As the former flagship of Canon’s hybrid digital cameras, the Canon PowerShot S80 houses 8 megapixels and an interesting XGA Movie mode. With its 1024 x 768-pixel resolution, this Movie mode captures 2.5 times more data than most digital cameras. The S80 has a full range of Manual, Priority, and Automatic still shooting modes and enough picture effects to keep low-end consumers busy and away from photo editing software. This PowerShot has a 3.6x zoom lens and a 2.5-inch LCD screen. It had an initial retail price of $549.

The Canon PowerShot S80 has a shiny black body that resembles the look of a kitchen appliance; it even has a sliding door that covers the front. The built-in flash is decent for a compact digital camera, reaching subjects up to 13.8 feet away. The S80 also has a 3.6x zoom lens with a 28mm wide angle for taking pictures or video of large groups in tiny spaces. The Panasonic LX1 has a 4x optically stabilized zoom lens with the same 28mm width, and can record widescreen videos.

The optical viewfinder is very inaccurate, as it only sees 80 percent of what is actually captured in a picture. It should generally be avoided. But the back, cluttered with buttons and labels, is enough to scare away most novices. With all the buttons, you can generally avoid the menu system, which is a plus because the menu is confusing. The Canon PowerShot S80 isn’t very easy to use. If you plan on purchasing this camera, set aside a few hours to curl up on your couch with the user manual and a bowl of popcorn.

The back of the Canon S80 also has a 2.5-inch LCD screen. It has a 100-percent view, so it is much better than the inaccurate viewfinder – but Canon skimped on its resolution. With only 115,000 pixels, the view isn’t completely smooth. It works for focusing and reviewing photos, but if you want to show off a photo slide show you should hook it up to a television with the included A/V cable.

The Canon PowerShot S80’s Auto mode works well in bright conditions, but in dimmer scenes it takes blurry or underexposed pictures. The S80 has 12 Scene modes. In comparison, the Panasonic LX1 has 14 Scene modes and the 10x Olympus SP-500 has 21 Scene modes. The S80 has an Underwater mode and white balance setting. However, the S80 isn't waterproof, so you'll have to purchase an underwater housing if you want to use them.  

More interesting are the My Colors picture effects, which work in still or video recording. Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Color Accent, Color Swap, and Custom Color options are available. The Color Swap is quite cool because you can change the burnt orange shirt your dad is wearing into a nicer blue color – without ever having to enter a photo editing software program.

Because the Canon PowerShot S80 is marketed as a hybrid model, it has a robust Movie mode. Its 1024 x 768-pixel mode is a highlight, but unfortunately it records only 15 frames per second, so it looks choppy. Movies can also be recorded at 640 x 480, 320 x 240, and 160 x 120 pixel sizes at 30 or 15 fps. The optical zoom cannot be used while shooting video, which is another sad aspect of this hybrid model.

Overall, the Canon PowerShot has some cool features like the XGA movies, My Colors modes, and loads of manual functionality. However, its features are difficult to access because of the crowded icons, buttons, and split menu system. The $549 price tag should be able to buy you some convenience elsewhere. Keep looking.