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| Video Quality | 6.8/10   |
|---|---|
| Sound Quality | 4.5/10 |
| Battery Life | 5.5/10 |
| Features | 7.3/10 |
| Ease of Use | 7.8/10 |
| Value for Money | 4.3/10 |
| Reviewer Rating | 4/10 |
| Overall Rating | 5/10 |
Full review by
scotthatton
on 11th Apr 2005
User Rating : 1
Respect :
0
Good Points: Price, Zoom
Bad Points: Build quality, Canon after sales service.
General comments: I bought the Canon MV 550i two years ago after reading magazine reviews. It seemed to be the leader in the field of budget camcorders and having tried it in the shops found it very comfortable to use.
Initial impressions were very good, and I used the camera to shot some great footage skiing. The only minor downside was the noise of the cameras operation being pick up in operation - this was mentioned in reviews.
However, then it all went wrong. One day whilst backing up some editing footage via DV-IN from my PC, then camcorder chewed up a tape. Suspecting it to be a tape problem, I tried another (new) tape. Was OK for a bit until the camera then chewed up another tape with some valuable footage on it - not happy.
Spoke to Canon who were less than interested in the fault, but suggested I send it back for repair (under warranty). The camera took a long time to be repaired (double quoted time).
I also tried to claim for the 3 tapes that were damaged by the camera but they were not interested. Brushed off and refered to the terms and conditions.
Camera seemed to be OK upon return, but then just after the guarantee ran out it starting chewing tapes again. I spoke to Canon who said I'd have to pay for repair - about £180. Just not worth it. Camera is now consigned to back of cupboard.
Having researched this problem seems tape mechanism issues occur a lot with this (these) models - something Canon seems to be keeping quiet.
I'd never buy another Canon camcorder again and suggest you avoid them.
Scott Hatton
scotthatton's review and ratings | 283 words | 1 comment added.
Review by
mauricewalsh
on 1st Jan 2005
User Rating : 10
Respect :
0
I have used the Canon MV550i for two years in all weathers and mainly a marine environment especially on my fishing boat. Have dropped it several times, left it out all night, got it splashed with sea water many times and still it worked faithfully. I got it wet once too often and it has finally refused to work; there is nothing; I have worked it to death. It was a great camera and I am going to buy another (or perhaps a later Canon model).
mauricewalsh's full review | 98 words
Review by
eastfellsider
on 6th Aug 2004
User Rating : 0
Respect :
0
Avoid the Canon MV550i at all costs. I bought my first camcorder on magazine recommendation and bitterly regret it. It produced a lot of mosaic noise one month and one day old. After weeks of emails, phone calls and letters falling into a balck hole and being passed from pillar to post, Canon refused to replace it but instead undertook a major repair - it had only been used for a few hours! A few months later it was back with similar problems. Thereafter it worked ok, although I had to buy an ex ...
eastfellsider's full review | 211 words
Review by
pm
on 30th Jul 2004
User Rating : 1
Respect :
0
My family bought 3 Canon MV550i cameras over a 6 month period and everyone was a dud. All 3 have been back to Canon at least once my own twice. In each case the warranty had just expired and a cheque for £180 must accompany the camera if you want it fixed. All 3 cameras have had the same problems with rewind, the screen and with the tape mechanism all of which are simply rubbish.
pm's full review | 103 words
Review by
boris the spie
on 15th Sep 2003
User Rating : 1
Respect :
+2
Got this Canon MV550i Digital Camcorder for christmas. Lucky me! I use broadcast cameras so I see good pictures all the time but nothing prepared me for how poor this thing is. I have an old 8mm camera that produces better pictures. The picture outside had a fair amount of grain and colour bleed. Indoors, my god, grain? A veritable silo of the stuff.
With poor sound marred by tape noise. Bottom loading tape compartment which annoys when sat on tripod this camera is poor. Stills are as grainy ...
boris the spie's full review | 155 words
Review by
xuanzc.
on 21st Jun 2003
User Rating : 0
Respect :
+2
Before I bought the Canon 550i, I really trust Canon's products. I have a Canon digital camera, it is very good, so we decided to buy a Canon digital Camcorder. But when when took home Canon MV550i, and shot in the room, we found there are so much noise, and the color is very poor, much worse than my old non-digital JVC video camera, after two days test, we decided to return the camera and bought a Panasonic one, it is very good now.
xuanzc.'s full review | 95 words
Review by
Gambit.
on 15th Apr 2003
User Rating : 3
Respect :
+1
I would not buy this Canon MV550i again if I was in the market for a new camcorder
Gambit.'s full review | 55 words
Review by
Mike Nod.
on 9th Dec 2002
User Rating : 10
Respect :
+4
Bought this in Malaysia in the Summer. Thoroughly impressed with it. Still getting used to the myriad of features, but have found no faults or problems so far. It is an excellent quality product and would recommend it to others. Great for editing with firewire on your PC.
Mike Nod.'s full review | 80 words
Review by
Jim T.
expert review 
on 3rd Jun 2002
User Rating : 10
Respect :
-13
I bought the Canon MV550i digital camcorder on the basis of it being the Winner of Camcorder Gold award in Camcorder User (May 2002).
The USB link allows you to upload edited footage or graphics from your computer, or other digital devices, to the camcorder.
This camcorder includes an extended recording function that increases the length of recording time. To achieve extended recording, 2x greater image data compression is applied in the ESP mode and 3x in the ELP mode. In ELP mode, an 80- ...
Jim T.'s full review | 115 words
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