1.33 Megapixel CCD
At the heart of the Optura 200MC is a CCD image sensor containing an astounding 1.33 million pixels. This puts the Optura 200MC into the very rarified atmosphere of the highest-resolution consumer camcorders on the market today.

Precision Canon Optical Zoom Lens
Canon is known worldwide for its optics, with Canon lenses used on most broadcast TV cameras, and its photographic lenses the choice of many of the world's top-ranked photographers.

10x Optical Zoom with 200x Digital Zoom
The Optura 200MC incorporates a bright zoom lens, specifically designed to handle the demands placed on it by the camcorder's high-resolution image sensor for both video and still picture applications. The zoom uses a special glass originally used in Canon digital still cameras, guaranteeing high picture quality.

The 10x optical zoom lens (4.2 -- 42 mm) is the 35 mm focal length equivalent of 48 -- 480 mm. Add an optional WD-34 Wide-converter to increase the field of view to the equivalent of 34 mm for indoor shots or panoramic views, or add the TL-34 Tele-converter to extend your telephoto viewing to the equivalent of 816 mm.
The digital zoom kicks in at the end of the optical zoom range, and is capable of extending to a maximum of 200x. This is the equivalent of a 9600 mm lens on a 35 mm photo camera.

Video Mode - Video Mode delivers smooth full-motion video for playback on your TV. You also can transfer the video onto your computer to view, edit, post on the Internet, or send to friends. Its advanced circuitry ensures that color, light, and motion of the scene are recorded with exceptional accuracy and superior color rendition.

Digital Photo Mode - You can make your Optura 200MC a still camera by switching to Photo Mode. Just press the photo button to capture more than 700 still pictures on a single videocassette (in SP mode).

High Resolution Photos - The Optura 200MC's megapixel CCD means the camera offers megapixel digital photo capture. The Optura 200MC uses a 1.33 megapixel CCD to capture high-resolution photos for saving on the removable storage card. Aiding the capture of high-quality digital photos is a lens with digital still camera-based elements. The picture size in this mode is 1280 x 960 pixels.

Motion-JPEG - Designed to help you make web videos, Motion-JPEG mode produces compressed AVI files that are smaller and easier to run and send by email than conventional video files. Record a 10 second clip at 320 X 240 or a 30 second clip at 160 X 120.

Built-In Flash
The Optura 200MC has a built-in, pop-up flash for use in digital still picture-taking. This makes it easier to shoot the correct exposure even when in a dark environment. The Optura 200MC will fire one flash (a pre-flash) to check the exposure, then fire a second time to make the correct exposure. The flash has four modes: auto, on, off, and red-eye reduction.

Progressive Photo
The Optura 200MC offers Progressive Photo. A mechanical shutter used in combination with an interlace scan CCD produces still images with very little blurring. With an interlace scan CCD, a picture of a moving object will be blurred because of the 1/60th of a second lag between the reading of the odd and even fields that go into making one video frame. With Progressive Photo, this blurring has all but been removed because the time lag has been eliminated by the mechanical shutter.

MultiMedia Card and SD Memory Card Compatible
For the storage of digital still images, you can use either MultiMediaCards or SD memory cards in the Optura 200MC. An 8 MB MultiMediaCard comes with the Optura 200MC, storing up to 17 fine quality still pictures or 32 standard quality images.

Continuous Recording Function
Want to capture a quick series of digital still images? Then turn on the continuous shooting function of the 200MC. There are two options: in SXGA mode, the 200MC will capture up to 30 images at two images per second, while in VGA mode, it will capture up to 10 images at a rate of three images per second. On top of that, the 200MC's built-in flash will keep pace with your picture-taking.

Color Viewfinder and 2.5' LCD Screen
The Optura 200MC offers both a color viewfinder and a 2.5' color flip-out LCD screen with 200,000 pixels.

The Optura 200MC also offers a tilting viewfinder. Not only does this make for more flexible shooting, but having a viewfinder is a benefit when shooting in the daytime when it may get too bright to see the LCD display clearly. Note, though, that the Optura 200MC's LCD screen is designed to deliver clear images even under bright sunlight.

Manual Focus - Using the focusing ring on the lens, you can manually focus the picture.

Manual Exposure - For fine exposure control, you have access to +/-7 steps of exposure compensation.

Manual and Automatic Shutter Speeds - There are 8 shutter speeds (from 1/60 sec. to 1/8000 sec.) available in all auto exposure modes. In Low Light Mode, a ninth, very slow shutter speed (1/15 sec.) is used. When manual shutter speed selection is used, 8 shutter speeds are available -- 1/60 sec. to 1/8000 sec.

Presets and Manual White Balance - The Optura 200MC is designed to automatically determine white balance. You also can use standard preset values for indoors (3200º K) and outdoors (5600º K) or you can manually set the white balance. Manually setting the white balance is useful when shooting: subjects with one dominant color such as the sky; close-ups; rapidly changing lighting conditions; and places lit by certain types of fluorescent or mercury vapor

Digital Effects - For that creative touch, a more appealing look, or greater imaging variety, you can switch on one of several digital effects: negative picture, art, black & white picture, sepia, mosaic.

Digital Faders - The Optura 200MC gives you several picture fade options to start or end scenes, with a fade to or from black: Fade Trigger, Vertical Wipe, Vertical Stripe, Horizontal Stripe, Checker, Window, Flip, Tide, Puzzle, Beam, Zigzag, and Jump.

Special Effects - Expand your video possibilities by using a MultiMediaCard or SD memory card and the Card Mix effect. Add backgrounds or graphics to your video. Record and display several consecutive images in one frame by using the Multi-image screen.

PCM Digital Stereo Sound
The Optura 200MC can record sound in two audio modes:

16-bit (48 kHz, 2 channels) for the highest sound quality, slightly better than CD quality, and equivalent to DAT tape;

12-bit (32 kHz, 2 from 4 channels) for recording on two channels (stereo 1), leaving two channels (stereo 2) open for post-production audio recording (narration, music, etc.).

IEEE 1394 Input and Output Terminal
The Optura 200MC is designed for the transfer of digital video and audio to and from either a PC or another IEEE 1394 terminal-equipped camcorder or professional DV VCR. The DV terminal allows high-quality transfer with virtually no deterioration in quality of images.

Video and Audio Inputs and Outputs
As well as delivering both digital video output and input with audio, the Optura 200MC is designed to handle two types of analog audio and video input and output: using audio/video cables (composite) or S-video.