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Canon Powershot S80 Review
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Review Summary
"Canon's PowerShot S80, the new flagship of Canon's S-series, incorporates 8 megapixels for shooting still images and a movie mode that records an impressive 1024 x 768 pixels. It replaces the S70 with more resolution, a bigger LCD screen, revamped menus, a different body design and of course, those XGA movie capabilities.
Overall, the S80 is an okay digital camera, but not a very good camcorder. It has a basic burst mode that shoots 1.8 fps. Its zoom lens makes a loud motor noise and its 2.5-inch LCD screen has poor resolution. The Canon S80 is marketed as a great hybrid device, but it lacks optical zoom functionality in movie mode and even more basic features like sufficient memory, battery power, and decent software. The Canon PowerShot S80 retails for $549, but isn't worth quite that much."
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Other Reviews For This Model
| Review Site |
Review Score |
Date |
Link |
| DPReview |
9.67 |
11-08-05 |
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| So then, the S80 is a camera that proves there is hope for the new generation of 8 megapixel compacts. I was ready to blast Canon for another pointless upgrade, but as the review progressed I started to appreciate that this was not just a worthwhile upgrade, it was probably the first time I've found a PowerShot I'd actually lay out my own money for. I toyed with the idea of a recommended simply due to the lack of raw support, but given that - with careful exposure - the JPEGs are so good, I felt that would be unnecessarily harsh. |
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| Review Site |
Review Score |
Date |
Link |
| Trusted Reviews |
9.40 |
11-16-05 |
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| Some time ago, a reader of this site suggested that we were taking bribes from Canon, because every single review of a Canon camera was full of glowing praise. I can assure you that we are utterly incorruptible, but I'm afraid this is going to be another good review for Canon. The reason is very simple. With only one or two rare exceptions, Canon's digital cameras are all excellent, although they do tend to be a bit pricey. Unfortunately it makes for a pretty boring review, but what am I going to do?
Although it is scarily expensive, the PowerShot S80 really delivers. It has enough creative options to satisfy any keen photographer, and delivers results that are among the best I've seen. Performance, design and build quality are all of the high standard we've come to expect from Canon. If you got the money, it's one of the best compact cameras you can buy. |
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| Review Site |
Review Score |
Date |
Link |
| Imaging-Resource |
8.86 |
11-29-05 |
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| Canon's PowerShot line of digital cameras have been perennial favorites with our readers, and the Canon S80 seems destined for similar status. This is an exceptionally full-featured digital camera, with all the bells and whistles apart from a flash hot shoe, a tilt/swivel LCD, and perhaps an internal neutral density filter. Everything else about the camera fits the needs, desires, and interests of "enthusiast" shooters, while at the same time remaining very approachable for rank beginners, thanks to a full Auto mode and a healthy assortment of Scene modes. Canon has been a leader in bringing high quality to the movie modes of their digital still cameras, and the PowerShot S80 takes it up another notch, offering not only 30 frames/second at VFA (640x480) resolution, but 15 frames/second at XGA (1024x768) resolution.
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| Review Site |
Review Score |
Date |
Link |
| CNET Reviews |
8.04 |
10-26-05 |
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| Canon's latest PowerShot S-series flagship, the 8-megapixel PowerShot S80, stands out just about every way you look at it. It's a fun little camera that packs a wallop in terms of features, performance, and photo quality. Its automatic-exposure modes and intelligent processing will impress casual shooters who want good images without a lot of fuss. Its manual controls and advanced features will provide enjoyment for fiddling amateurs. And its big 2.5-inch LCD, elegant good looks, and excellent build quality will please any shooter. |
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| Review Site |
Review Score |
Date |
Link |
| Digital Trends |
8.00 |
01-04-06 |
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| "The 8MP Canon PowerShot S80 is the latest iteration of the company's "Goldilocks" cameras. It's not a simple point-and-shoot digicam neither is it as complicated as a D-SLR. It's supposed to be just right, targeted to the photographer looking for a high-quality camera that's easy to use but has enough tweaks to keep dial spinners happy. This compact camera is the replacement for the soon-to-be discontinued 7.1MP S70. Among the good features of the S80 are a wide focal length (28mm), higher movie clip quality, a real-time histogram and enough shooting modes to handle almost anything you can throw at it. It is a bit on the expensive side ($549 list, under $500 real world). Now how does it work in the real world? And are you a Momma, Papa or Baby Bear?
... Although a bit bulkier than many point-and-shoot digicams on the market, it's small enough to fit into a jacket pocket. And at 9.6 ounces, it won't weigh you down. Photo quality was quite good with very accurate colors, something you expect from Canon cameras. " |
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| Review Site |
Review Score |
Date |
Link |
| PC Magazine |
8.00 |
01-10-06 |
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| "The sturdy, solid, 8-megapixel PowerShot S80 is the update to the PowerShot S70, last year's Editor's Choice winner. The camera is pricey ($549.95 list), but most features are improved, and only a couple have been dropped. As such, the S80 becomes our Editor's Choice for full-featured, compact digital cameras.
We also were impressed by the S80's video quality. It was smooth and clear, with decent color saturation and fidelity. We also thought the audio was also surprisingly good for a compact camera." |
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| Review Site |
Review Score |
Date |
Link |
| LetsGoDigital |
7.60 |
12-24-05 |
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| "The PowerShot S-series of Canon include digital cameras with a remarkable design. The keyword is 'superior'. These are digital cameras for people who don't mind paying a little bit more for a solid housing and some quality but still want a digital compact camera. The Canon PowerShot S80 is the latest model and stands on the top. Indeed the Canon S80 is a stylish digital camera; it shows that you know what style is.
All in all the Canon PowerShot S80 is an extremely interesting digital camera. It seems a rather stubborn one, but definitely one that proves itself worthy. The PowerShot S80 is found on the top in its price range. Most changes compared to the S70 are for the user's benefit. A few minor changes (like the return of RAW format!) and the Canon PowerShot S80 will be one of the best versatile digital cameras currently available; it's absolutely a recommendable camera!" |
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| Review Site |
Review Score |
Date |
Link |
| DCResource |
----- |
11-29-05 |
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| The Canon PowerShot S80 ($549) is a fairly compact 8 Megapixel camera whose biggest features include a wide 28 - 100 mm lens and large 2.5" LCD. The S80 is the descendent of the PowerShot S60 and S70, which had a similar design. The S80 shares many of the same features as those cameras, including full manual controls, an AF-assist lamp, support for conversion lenses, and a VGA movie mode (though it's much improved on the S80). While the old S60 and S70 used CompactFlash memory, the new S80 uses Secure Digital (as do all of Canon's 2005 PowerShots). One thing that didn't make it to the S80 is support for the RAW image format.
The Canon PowerShot S80 is a stylish and fairly compact 8 Megapixel camera that comes packed with features and great image quality. While it's not what I'd call a bargain, the S80 is still a winner in my eyes. |
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| Review Site |
Review Score |
Date |
Link |
| Megapixel |
----- |
01-04-06 |
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| The Canon PowerShot S80 is without a doubt the most complex camera of the S-series to date, and in particular, its ergonomic design is the most advanced yet. The S80 improves on the previous capabilities of S-series cameras by offering an 8-megapixel CCD combined with a 3.6X zoom, a 2.5-inch LCD monitor, and packing it all in a refreshed S-body design.
Interestingly, while there is some increase in noise at higher ISO values, that increase is relatively light. Indeed, although with flash photos some noise is detectable even at 50 ISO, there is only a slight increase up to 200 ISO, which appears to be the upper range of the Auto setting (regrettably the actual ISO range of the Auto ISO setting is undocumented). |
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