Video shoots made easy with the MV960 from Canon

Category: Review on Canon MV960 MiniDV Camcorder

Posted by: 31-Dec-2006

Strengths: Ease of use and good sized camera with good quality output in standard daylight. Easy pricing point.

Weaknesses: Low lighting scenes are a problem as is the image stabilization at zoom. Some might find bottom loading tape cumbersome

The first thing which you notice when you are checking out the Canon MV 960 is the size of the camera. Excellent for those who want a bigger camcorder to fit in comfortably in the palm of the hand and maybe not so great for those who are looking for the really small nifty ones! The second and maybe slightly more important factor which is likely to attract users to the MV960 camcorder is the fact that it is a very affordable camcorder.

The MV960 is a good camcorder for the amateur user and has a really good sized wide screen LCD display for easier focus. Some of the best footage is the ones which are taken outdoors but the low-lighting images continue to be a problem. Enjoy the easy controls and if you are comfortable with it, then you can even try your hands at the manual controls which provide some excellent opportunities to learn.

The design of the camera is developed to keep the camera well protected and the large size format has its own set of advantages such as easy handling etc. However, the bottom loading compartment for the tape brings the camera down a few notches from the popularity chart as it does create an inconvenient access point. Another common problem is that image stabilization at zoom is just not there! This however, is an issue with most cameras and not unique to the MV960. Don’t rely on the MV960 for still images though, as the output is below average.