The Canon S80 is the flagship of the Powershot line. It is a compact camera that has just about every feature one can think of and 8MP resolution. Even though this is a small point and shoot format camera the build quality and feel is top notch as you would expect from Canon.

The included software installs easily and works well. I especially like the PhotoStitch program that allows you create images from multiple photos. This program even works if you forget to use the Stitch Assist function of the camera. I have used this to create panoramic images for this web site.

The lens is a wide angle to telephoto that provides the 35mm equivelant of 28-100 mm with f stops of 2.8 wide angle and 5.3 telephoto. Even with the bias towards wide angle and short telephoto the image quality allows you to crop the image to "zoom" to a longer length.

The 2 ½ inch LCD monitor is excellent and provides 100% picture view and allows for very readable menu screens and playback for instant feedback of images. The controls on the camera are very easy to use and intuitive. The zoom control and the function wheel are positioned well and easy to use.

 

The macro function works very well with either the wide angle or zoom to telephoto.

Shutter speeds from 15 seconds to 1/2000 seconds are available in the Tv (shutter priority) mode. The function wheel is used to select the shutter speed in this mode and is not only easy but fast so you don’t miss your shot fooling with the camera settings.

The Av (aperture priority) mode provides allows you to be creative with the depth of field, f 2.8-8.0 (W) and 5.3-8.0 (T).

The ISO settings include Auto and 50/100/200/400 film equivalents. I’ve taken some incredible photos using ISO 400 at night with ambient light or moonlight. The higher ISO setting do introduce noise however this may work for you depending on the subject and the effect you are trying to attain.

The continuous photo speed is about 1.8 frames per second and useful for capturing action sequences. The built in flash is acceptable for a small point and shoot camera.

As with most digital cameras the included memory card is not very useful with only 32MB capacity. I bought two SanDisk 1GB SD Ultra II memory cards and I am happy with the capacity and the performance of these cards.

The Canon NB-2L Li-ion battery pack is relatively light and compact and is located with the SD memory card under the access door on the bottom of the camera and provides very good battery life with a combination of photos and video. The battery charges quickly with the supplied charger that plugs into a wall plug and is smaller than the size of the camera so it is very easy to pack.

The Video mode is excellent for a small camera. 640x480 at 30 frames per second provides camcorder like quality for short captures. 1024x768 at 15 fps is also available. A video output cable and USB interface cable are included for file transfer.

Using this camera mounted on a bike is great. The small size and light weight is perfect for tank mounting as shown here on the SportBikeCam Mount. I have not noticed any problems with vibration while mounted on the SportBikeCam tank mount.The wide angle really captures the on bike view.

For travel or use on a motorcycle this is an excellent camera. The compact size of the camera and charger allow you to easily pack this on a day or multi-day trip. This camera is also a great suplement to an SLR camera for candid shots or when you have a longer length telephoto lens mounted and also need to take close up pictures or objects that are too close for a long telephoto. In summary I am very happy with the cameras feel and ease of use as well as the excellent 8MP resolution.