I have been researching digital cameras and have narrowed my choices. I like the Sony MV 81 for several reasons but am wary of the resolution. (I wish it were mega-pixel). Can anyone give me an accurate review of the pictures taken with the MV 81? Would you yeah/nay on a recommendation? Thanks in advance............

-- Jody Kind (kind@telisphere.com), December 26, 1998

Answers

We don't have anything ourselves on this, but you might try checking over on photopoint (www.photopoint.com) to see if there are any user images posted there from the MV81. Keep your fingers crossed for us - we've been working on Sony to get them to join the club here at Imaging Resource - any review couldn't happen before late January, but maybe that would still be timely for you...

-- Dave Etchells (web@imaging-resource.com), December 26, 1998.

My Son-In-Law purchased a MV81 and I had the opportunity to take about 30 pircures, mostly indoors. The camera is very well built, but I was disappointed in the pictures. A number of pictures, the subjects had a reddish skin tone, and the group pictures were dark, but the biggest problem was red eye. Most subjects had red eye or the eyes glowed. note, I did not try any other settings other than auto. For the $799 price tag I would go for the Olympus D400z of Kodak DC260.

-- Tom Colsher (twc50@prodigy.net), December 29, 1998.

Red eye is not a problem unique to the Sony FD81. ANY camera (film OR digital) will produce red eye when the flash is close to the lens. The only way to prevent red eye is to move the flash far from the lens, which is pretty hard to do in cameras with a built-in flash.

My wife's aunt just got a Canon EOS Rebel, which is a very fine picture. It has a built-in smart flash just above the lens. I looked at her first roll of processed film and EVERY picture had red eye in it. At least with a digital camera you could easily edit the red out.

-- Aaron Spurr (spurr@uni.edu), January 04, 1999.

I just got the Mavica FD-81. I do like the photo quality. I like being able to add voice message to still photos and create mpeg movie files too. I am in the process of picking a photo printer so I can print photos of my kids. I am not sure which one to get and if the quality will be like that of labs.. Hope this helps..

-- Michael Yendick (michael.yendick@eds.com), January 08, 1999.