Photo taken with Sony Mavica FD5. (See section enlarged below.)

By Mike Musgrove
Washington Post Staff Writer
March 27, 1998; Page N43

Basics
Image resolutions: 640 x 480
Features: Flash, LCD screen, built-in 3.5-inch floppy disk drive
Removable storage: 55 shots per disk
Weighs: 1 lb., 4.6 oz.

Use and Operation
Taking a picture: [It] makes a little beep when you take a shot.... the word 'recording' flashes on the LCD screen as it puts the image on your disk. Seven-second wait between shots. Warning: LCD washes out in bright sunlight.

Section of above photo, enlarged to show quality.

Image output: Insert floppy disk; double-click image icons. I can take pictures of somebody and let them copy the picture right there to their computer.
Battery life: 50 shots, about 10 with flash; only uses Sony rechargeable battery pack.
Image quality: Frequently murky images, even in exterior shots taken in sunny weather. Lousy quality for the price.

Overall Assessment
How much would you pay for this? $300
Comments: Disk-based storage is way cool. Everyone who has a computer has disks lying around, so if you run out of 'film,' you can always find more without a problem.
But: It is a little bulky and oddly shaped. I was afraid I was going to drop it. It would be nice if there was a way to cover the lens directly on the camera. (Only higher-priced FD7 includes a lens cap.)
Note that $599 suggested retail price is unusually high; this usually sells for $500 or less.