Canon MD160
Design
There's no easier way to describe the MD160 than to say that it looks like a camcorder. There's simply nothing that exceptional about its design. It features all the simple things you'd expect, such as a foldout and flip LCD display, which in the MD160's case is a 2.7-inch Widescreen model. Basic recording controls sit on the right hand side of the top of the camera. Then again, if a design isn't broken, why fix it? The real strength of the MD160's design lies in the fact that it's easy to use, and it's this kind of market that Canon squarely pitches the camera towards.
With a scant carrying weight of only 380 grams and overall body dimensions of 57mm by 92mm by 119mm, the MD160 is a light and generally easy to hold camera, even if you've got larger than normal hands or chubby fingers. One design point that we particularly like is the snap-up lens cover. Rather than supply an easily lost (or constantly dangling) lens cover, the MD160 instead uses a shutter window built into the lens housing. Certainly, the first time you switch on the camera it may be a bit confusing (or embarrassing), but thereafter it's a real boon.
Features
The MD160 is a MiniDV Camcorder that, at the time of writing, sits at the upper end of Canon's DV tape camcorder range. Those who want a little more quality may wish to look at the MVX430 (AU$799), while those on a tighter budget could consider lower end models such as the MV920 (AU$499). As a DV camcorder the MD160 is arguably a little behind the times. Many manufacturers, including Canon, are placing more of an emphasis on either hard disk or DVD recording models, or making the slow shift towards consumer-level high definition camcorder. There are a few standout technical points on offer, however. The MD160 features a 1-megapixel CCD, meaning it's slightly better at taking still images than many camcorders. Images are saved to an SD/MMC card slot that sits under a rubber flap just underneath the zoom controls. The MD160's included zoom is an impressive 35x, although you'll seriously need a tripod of some sort at higher magnifications to avoid an unruly level of jitter. There's no facility to attach an external microphone, or indeed any other accessories beyond a tripod, but that's not all that unusual in the low-to-mid consumer ranges of many camera manufacturers.