Sony CD Mavica MVC-CD250

CNET editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.0 stars Good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 6.3 (3.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Eamon Hickey
• Reviewed on: 05/15/2002
• Updated on: 05/06/2003

A heavy, ungainly, overpriced digital camera ought to have at least one great redeeming feature. On Sony's 2-megapixel Mavica MVC-CD250, that feature is supposed to be its recording media--relatively cheap, high-capacity three-inch mini-CD-Rs and -CD-RWs that you can pop directly into most CD drives. But the camera's mediocrity easily overwhelms that small convenience. And then there's the CD250's list price, a nervy $599. With excellent, compact 2-megapixel cameras such as the PowerShot A40 and the Nikon Coolpix 775 selling for hundreds less, we can't see the merits of paying $600 for the "convenience" of using mini-CDs.A heavy, ungainly, overpriced digital camera ought to have at least one great redeeming feature. On Sony's 2-megapixel Mavica MVC-CD250, that feature is supposed to be its recording media--relatively cheap, high-capacity three-inch mini-CD-Rs and -CD-RWs that you can pop directly into most CD drives. But the camera's mediocrity easily overwhelms that small convenience. And then there's the CD250's list price, a nervy $599. With excellent, compact 2-megapixel cameras such as the PowerShot A40 and the Nikon Coolpix 775 selling for hundreds less, we can't see the merits of paying $600 for the "convenience" of using mini-CDs.

Mavica magnitude
Though small, the CD250's mini-CD media still led Sony to bolt camera parts--a lens, a grip, and an LCD--onto a CD drive. The result is a blocky 1.4-pound camera with styling by Dr. Frankenstein. It will neither impress your modish friends nor win you the thanks of your neck and shoulder. Still, the grip is comfortable, and the shutter release, the zoom control, and the main control button (a four-way rocker switch) are easy to access. The fit and finish of the camera's plastic body are good, while the buttons and the controls operate smoothly. Though acceptable overall, the CD250's control logic occasionally slowed us down. Exposure compensation and white balance, for instance, are hidden away in menus.

But what about those cheap and convenient mini-CD-Rs and -CD-RWs? They're not so handy, for starters. Our test CD worked fine with a new computer running Windows XP but could not be read when we tried it out on a slightly older PC running Windows 98 SE. On Macs, the CDs are compatible with only OS X 10.1 and higher. Why own the Quasimodo of digicams if you still can't be sure that everyone can read the pictures on your media? You can transfer photos to a Mac or a PC with the CD250's included USB cable, but you can do that with any number of sleek little eight-ounce digicams that'll nestle softly in your shirt pocket, too.

The rest of the Mavica's feature set is adequate but unexciting. The 3X zoom lens operates smoothly and silently. You can record audio clips of up to 40 seconds, and you can also capture video with sound up to the CD's capacity limit--about five minutes at the highest quality. Some useful advanced features, such as adjustable sharpening and a spot meter, are included, but others, such as manual aperture or shutter-speed control and custom white balance, are not. Continue reading

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Recent user reviews

• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 19 reviews
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• Showing 3 of 19 user reviews

• 1.0 stars

  "Can't Depend On It"

  on January 12, 2005

• 3.0 stars

  "Overall Good Camera"

  on June 23, 2004

• 2.0 stars

  "Good image, but bad performance !"

  on June 15, 2004

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Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

• alaTest.com

  Editors' rating: 77

  Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 150 reviews of Sony Mavica MVC CD250 from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 63/100 and users 85/100. Comparing these reviews to 540866 other Digital Compact Cameras reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 77/100 = Good.

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• dcresource.com

  Summary: With the new CD Mavicas, Sony is really pushing the CD-R/RW format as the value leader in digital photography. The CD250 and CD400 include over 1 gigabyte worth of storage -- 6 CD-R discs plus 1 CD-RW disc, in the box

  Read full review