Canon PowerShot A80

Viewfinder (4.5)
The optical viewfinder on the Canon PowerShot A80 is a glass piece recessed into the body of the camera. By centering the primary subject within the metering brackets of the viewfinder, the auto focus of the Canon PowerShot A80 will become engaged. The viewfinder can be a useful tool when trying to conserve power by turning off the LCD, but in most cases it is too small for comfortable use. The viewfinder can also pose a problem when trying to carefully compose an image. The actual picture taken by the camera is somewhat larger than what is seen through the viewfinder (which only shows about 75-90% of the image), so in cases where you care about details the LCD screen is the best device to use.

LCD screen (6.0)
Canon’s PowerShot A80’s LCD screen is 1.5" x 1" with a very unimpressive 67,000 pixel resolution. The LCD monitor can be used in the following positions: opened right to left 180 degrees, tilted forward 180 degrees towards the lens, or backwards 90 degrees, and the LCD monitor can be viewed by extending to the left and turning 180 degrees, and returned to the body of the camera, screen facing outwards. The LCD monitor for the Canon PowerShot A80 can be automatically turned off when the screen clicks into the body facing towards the camera.

Flash (6.5)
The flash for the Canon PowerShot A80 is a built-in option located on the front of the camera, in the upper left-hand corner. The flash button is the lightning symbol in the upper quadrant of the four-way command button grouping located on the back of the Canon PowerShot A80. It is possible within the flash menu to choose between flash on, flash off, flash on with red-eye reduction, auto, and auto with red-eye reduction. According to Canon the PowerShot A80 has a flash range that extends from 1.5 ft. - 16.5 ft. at a wide angle and 1.5 ft. - 8.2 ft. at telephoto.

Zoom Lens (6.0)
Once the LCD monitor has been opened, the user of the Canon PowerShot A80 must depress the display button. Once engaged the macro element can be accessed by pressing the down quadrant of the four-way command button, symbolized by an opened tulip. When the shutter is partially depressed the yellow light beside the viewfinder will become lit, and shooting can proceed in the same fashion as the regular Auto format.

The 3X optical zoom on the Canon PowerShot A80 is maneuvered by a ring surrounding the shutter button located on the top of the digital camera. It is capable of adjusting from 38mm to 114mm settings equivalent to those on a 35mm camera. By sliding the lever to the left the wide angle option is possible; by sliding the lever to the right, the telephoto capability is used. This function, common in many Canon cameras, is a nice feature for zooming in quickly. With some digital cameras you’re forced to shift your grip and fumble before you can access the zoom. With the Canon PowerShot A80 you can slide your trigger finger a few millimeters and you’re ready to zoom. The delay on the LCD monitor between actual engagement of the zoom lever and the image on the LCD screen is a noticeable lag time, causing a prolonged period between adjustments and shooting an image.

To engage the digital zoom option within the Canon PowerShot A80, the user must first open the LCD monitor and then press the DISP button. The camera must be in the Rec menu to engage the manual zoom feature, and once these steps are completed, the digital zoom option must be highlighted and the menu button depressed to engage. I would not recommend even using the digital zoom option because it produces images that have a much lower resolution than the camera can produce otherwise.