The Canon PowerShot A80 couples the ease of use and convenience of the PowerShot A series with a host of advanced features usually found in high-end models. As a result, the camera responds flexibly to user demands for not only fully automatic operation, but also shooting sophistication.

The PowerShot A80 incorporates in a compact metal body a high-resolution 1/1.8″ 4.0-megapixel CCD that captures images up to 2,272 x 1,704 pixels with exceptional detail and color fidelity. Further contributing to outstanding image quality is a newly designed 3x optical zoom lens (equivalent to 38-114 mm in 35 mm format). While making possible a wide shooting range – from snaps to landscapes – as well as compatibility with the large 4.0-megapixel sensor size, the compact lens features several design innovations that have permitted an overall reduction in the thickness of the camera without forsaking image quality.

For the first time in the PowerShot A series, the new A80 incorporates a Vari-Angle LCD monitor. Usually found on Canon’s high-end PowerShot G-series models, the Vari-Angle LCD monitor can be rotated through a horizontal arc of 180 degrees and a vertical arc of 270 degrees for easy framing, or folded away for protection when not in use. Other high-end features include: 9-point AiAF with selectable single center-point focus for accurate auto-focusing with unrestricted framing regardless of the position of the subject within the viewfinder; a large Shooting Mode Dial with 14 settings, including two newly added programmable Custom Modes; and Canon’s SI (Super Intelligent) sensor, which automatically detects the camera’s orientation, ensures optimum auto-focus, auto-exposure and auto-white-balance performance when used in the vertical position, and automatically orients the image correctly for previewing.