3. A80 Vs A70 And A60

With the A60, A70, A80, the family of premium-priced compacts is complete. Inside the box, the main difference is in the sensor. The range is equipped respectively with CCD's of 2, 3 and 4 megapixels. The casings look very much alike, but one detail makes it possible to identify the A80 at first glance.

It is the only camera in the range fitted with an adjustable LCD screen, which makes all the difference. As fans of the previous A-range cameras can attest, the inset LCD screen had too narrow an angle of vision to make it possible to use as a viewfinder if the camera were held at arm's length, above the head or horizontally. This screen is destined for family use, and when it is completely turned around, it is designed to be able to produce self-portraits, which is a very practical feature.

Anyone who has just bought a A70 after reading our 3-megapixel comparative text , which the A70 won hands down, can rest assured: their camera has not been improved upon. That is because the A80 is 2 mm bigger all round in height, depth, width and depth, which is obvious.

When held, you get the impression that the A80's screen is smaller than that of the A70. This impression is just as lasting as it is erroneous. We took a ruler to the camera and found them to be exactly the same. The silvered rim of the A60 and A70 simply gives the illusion of a bigger screen. On the A80, the LCD is lost in the adjustable panel and looks much smaller, even too small if you compare it to what Casio and Kyocera are now offering. Their LCD screens are up to 2.5 inches measured on the diagonal, meaning 1 inch (2.54 cm) more than the A80.

The final advantage of the A60 and A70 models is that the wheel for switching from play to record has become a button, which is too bad because the older version was better for this operation.

In other respects, the A80 has gained two customizable new modes, the C1 and C2. These enable you to return quicker to two pre-recorded camera configurations.