The
Sony Mavica MVC-CD300 and its 2.1 megapixel version, the Mavica
CD200 are unique in their design.
Only marginally smaller than a standard 35mm SLR, the cameras' unusual
shape is a function of the space requirements of their CD-RW drives.
Aside from their difference in resolution, the major difference between
the CD200 and CD300 is the Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar lens of the CD300,
the same lens found on the DSC-S75 and DSC-S85.
They also share the use of a CD-RW drive capable of recording up
to 156MB and rely on a 2.5 inch screen as viewfinder.
The lens and the CCD aren't the only things the CD300 has in common with
the S75. The mode dial and power switch are the same — including
the various modes — and so are some of the back controls. The camera
is also fitted an accessory shoe that can be used to attach Sony's HVL-F1000
flash unit placed behind the microphone.
The
2.5 inch LCD screen dominates the back of the CD300, covering most of
the door for the CD-RW drive. The screen is backlight by a powerful light,
and features a photocell window that allows sunlight to replace the backlight,
or adds to the brightness of the screen when used in sunlight. Controls
are arranged on 3 sides of the screen. First on the left is the Focus
button: manual or autofocus; the second is exposure compensation: ±
2EV in 0.3EV increments; third is the spot meter and last the AE (auto
exposure) Lock. A Flash charging/ready LED is mounted above the centre
of the screen.
The
right side of the LCD screen supports the zoom control, placed near the
upper right so it can be reached easily. The zoom control is also used
to display thumbnails of captured photos in playback, or zoom into a photo
(5X) when pressed on the telephoto side.
It can be used to select apertures, shutter speeds and adjust exposure
compensation.
The
4 direction controller, aside from providing navigation in the menus and
control over a magnified image in playback, is also used to access four
separate function in the recording mode:
Instant
Review:
to see a just captured image.
Flash
Modes: Auto, Forced On, Forced Off.
Self
Timer: 10 second delay
Macro
Mode: On, Off.
To
simplify the use of the LCD screen under adverse lighting conditions,
Sony now offers a clip hood that fits over the LCD screen.
Using a mirrored prism the hood acts as an LCD viewfinder. The lower part
can be opened downwards while it is attached to the camera and allows
a full view of the screen.
The pop-up flash of the CD200/300 is encassed in the rounded upper part
of the body, above the CD drive. The flash pops-up automatically when
required unless the flash mode is set to the Off position.
Although the flash is small, its position, well above the lens, gives
it the ability to be used on subjects as close as 7.5 to 10 cm (3 to 4
inches) without casting an obvious shadow from the lens.
Although
a bit ungainly, the CD300 still represents an interesting and valuable
addition to the digital camera market place. It is able to operate with
either CD-R or CD-RW (a sample of each is provided with the camera) and
this gives the camera a capability that few have. Ergonomically, its drawback
is the absence of an optical viewfinder to relieve the stress on the battery,
and the relatively slow operating speed of the CD drive.
