Rating: 
Summary: coulda had better for same or just a little more money...
Review: The main advantage of this camera is its memory format: a mini-CD you can just put into your computer's CD-ROM player for easy downloading of pics onto your PC, plus each [$$} disk can hold a lot more pics than most overpriced Memory Stick. Disadvantages: bulky (same size and weight as normal SLR camera), no viewfinder, the functions are not easy to adjust (Pentax and Canon still win the easy-to-use contest, and the lens is a mediocre no-name with the Sony label stamped on it. My recommendation is pay a little more for the same Sony disk-style digital cameras that come with the German lenses (I think Carl Zeiss or something like that) if you don't mind the bulk and like the disk format, otherwise Panasonic has a good digital camera for about the same price with a Leica lens and one extra megapixel (3.0 total) resolution.
Rating:
Summary: 5 Star Professional, 4 Star Amateur
Review: The Mavica CD-250 is a great little camera. For the professional it is a complete solution. For the amateur it falls just short of being a complete solution, due to the badly executed software that comes with it. Although I got this camera mere hours before leaving on a professional assignment, Day One I was fully productive. Despite the fact this is my first digital camera I learned how to make it do everything I wanted with hardly any tears or frustration. At the end of the day I was solidly sold on digital photography. (Good thing, considering the bucks I had invested!) I bought this camera to be a high-end point-and-shoot unit. The 2 MegaPixel resolution is perfectly adequate for any kind of snapshot photography. The CD-R drive was a feature I decided I HAD to have. CD-R discs are SO cheap they can be used as throw-aways. I could carry gigabytes worth of storage with me for a twenty-dollar investment. Their versatility and portability makes them vastly superior to the memory-chips other digital cameras use. And they are great as an archival storage medium -- much like having the negatives from a conventional photo shoot. One major advantage of shooting on CD-R discs is you can have several disks in use at one time, each one devoted to a different subject. It's not like film where removing a partially-used roll and reloading it at a later date is tricky and risky. Since you can 'Finalize' a CD-R many times you can store several 'shoots' on one disc. Each time you 'Finalize' a disk you do waste some storage space, but CD-R's are so cheap it costs you pennies at most. The convenience in helping to keep your shots organized is well worth the cost. A feature of the Mavica I have only just learned to use is the zoom/pan/scan ability of the camera's display screen. Because you can zoom a stored image on the display, you can see any piece of your shot at high resolution. This is extremely handy in making sure you've gotten a properly focused image, and that the detail you wanted was actually captured. It's much, much more convenient than having a PC standing by so you can check your images on a high-pixel-count screen. I had posted an earlier version of this review that complained about the InfoLithium battery fully discharging in less than a week while the camera sat idle. Whatever caused that problem has not recurred. The battery DOES discharge slowly, as the manual says, but it has been losing only minutes of charge per week. The manual does suggest removing the battery if you are going to store the camera for a while. But if you are going to use the camera every week or three, this shouldn't be necessary. There may have been something I left turned on that flattened the battery faster than normal. To date I have not figured out what that might have been. One concern remains -- the software that comes with the Mavica CD-250. As a digital photography newbie I find it incomprehensible. There is no manual. There are no on-screen prompts. Not even a 'Read Me' file. There are just a bunch of icons that offer no explanations as to what they are or what they do. A quick-start pamphlet would be a major improvement. But frankly, I'll go shopping for some better software rather than try to deal with a package that was so clearly an ill-designed afterthought. My advice. If you are looking for a point-and-shoot digital camera the Mavica CD-250 should be on your short list. It is a versatile camera made even better by the CD-R recording system. The software is a throw-away, but then there are lots of excellent aftermarket software packages available at all levels of sophistication and pricing. Your PC should not need any additional software to display, file or transmit your photos. Shop for better aftermarket software at your convenience. Ed Bianchi
Rating:
Summary: 5 Star Professional, 4 Star Amateur
Review: The Mavica CD-250 is a great little camera. For the professional it is a complete solution. For the amateur it falls just short of being a complete solution, due to the badly executed software that comes with it. Although I got this camera mere hours before leaving on a professional assignment, Day One I was fully productive. Despite the fact this is my first digital camera I learned how to make it do everything I wanted with hardly any tears or frustration. At the end of the day I was solidly sold on digital photography. (Good thing, considering the bucks I had invested!) I bought this camera to be a high-end point-and-shoot unit. The 2 MegaPixel resolution is perfectly adequate for any kind of snapshot photography. The CD-R drive was a feature I decided I HAD to have. CD-R discs are SO cheap they can be used as throw-aways. I could carry gigabytes worth of storage with me for a twenty-dollar investment. Their versatility and portability makes them vastly superior to the memory-chips other digital cameras use. And they are great as an archival storage medium -- much like having the negatives from a conventional photo shoot. One major advantage of shooting on CD-R discs is you can have several disks in use at one time, each one devoted to a different subject. It's not like film where removing a partially-used roll and reloading it at a later date is tricky and risky. Since you can 'Finalize' a CD-R many times you can store several 'shoots' on one disc. Each time you 'Finalize' a disk you do waste some storage space, but CD-R's are so cheap it costs you pennies at most. The convenience in helping to keep your shots organized is well worth the cost. A feature of the Mavica I have only just learned to use is the zoom/pan/scan ability of the camera's display screen. Because you can zoom a stored image on the display, you can see any piece of your shot at high resolution. This is extremely handy in making sure you've gotten a properly focused image, and that the detail you wanted was actually captured. It's much, much more convenient than having a PC standing by so you can check your images on a high-pixel-count screen. I had posted an earlier version of this review that complained about the InfoLithium battery fully discharging in less than a week while the camera sat idle. Whatever caused that problem has not recurred. The battery DOES discharge slowly, as the manual says, but it has been losing only minutes of charge per week. The manual does suggest removing the battery if you are going to store the camera for a while. But if you are going to use the camera every week or three, this shouldn't be necessary. There may have been something I left turned on that flattened the battery faster than normal. To date I have not figured out what that might have been. One concern remains -- the software that comes with the Mavica CD-250. As a digital photography newbie I find it incomprehensible. There is no manual. There are no on-screen prompts. Not even a 'Read Me' file. There are just a bunch of icons that offer no explanations as to what they are or what they do. A quick-start pamphlet would be a major improvement. But frankly, I'll go shopping for some better software rather than try to deal with a package that was so clearly an ill-designed afterthought. My advice. If you are looking for a point-and-shoot digital camera the Mavica CD-250 should be on your short list. It is a versatile camera made even better by the CD-R recording system. The software is a throw-away, but then there are lots of excellent aftermarket software packages available at all levels of sophistication and pricing. Your PC should not need any additional software to display, file or transmit your photos. Shop for better aftermarket software at your convenience. Ed Bianchi
Rating: 
Summary: Super Digital Camera
Review: These Mavicas are the best in my book. They are easy to use, take excellent pictures and record to disks that are cheap and durable. What more do you need? I love the fact that you can nearly take it from the box and figure the camera out on your own. The effects that you can use are really fun and look good. I've bought 5 of these for work, and they are shared among about 35 people comprising all levels of computer and camera literacy. They are pretty durable, and everyone has been able to figure them out.
Rating:
Summary: Stop Looking-Here it is!
Review: These Mavicas are the best in my book. They are easy to use, take excellent pictures and record to disks that are cheap and durable. What more do you need? I love the fact that you can nearly take it from the box and figure the camera out on your own. The effects that you can use are really fun and look good. I've bought 5 of these for work, and they are shared among about 35 people comprising all levels of computer and camera literacy. They are pretty durable, and everyone has been able to figure them out.
Rating:
Summary: This is awesome!
Review: This camera is awesome. The pictures are crisp. The ability to see them as you take them is easy. You can easily hook the camera up to a TV is 5 seconds to show everyone or you can hook it up to your computer and print pictures in less than a minute. I have taken up to 134 pictures on one disc at 1600x1200 image size. You can also shoot movies with this camera. Not to mention that discs go for only $0.50 each so you can have bunches of these and not have to download everything on you computer. Memory cards with less memory than one disc cost $80.00 each. Thanks---->Dean Wathen
Rating:
Summary: I don't know how I've lived without it!
Review: This is an awesome camera for families and those who just love to take pictures. I prefer the CD because dealing with downloading from a memory stick is time consuming unless you're downloading to a laptop. I prefer the CD. This camera isn't all that heavy. In fact, I've not put it down since UPS brought it to my door. I'm constantly capturing pictures of my two small sons. I don't have to say WE'RE OUT OF FILM anymore. I prefer this camera to memory sticks because I like the idea of inserting a CD to just grab what I want. There are no cords to plug in and pull out each time. It's 2 megapixels, and that' really enough for me. You can shoot in several different modes, black and white, and even four different sizes. I don't miss having a viewfinder either. In fact, the LCD screen makes taking pictures that much more fun. Finally, what I most enjoy about this camera is being able to record short movies (sound and every movement) in crisp, clear color. I'll be sending our Christmas skits to family on the east coast easily this year. This camera is worth the money you'll put into it. You can get a really great deal on it in a lot of places. Shop around, and if you purchase by Jan. you can get your fifty dollar rebate. Happy shooting.
Rating:
Summary: Great Camera
Review: This is my first digital camera and I am glad I waited. I am just an average guy who had always used a basic 35mm for vacation & family photos and, while I had considered digital cameras for quite some time - I was not quite convinced and was somewhat confused by the variety of cameras and storage media. This camera changed my mind and convinced me that "digital" is the way to go.
While the Sony CD-250 is not the top of the line in terms of ghee-whiz features, for a non-technical person I have found it to be just superb. The CD's (CD-R & CD-RW) are durable and have more than ample storage, the camera is easy to use, it produces great shots, has a solid feel (same size as a typical 35mm camera) and has a good battery life. Downloading and attaching photos to e-mail or posting to the Sony photo site is quite easy. In short, I am very pleased.
In my opinion, for the casual camera user who has been considering a digital camera, take a look at the the Sony CD series of cameras - I think you will be pleased.
Rating:
Summary: Great Camera
Review: This is my first digital camera and I am glad I waited. I am just an average guy who had always used a basic 35mm for vacation & family photos and, while I had considered digital cameras for quite some time - I was not quite convinced and was somewhat confused by the variety of cameras and storage media. This camera changed my mind and convinced me that "digital" is the way to go.
While the Sony CD-250 is not the top of the line in terms of ghee-whiz features, for a non-technical person I have found it to be just superb. The CD's (CD-R & CD-RW) are durable and have more than ample storage, the camera is easy to use, it produces great shots, has a solid feel (same size as a typical 35mm camera) and has a good battery life. Downloading and attaching photos to e-mail or posting to the Sony photo site is quite easy. In short, I am very pleased.
In my opinion, for the casual camera user who has been considering a digital camera, take a look at the the Sony CD series of cameras - I think you will be pleased.
Rating:
Summary: Ideal camera for quick on-site viewing.
Review: This is one of my more favorite cameras. I personally have the MVC-CD300 however this camera has nothing to laugh about. It's 2MP resolution makes it ideal for both printing on glossy of matte finishings, granted it does have a little graininess here and there however most digital cameras do until it reaches anything past 4MP. It is also ideal for internet usage, the pictures it saves are not to big for a dial-up user to download if you send them an e-mail with picture attachments taken by this camera. It's 3x optical zoom lens is standerd for most digital cameras and I was never fond of digital zoom since it really is not a zoom anyway. Naturely I love the cd option the best. Even though the cd size is half of that of a regular cd, it will still fit in ANY computer cd tray so you don't have to worry about compatibility. The only compatibility you have to worry about is if your computer can support both video and jpeg files alike. The cds are very cost effective. A 156mb cd can cost anywhere between [amt] and [amt]. This may seem a lot for a cd however when you consider the fact that a compact flash, smart media or SD card with a 128mb card can cost between [amt] and [amt], it really seems like a deal, and the CD-RWs naturaly are reusable. It also has the movie taking feature which I love entirely. My Dad recorded my entire High School graduation ceremony with one cd. Granted the resolution was not top notch but when you consider the fact that you can record over an hour of footage non-stop and potentialy burn it onto a DVD (depending on what burner you have) the possibilities with this camera are endless.
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