CANON’S POWERSHOT A80 DIGITAL CAMERA
PACKS FOUR MEGAPIXELS INTO PORTABLE PACKAGE FOR POWERFUL PICTURE TAKING
Canon’s New PowerShot A80 Delivers
Professional Features at an Entry-Level Price
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., Aug. 20, 2003 –
Canon’s rugged new four-megapixel PowerShot A80 Digital Camera combines brilliant
image quality, crisp Canon optics, and advanced features including a 3X optical zoom and a
Vari-Angle LCD Monitor in an affordable and easy-to-use package.
The PowerShot A80 is the new flagship of
the PowerShot A-series line-up, which also includes the A60, A70, and A300. The new model
is also the first PowerShot to support PictBridge*, the new standard for high-quality
direct printing. The PowerShot A80 will be delivered to authorized dealers in October at a
suggested list price of just $499.
“We packed advanced features into an
entry-level PowerShot digital camera to provide consumers with professional capabilities
at an affordable price,” said Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and general
manager of the Consumer Imaging Group at Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc.
(NYSE CAJ). “This lightweight durable digital camera also captures eye-catching
high-resolution photos with its sharp Canon zoom lens and exclusive DIGIC image
processor.”
Housed in a compact metal body, the
PowerShot A80 digital camera is solidly built yet light weight at 8.8 ounces. The camera
features a 1/1.8 inch, 4.0 megapixel CCD sensor that captures images up to 2272 x 1704
pixels with exceptional detail and color fidelity. Canon's exclusive DIGIC processor
improves image quality and increases camera responsiveness and image processing speeds
compared to general purpose CPUs found in other comparable digital cameras.
PowerShot A80 Key Features:
4.0 Megapixel digital camera with 3X
optical zoom/11X combined zoom
Durable and compact metal body equipped with a 14-mode Command Dial, 9-point AiAF and
270° Vari-Angle LCD Monitor for flexibility and ease of use
Canon-exclusive DIGIC image processor with iSAPS technology for fast, high-quality image
processing, improved responsiveness and decreased power consumption
Intelligent Orientation Sensor for automatic rotation of vertical-format shots
Improved control layout with larger dial and buttons
Multiple manual overrides and customizable My Camera function plus Movie Mode (max 3 min)
and voice memos with sound and speaker
Broad range of optional accessories including wide converter (0.7x), tele-converter
(1.75x), close-up lens, waterproof case (up to depths of 130 ft.), AC adapter and car
battery cable
Uses easy to find AA-size batteries and Type I CF card removable storage
Supports PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol) driverless PC connection with Win XP and Mac OS
X.
With *PictBridge compatible cameras or camcorders, consumers can easily print pictures at
home, the office or while traveling, with any PictBridge compatible printer. Users simply
connect the camera or camcorder to the printer with a USB cable and then select images and
print settings from the camera’s LCD monitor. The PowerShot A80 Digital Camera can
also print directly to any Canon dye-sublimation or Bubble Jet Direct compatible printer
for fast, high-quality photos.
Canon developed the proprietary DIGIC
(Digital Imaging Integrated Circuit) image processor specifically for use with its line of
digital cameras. The technology combines the jobs of image processing and camera function
control into one chip. Because it was specifically designed for use in digital cameras, it
is also capable of handling JPEG compression/expansion; memory card control; LCD/Video
control and processing; gain control (control of CCD signal amplification); Auto Exposure;
Auto Focus; Auto White Balance control and most other functions of the camera or
camcorder. The result is a product that offers faster and more powerful auto focus than
ever before, faster image processing, longer battery life, and the ability to record
3-minute movie clips with sound.
The DIGIC chip’s high-speed
processing enables Canon's exclusive iSAPS (an acronym for Intelligent Scene Analysis
based on Photographic Space) technology that improves picture quality by
"predicting" certain camera settings like focusing distance, exposure and
optimum white balance based on zoom focal length, overall light level and tonal
distribution data. With iSAPS, the PowerShot A80 camera can analyze a scene just before
the image is made and in doing so, increase the speed and precision of the camera's
autofocus, auto exposure and auto white balance.
Canon’s PowerShot A80 Digital Camera
will be available in October for a suggested retail price of $499
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging
solutions. The Company is listed as one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies in
America, and is ranked #43 on the Business Week list of “Top 100 Brands.” Its
parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is a top patent-holder of technology, ranking second
overall in the U.S. in 2002, with global revenues of $24.5 billion. Canon U.S.A. employs
more than 10,000 people at over 30 locations. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com
