For the 1st time within a digital compact, an EOS style Multi Control Dial is brought to allow quick setting of menu and shooting functions, not to mention rapid scroll through images during playback. Advanced features include real time histogram display, FlexiZone AF/AE which has a freely movable focus point and manual focus override, 21 shooting modes, XGA quality videos up to 1 GB dimensions, together with a new and improved cp which has a newly designed and positioned mode dial.

Quality build, quality optics
The sleek looking S80 is actually redesigned take an excellent, superior build in addition to a more ergonomic, compact body this really is over 8% smaller than its predecessor despite the camera's improved performance. Its 28 100mm f2.8 5.3 (3.6x) optical zoom lens features Canon's advanced UA (Ultra High Refractive Index Aspherical) lens technology, that enables for true wide angle capability without increasing camera size. The focal length range expands to approximately 22.4 to 200 millimeters in the new optional wide and tele converter lenses.

The power of 8.0 megapixels plus DIGIC II
With a sensor which includes a massive 8.0 megapixels, the digital camera produces images for photo quality 16 x 22 inch prints, and provides photographers more freedom to crop images.

Canon's advanced image processor, DIGIC II, happens to be incorporated to enhance the camera's speed and responsiveness, while also improving image quality. Auto focus speeds can be roughly 20% faster, and focusing performance in low light has improved by around 1 stop, offering better control in dim conditions. DIGIC II drives a 1.8 fps continuous shooting speed, and supports 9 point AiAF for fast, accurate focusing if subjects usually are not centerd. FlexiZone AF/AE allows free scrolling anywhere for the frame's auto focus area to choose the required subject, that exposure is weighted accordingly. Manual focus selection will also be possible.

Hi Speed USB 2.0 compatibility offers faster communication with computers, accelerating file transfers.

High level control and to use
The camera's smaller size have not compromised user friendly set up. A whole new large 2.5 inch LCD is adjustable to just one of 15 brightness levels and has a Quick bright function to facilitate shooting in sunny conditions. A real time histogram, which appears within the LCD monitor, was incorporated allowing a computer owner to guage exposure easily when composing. The selectable grid line display is great for composition and levelling horizons.

With a newly designed user interface, the S80 offers faster and more intuitive operation. The Multi Control Dial allows quick setting of menu and shooting functions, along with rapid scroll through images during playback. Conveniently, the mode dial happens to be positioned the item are usually better viewed when composing shots. The camera's Shortcut function increases flexibility by allowing the Print/Share button turn out to be assigned to any one associated with a wide range of still image or movie shooting setting functions.

For enhanced image review, the jump to folder button now allows jumping into the first picture of specified folders. Folders is usually defined that they are created automatically as specified by its user, for instance every week, and after this posesses a capacity all the way to 2000 images per folder.

Modes, My Colors...and movies
The S80 incorporates a total of 21 shooting modes: as well as the full Manual mode as well as other creative zone modes that photographers would expect with an S Series camera, nine new special scene modes are actually incorporated. Helping the operator to effectively handle several situations, these scene modes include Snow, Portrait, Underwater and Digital Macro, plus others. Custom mode allows users allocate preferred shooting settings.

My Colors located on the mode dial allows the development of creativity in digital photography. Special effects, for example Color Swap or Custom Colors, that allows users purchase their preferred color balance for just about any given shot, can be executed in camera and viewed for the LCD while shooting stills and movies. These effects could previously only be performed using PC software after shooting.

Extended movie shooting functions feature during the S80, including time period for any market: a high resolution (1024 x 768, 15 fps) XGA movie mode, granted by DIGIC II's processing speed. Movies from this mode will be nearly 1GB in proportion and are generally suited to viewing full screen for a PC or TV. Superior VGA (30/15 frames per second) movies with sound or QVGA movies (30/15 fps) are likewise possible, and a compact mode allows short clip capture at 160 x 120 for convenient e mailing.

Advanced printing
When used in in conjunction with Canon's new Compact Photo Printer Selphy CP710 and Ink and Paper Set (KP 108IP), prints is usually produced very inexpensively. Printing through a Selphy CP Series Printer also allows the person to print handy ID Photo Prints and Movie Prints.

When coupled to the latest choice of PictBridge compatible PIXMA printers, users will take benefit for image enhancement features like Noise Reduction, Vivid Photo, Face Brightener and Captured Info print, which prints shooting data along the lines of shutter speed, aperture and shooting mode during the photo border.

Printing images without needing to hook up to your personal computer is kept simple aided by the Print/Share button, that also acts as an easy upload button for Windows XP and Mac OS X.

Software
The S80 comes bundled having a comprehensive software suite, including Canon's browsing and image management software ZoomBrowser EX 5.5 (Windows) and ImageBrowser 5.5 (Mac), easy printing software PhotoRecord 2.2, and PhotoStitch 3.1 for creating stunning panoramas. You also get the photo manipulation software, ArcSoft PhotoStudio.

Purchasers of your cameras meet the criteria for membership of Canon iMAGE Gateway, that offers 100 MB of online space for uploading and sharing images.

Supported operating systems are Windows 98 (SE), Me, 2000 (SP4), XP (SP1/2) and Mac OS X v10.2 v10.3. The cameras support PTP for driverless transfer to supported Windows XP or Mac OS X systems.

What's with the box
PowerShot S80 body, Lithium power supply NB 2LH, wall charger CB 2LW, 32 MB SD storage device SDC 32M, wrist strap WS 300, Digicam Solution CD ROM, USB interface cable IFC 400PCU, audio video cable AVC DC300