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Sony MVC-FD87 Sony announces an affordable 1.3-megapixel digicam with basic features, good quality pictures, and a dual-media storage drive! Select a topic Reference: Datasheet MVC-FD87 Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments on MVC-FD87 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Viewfinder :(Previous) | (Next): Exposure & Flash>> Page 5:Optics Review First Posted: 5/4/2001

Optics
The FD87 is equipped with a 3x, 6.1-18.3mm zoom lens (39-117mm equivalent on a 35mm camera) with a maximum aperture ranging from f/2.8-f/2.9, depending on the zoom setting. The f/2.8 maximum aperture makes the FD87's lens quite "fast," because the larger aperture allows in more light -- a plus when shooting in low light or photographing fast-paced action (which requires a faster shutter speed). The larger aperture is also good for portrait shots, because its limited depth of field helps to isolate the subject against a slightly blurred background.

A series of 37mm filter threads on the inside lip of the lens allows you to attach accessory filters and lenses to extend the lens' capabilities.

The 2x Precision Digital Zoom is turned on and off through the Record menu. When engaged, it effectively extends the camera's zoom range to 6x. Quality is always an issue with digital telephoto, as the camera is simply enlarging the central portion of the image and thereby decreasing the image quality (resulting in higher noise levels and lower resolution). We've always been fans of Sony's Precision Digital Zoom, however, because it manages to enlarge the image while maintaining fairly good detail and low noise. Though it's no substitute for true optical zoom, the Precision Digital Zoom does a pretty good job.

Focus on the FD87 ranges from 9.84 inches (25 cm) to infinity in normal mode at wide angle, and from 1.18 to 19.2 inches (3 to 50 cm) in Macro mode at the wide-angle setting. Though it doesn't offer a true manual focus option, the FD87 does feature several fixed focus settings, each controlled by the Focus button on the back panel (just below the LCD monitor). Pressed sequentially, the button cycles through Autofocus (no icon), Macro, 0.5m, 1.0m, 3.0m, 7.0m, and Infinity settings. A green dot in the top portion of the LCD monitor blinks while the camera is focusing and glows a steady green when the focus is set.

There are two quick-focus modes among the Program AE selections -- Landscape and Panfocus -- that allow you to preset specific focusing distances for fast shooting situations. Landscape sets focus at infinity for faraway subjects, while Panfocus sets the zoom position on wide-angle and locks the focus. (The Sony manuals aren't too clear on exactly what "Panfocus" does, however, it appears to set the lens to a smaller aperture and the focal distance to the lens' "hyperfocal" distance, where everything beyond a given distance is in focus.) We can see how these modes would be helpful at kids' soccer games and other sporting events, when the fast-paced action doesn't give you much time to fool with focus.

One quirk we've observed with the FD87 and other Mavica models is that the camera momentarily "freezes" the viewfinder display whenever the shutter button is halfway pressed. This is a significant issue when shooting action subjects, as a lot can happen in the few tenths of a second while the display is either frozen or transitioning between modes. Without special handling, this makes the camera decidedly less valuable when shooting sports action and other fast-changing subjects. There is somewhat of a workaround to this problem, however. You can half-press and hold the shutter button prior to the action you want to capture, then fire the shutter when the moment arrives. Focus and exposure are locked at the moment the shutter button is initially depressed, but the response time is much faster when you actually take the picture. You can also set the focus at the Infinity setting, or use the Panfocus Program AE mode. While this isn't necessarily a fatal flaw, it is one we'd very much like to see corrected.

Optical distortion on the FD87 is moderately high at the wide-angle end, as we measured an approximate 0.69 percent barrel distortion during our testing. The telephoto end fared only slightly better, as we measured an approximate 0.5 percent pincushion distortion. Chromatic aberration is low, showing about two or three very faint pixels of coloration on either side of the target lines. (This distortion is visible as a very slight colored fringe around the objects at the edges of the field of view on the resolution target.)