVL-F1000 via ACC port and flash shoe |
| Color LCD | 2.5-inch 123,000 pixels TFT w/backlight and solar-assist window |
| Playback Zoom | 1.1 to 5X in 17 steps |
| Playback Index | 9 frames |
| Review / Quick Delete | Yes / Yes |
| Trimming / Resizing | Yes / Yes |
| MPEG 6X Cue/Review | Yes, EX or HQ |
| Storage Supplied | 8cm (3-in) CD-R and CD-RW disc |
| Connections | Video, USB, AC power, ACC flash port |
| Battery Supplied | InfoLITHIUM NP-FM50 w/AC-L10 charger & AC supply |
| Supplied Software | MGI PhotoSuite 8.1, MGI PhotoSuite SE 1.1 Sony SPVD-004 USB driver |
| Dimensions | 5-5/80 x 3-5/8 x 3-1/2 inches 143 x 92 x 89 mm |
| Weight (w/out battery) | 22.0 oz (610 g) |
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