Canon mv890 review

Canon mv890 detail:

Recording media:MiniDV

Number of CCDs:1

Size (W x H x D):48x91x114 mm

Weight:435 g

Canon mv890 Battery type:Li-ion Canon nb-2lh

Included cables:1 x AV cable

Included accessories:Canon nb-2lh Battery pack

The Canon MV890's £189 list price suggests a bare-bones MiniDV camcorder, but the opposite is true -- it's a surprisingly well-appointed model, one that shares impressive core specs -- including a widescreen LCD, plenty of manual controls -- with Canon's MV930 (£219) and its pricier MV960 (£260). What's the catch?

The MV890 doesn't capture still photos, though we'd hardly call that a catch, unless you're dying for grainy, 0.7-megapixel basic images. In fact, the MV890 has one desirable feature its costlier siblings lack -- a microphone jack. Unfortunately, there's no accessory shoe on which to mount an external mic, so you'll either have to hold it or get fancy with rubber bands.

In exchange for the microphone jack, you have to give up the wireless remote that comes with the MV930 and the MV960. Other than that, the MV890 is virtually identical to those two models, right down to the 4mm CCD, the simplistic joystick-driven menus and the palm-friendly design. You can find out more about the camcorder's capabilities, performance and image quality by reading our review of the MV960 canon nb-2lh.

One of our favourite new features in the MV series is the selectable zoom speed: 1x, 2x, 3x and variable. The last option operates like most zoom controls, tying the speed of the zoom to the amount of pressure on the rocker. The fixed speeds provide a consistent zoom to prevent tell-tale amateur jerkiness, although we just wish you didn't have to dig into the menu system each time you want to change the setting.

As with other MV models, Canon includes eight autoexposure modes, three white-balance options and six shutter-speed settings, as well as the full auto Easy mode. You also get nine digital image effects, along with a nifty level marker that overlays a horizon line on the LCD to help you shoot even, centred images. That's a lot of manual controls for an entry-level camcorder. Plus, you can add a handful of lens converters and filters.

We generally liked the video from the MV890 canon nb-2lh battery, which captured crisp, colourful video under optimal lighting. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the MV890 has the same problem as the other MVs when it comes to low-light video -- it produces noisy, washed-out images. But that's to be expected from a camcorder with a smallish image sensor and bargain-basement price.

These complaints aside, most low-budget shooters will enjoy the Canon MV890. At this price, it's hard to find a small camcorder with so many features. And given its laudable video quality under most conditions, it's a bargain, even at its full list price.