Rating: 
Summary: a good start
Review: I use this camera at work and post the pictures on the company's intranet site. The floppy disks are very convienent for inter-office exchanges, and it is not difficult to carry around a few extra floppies when you're on the move and want to take a lot of pictures. I had no trouble at all learning how to use the camera and had taken a picture, imported it onto my computer, and posted it on the internet in about 5 - 10 minutes. It is pretty durable too - I dropped it off the back of a speeding golf cart and it was fine afterwards (phew). However, as time went on, I found the picture quality average at best. The camera does not take reliable shots, and the quality can vary from excellent to extremely poor. I know how to use a camera and how to take what should be a good shot, but too often the pictures end up fuzzy or over/under exposed. I can get better quality taking non-digital pictures and scanning them in (although this takes considerably longer). Also - the zoom feature is useful, but like many zooms, does not quite provide a focused shot.
My advice: if you're just starting out and looking for a quick and very easy way to take digital pictures, this camera is a good choice. If you have any experience with digital cameras or even a regular 35mm, look to spend a little bit more, and get a lot more quality for your money. You may lose that 10x zoom and some of the easy-to-use features, but I think it is worth the sacrifice.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic Camera
Review: This is the most exciting camera in it's price range that I have ever owned! The LCD is large enough to easily view the pictures that are taken. And the convenience of the floppy disk storage is worth noting. An average of 23 pictures taken in the "fine" mode can be stored on each disk. One can easily access the photos taken, by simply inserting the disk into the PC's disk drive for viewing and editing with the software included. It is not necessary to take up space on the hard drive for storage, as each disk can be labeled and retained for future viewing and use. The picture quality is magnificient both indoor and outdoor... The subject as viewed is the resulting photo. Each photo is easily attached to e-mail for shared viewing. Superior product - easy to use!
Rating: 
Summary: If you like hard copies...this camera isn't for you
Review: Given camera as a gift, and as a novice is incredibly easy to use. However...I quickly discovered (after spending nearly $100 on prints) that obtaining quality 4x6 prints is not an option. In order to get decent resolution I am limited to wallet sized pictures. Bottom line??? If you prefer to thumb through a photo album years later, strongly consider a different camera with higher mega pixels.
Rating:
Summary: Good, not great
Review: For entry level digital photography, you could do far worse than the Mavica. What sold me initially, aside from the very reasonable price, was that it used floppy discs instead of internal storage. What this means is that if you have a pocket full of discs you can take pictures all day without ever having to download to your PC. It also means you don't have to worry about a free parallel, serial or USB port, which, if you're a peripheral junkie like me, is reason enough to give serious consideration to this camera.On the downside - yes, there is one - the resolution is not what you might hope for. When used at normal size, the pics are fine, not great. They're useable. When you try to increase the size to 5x7 or 8x10, the results are disastrous. The other downside is that the flash will frequently wash out the entire picture, but the camera does not function well indoors with available light. You really have to fiddle with your settings to get this right. Sometimes it's just not possible. So, do I recommend this camera? Yes, with reservations. If you're looking for high quality output and you have the bucks to spare, then look elsewhere. But if you want a decent camera for a reasonable price, particularly for outdoor use, check out the Mavica.
Rating: 
Summary: Has major flaws
Review: The camera is convenient with the ability to store photos directly to floppy disk, and this is quite fun for a time, until you realize that: the camera is bulky and heavy and not only do youhave to carry the camera around, but also a number of floppy disks, extra battery and any accessories. The resolution is awful. You end up with grainy, blurry photos. Printing a photo is just not an option. The quality is too awful. You need more MP for that. The camera has a very long delay. You will hold your finger down for five to ten seconds to take the picture. By the time the camera takes the picture, most likely whatever you were trying to capture is gone, and if it is a posed person then you end up with a fake looking uncomfortable pose. The colors turn out shadowy and they highlight all the bad things. If your model has dark circles under the eyes, they now look like tires. There are simply too many faults to this camera. It may be suitable for very casual use, like snapshots of the family petsor a vacation but if you want GOOD pictures, this is not the camera.
Rating:
Summary: good but not great camera
Review: The Sony Mavica was my first color digital camera. Although I took a lot of pictures with it, I eventually bought another digital camera. The biggest problems with the Mavica are. 1. The resolution - 640 by 480 just isn't good enough. If you do any photo editing at all, the quality suffers because of the low resolution. You need at least a 1200 by 800-1000 resolution, preferably more. 2. The LCD is too hard to use, especially in strong light. You really need a viewfinder. 3. The floppys just don't store enough. If you go on vacation, you need to carry a bunch of extra floppies in your pocket. On the plus side, the battery life and 10x zoom are great. But that just doesn't make up for the weaknesses mentioned above. Do your self a favor and get camera with better resolution - and maybe you'll only have to buy one. P.S. I traded up to a Kodak DC260 and like it fine.
Rating:
Summary: Nice pics!
Review: If you are looking for easy storage of pictures without the hassle of uploading them to your PC, this is the camera for you. It is big and bulky. Pictures are terrific, cam is easy to use. Best: Easy to use.
Worst: Big & Bulky.
Rating:
Summary: FD 73 - Best Camera I've Had
Review: I have had the FD 73 for three years now. When it was brand new, my wife got hit by a wave at the tip of Cabo San Lucas with the camera around her neck. The camera was in a case but the wave was so strong, water and sand actually got in the camera. We dried it out and it didn't affect camera function at all. That was a huge relief because three years ago this camera sold for $500. I use it at work a lot to take pictures at office functions. Everyone is amazed I can pop the disc in any computer and email or print the pictures instantly. I have used it on vacations outside the US in Internet Cafe's to email pictures home. It's best features are it's so easy to use and you can view the pictures on any computer anywhere in the world simply by inserting the floppy disc. The only problem I have had with the camera is getting consistent picture quality in very light or very dark settings. That may be operator error but after three years it still happens. I have looked at upgrading to a MVC with more megapixels but I have learned for each feature you add you lose some of the simplicity of the FD73.
Rating:
Summary: It has been a good three years.
Review: This camera was a gift to me by my parents before I set off to study abroad in Japan three years ago. It was given to me with the promise that I would email photos back home on a frequent basis. Since then I have spent two years in Japan and have taken over 12,000 photos with the Mavica. It is extremely durable -- I have dropped it at least a half-dozen times from a standing height, and has been exposed to mist and humidity countless times -- and it still functions perfectly to this day. The function of the floppy disk easily makes it the most convenient camera for email and quick uploading. Though because of the size it is to accommodate the floppy disk, the camera is a little on the bulky size. And the zoom is incredible! The 10x optical zoom is still the function that has most impressed people who have seen the photos I have taken. Yes, the camera has poor picture resolution compared to most cameras on the market, and it has been the one function that has frustrated me when I wish to take detailed photos, but the camera has served me well; a great rough and tumble digital camera. Ultra convenient and superb in LCD viewing with quality and speed (most cameras have a jerky reaction to movement when viewing, not this camera), this is a perfect camera for a person new to digital cameras or needs one for quick and snappy photography. I would have rated it 5 stars, but with the plethora of cameras out there today, this camera's glory days are over.
Rating:
Summary: Good for on screen uses
Review: I originally brought this camera to take pictures of my artist teddy bears so I could put photos of them online for customers. For this purpose, the Sony MVC-FD73 is perfect -- handy zoom, great battery life, easy to hold, lots of neat little picture adjustment features. However ... as soon as I started having photos printed from this camera, I was hugely disappointed. The resolution simply is not good enough. The pictures are grainy and pixelized. If you want a digital camera for online work only, this baby will do great. But for your photo album, you'd be adviced to look elsewhere.
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