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.

canon powershot G7 review

The Canon Powershot G7 is a ten megapixel digital camera with a 6x optical zoom lens. It is one of the most advanced compact digital cameras you will find and the layout of the camera helps to bring some its more advanced features to the fingertips of the more serious photographer. For example the Powershot G7 has a manual focusing ring on the back of the camera and an ISO settings dial on the top. It also has a hotshoe for adding an external flash unit. These are rare on a compact model.

Features

The 6x optical zoom lens has a focal length equivalent to 35 - 210mm in 35mm format. In addition to the optical zoom there are also special zoom features that can boost zoom by a further 2.3x if you decrease the number of megapixels you are shooting at. The Powershot G7 also has 4x digital zoom. Image stabilisation is also available.



There are a variety of focusing options including manual focusing. You can select between single and continuous auto focusing modes. For close up photography the camera can focus from 1cm away from the subject. Focus bracketing is also available.



For composing images there is an optical viewfinder. This has dioptre correction. Dioptre correction allows you to adjust the focusing of the viewfinder to suit your own eyesight. If you prefer there is a 2.5" LCD screen. This is made up of around 207,000 pixels.



The built in flash unit has a maximum range of 4m. This falls to around 2.5m when the zoom lens is in use. The basic flash modes are on, off and automatic. You can also use red eye reduction, second curtain synchronisation and slow sync speed. The power of the flash unit can be adjusted and you also have access to flash exposure lock and flash exposure compensation.



There are also a number of built in scene modes. These are: Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Sports, Night Snapshot, Kids & Pets, Indoor, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Aquarium, Underwater, ISO 3200, Color Accent and Color Swap. When you use a scene mode the camera will use what it considers to be the best settings for the photo.



To add something different to your work there are a number of colour options available. These are Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red and Custom Color.



As you get to know the camera there is a lot to explore. As well as fully manual mode there are shutter priority and aperture priority modes as well. Shutter speeds work in the range from 15 seconds to 1/2500 seconds. The maximum aperture of the lens is f/2.8 (wide) and f/4.8 (tele).



More advanced features you have access to include metering (Evaluative, Centre-weighted average, Spot (centre or linked to Face Detection AF or FlexiZone AF frame)), exposure compensation (+/- 2 EV in 1/3 stop increments), auto exposure bracketing (1/3 - 2 EV in 1/3 stop increments), ISO sensitivity (AUTO, High ISO Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600) and white balance (Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash, Underwater, Custom). Auto exposure lock is also available.



Other features include a special wide aspect ratio. This is suitable for displaying your photos on a widescreen television. There is also a histogram available, a self timer (delay 2 or 10 seconds) and continuous shooting at top speeds of either 2 frames per second or 0.8 frames per second. For panoramic type shots there is a special stitch assist mode.



Movies of up to 4GB or one hour in duration can be recorded. The maximum resolution available is 1024 x 768 pixels. At this resolution the maximum frames per second speed is 15. A speed of 30 frames per second can be used at a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels. Zoom is available during recording and sound can be captured.



The Powershot G7 can be connected to a compatible printer, television set or computer. All the necessary cables and software are supplied with the camera.



A number of useful accessories are available. These include a case that is waterproof to a depth of 40m (WP-DC11), a 2x tele converter lens to increase the power of the lens (TC-DC58C) and a 0.75 wide converter to increase the wide angle capabilities of the lens (WC-DC58B). To enhance the built in flash unit you may consider Canon Speedlites (220EX, 430EX, 580EX) or High Power Flash HF-DC1.

Accessories

• Speedlite 220EX/ 430EX/ 580EX


• Tele-converter (2.0x) TC-DC58C


• Wide-converter (0.75x) WC-DC58B


• Lens adapter/Hood set LA-DC58H


• Waterproof Case WP-DC11


• Waterproof Case Weight WW-DC1


• Soft Case DCC-600


• High Power Flash HF-DC1


• AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC20


• Rechargeable Li-ION battery pack NB-2LH * nb-21h battery * nb-2lh * Canon nb-2lh


• Car Battery Charger CBC-NB2

Canon PowerShot S80 Review:S70 vs S80

Canon PowerShot S80 Review

Review based on a production Canon PowerShot S80

Like its predecessors, the Canon PowerShot S80 is packed with features for both casual shooters and more advanced amateurs. It incorporates the same f/2.8-to-f/5.3, 28mm-to-100mm (35mm equivalent) lens as the PowerShot S70. The lens is on the slow side and doesn't offer a very high zoom range, but it provides a relatively wide-angle focal length.



We miss uncompressed image formats such as TIFF and raw, which would take advantage of the camera's 8-megapixel sensor. Other features, however, work to compensate. Three exposure modes include a spot mode for more precise control and a well-designed evaluative mode that handles backlighting and mixed lighting very well. A noise-reduction algorithm automatically kicks in for exposures longer than 1.3 seconds, but unfortunately the effect is subtle. It also doubles processing time, and you can't disable it.



For tinkerers, the Canon PowerShot S80 offers some interesting color tools. Though not entirely practical they are fun without being too cheesy, and are certainly better than the hokey frames and the preset captions many other cameras offer. In Color Accent mode, every color in the frame except one the user selects is converted to black and white, for that hand-painted look. Color Swap mode replaces one selected color with another--turn that green apple red or that red light green (not to endorse insurance fraud!). Users can also customize the camera's color palette by adjusting the individual red, green, and blue channels or a special Skin Tone channel.



Those interested in shooting short movies with the Canon PowerShot S80 will appreciate the full-motion VGA mode, at 640x480 pixels and 30 frames per second (fps), and the less common 1,024x768-pixel mode, at 15fps.



The S80 caters to underwater photographers with a special white-balance setting and an optional waterproof housing. For creative enthusiasts, it also has an optional wireless external flash and optional wide and telephoto add-on lenses.

• Wide-angle 28-100mm (35mm equivalent) 3.6x Optical Zoom Lens


• 8.0 Megapixel CCD and UA Lens Technology for Superior Image Quality


• Full photographic control


• 21 shooting modes


• 2.5-inch Wide viewing angle LCD screen


• DIGIC II Processor


• USB 2.0 Hi-Speed


• Newly-designed easy-to-use interface


• High Resolution (1024 x 768 pixel) XGA Movie Mode

Canon PowerShot S70 vs PowerShot S80 (main differences)

　　　　　　　　　 　 　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　Canon PowerShot S80 　　　　　Canon PowerShot S70

Effective Pixels： 　8.0 million　　　　　　　　　　　7.1 million

Processor　　　：　　DIGIC II 　　　　　　　　　　　　DIGIC I

Max image size ： 　 3264 x 2448 　　　　　　　　　　 3072 x 2304

Storage：　　　　　　SD /MMC 　　　　　　　　　　　　　CompactFlash

Raw mode ：　　　　　No 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Yes

LCD screen ： 　　　2.5-inch, 115,000 pixels 　　　　1.8-inch 118,000 pixels

Max movie size：　 • 1024 x 768 at 15 fps　　　　　• 640 x 480 at 10 fps up to 30 secs

　　　　　　　　　　• 640 x 480 at 15 or 30 fps

Shooting modes ：　　 • Auto　　　　　　　　　　　　　• Auto　

　　　　　　　　　　　• Program AE　　　　　　　　　　• Program AE

　　　　　　　　　　　• Shutter priority AE　　　　　• Shutter priority AE

　　　　　　　　　　　• Aperture priority AE　　　　　• Aperture priority AE

　　　　　　　　　　　• Manual　　　　　　　　　　　　• Manual

　　　　　　　　　　　• Custom　　　　　　　　　　　　• Custom　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　• My Colors 　　　　　　　　　　• Portrait　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　• Portrait　　　　　　　　　　　• Landscape

　　　　　　　　　　　• Landscape　　　　　　　　　　　• Night Scene

　　　　　　　　　　　• Night Scene　　　　　　　　　　• Fast Shutter

　　　　　　　　　　　• Night Snapshot　　　　　　　　• Slow Shutter

　　　　　　　　　　　• Kids & Pets　　　　　　　　　　• Stitch Assist

　　　　　　　　　　　• Indoor　　　　　　　　　　　　• Movie 　

　　　　　　　　　　　• Foliage　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　• Snow　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　• Beach

　　　　　　　　　　　• Fireworks

　　　　　　　　　　　• Underwater

　　　　　　　　　　　• Digital Macro

　　　　　　　　　　　• Stitch Assist

　　　　　　　　　　　• Movie

Continuous shooting ： Approx.1.8 fps　　　　　　　　Approx.2.0 fps

Connectivity：　　　　　USB 2.0 Hi-Speed 　　　　　　USB 1.1

Weight (excl battery) ： 225 g (7.9 oz)　　　　　　　230 g (8.1 oz)

Power：　　　　　　　　　Li-ion Nb-2lh 　　　　　　　Li-Ion NB-2LH

powershot s80

In the box:

• PowerShot S80 Body

• Battery Charger CB-2LWE

• Wrist Strap WS-DC1

• SD Memory Card SDC-32M

• Battery Pack NB-2LH

• Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM

• ArcSoft Camera Suite CD-ROM

• Interface Cable IFC-400PCU

• AV Cable AVC-DC300

Shooting mode

• Auto

• Program AE

• Shutter priority AE

• Aperture priority AE

• Manual

• Custom

• Portrait

• Landscape

• Night Scene

• Night Snapshot

• Kids & Pets

• Indoor

• Foliage

• Snow

• Beach

• Fireworks

• Underwater

• Digital Macro

• Stitch Assist

• My Colors

• Movie with sound

• AE compensation -2.0EV to +2.0 EV in 1/3EV steps

Image parameters

• Vivid

• Neutral

• Low Sharpening

• Sepia

• Black & White

• Custom (3 levels each of sharpness, contrast, saturation)

• My Colors (9 settings)

Power:

• Rechargeable lithium ion battery (NB-2LH/NB-2L)

• Charger included

Image quality of Canon PowerShot S80

While some minor problems at the camera's wide-angle setting disappointed us, the Canon PowerShot S80 delivers excellent overall photo quality. Colors are well balanced with a tiny bit of pop, and you can tone them down or give them that Disney look with a plethora of custom color controls, including one called Neutral and another that emulates slides. Images exhibit excellent tonal range, with clear details visible in both shadow and highlight areas, as long as the difference isn't too extreme.



When we closely inspected the image at 100 percent magnification, we saw chromatic aberration, color artifacts usually caused by heavy backlighting or high-contrast environments. The casual observer will find the effect minimal, though. Shots of power lines and trees against a bright sky showed very little fringing or color bleeding. Though we would have liked to see how this sensor performs with an uncompressed image format, JPEG compression artifacts such as blocky color areas, jagged diagonal lines, and halo effects in high-contrast areas were also minimal.



Canon's legendary creamy smoothness keeps noise under control. The S80's images sharpen well in image-editing software and look especially pleasing at ISO 50. ISO 100 shots are almost as noise-free at a casual glance, but the dreaded artifacts rear their ugly pixels more noticeably at ISO 200 and 400. The noise pattern is one of the more natural ones, however, giving images a diffuse, filmlike look. The inherently sharp lens-and-sensor combination on the S80 clearly resolves text and fine details in macro images.



The 28mm-to-100mm lens has some problems at the wide end, particularly with softness at the corners and vignetting, in which corners appear darker than the rest of the frame. This happens even when the aperture is stopped down to f/8, which usually minimizes or eliminates the problem. We also noticed some barrel distortion at the wide end. All these problems may be a result of the lens reaching the relatively wide 28mm length in a compact enclosure. Zooming to the middle or the end of the lens's range significantly helps the softness and the vignetting and adds a barely distinguishable pincushion effect that's normal for all zooms. Except for the vignetting, most of these effects are hard to spot in real-world snapshots.



The Canon PowerShot S80's very intelligent metering system even employs the orientation sensor in its exposure algorithms. It properly exposed the backlit foreground in both horizontal and vertical landscapes shot with a bright sky.



The Canon PowerShot S80's movie mode is a bit disappointing, despite its impressive high-res specs. In movies shot at 1,024x768-pixel resolution, which are limited to 15fps, just about every line appeared jagged. We got better results by upsampling a 30fps, 640x480-pixel movie in software.