Canon MV500i

As well as producing high-end digital video equipment for professional and semi-professional users, Canon owns a sizeable share of the entry-level market, with a wide range of cameras at the sub-£800 (US$1,180) price point. The MV500i, the company's latest addition to this sector, provides a number of features that will appeal to the novice.

Powerful 18x Optical Zoom
One of the biggest improvements is the new optic array. By replacing the usual 1/4-inch sensor with a smaller 1/6-inch CCD, Canon has managed to increase the magnification of the camera without needing to increase the size of the body. With a new Canon F1.8 video lens, this now means that the MV500i has a massive optical zoom rating of 18X, with a digital telephoto taking this to a grainy, shaky 360X. Thankfully, the digital image stabilising system helps take the wobble from hand-mounted camera work. The focal range is also impressive, with a minimum focus point of 10mm letting you get very close to your subject.

However, this improvement doesn't fully compensate for the MV500i's main limitation. Like the MV450 before it, the effective video resolution is limited by the CCD's effective pixel rating of 340,000 (414,720 are required for a non-interpolated frame). As a result, the capture quality of this camera is less sharp than other products with higher-resolution CCDs, although it's still sufficient for basic work. Colour balance demonstrates the slightly warm tone of the majority of Canon's cameras (both still and video), which may deter those looking for a more neutral appearance.

Night Shooting Mode
The new extended record feature of the MV500i's predecessor has not been applied here (although the more conventional SP and LP modes are included), but Canon has added an Infrared 1Lux Night Shot mode for capturing video in darkness. This particular model also lacks a memory card slot, so any stills will be captured as 10-second freeze frames onto your MiniDV tape. A progressive mode (which interpolates two fields into a single frame) can be used for both stills and video, and helps to capture high-motion subjects more clearly.

Despite the MV500i being designed for the entry-level market, it still offers a range of manual controls. Shutter speeds between 1/8000sec and 1/50sec are selectable, as well as both automatic and manual white balance calibration. It's a comfortable camera to use, with a compact, horizontal form factor and logically positioned primary controls, which include a soft rocker for slow, controlled zooms. Menu navigation is made easy by the button wheel, and the playback controls can all be seen at the same time as the 2.5-inch LCD viewfinder, as well as featuring backlights for operation in the dark.

Analog Video Capture
In addition to providing full DV In/Out (indicated by the 'i' in the name), the MV500i also features analog inputs, with an A/D converter allowing you to capture from another camera or VCR, as well as overdubbing from a microphone directly to tape.

There are a couple of design points that we'd change on the MV500i; the tape access is still through the base of the camera, making it impossible to use with a tripod mount; also, the menu button is hidden when the LCD viewfinder is closed. Other than that, though, the MV500i is a reasonable camera. The microphone's forward position is good, and helps to avoid unnecessary ambient noise getting onto your recordings (as well as motor noise), and you get a shoe for external accessories.

Impressive Entry-Level Camcorder
Generally speaking, we like the MV500i. It's a compact, capable product with some useful and impressive features. But we can't get away from the fact that it has a low-resolution CCD, which will affect everything you film. If you're looking for an entry-level camera, we'd certainly recommend the MV500i -- just be aware that you might not get the sharpest images when you use it.

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