Sony Digital Mavica: 1997 Floppy Disk Camera Experience
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Date: 2022-04-14
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Comments and reviews: 10
seir323
My mom had one of these! I think the FD-75, because I remember the zoom, and the extra little green button on the power button. She was selling stuff on eBay at the time, and so this was a godsend. Instead of taking film photos to be developed and put on CD, it was just so direct. I looked these cameras up, because my boyfriend thought there was no way this could be real lol, with the sizes of images vs storage available on a floppy. But they totally were! And I'm glad to see the images you took with these - they are still surprisingly good, given the tech/time. I think we used it as our default home digital camera for AAGESS, probably almost a decade? or at least half of one, before my my mom got a better camera. I didn't get a new one til 2007 when I went to art school, and I broke the screen on it, so got a secondhand konica minolta that was probably just as sluggish as the old mavica, but used AA batteries hahaha.
I think it came up in conversation, because I was talking to him about how easy it is now, to go straight to digital coloring from an analog drawing - I can just snap it with my phone and download it to work in a program, whereas back in the day, I'd be holding my pictures up to the glass of the storm door, taking a picture with this floppy disk camera, and then spending a lot of time to make it look good, before we had a scanner.
It's nuts how things have improved, but I appreciate the quality and practicality of the older tech to get shit done, and do it well!
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My mom had one of these! I think the FD-75, because I remember the zoom, and the extra little green button on the power button. She was selling stuff on eBay at the time, and so this was a godsend. Instead of taking film photos to be developed and put on CD, it was just so direct. I looked these cameras up, because my boyfriend thought there was no way this could be real lol, with the sizes of images vs storage available on a floppy. But they totally were! And I'm glad to see the images you took with these - they are still surprisingly good, given the tech/time. I think we used it as our default home digital camera for AAGESS, probably almost a decade? or at least half of one, before my my mom got a better camera. I didn't get a new one til 2007 when I went to art school, and I broke the screen on it, so got a secondhand konica minolta that was probably just as sluggish as the old mavica, but used AA batteries hahaha.
I think it came up in conversation, because I was talking to him about how easy it is now, to go straight to digital coloring from an analog drawing - I can just snap it with my phone and download it to work in a program, whereas back in the day, I'd be holding my pictures up to the glass of the storm door, taking a picture with this floppy disk camera, and then spending a lot of time to make it look good, before we had a scanner.
It's nuts how things have improved, but I appreciate the quality and practicality of the older tech to get shit done, and do it well!
reply
Mickey
i bought a Mavica FD71 back in 1998. before i bought it. I thought wow i am going to have to buy a bunch of floppies. but wait i remember that although i was backing up my desktop onto CD's i had a box of 100 floppies (in a box in the back of my closet) that i had used before i got a CD drive. so i was set. at the time i traveled alot. i took that camera everywhere to Philippines, Australia, Canada all over the US it was built solid and with my 100 disks i could take 2000 photos before i need to get to my laptop an transfer them. in fact i was in the Philippines and the camera fell out of my camera bag on the beach into the sand. i thought. that is not good on a floppy drive i picked it up and blew some canned air into and continued using it for many years. rock solid cameras!
easy to run around with i had 2 camera bags one that held the camera and 10 floppies and a larger one that held the camera charger and 20 floppies.
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i bought a Mavica FD71 back in 1998. before i bought it. I thought wow i am going to have to buy a bunch of floppies. but wait i remember that although i was backing up my desktop onto CD's i had a box of 100 floppies (in a box in the back of my closet) that i had used before i got a CD drive. so i was set. at the time i traveled alot. i took that camera everywhere to Philippines, Australia, Canada all over the US it was built solid and with my 100 disks i could take 2000 photos before i need to get to my laptop an transfer them. in fact i was in the Philippines and the camera fell out of my camera bag on the beach into the sand. i thought. that is not good on a floppy drive i picked it up and blew some canned air into and continued using it for many years. rock solid cameras!
easy to run around with i had 2 camera bags one that held the camera and 10 floppies and a larger one that held the camera charger and 20 floppies.
reply
Miro
Although this video is older, I still love it. I have a personal attachment to the Mavica. My parents had it when I was young (late 20th century, and we continued to use it well into the 21st century. In fact, we still do. We have modern digital cameras (they -officially replaced- the mavica in 2014 lol) (although now the phone has kind of replaced that too, I still like to drag the Mavica out because of how imperfect it looks. The aesthetic reminds me of my childhood, and I couldn't envision a Christmas where we didn't drag the Mavica and the Video8 out. It's simple, and takes me back to a simpler time. My parents usually forego the smartphone and the modern camera in favor of the Mavica. The Mavica will always have a special place in my heart. I should add however, that my parents didn't own a computer until 2002 lol, they just used a new floppy disk every time like it was a tape - from 1997-2002)
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Although this video is older, I still love it. I have a personal attachment to the Mavica. My parents had it when I was young (late 20th century, and we continued to use it well into the 21st century. In fact, we still do. We have modern digital cameras (they -officially replaced- the mavica in 2014 lol) (although now the phone has kind of replaced that too, I still like to drag the Mavica out because of how imperfect it looks. The aesthetic reminds me of my childhood, and I couldn't envision a Christmas where we didn't drag the Mavica and the Video8 out. It's simple, and takes me back to a simpler time. My parents usually forego the smartphone and the modern camera in favor of the Mavica. The Mavica will always have a special place in my heart. I should add however, that my parents didn't own a computer until 2002 lol, they just used a new floppy disk every time like it was a tape - from 1997-2002)
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Tristinfate
I collect everything Mavica, I have every released model from the A7AF through all the CD Mavicas, all boxed and in mint working condition even the A7AF which you need a huge piece of equipment to view the photos on a monitor, I have 3 of the Sony Mavica VF-50 disk viewers/recorders and two different color printers for them.
They are such fun to collect each with their own quirks and features.
The A7AF takes kinda cool artsy photos, very creamy blurred backgrounds (and since it's not even 1/3rd megapixel creamy slightly blurred subjects) especially when printed with one of the Sony Mavica dye sublimation printers. It's funny that after all these years I find that 95% of the info-lithium batteries still work perfectly fine!
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I collect everything Mavica, I have every released model from the A7AF through all the CD Mavicas, all boxed and in mint working condition even the A7AF which you need a huge piece of equipment to view the photos on a monitor, I have 3 of the Sony Mavica VF-50 disk viewers/recorders and two different color printers for them.
They are such fun to collect each with their own quirks and features.
The A7AF takes kinda cool artsy photos, very creamy blurred backgrounds (and since it's not even 1/3rd megapixel creamy slightly blurred subjects) especially when printed with one of the Sony Mavica dye sublimation printers. It's funny that after all these years I find that 95% of the info-lithium batteries still work perfectly fine!
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Nathan
My father worked as an Traffic accident reconstruction investigator for the police department in my home town and there department used this series of FD cameras for there ease of use and access of files. They did issue newer models as they came out so it was really cool having the ability to use many different models of this camera and i loved them super easy to use and like many computer users of the times we had lots of Floppy Disks so we always had an abundance of media to which we could store images on until your video popped up on my feed today i had completely forgot about them very happy for the blast from the past keep up the great works.
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My father worked as an Traffic accident reconstruction investigator for the police department in my home town and there department used this series of FD cameras for there ease of use and access of files. They did issue newer models as they came out so it was really cool having the ability to use many different models of this camera and i loved them super easy to use and like many computer users of the times we had lots of Floppy Disks so we always had an abundance of media to which we could store images on until your video popped up on my feed today i had completely forgot about them very happy for the blast from the past keep up the great works.
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Zes
I just got myself an FD7 and I can't stop playing with it. Like LGR I like taking pictures of old stuff with it, but I think it also works great for taking creepy pictures in foggy weather or in evening/streetlights at night lighting conditions.
I have a film camera from the late 90s as well, but it doesn't really see much use because it's film. film costs money to buy and develop. the mavica you can just use endlessly, especially with an aftermarket battery that gives me hours of use, around four or so.
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I just got myself an FD7 and I can't stop playing with it. Like LGR I like taking pictures of old stuff with it, but I think it also works great for taking creepy pictures in foggy weather or in evening/streetlights at night lighting conditions.
I have a film camera from the late 90s as well, but it doesn't really see much use because it's film. film costs money to buy and develop. the mavica you can just use endlessly, especially with an aftermarket battery that gives me hours of use, around four or so.
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thetype39
Hello. I just want to say, impressed this review and now I want to use daily -classic- digital camera myself. As I know -Canon Powershot 350- is the only one that takes 640-480 while record on CF card, which currently daily usable medium. Otherwises record on internal which require SCSI or 9-pin serial, or media that hard to use current PC environment such as PCMCIA or floppy disks like Mavica. Do you know any other camera that can useable daily? Or any plan to review Canon Powershot 350?
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Hello. I just want to say, impressed this review and now I want to use daily -classic- digital camera myself. As I know -Canon Powershot 350- is the only one that takes 640-480 while record on CF card, which currently daily usable medium. Otherwises record on internal which require SCSI or 9-pin serial, or media that hard to use current PC environment such as PCMCIA or floppy disks like Mavica. Do you know any other camera that can useable daily? Or any plan to review Canon Powershot 350?
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JackBourbon
Just got a hold of one at local thrift store, the FD-85. I was about to leave not seeing anything good when I moved a box with a crappy printer in it when there it was till in the box. No power plug but I still had mine from my old Sony camcorder. It was only $12 so I grabbed it. Checking out it ended up being half off! So a great deal and it still works. I love being able to get some of the old tech I always wanted when I was younger, but could never afford.
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Just got a hold of one at local thrift store, the FD-85. I was about to leave not seeing anything good when I moved a box with a crappy printer in it when there it was till in the box. No power plug but I still had mine from my old Sony camcorder. It was only $12 so I grabbed it. Checking out it ended up being half off! So a great deal and it still works. I love being able to get some of the old tech I always wanted when I was younger, but could never afford.
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Justin
I just picked up an FD91 over the weekend for $2. 50 at a thrift store. I have mixed feelings about it, so I mostly picked it up as a toy and conversation piece. Top of the line for its time, and it has an impressive optical zoom with tons of features. but it still maxes at 0. 8 MP. It might be fun for retro 80's-90's style photos at car shows, but otherwise it doesn't really fulfill much purpose anymore aside from being a curiosity.
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I just picked up an FD91 over the weekend for $2. 50 at a thrift store. I have mixed feelings about it, so I mostly picked it up as a toy and conversation piece. Top of the line for its time, and it has an impressive optical zoom with tons of features. but it still maxes at 0. 8 MP. It might be fun for retro 80's-90's style photos at car shows, but otherwise it doesn't really fulfill much purpose anymore aside from being a curiosity.
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Jesse
My primary school had one of these that I remember using a lot in grade 6 (2002. From memory it could have been an FD75 - I'm desperately trying to remember the layout of the Power and Eject buttons! We didn't have a digital camera at home until 2004 so I was absolutely enamoured with the Mavica when I first used it, especially given how easy it was to access the photos. This was indeed a very enjoyable trip down memory lane.
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My primary school had one of these that I remember using a lot in grade 6 (2002. From memory it could have been an FD75 - I'm desperately trying to remember the layout of the Power and Eject buttons! We didn't have a digital camera at home until 2004 so I was absolutely enamoured with the Mavica when I first used it, especially given how easy it was to access the photos. This was indeed a very enjoyable trip down memory lane.
reply
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