Solid performance plus some useful video-centric features make the MV600i a good entry-level choice.Canon´s latest consumer camcorder, the DM-MV600i is one of four new additions. As the most affordable of the group, it naturally lacks some of the key features offered by its siblings. But don´t let that put you off. If you´re looking for a basic but competent camcorder on which to cut your teeth, you could do a lot worse than this one.
It's a little unfair to assume that the MV600i is only as good as its price tag. It may not boast a radical new line in chassis design or LCD technology like Sharp's VL-Z1H, but it makes up for this in other areas. Most notably, the Canon lens has a maximum aperture of f1.6, which lets in more light than the standard f1.8 lenses found elsewhere, helping to reduce low-light noise on your recordings. It also provides a sizeable 18X optical zoom, which is always useful.
The MV600i's slightly peculiar styling may not be to all tastes, but it's a comfortable enough arrangement, and we like the tilting eyepiece for the internal viewfinder -- a handy feature that's often overlooked. The bottom-loading tape compartment is a little irritating for frequent tripod users, but the accessory shoe and microphone socket help compensate for this and, unlike many entry-level camcorders, the MV600i's internal viewfinder is colour rather than (cheaper) monochrome.
Stills capture follows the entry-level convention, with static frame recording to tape rather than JPEG capture to memory. Similarly, the MV600i's restricted FireWire capability settles for the cheaper import duty of a DV Out-only model. More advanced models like the MV650i offer stills capture to SD card and both DV and analogue In/Out (among other things) for around AU$550 more.
The image quality from the MV600i's 800Kpixel CCD is not bad at all. Pictures have the rather warm, slightly yellow tone that's often seen in Canon camcorders, but colour reproduction is much better than that of the Sharp VL-Z1H. Getting to grips with the camera is equally pleasant thanks to the intuitive jog wheel menu control and sensibly positioned playback controls, although we'd have preferred the zoom to be a little more responsive.
There's no manual focus ring, although the camera offers a fairly accessible button-controlled mode, and it lacks the iris control that's a positive feature of the Sharp VL-Z1H. Instead, you get manual shutter speed selection from 1/2 to 1/2000s -- essentially a shutter priority mode rather than aperture priority -- for greater control over how moving subjects appear, as well as backlight and exposure compensation, and programmable white balance control.
A wide variety of effects and fades are provided for the novice to play around with, as well as the usual swathe of exposure presets for common shooting conditions. Canon also includes software that lets you use the MV600i as a Webcam in conjunction with MSN Messenger, as well as the potentially useful remote control system that lets you control the camera across a FireWire connection. So despite costing entry-level money, you're getting quite a lot of camcorder for your cash here, making the MV600i a great choice for budget conscious users.
Canon DM-MV600i
Company: Canon Australia
Price: AU$1,049
Distributor: Selected resellers
Phone: 1800 802 972
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i find this cam ver y good to ues i had a promble with the cam at first but speaking to canon they fixed it and did not chage me for it even when the warthad exped they were very great about the hole thing i even lost the soft wear for it and they gave mea link were to get that from too i would by canon eany time after the service i got i would it thks canon keep up the good work canon can be reached on 131383