7. Conclusion

Canon Powershot A80
Price EU	549 €
Price US	US $ 499
Capacity	4 MP
Memory	16 MB CF
Digital Zoom	3x : 38-114 mm
Aperature setting	F2.8 - 4.9
Exposure correction	-2EV to +2EV
Macro mode	5 cm
LCD	1.5"
Batteries	4 x AA (1600 mAh Ni-M)
Dimensions	103 x 65 x 35 mm
Weight	350 g

The A80 is for all intents and purposes the ideal compact camera. It is:

small; fast: less than 3 seconds to power up and around 1 second between photos; capable of taking shots from various angles thanks to its adjustable LCD screen; has excellent definition, even at the strongest JPEG compression, and good color rendering - as long as you are careful to manage the white balance manually); robust: the case is metal; compatible with Compact Flash cards, the least greedy in terms of Mb used and the most practical (the SD and xD are so small that they are easy to lose); intuitive - despite all the options it has available, it's easy to learn; the speed can be slowed in manual: You choose the speed and aperture you prefer, two settings that you will soon learn to manipulate if you have not already done so.

As for battery life, Canon puts it at:

Number of photos
	LCD ON	LCD OFF
AA ALKALINE	Approx. 250	Approx. 800
AA NIMH	Approx. 350	Approx. 1000

Experienced users will also appreciate:

a log of photos taken is available; excellent battery life - we used it for three days, with 256 MB of memory, and we rescreened several times photos and videos we had shot before seeing the first low-battery warnings; shutter speeds of 1/2000 through 15 seconds; wide range of sensitivity available, from 50 through 400 ISO.

But for it to have been perfect, we would have liked it to have been just a little more compact and lighter and with a bigger LCD screen. It could have also used a 640 x 480 pixel video mode and a zoom lens that could capture greater brightness. Also, the automatic white balance needs attention, even though it is more sensitive than that of the A70. These flaws, however, could be attributed to only the prototype, and not the real thing when the camera is launched. Let's hope these points will be improved between now and when the product is launched.

The A80 model will become the new standard digital camera for the general public at less than $500 in the U.S. and less than €500 in Europe. It should also make lots of people happy at Christmas and Hanukkah. One detail, however: remember to buy a memory card at the same time. The A80's basic memory consists of only a ridiculous 16 MB of compact flash.