An entry level mini-DV camcorder for around 300 euros, the MD150 should seduce amateur movie makers with its relatively complete specifications (35x optical zoom, 16/9 recording, white LED video light and LCD 16/9 screen), which lacks only optical stabilization and a better photo mode.

Ergonomics

The MD150’s relatively rectangular shape ensures a good grip and fingers can be properly positioned on the top of the camera. We did find one problem in that when you are ready to shoot, the zoom button is a little too low and it takes a small stretch to reach it. The large movable screen is a 2.7 inch LCD whose panel does seem small. Nevertheless, it’s equipped with a nice joystick for navigation and two buttons for accessing the different menus. It’s practical, but does require using the screen to make adjustments. The LCD screen itself is nice, bright, and fluid but slightly lacks definition. On the underside of the camera we find the essential functions : photo mode, the optical zoom command, adjustment from automatic to manual mode. Nothing extraordinary, but ergonomics are well thought out.

Quality of images

The MD150 records on mini-DV tapes. With this format, compression is less than with DVD supports that use MPEG-2 codecs. The difference between the Canon MD150 and DC230 is quite visible on our Barbie. Sensitivity is also superior to that of equivalent camcorders like the Canon DC230 or Samsung VP-D371. It’s a relatively good sensitivity, however, the image still has some noise in low light. White balance is rather good, and we didn’t notice any color dominance. Overall, the images produced by the MD150 are quite soft but maybe lack a bit of contrast. In our test scene, blacks (the wall, bottle cap, poster) are, for example, too light. We also noted a slight comb effect in contrasted areas, but nothing too dramatic. The photo mode, reduced to 1 megapixel, is also available but does not offer high quality shots.