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Sony MVC-FD97 Sony adds a Memory Stick and USB to the FD95 - No more file-compression blues! Select a topic Reference: Datasheet MVC-FD97 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-FD97 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests :(Previous) | (Next): Camera Modes & Menus>> Page 8:Operation & User Interface Review First Posted: 2/9/2001

Operation and User Interface
Like the preceding FD95, the FD97 features a lot of external control buttons and switches, but its user interface is quite easy to use once you get used to it. Despite the plethora of external buttons and controls though, the user interface still relies heavily on the LCD display or the optical viewfinder color display. Lacking a small black & white data readout, you must use one or the other of the color LCD displays when altering settings. However, both the capture and playback menus are relatively simple to navigate. Overall, the layout of the external controls makes sense, with all the optical adjustments on the side of the lens and the exposure adjustments grouped together on the side of the camera body. Once you get used to the layout, changing modes and settings is a snap.


Control Enumeration


Shutter Button: Located on the top right of the camera, this button sets the focus and exposure when pressed halfway and fires the shutter when fully pressed. When using the self-timer, the shutter button triggers the 10 second countdown.


Focus Ring: Encircling the end of the lens, this ring adjusts the focus when shooting in manual focus mode.


Zoom Lever: Positioned on the front of the hand grip, this lever controls the 10x optical zoom and the 2x digital zoom (when enabled). In Playback mode, this lever controls the amount of image enlargement, up to 5x.


Dioptric Adjustment Dial: Resting on the left side of the optical viewfinder, this dial adjusts the viewfinder to accommodate eyeglass wearers.


Pop-up Flash Button: Residing on the left side of the camera, just beneath the pop-up flash, this button releases the flash from its compartment.


Spot Meter Button: The top button in a series on the lens side of the camera, this button turns the spot metering function on and off in all capture modes.


White Balance Button: Just beneath the Spot Meter button, this button selects the white balance mode (Automatic, Indoors, Outdoors, or One-Push) to match a variety of light sources.


One-Push Button: Directly to the left of the White Balance button, this button sets the white value when in One-Push white balance mode.


Program AE Button: Located directly beneath the White Balance button, this button controls the camera's exposure mode, with the following options:

• Automatic Exposure (no icon): Puts the camera in control of both aperture and shutter speed.
• Aperture Priority: Lets you control the aperture (from f/2.8 to f/11) while the camera selects the shutter speed.
• Shutter Priority: Lets you control the shutter speed (from eight to 1/500 seconds) while the camera selects the best corresponding aperture.
• Twilight: Adjusts the aperture and shutter speed for dark settings like night skylines and fireworks.
• Twilight Plus: Performs similar functions to Twilight mode, but also increases the camera's light sensitivity.
• Landscape: Sets focus for far away subjects.
• Panfocus: Allows for quick focusing of far away or close-up subjects.

Program AE +/- Buttons: Located to the left of the Program AE button, these buttons adjust exposure settings such as the aperture and shutter speed, depending on the exposure mode selected.


Macro Button: Marked with the traditional macro flower symbol on the lens barrel side of the camera, this button places the camera in Macro mode. Pressing the button a second time disables the mode.


Focus Switch: To the right of the Macro button, this switch shifts between Auto and Manual focus modes.


Steady Shot Switch: Resting alongside the Focus switch, this switch turns the Steady Shot function on and off.


Play/Still/Movie Switch: Dominating the top right corner of the back control panel, this switch selects between Playback, Still, and Movie capture modes.


LCD On/Off Button: Located at the top of the curve on the left side of the LCD panel, this button turns both the LCD monitor on and off.


Volume Buttons: Lined up beneath the LCD button, these buttons control the camera's volume level and are marked with plus and minus symbols.


Flash Button: Situated at the bottom left corner of the LCD monitor, this button controls the flash mode:

• Auto (no icon): Puts the camera in control of the flash mode.
• Red-Eye Reduction (eyeball symbol): Fires a small pre-flash before firing the full flash to reduce the Red-Eye Effect.
• Forced (lightning bolt): The flash always fires, regardless of light levels.
• Suppressed (lightning bolt with slash): The flash never fires, regardless of lighting conditions.

Power Switch: Just beneath the LCD monitor, this sliding switch turns the camera on and off. The small green pushbutton in the center of the power switch is a safety interlock that insures the switch will only actuate when your finger is on it. When the camera is switched on, the green LED next to this switch lights solid.


Display Button: Directly to the right of the power switch, this button turns the information display of the LCD monitor and optical viewfinder on or off.


Rocker Toggle Control: Located below the LCD monitor, this control has four arrows that navigate through menu screens in both playback and capture modes. Pressing the center of the button confirms menu selections. In any camera mode, pressing the up arrow displays the settings menu on the LCD, while pressing the down arrow dismisses it. In Playback mode, the left and right arrows actuate the scroll bar on the LCD display that scrolls through captured images. Also in Playback mode, when a captured image has been enlarged, the arrow keys move the display to show various regions of the image.


MS / FD Switch: Positioned just above the Memory Stick compartment, this sliding switch determines which media the camera will record images to, with "MS" referring to Memory Stick and "FD" referring to the floppy disk.


Disk Eject Lever: Also just above the Memory Stick compartment, on the very edge of the back panel, this sliding lever ejects the 3.5 inch diskette.


Open Batt Switch: Tucked in the center of the battery compartment cover, this switch unlocks and opens the battery compartment.