Customer Reviews

Canon PowerShot A80 4MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(82)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Canon A70 was the biggest hit since it hit the shelves.
So everyone had high expectations about Canon A80. I think everyone should be more than satisfied with Canon's new model. If A70 was the best compact camera in it's class, then A80 is the best of the best. If you try the camera I am sure you will agree with me.
I don't want to talk too much about the techical issues, you can read it on the official pages and on several digicam review sites.
Let's talk about what made me return to Canon, may be it can help you decide if you are new to digital photography or just have a dc of another brand and cannot decide.
I had the following cameras in order: Canon A40, S40, S400 then switched to Minolta F200 and finally returned to Canon A80.
I would like to explain to you why I went from one to another and why I think that A80 is the best of all.
First, I need an entry level quality digital camera at a low price, I got the A40. Then I would have liked more megapixels in a more compact metal body, I got the S40. Then I went for a subcompact light weight dc with brand new technology (DIGIC) and fast performance (S400). Then I realized that I miss manual controls and need sharper pictures and got a Minolta F200. Finally, realized that F200 has a very high battery consumption and an extremely high noise even at ISO100. I bought an A80 this week for several reasons: I saw some pics and used some cameras of differend types, and think that Canon is the BEST in the compact middle-range category. All the reviews and tests I've read about A70 was positive, so I had no doubt that A80 will be even better. One thing I was unsure about is the quality of the LCD on A80. S400 had sharper and darker LCD, but A80's is still better than average and I think satisfies most people. Don't bother with the resolution of the LCD if you read different numbers on web pages, it is nice and clear.
The flip-out and twist LCD is a big advantage to others: not only you can use the LCD when shooting over people's head or on the floor, but the monitor can be easily protected from scratches. I can't explain how big this advantage is till you see and try it yourself. Good work Canon!
If you know Canon digicams, then you know how fast are Canons. A80 is no exception, this is by far the fastest camera I used beside my S400. If it is up to Canon, you won't miss an important shot!
And there are all the things you've already read about: 4MP,3x optical zoom, full manual control, AF-Assist lamp (great!) etc, etc. You know it! :)

Some questions and answers:
- Shall I upgrade from A70 to A80?
My answer is: YES. The more megapixel and the new flip-out LCD worth that plus. Also, the construction adds more quality feel to it (there are more metal).
- Shall I go for A80 if I have no digicam yet?
If you can afford, definitely. But consider that A60 and A70 are also excellent machines when you are on budget.
- Shall I change to Canon from a different 3-4-5 megapixel compact digicam?
Definitely yes. May be some other cameras are better in some issues than Canon, but all in all Canon makes the best consumer cameras to date. Usability, image detail, low noise, faster than average performance are important things and A80 has it all at a very good price.

One very important thing: don't let you fooled by the sharp pictures of Minolta and Fuji. They have a very high noise that are annoying. I tried to remove the noise with some photo editing software, but the result was a washed picture in all cases. Some say that Canon has no sharp pictures. This is true, the competition may be sharper...BUT! you can always add some unsharp mask with the right software and make Canon images look excellent. Unfortunately, you cannot do the opposite with those "sharp but high noise" cameras. Keep these in mind always!

Another thing: chromatic abberration and blown highlights. Yes, it's there. Not always, but there. And it were there in my S400, S40, A40 and even my Minolta F200 images as well. It is there in almost every compact digital camera. This is NOT an issue, though some are complaining about it continiously. No camera is perfect and no will ever be.

Decision is yours. Take it in hand and you'll never want to give it away! :)

I did a lot of research prior to purchasing the Canon A80 digital camera. I read a lot of reviews, many right here at Amazon. I also looked into lens quality and the quality of electronics. I read consumer report's test results. The bottom line - as with most things in life "you get what you pay for". You can find cameras with more than 4MPs, however, my research indicated that the picture quality may not be as good as Canon's 3MP A70. Digital picture quality is a mixed bag of tricks. MPs are one part of the "picture" when determining what quality a digital camera is going to deliver. I will give you my advice in each of four major purchasing catagories below.

Retailer: If you take nothing more from this review, please listen to what I have to say here. The cheapest price is not always the best deal!!!! In fact I would go so far as to say that the cheapest price may be the worst deal. While searching for the best price on an A80 I called four of the cheapest retailers listed at sites like Pricegrabber. EVERY store I called was either out of cameras (surprise, surprise) or the price quoted was only good if the camera was purchased in a overpriced package. The "cheap" store would then proceed to try and sell you what "they had" - not what you wanted. After four attempts at the cheapest price, I went back to Amazon and found a price of $359.00. This price was $50.00 or more than the cheapest price, but they told me if the camera was in stock and gave me a delivery date. I actually purchased through an Amazon affiliate. I received the product on time and in good condition.

Camera brand: I touched on this above. Again, the cheapest product is not always the best buy. Don't be fooled into believing that MPs alone or a fancy zoom equate to good picture quality. If you don't plan on spending in the $300 dollar range, plan on mediocre results. Now...many people will argue that a $100 camera will deliver good results - it depends on why you are buying digital. If you are buying digital to replace conventional cameras, why would you want anything but great quality. You cannot go back in time and take another picture of your child at age 2. I went digital to begin replacing my conventional cameras. Canon is not the only good brand, but it certainly rises to the top of the heap in the quality for dollars catagory. I would stick to companies that make photography their business - Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Minolta, ect.

Camera model: Do your research and have a clear picture in your mind of what you need a digital camera for. A digital camera is like a computer - it's great when it works, but a nightmare when it doesn't. Again, don't always look to the selling price as the determining factor in selecting a model. If you stick with a major manufacturer you are less likely to get junk or poor service, regardless of the model you pick.
Many people stress out over the choice of an A70 or A80. I don't think you make a bad purchase with either product. I decided that, for an increase of $80, it was worth the upgrade to the A80. Your own budget may make this decision for you.

Price: I discussed this many times over. Don't let anyone convince you that a $100 dollar camera takes the same quality pictures as a $300 camera. Buy smart and buy for the long run. Buy quality and service. Do your research - read Amazon reviews and search the web for independent reviews. Pick up a Consumer Reports magazine.

My opinion of the A80 - Well...after about a week of playing with it and reading the manual(I'm not finished yet) I believe I purchased a quality product with features typically found on high-end cameras. A word of caution - don't fool yourself into believing that you can move from "point-and-shoot" to this camera without first educating yourself. I think many people foolishly believe that perfect pictures can be taken by simply pushing a shutter release button - not so in the real world. If you educate yourself about the functions of camera parts and read Canon's manual carefully, I believe you will find the A80 to be an excellent product.

I hope this helped.

Well, I've been a purist 35mm SLR user for a while now and the expense of getting films developed was getting tiresome. After 2 months of research, online, in stores, borrowing various other types of camera I've finally plunged into the world of digital with the A80 and it's been worth the wait. I can't see how digital can improve anymore. I had narrowed the selection down to the A80 and the S50 (DSLR not necesarily being out of my price range, but more than I was willing to commit to for the first digital). The S50 and A80 are very comparable, but I chose the A80 for the following reasons:-

1) It felt better to hold, as a right hander, the grip is very comfortable, the S50 felt like holding a brick, no ergonomics.
2) Easier Controls. The menu controls are more intuitive and seem sturdier than those of the S50. The A80's 4way button is a lot larger and easier to use than the S50's 'nubbin' along with the other buttons.
3) The flip out screen. While at first I thought it was 'gimmicky' it has proved to be a very useful feature, enabling excellent framing at angles other than eye level.
4) AA batteries. Need I say more??? Much more practical.
5) I wasn't so sure about the sliding lens cover on the S50.

The only things that made me even consider anything else:
1) 4.0 Megapixels. I was worried that the 4.0 megapixels wouldn't cut it for enlargements, but I've just had a 10x8 printed on the 2nd highest resolution setting and it's perfect! I have no doubt I'll be able to go up to 11x14 if necessary.
2) RAW format. OK so now I know that I can enlarge as much as I can with the A80, I'm not worried about being able to record in RAW format.
3) The S50 has a slightly larger screen, but the A80's flip screen more than makes up for it's SLIGHTY smaller size..

P.S. The A80 can record video in NTSC and PAL, useful for me with relatives on both sides of the pond

I'm very happy with my A80 and would highly recomment it for first time and experienced digital users..... Good price too.

You just got to hand it to Canon to come up with the best package cameras in the market today. The A60, A70 and A80 provide huge feature sets at a very competetive price.

Regarding the camera, my A80 let me just say that it performs admirably.I was initially choosing between the A80 and also the excellent Canon S45, but decided on the A80 for the foll reasons:

1. Superior handling - the A80 just FELT better to hold in my hand, due to its protuding grip, than the S45. However, i recommend you try both cameras out before you buy. You might prefer the S45 instead.

2. Flip-out-and-twist LCD - The A80's real ace over the S45. Initially, i thought it to be a gimmick, but i found out that the LCD is really useful in everyday situations, e.g. taking photos of kids from a low level without breaking your back. BUT, the A80's LCD is also a bit dissapointing, as it has only a 1.5" size and 67k pixels, compared to the S45's 1.8" and 100k+ pixels. See for yourself, and decide if you are comfortable with the A80's LCD. I wear glasses, but have no problems with it.

So the choice is yours. Both cameras are priced about same right now, i think.

Back to the A80, here are its pros and cons:

Pros:

1. Good handling and feel, Sure , it may not be as small as a Pentax S4, but come on, the camera is more 'prosumerly' oriented. Is small size is what you look for, you'll HAVE to give up on many advanced manual controls.

2. Good quality images. People in forums have complained about purple fringing and excessive red-eye on the A80. I find a bit of fringing too but it is not that noticable. And redeye? I've seen none of it even with flash shots.

3. AA batteries seem to run on and on and on...... 2100 mAh cells lasted about a week with 30 or shots a day with LCD turned on.

4. NO E-18 errors which plagued the Canon A60 and A70!

5. Flip-out-and-twist LCD. Really useful.

Cons:

1. people say the the CF card door is flimsy, but in fact I find the Battery compartment door to be even more flimsy. I wonder when the springs will break off.

2. Shutter lag: This plagues almost all comsumer digicams. I've learnt how to handle it thought, by adjusting my timing, but it still annoys me.

3. A bit low quality LCD as i mentioned earlier. Some of you may find it to be a problem. It works fine with me.

So, all I can say is that the Canon A80 makes a very strong case for itseldf in the 4 megapixel comsumer camera market. However, if price is a hassle, you can also try out the 2MP A60 or 3MP A70, good performing cameras in their own right. In the 4Mp category, also be sure to check out the A80's competitors i have listed below:

1. Canon S45
2. Nikon 4300
3. Pentax S4
4. Kodak DX 6490
5. Canon S400
6. Sony P92 ( a 5MP model)
7. Canon S50 ( also 5MP)

For the Canon A80, i recommed the following accesories, which should be definitely bought:

1. 128 MB ( at least) Cf card. 256 MB is a good size.
2. 2 sets of rechargable Ni-Mh batteries, (each set having 4 batteries)of about 2000 mAh and a fast charger.
3. Camera pouch/bag. The Lowepro Z10 which i bought for the A80 provides a snug fit.

I shopped around for a digital camera for a few months, 4+ megapixels is the way to go, other cameras looked nice but were too pricey, ergonomically awkward or confusing to use. Not so with this little gem! The canon A80 has all of the features I wanted, it is small (hand size), easy to use, takes HIGH quality pictures and gives me confidence to experiment and enjoy photography without wasting money on film & developing costs.

The A80 is very simple to use, the menus and function screens are navigated with ease. The camera offers a wide variety of modes for every situation and setting. The A80 can take movies, landscapes, macros, portraits, high speed action pictures, photo-stitching-panoramas, and many more. The A80 comes with software for both PC and Mac. Although I tend to use the iPhoto program that comes with my Mac.

I did buy some rechargeable batteries and charger, and a couple extra memory cards. The A80 uses 4 AA batteries, you should get some Nimh recharge batts as back up. You might also want an extra memory card, the camera uses Compact Flash (type 1) cards, this type of card is inexpensive compared to other flash storage cards, a 256mb card is a must in my opinion since the A80 is sold with only one 32mb card.

The A80's only drawback is that it does not come with a camera bag, it has a camera strap, but no bag, so I had to buy my own.

Overall, I have to give this camera 5 stars, it does everything as advertised, and the picture quality is FANTASTIC, simply follow the directions for each type of picture you are taking et voila, HUGE digital prints, the detail is phenomenal! This camera is worth every penny! SImply put, this is the best camera I have ever owned.

i was initially set on buying the canon powershot A70, but that was until the A80 came out. upon seeing its vari-angle flip-out LCD plus 4.0 megapixels (compared to the A70's 3.2 MP), i was SOLD on the A80. i got the camera for christmas 2003 and i've been really satisfied with it. i love the flexibility the LCD gives you-- i've been able to take great angled shots which i probably would have trouble doing on a camera without a flip-out LCD. the LCD may be a little small compared to other cameras but the display is very sharp and that makes up for its lack of size. the flip-out LCD feature is also very convenient as it protects the monitor from dust and scratches when it's not in use as you can fold the monitor against the camera body.

image quality is superior-- one of the best i've seen for digital cameras in its class. the images are very clear and sharp. i use the camera for everything-- the lowest resolution (640x480) for wacky, fun shots with my friends, and the highest res (2272x1704) for graphic design work (i'm a student graphic designer)-- posters, magazines, layouts, webdesign.

the powershot A80 is a great deal too-- rarely would you find so much powerful features for a camera in this price range. actually, when people see my camera, they assume it's really expensive but when i tell them how much i bought it for, they're really amazed. i guess they're not expecting a camera with superior features selling for much less than what they expected.

all in all, i'm very happy with the A80. the only negative thing about it that comes to mind is the lack of battery power indicator. i use rechargable NiMh batteries that last me a long time (i went on a whole-day shoot with the LCD turned and at the end of the day, the batteries were still going strong), but i don't really know when they're running low on power until a little blinking battery icon shows up on the LCD display-- a minute or two before the camera dies on me. it would've been nice if canon put a battery life indicator so you aren't caught unaware.

I knew nothing about digital cameras, but after researching and reading many reviews, I decided on this one. I was also considering a Nikon and the full Kodak package with the printer dock.

One clear standout feature is the LCD screen. I almost never even look through the viewfinder anymore. It allows you to take shots with much more ease and more quickly than you would with just a viewfinder.

Another thing that's good is that you can use the auto feature if you don't want to have to worry about any details, just want point and shoot, or you can switch to many other modes if you want more control over things, as you learn how to use the advanced features. Thus, no matter how skilled you are, you can have great pictures. I also like that there are all sorts of easy to use effects, like sepia and black and white, panoramic/stitch together. You can be pretty artistic right away. You can also take 3 min. movies with sound.

The software is easy to use. You just install it on the computer. The cables come for you to connect the camera to the a USB port, and when you do that and turn on the camera once the software is installed, it instantly recognizes the camera and asks if you're ready to download pictures. Once you do, they are saved to a folder and you can view them, manipulate and edit them, and even send them directly to an e-mail message. The program interacts directly with my MSN browser automatically. You can also create little booklets and albums and cards and things with the other software that comes with the camera. I can't wait to get a color printer cartridge and some photo paper to see how that works. You also get a cable to view your pictures on tv.

BTW, a friend of mine has the Kodak system and is generally happy with the camera and quality of pictures, but said that the software often messes up on their system.

I don't know if all software does this, but I like that you can take some pictures, download them, take some more pictures, and the software knows only to download the new ones even though the others are still on the card.

Picture quality is typically excellent. I took some very casual pictures of my son just fooling around the house, and I was amazed at the clarity and color that was captured. His skin looked beautiful, and his pink lips and each long eyelash were captured stunningly, making me wish he didn't have on a juice-stained shirt. He seemed to look better on the picture than I even noticed him looking in person. I am sure that soon the house will have professionally developed photos of him all around it that I've taken.

I'd highly recommend the camera to anyone who likes ease of picture taking and good results, plus the ability to grow as a photographer also. You will not be disappointed.

One thing that I was concerned about after reading reviews was that the battery compartment hatch might be fragile. It isn't, you just have to follow the arrows telling you how to open and close it, because you have to slide a lever over and THEN lift, and there's a little spring so that when you close it, you have to push and then slide back over. It is different than other compartments, but you have to follow the instructions, and it's not hard at all once you do it once. Don't let that scare you. It isn't flimsy at all, and it's not going to break easily. You just can't be ham-handed with it and forge ahead without noting what you need to do first.

I would buy the soft case for it, available for under 10 bucks I think on this site. I didn't go for the full kit because I found a fast charger that was cheaper, and NiMH batteries from anyplace will do. I have 8 NiMH batteries, and I keep one set charged and in the front pocket of the case and one set in the camera. These batteries last a good long time, but using the movie feature can eat through them more quickly.

I'm totally satisfied with this purchase.

I can't say enough about how much I've enjoyed this camera. I actually lost it for two days (note: don't put digital cameras in checked luggage) and decided that I'd use the airline settlement to upgrade to a better camera.

After comparing to many of the 5MP cameras in the $500+ range, I realized that the A80 matched those cameras feature-for-feature in nearly every category (except MP of course)! Just when I had resolved to re-purchase the very same camera, the airline found my bag and I got my killer camera back (everybody wins)!

My favorite high-end features:
* Picture stitching (make one HUGE picture by combining several individual photos) right on the camera
* Multi-point auto-focus - note that you need to pay attention to where the camera tells you it focused -- you may need to adjust your shot
* Corrections for white-balance, EV compensation
* Nice tight macro shots!
* It's not a digital camcorder, but with a large memory card, the camera takes a pretty decent full-motion video
and most importantly ...
* Put the dial on "P" and it takes perfect pictures 99.9% of the time!

Other features I like:
* The folding LCD is great - protects it from scratches, allows you to hold the camera at funny angles but still be able to see your shot
* Uses 4x AA batteries. You can find AAs just about anywhere, and you don't have to carry around a charger!
* Heavier construction makes for a nice solid feel -- doesn't feel cheap.

Minor gripes:
* The little viewfinder is pretty much worthless as far as I'm concerned. You just gotta use the LCD.
* People have complained in other reviews about shutter lag -- it's true, but you can learn to compensate for it. Keep in mind taking a picture with this camera is a two-step process:
1. Frame up the subject and hold the button half-way down to get the picture and the focus set
2. Once #1 happens, push the button the rest of the way down to fire the shutter -- it's almost instant.
I've decided the delay with this camera is the focus time and/or exposure calculation. Once you've got the green focus boxes on the LCD, you're ready to rip!
* The multi-point auto-focus sometimes makes "interesting" choices in what to focus on. If you have a tough time getting it to focus on the right thing, you can always scale back to center auto-focus and force it to focus on what you want it to
* The LCD is great, but they really coulda made it just a little bigger ...

Your first three purchases after this camera should be:
1. LowePro z10 camera bag. Perfect fit and it only costs about $10
2. A 256 MB (or larger) CF card. Save the 32 for trips to the drug-store when you order prints
3. 8 rechargeable NiMH batteries. It's a little bit of an investment, but you can take TONS o pix (and review 'em over and over) on one charge!

Canon makes the best digital cameras in this price range, no doubt. I purchased this beauty before studying in Mexico for three months. As a student, price was a large factor. I wanted more than just point-and-shoot.

I took 700 photos in Mexico. The camera never missed a shot. Photos all come out so perfectly you don't even need ot access the many manual options. The only manual option I used was the black-and-white, which took black-and-white pictures and gave me control over exposures and the like. My black-and-white prints look better than my friends', who used 35mm cameras. My color prints, well I blew a bunch up to 8x10 and they are absolutely perfect, amazing considering I wasn't even using the highest-quality option!

I love the swivel-screen. When traveling alone, you can have the screen on the front of the camera and take a picture of yourself. It was also helpful for seeing over large crowds. The camera is NOT heavy, I don't know why so many reviws say that. It's heavier than other digital cameras, yes, but I like that it feels SOLID. I have picked up many digital cameras that felt flimsy. This one is solid metal, very strong. I love that it uses AA batteries, because if your batteries run out its always easy to find more. If you use energizer e2 batteries the camera is very light. Batteries typically lasted me 2-3 weeks, and I was taking hundreds of photos.

There are a few cons to the camera. The screen is hard to see in direct sunlight, and it feels a little too small. Also, I find that the knob on the top to choose picture-taking options moves too easily - I often moved it unknowingly and then took a photo on the wrong setting. I also find that the auto-focus often focuses on the wrong object.

Still, I would buy this camera again. My friends' cameras simply did not compete. I had so many more options, and my auto-shoot's pictures were just better. When we compared prints, you could not tell mine were from a digital camera but there's had imperfections.

Buy this camera. If not this one, stick with Canon.

I'm cheap, but I don't buy cheap junk... I just look for quality deals. After weeks of research, reading reviews and going to stores to look at digital cameras, I had no doubt about purchasing the A80. I really enjoy photography but my wife doesn't, so our main concern was to find a camera that would be simple to use for her, yet still allow me some freedom in composition. Unlike a lot of gadgets out there, I WILL use every feature on this camera. Compared to my old Fuji (digital), which I really liked, this camera is faster, a lot more powerful, the pictures are great, and if they're not, the camera will tell you what's wrong with it (histogram), so you can make adjustments and take your shot again.
The only complain I can make about this camera is that the rubber cover for the USB/DC connection on the side of the camera is rubber and it is always sticking out. I'll probably just end up pulling the darn thing off.
I think Canon really got ripped off on this deal. Either that or they really know how to do business, because they have one very happy customer who will probably come back again.