Canon MVX10i

A well-specified model that meets the needs of video enthusiasts.

Price: £1149.99

Manufacturer: Canon

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Verdict

Pros:

Takes good photos; high-quality video images.

Cons:
Expensive; no progressive scan mode; too many buttons.

Verdict:
Video enthusiasts and gadget nuts will enjoy exploring all the different features and settings. Picture quality is impressive.

Jonathan Parkyn, Personal Computer World 21 Nov 2003

While still photography has been a function available on most digital video cameras for some time now, low resolutions and missing functionality have always made it feel like little more than an afterthought. With a built-in flash, 2megapixel resolution, 10x optical zoom and a separate SD (Secure Digital) memory card, however, the Canon MVX10i has all the requirements to qualify as a pretty competent digital stills camera in its own right.

Let's not forget, though, that the MVX10i's primary function is as a mini DV camcorder. Happily, this one is capable of recording some of the best moving images we've seen this side of a three-CCD model.

Triple-chip camcorders will always win on image quality since they contain separate sensors for dealing with red, green and blue colour signals individually. The trade-off is that three-CCD camcorders tend to be fairly bulky and, while the MVX10i isn't the smallest or lightest digital camcorder we've ever encountered, it's still pleasantly petite.

The designers have opted for the now-familiar upright approach, cramming in all the technology and features into a unit that stretches the categorisation of 'pocket-sized' to the limit. Thankfully, Canon seems to have found a decent compromise between size and image quality, and faithful colour reproduction for both movies and still photos is ensured by the inclusion of an RGB filter.

The MVX10i has almost certainly been built with video enthusiasts in mind and it is definitely one of the best-specified models of its type. Firewire input and output make it ideal for desktop video editing, and an S-Video input allows for analogue-to-digital conversions or throughput - handy if you want to digitise older analogue recordings or capture them to your PC. Experienced videographers will also be pleased with the inclusion of many manual controls, such as adjustable exposure, shutter speed and focus. Further manual settings are accessible from a menu screen and context-sensitive jog wheel combination. Even the microphone recording level can also be set manually. Unlike many other models, it doesn't have the infuriating habit of resetting itself to default whenever the camera goes into standby. However, the unusual choice of mounting the built-in microphone on top of the viewfinder might force many users to frame and shoot using the foldout screen in order to eliminate the possibility of recording a lot of eyebrow rustling. The LCD panel is another staple of the modern camcorder. In this instance, it's a reasonably good size (2.5in) and shows up pretty well, even in brightly lit conditions. Nevertheless, over-use will have an inevitable impact on battery life.

Nine different semi-manual program modes can be chosen by scrolling through AE settings. In automatic mode, however, choices are much more limited. It's a shame, for example, that the camera cannot be set to record in 16:9 widescreen or make use of any of its digital effects while set to the camera's Easy Recording mode.

Curiously absent from the MVX10i is a progressive scan mode - a feature that many previous generations of Canon camcorder have tended to include as standard. Only a year or so ago, Canon was making a lot of fuss about progressive scan technology and how it could help improve the sharpness of fast-moving scenes. It seems strange that this feature has been left out entirely.

Nevertheless, the multifunction MVX10i includes many other features to make up for it - some of which are more useful than others. A front-mounted lamp can be used in Super Night mode to illuminate poorly lit subjects, while mini mpeg-4 movies can be saved directly to the memory card rather than to tape. Online chatterers, meanwhile, might be interested to hear that this model can even be used as a kind of glorified webcam when connected to a PC via a USB cable. Our one criticism of the camera is that it tries to be all things to all people, which can occasionally confuse matters - particularly when it comes to tackling the slightly uncomfortable arrangement of buttons, dials and switches that clutter its diminutive chassis.

Contact: Canon 0870 514 3723
www.canon.co.uk

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