Mavica Camera
Mavica
By Anne Ahira
The Mavica was a brand of camera introduced in the early 80’s by electronics giant Sony. It was the first electronic camera ever released though it was not a digital. These cameras used a 2 floppy disc to store images on and are considered the pioneer technology for today’s digital cameras.
As time progressed, Mavica began to offer different storage options such as memory sticks and finally in 2000 they offered a device that used an 8 cm CD-R/CD-RW. A few years later the Mavica line of cameras was discontinued but that does not mean you will not be able to find a few of them still floating around.
As late as 2006 customers were still purchasing the Mavica camera and accessories, even though at this point they are considered ancient.
Mavica- FD-200
One such model is the Mavica FD-200; this is a camera using floppy disk or a memory stick to store your images.
Features
- 2 mega pixels
- 3x optical/ 2x digital zoom
- Memory stick or floppy disk (not included)
- USB connection
- PC or MAC compatible
- Lithium ion battery- rechargeable
- 2.5 inch color display
Pros
One unique feature of this Mavica camera is the lithium ion battery; it is actually an info battery. What this means is it displays on screen the amount of battery life you have left in minutes, not the standard set of green bars that really tell you nothing about how long you have left to shoot.
Since the floppy discs the Mavica camera was initially created to use are practically non-existent now, it is good that the camera has the ability to store images on a memory stick. To retrieve your photos you simply connect the camera to you computer via the USB cord that comes with it.
There seems to be some disagreement on whether this is an excellent professional camera or a simple beginners camera. It is safe to say with the advancement in technology it probably will not stack up to the current 8-10 mega pixels offered by most digital cameras.
Cons
You would think for the age and status of the Mavica camera that the price would be reasonable. Think again, the only way you will get a good price for this camera is if you buy a used one. A new one retails for over $900 on Amazon!
Bottom Line
If you have one and need accessories for it, they are readily available on Amazon and similar sites, however if you are in the market for a new camera it would be a pass for the Mavica. It had its day in the sun and that day has long since passed, nevertheless should you want to purchase it as a piece of history try to find a Mavica that is used or refurbished.
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