Rating: 
Summary: As we expected...an excellent follower!
Review: 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! :)
Rating:
Summary: Semi-professional / Novice / Photo Enthusiasts
Review: Whether you're looking for a professional or amatuer digital this is a great digital camera for the price. In addition to 4 mp capablilties this little marvel also boosts a strong enclosure unlike other digital cameras in it's price range. It's a great value for the price. You can take simple point and shoot photos or play around with the limitless settings to capture the moment. I have not use the panoroma feature but it sounds interesting and I plan on learning how to use it as soon as possible. I just bought the camera yesterday and I was impressed with the level of detail once I view my photos on my pc (you can also connect the camera to your t.v. but I haven't tried this yet). This camera will not replace my 10 year old trusty Minolta automatic/manual camera yet, but once I figure out all the settings it might make some sense to leave the Minolta at home since I'll be able to blow up my photos to a large size. ............ sample photos taken with the A80. I looked at digital Fugi, Milolta, and Nikon and I loved the A70. The store had sold out (apparently so did many others!) so I had to spend an extra hundred. I'm sure I'll make this money back with the amount of film processing I'll save this holiday. I'm glad I got this camera over its predessor because it comes with the latest USB (faster downloads) as well as the latest compact flash card (32 instead of 16mB) although I bought a 128 (and will probably buy another 128). The 4mp photos require alot of space. I also tried a 30 sec (up to 3 minutes) mpeg and the camera was very intuitive. I took 70 shots in and outdoors and 3 small movies 1 hour after charging my batteries (not included - I bout a 30minute Energizer charger kit). The software for the photos is easy to use. The movie editting software doesn't appear to be that great. I don't plan on recording movies extensively with this camera, but it's nice to know this feature is available if I left my Sony Handycam at home. I look forward to taking many photos with this camera and recommend it to anyone whose looking for a camera that doesn't feel like a toy and will challege any photo enthusiasts out there with its many features and manual controls. To save a hundred go with the A70 - also a great product. The A60 will soon be discontinued I believe.
Rating:
Summary: I'm in love...
Review: I'm a total amatuer, but have been using digital cameras at work for several years starting with the Sony Mavacia with 640x480 max resolution and most recently using an Olympus 3.2MP camera. I'd refrained from buying a digital camera, limping along with a point-and-shoot 35mm instead because the resolution didn't seem great and the prices seemed too high. With the birth of our first grandson though, I suddenly felt the need to own a digital camera! Without too much research I bought the A80 and I'm totally satisfied with my choice and maybe even a little pleasantly surprised by some of the extra's. First, just so I don't forget--it takes great pictures! Really great pictures...I feel like the only limitation is my own ability to completely use all of the available features. If you're reading the other 50 plus reviews you'll see a lot of technical info, so let me just hit my own personal highlights. It doesn't come with a bag...but I got a great small Samsonite camera bag with snaps and straps and pockets and zippers for less than $6.00 at Walmart. Any digital camera will eat batteries--go rechargable. The best I've seen are 2300ah NIMH batteries, you'll need 8 and a charger {Walmart again} which will pay for themselves in a month or two (and trust me, when you do break down and buy it you're really going to kick yourself for all the money you've been wasting on regular batteries). The memory card they provide is too small, but at the second highest resolution, it will get you started with 30+ pictures and act as a interim backup. I like the 256mb size as an upgrade, and will eventually buy a second one as a backup. Sandisk had a price for well under $50 and a lifetime guarantee--so the backup card could come in handy if yours ever fails! The camera comes loaded with features, including manual shutter and aperture modes and more automatic and manual modes than you will learn to use in weeks if not months or years of ownership. In the meantime, just setting it on Auto or Nite mode makes you look like a freaking genius anyway. The flip-out LCD screen is one of those things that you don't know you need until you have it, and then you wonder how you ever did without! It protects the delicate screen when not in use, rotates so your wife can take centered pictures of herself (instead of the off-center ones she usually got with a regular camera), and it is great for candid pics when you don't want to spook the subject by looking directly at them with the camera or when you want to alter the angle of your photo to get a bugs eye or birds eye view. The USB connection to my computer is a huge improvement over the floppy disks the Mavacia used and even a full card of 256mb downloads quickly (plus you can upload pictures to transport them to another computer). The included software for cataloging and modifying shots is adequate and actually quite an improvement over what I've seen in the past. Considering that it's free, I'm not complaining. {If I want better software, I'd rather choose what I want anyway.} I started this review by noting that I'd been holding out for a high resolution camera with a decent price--I got that and more. This is the perfect camera for an amatuer like me, and it will tide me over quite well until the price of a 10MP digital SLR gets down to under $400! And best of all, the pictures of my grandson make a great screensaver slide show!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Poor workmanship
Review: After 10 months use, I noticed the top cap was coming loose.I sent the camera back to Canon to get it fixed before something went really bad. Canon said I dropped the camera on it's top left which made the cap loose. After our confrontation on the phone and they wanted $155.00 dollars to fix it ,I said don't fix it send it back. After I received it back from Canon, I noticed I had a dent on the bottom left of the camera, then after I started taking pictures again , the button you push to take the pictures fell off .I wouldn't buy another Canon they don't stand behind their product. Luckly the store I bought it from will let me trade it in for a Kodak!!!
Rating:
Summary: Great camera
Review: Great pictures, many features, overall easy to use. The flip out screen was very convenient on vacation when having to shoot pictures over the heads of people in front of me. I just flipped it out and tilted it. Great camera! The Powershot A95 is the more recent upgrade so you might want to look into this model as well. Only drawback-- it is a little heavier than some other models since you use 4 AA batteries. The perk to that would be that these batteries can be found anywhere (even out in the middle of no where) which can be a plus when on a long trip. Love it!
Rating:
Summary: Very good camera.
Review: I have been using this camera for 10 months now. It has given me no trouble at all. Batteries last well. There is enough sophistication built in if you want to be more professional. But it is also very user-friendly for the novices. The quality of photos is exceptional. The reversable LCD is good because a) it conserves battery, b) it protects the screen, and c) it allows you to take selfportraits without the guesswork.
The ability to take 3 minute movies with sound has proved invaluable for documenting classic moments at Madonna dance parties.
The camera is light, and not too big. Sure, there are smaller ones, but for the price and the feautres, I for one could not ask for more.
All in all, a great camera.
My one tiny gripe is that I wish I could make the flash less bright. At times, the flas can wash out an image, but I find that if I use the high speed setting without flash, I can get a great picture 80% of the time.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Camera, Fantastic Pictures!
Review: I have owned this camera for over six months now and I am very impressed. There are a ton of features to customize nearly every aspect of your shot composition. However, there is a very easy to use point-and-shoot mode as well that functions well.
This four megapixel camera produces images that are beautiful. They are of such quality that enlargement prints of 8 x 10 or even 11 x 14 are possible with no image degredation.
This camera does pack a lot of features into a fairly compact package. I really like the fact that this camera uses AA batteries. I purchased some rechargeable NiMH batteries and a quick charger and I have been VERY impressed so far as to the battery life of the A80. I have taken well over 100 shots most with flash and the LCD display illuminated and the batteries still had juice.
A wonderful feature on this camera is the flip out LCD display. This may be the most underrated feature on the camera. The display is capable of flipping out, rotating and pivoting so you can hold the camera in all sorts of creative positions but have the display adjusted so you can see it.
The image quality that this camera produces never fails to impress. Nearly every time I am showing someone some shots I took with the A80, they make comments like, "How come my camera doesn't take pictures that good?". Colors are rich and the contrast is very good.
There are only a couple of negative points about the A80 that I have discovered. There is a slight delay between the time you press the shutter button (button to take the picture) and the time the camera actually snaps that picture. It's probably less than 1/2 second, but occasionally when I have wanted to snap a quick shot of something moving, it was unable to capture it in time. Not a huge problem, but if you plan to shoot a lot of action pictures, this may be a consideration.
Overall, I would definately recommend this camera. Comparing features, picture quality and price, the Canon A80 is a fantastic value and should be considered by anyone interested in a low-mid range digital camera.
Rating:
Summary: Just one more fantastic review
Review: I love this camera!!! It took me a long time to get up the nerve to invest in a digital, but I have no regrets about this one in the least, and I am thrilled at my picture quality. A couple of things: I haven't tried it with lenses yet. A friend has the A70 and has used a macro lense on it; she didn't think it worked as well as it should... I don't know if Canon A80 will have similar issues, but the macro shots on the A80 without lenses are good enough I don't think I care! Plus, even the capability of using additional lenses on a camera this size and price blows me away. The flip-out screen is Worth It. Yes, that cute little addition is actually worthwhile. Go for it. The automatic setting on this is great -- I haven't improved on it (but will try the P setting adjustment mentioned in another review - thankyou!), but the landscape, portrait, and different color settings are great additions. I've only had this camera 9 months, but I have already learned a ton about photography, and this camera challenges me to keep improving! It has plenty of room to grow on! This camera is easy to understand, very adaptable, allows all the control one can expect in a camera at this level and then some -- and most of all, makes beautiful pictures even with no effort at all. Buy It! Buy It!
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT LITTLE CAMERA!
Review: I shopped for weeks to find an affordable digital camera that would perform well, and I found it with the A80. It is a nice compact size, easy to understand, and performs well. And you can purchase additional lenses for even more features. I would recommend any of the "A" series Canons.
Rating: 
Summary: OK but Craftsmanship questionable
Review: When i received mine it was made in China. The earlier models were from Japan and they are different. you can tell just by comparing the two. Performance so far OK
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