CNET editors' review
-
CNET editors' rating:
stars
Good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 07/31/2001
- Updated on: 12/12/2002
A more compact Mavica
By trimming the zoom from 10X to 3X and employing a more compact, curvaceous design, Sony has made the 1.5-pound CD300 far less hefty than its predecessor, the CD1000. Still, the CD300 isn't exactly svelte. But with its fast f-2.0 Zeiss lens fully extended, the CD300 measures a manageable 4.5 inches deep.
A bright 2.5-inch, rear-mounted LCD functions as both a viewfinder and an easy-to-use menu display. Although there's no optical viewfinder, Sony makes an optional eyepiece attachment that snaps over the LCD, easing image composition by simulating a conventional camera's optical viewfinder.
You can perform many operations, such as adjusting the aperture, shutter speed, or focal distance, with the jog dial on the rear of the camera. Though it's a good concept, we think a slightly larger dial would be easier to operate. On the other hand, we like the quick-review button that lets you see the last picture you shot without switching the camera into playback mode.
Many features, mixed performance
The CD300 offers auto, aperture-priority, shutter-priority, and manual modes, as well as MPEG and clip-motion video capture. A built-in mike lets you capture sound, and a speaker allows in-the-field playback. We appreciated the ability to adjust the increments for exposure compensation in 0.3-, 0.7-, or 1.0-EV steps. The manual focus mode also proved useful, although it operates in 15 steps instead of continuously.
Continue
reading
Most helpful user reviews
- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 57 reviews
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
Submit your review
