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Sony MVC-CD250 Sony adds features, and brings the price down on a 2 megapixel CD Mavica! Select a topic Reference: Datasheet MVC-CD250 Photo Gallery! MVC-CD250 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-CD250 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Operation & User Interface :(Previous) | (Next): Image Storage & Interface>> Page 9:Camera Modes & Menus Review First Posted: 02/20/2002

Camera Modes and Menus

Program AE: Marked on the Mode dial with a green camera symbol, Program mode places the camera in control of both the aperture and shutter speed settings, letting you set the remaining exposure variables (White Balance, ISO, Exposure Compensation, Image Size, Picture Quality, Flash, and Normal or Spot Metering).

Scene: Scene mode provides access to four preset shooting modes: Twilight, Twilight Portrait, and Landscape. The actual scene choices are made through the shooting menu, via the Scene setting menu. Twilight mode uses a slow shutter speed to accommodate darker shooting situations. Twilight Portrait uses the flash, in a slow sync mode, capturing the subjects in the foreground with the flash, and using the longer shutter speed to record ambient light from the background. Landscape mode uses a small aperture opening to keep both the foreground and background settings in focus. The Portrait mode uses a large aperture opening to decrease the depth of field, thereby keeping the subject in sharp focus and slightly blurring the background. Most exposure variables, except for aperture and shutter speed settings, are available in the Scene modes.

Setup: Setup mode lets you change basic camera settings.

Movie: Movie mode, marked on the Mode dial with a film strip symbol, captures MPEG movies with sound by default. Most exposure options are available, except for flash and ISO. If the Clip Motion option is selected from the Setup menu, Movie mode will capture up to 10 sequential still images, and combine them into a single animated GIF file. When Multi Burst is selected in the Setup menu, the camera records a rapid burst of frames, saved in a single image frame but played back on the camera as a slow motion animation.

Playback: Captured images and movies can be reviewed and played back in this mode. Images can also be erased, write-protected, copied, resized, set up for printing on a DPOF device, or played back in a slide show.

Record Mode: The Record menu is accessible in all capture modes by pressing the Menu button, however, not all menu options are available in all capture modes. (The menu is normally overlaid on the live viewfinder display. I've blocked the lens to produce a black background here, to help keep down the size of the screenshot GIF.)

• Exposure Compensation: Lightens or darkens the exposure from -2 to +2 exposure equivalents (EV) in one-third step increments.
• Focus: Changes the focus area to Multi AF or Center AF, or selects from a range of fixed focus settings (0.5, 1.0, 3.0, or 7.0 meters, or Infinity).
• White Balance: Adjusts the color balance for Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, or Incandescent light sources, or sets white balance to "Auto."
• Spot Metering: Turns on Spot Metering or shuts it off.
• ISO: Sets the camera's sensitivity to Auto, or to 100, 200, or 400 ISO equivalents.
• Image Size: Sets the resolution size to 1,600 x 1,200; 1,600 (3:2 aspect ratio); 1,280 x 960; or 640 x 480 pixels.
• Quality: Sets the JPEG compression level to Fine or Standard.
• Mode: Changes the recording mode to TIFF, Voice, E-Mail, Burst 3, or Normal.
  • TIFF: Records images in the uncompressed TIFF file format (at the 2,272 x 1,704-pixel size, in addition to another image at the pixel resolution and JPEG compression levels set under Image Size and Quality submenus).
  • Voice: Records up to 60-second sound clips to accompany captured images.
  • E-Mail: Captures a separate image file size of 320 x 240 pixels for easy e-mail transmission in addition to another image at the pixel resolution size set under the Image Size submenu.
  • Burst 3: Allows the camera to record up to three frames in rapid succession. Actual frame rates vary with file size and the amount of image information being recorded.
  • Normal: Returns the camera to normal still capture mode.
• Flash Level: Adjusts the flash intensity level to Normal, Low, or High.
• Picture Effects: Applies creative effects like Solarize, Black and White, Sepia, or Negative Art, or turns Picture Effects off.
• Sharpness: Adjusts the image sharpness from -2 to +2 in five steps (arbitrary units, zero is the default sharpness level).

Playback Menu: This mode allows you to review captured images on the memory card, erase them, protect them, set them up for printing, etc. When playing back movie files, you can opt for "cue/review" playback, which skips through the movie file quickly, several frames at a time. Pressing the Menu button displays the following options:

• Delete: Erases the current image displayed. There is an option to cancel the operation.
• Protect: Write-protects the currently displayed image, or removes protection.
• Print: Marks the current image for printing on a DPOF device, or removes the print mark.
• Slide: Enables a slide show of all images captured on the Memory Stick. You can control the interval between each image as well as whether or not the slide show repeats.
• Resize: Resizes the currently displayed image to one of the available resolution sizes.
• Rotate: Rotates the currently displayed image 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.

Set-Up Menu: The following three-page Set-Up menu automatically displays when entering this mode:

• Finalize: Finalizes the CD-R or CD-RW, making it readable on a computer's CD-ROM drive.
• Format: Erases all the images on the CD-RW (CD-RW only, not CD-R), even write protected ones.
• Initialize: Initializes new CD-Rs or CD-RWs, so that the camera can write images to the drive.
• Unfinalize: Undoes the effects of a Finalize operation, allows the CD-RW (not CD-R) to be written to again.
• Moving Image: Sets the Movie recording type to MPEG Movie, Clip Motion, or Multi Burst.
• Date/Time: Controls the date and time display, options are Day & Time, Date, or Off.
• Digital Zoom: Turns the 2x digital zoom on or off.
• Red-Eye Reduction: Enables the Red-Eye Reduction flash (which will fire with all flash modes), or turns it off.
• AF Illuminator: Turns the AF illuminator lamp off, or allows the camera to use it whenever it's needed (Auto mode).
• File Number: Specifies whether file numbering resets with each new CD or continues in a series.
• Language: Changes the camera's menu language to English or Japanese.
• Confirm Before Write: Turns on an option that confirms the decision before writing to the CD-R.
• Clock Set: Sets the camera's internal clock.
• LCD Brightness: Adjusts the LCD display brightness level to Normal, Bright, or Dark.
• LCD Backlight: Controls the LCD backlight feature, setting it to Normal or Bright.
• Beep: Controls the camera's beep sound, setting it to Shutter, On, or Off.
• Video Out: Specifies the camera's Video Out signal as NTSC or PAL.