Canon UK Press Release

Simplicity from Canon’s new MV880X digital video camera

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is pleased to announce the launch of the new flagship to the MV800 digital video camera series: the 1.33 Megapixel MV880X. The camcorder is designed to appeal to style conscious first time buyers looking for quality, simplicity and high resolution 16:9 mode. With its dark metal finish, the MV880X combines Canon’s easiest ever operation with uncompromising build quality and precision optics.

A new ‘Easy’ button that puts the camera into full auto mode has been introduced for the benefit of users looking for immediate, uncomplicated results straight out of the box. The digital video camera features a powerful 14x optical zoom and Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS) for high clarity, shake-free footage and stills, high-resolution 16:9 wide screen mode with letterbox display, Super Night mode with white LED, Night Mode, a double neutral density filter for bright conditions and web cam functionality. The digital video camera’s DIGIC DV image processor provides true split path processing for video and digital stills, and is PictBridge compatible for direct printing to compatible photo printers without the need for a computer.

With its 1.33 Megapixel sensor, the MV880X has greater resolution than the 800K models making up the rest of the MV800 series. The extra resolution delivers significantly higher quality video footage, more commonly associated with much more expensive models. It also produces higher resolution digital stills, more suitable for album prints.
Despite its tiny size (only 51mm thick and weighing just 430g), the MV880X features a large 2.4” colour LCD screen.

16:9 mode
The MV880X features high-resolution 16:9 wide screen mode for cinema-like full screen viewing on wide-screen television. Letter Box display is used for correct ratio representation of 16:9 footage during recording and playback, avoiding an otherwise ‘squashed’ image. To give footage and stills a panoramic feel, a 0.6x wide converter lens
comes as standard.

Simple to use
Everything about the MV880X is designed to make shooting and playback super easy. As well as the ‘Easy’ button for switching between full auto and program mode, a number of other key controls sit right beneath the fingertips for intuitive, single-handed operation. The ergonomic oval design includes flush switches and recessed buttons, contributing to both ease-of-use and the streamlined feel. To make shooting easy, single purpose external buttons include a ‘Night Mode’ button, LCD Backlight button to raise LCD backlight brightness when shooting in bright conditions and a Widescreen button to switch between normal 4:3 and wide screen 16:9 modes. Menu options are designed to be intuitive and simple to navigate.

Precision optics
Drawing on over 60 years of precision optics experience, Canon has fitted the MV880X with a glass lens containing an aspheric element for high contrast, sharp footage, free from the spherical aberrations caused by low quality lenses.  A double neutral density (ND) filter is fitted to prevent white clipping (loss of differentiation in the brightest whites) that can occur when shooting in bright conditions such as at the beach or in snow. EIS limits frustrating image shake for calm, steady and pleasing footage, particularly important at high magnifications and making tripod use unnecessary in most shooting situations .

Digital still
Canon has drawn on seventy years of camera manufacturing expertise to provide the facility to capture quality digital still images whilst shooting video footage. Still images created with the 1.33 Megapixel sensor are stored as JPEG images direct to either MMC or SD memory cards and are suitable for producing album prints. Depending on memory card capacity, up to 60 minutes of Motion JPEG footage can also be recorded straight to card. A mechanical shutter provides true digital still camera functionality, eliminating the blur that plagues photos from conventional digital video cameras. A USB port allows for easy transfer of stills and clips stored to card, and direct print to any PictBridge capable photo printer without the need for a computer.

Full range of modes
An external Night mode button allows for immediate switching without having to enter the menu navigation. Super Night mode with a white LED allows for shooting in zero-light conditions and a Night+ mode permits switching the LED on and off whilst shooting helping extend battery life. To help deliver great results in difficult and tricky lighting conditions, the digital video camera features a comprehensive range of modes including EASY, Auto, Sports, Portrait, Spotlight, Sand and Snow, Low Light and the Night mode already mentioned. Creative digital effects include Art, Sepia, Monochrome, Mosaic, Mirror, Cube and Wave; with 9 fade modes to choose from. A skin detail mode softens skin tones for flattering warm results, putting an end to the harsh and unforgiving results of conventional digital video cameras.

Emotional colours
Unlike competitor products limited by the use of generic processors, Canon’s DIGIC DV processor is purpose built to optimise image quality. It also allows two separate processing paths for both digital stills and video, so there is no compromise on the quality of either. Rather than simply recording what the lens sees, DIGIC DV is used to recreate what Canon’s engineers refer to as emotional colours, tones and details that are perceived as far more pleasing and realistic to the human eye. DIGIC DV combines all the key processing and memory requirements onto a single chip, making the digital video cameras more efficient than other brands and contributing to five hours maximum continuous shooting time.

Online Sharing
Purchase of the MV880X entitles the new owner to CANON iMAGE GATEWAY (CiG) membership: 100MB of online space for sharing of digital stills and MPEG video clips. Rather than sending large video clips or images as email attachments, users can upload their favourite material to their own secure galleries on CiG and use a site facility to send gallery links to family and friends.

Software & connectivity
Two-way communication software DV Messenger 2.0 (available free via download at www. canon-europe.com/dvmessenger) combines elements of Microsoft Windows Messenger and Canon’s own network solution. It provides two-way (peer-to-peer) communication while also enabling the exchange of audio and video data – live or recorded – over the Internet, as well as camera and VCR modes. The digital video camera has an IEEE1394 streaming interface for high-speed dubbing, plus non-linear editing and retouching.

Multi-language
The menu display can be set from a selection of 8 languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Japanese and Simplified Chinese.

Availability and reader enquiries
The MV880X will be available from April 2005.

Reader enquiries
UK - 08705 143723 / www.canon.co.uk    
Eire – (01) 2052400 / www.canon.ie