Canon PowerShot A800 Review | 108 Data compared

The Canon PowerShot A800 is a highly affordable entry-level budget compact camera featuring a 10-megapixel sensor, a 3.3x optical zoom lens, and a 2.5-inch LCD screen. Designed with a comfortable trademark wedge shape, it operates using two AA batteries and offers a highly responsive "Smart Auto" exposure system that automatically identifies distinct shooting scenes. The camera boasts a major 100% improvement in battery life over its predecessor, achieving 300 shots on basic alkaline batteries and up to 500 shots when utilizing high-quality NiMH rechargeable batteries. Additional positives include a versatile custom self-timer and an effective "Blur Reduction" scene mode that smartly adjusts ISO settings to counter low-light motion blur. However, the camera features notable limitations stemming from its budget-oriented construction, such as a sturdy but relatively unattractive, "blocky" design aesthetic. Performance drawbacks include a slow built-in flash that requires roughly seven seconds to recharge, a severely limited VGA (640 x 480) video capability that locks out optical zooming while recording, and a sluggish continuous drive mode capping at 0.75 frames per second. From an optical standpoint, the lens completely lacks...

The Canon PowerShot A800 is a budget-friendly, 10-megapixel compact camera that balances simple, bare-essential features with surprisingly strong image quality. Built with a basic plastic body, it utilizes a 1/2.3-inch sensor size typically found in pricier compacts, which helps capture accurate colours, sharp details, and well-judged exposures while keeping image noise at bay at base ISO 100. Unlike many high-end alternatives, it includes advanced custom white balance and multiple metering options. However, the camera cuts significant corners on its exterior design, featuring a very small 2.5-inch screen with a low 115,000-pixel resolution that suffers from weak colours and poor outdoor visibility. The major drawbacks of the camera lie in its sluggish performance and entry-level technical specifications. Powered by two AA batteries, it has a slow 4.8-second shot-to-shot time—largely because photos take over two seconds to render on screen—and flash photography requires a frustrating wait of up to 14 seconds between shots. Furthermore, its lens lacks optical image stabilisation, and video recording is capped at a basic 640×480 VGA resolution paired with hissy, low-bass audio. Image noise also becomes noticeable and...

Canon PowerShot A800 Review Summary The Canon PowerShot A800 is an entry-level, no-frills compact camera designed for budget-conscious buyers and children who appreciate its rounded, simple styling. Priced around 60 quid, its technical specifications include a 10-megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom, a Digic III processor, and both Auto and Program modes. The camera allows basic adjustments for exposure, flash, metering, and ISO, setting it up as a dedicated competitor against standard camera phones. The review highlights several positive attributes, notably its ease of use, a highly reliable Smart Auto mode, and extended battery life. However, these advantages are weighed against prominent drawbacks, such as its "dumpy, lardy looks," a lack of HD video recording capabilities, and several scene modes that are deemed largely pointless. Ultimately, TechRadar considers it a "cheap and cheerful" device with a mix of high-utility basics and notable aesthetic and technical limitations.

The Canon PowerShot A800 is a highly budget-friendly, 10-megapixel pocket camera that offers a simple, straightforward shooting experience for inexperienced users. Priced under $100, its standout advantage is the ability to deliver surprisingly sharp, clean images with low noise levels when shot below ISO 400. In laboratory testing, its sharpness score of 2,176 lines per picture height actually beat out cameras twice its price. Structurally, it features a unique trapezoidal design with a comfortable right-side mini-grip. It provides a 3.3x optical zoom lens that easily outperforms a standard cell phone camera, and it operates on readily available, replaceable AA batteries. However, the low price tag comes with several significant compromises. The biggest drawback is the complete lack of optical image stabilization, which can easily cause blurry, noisy photos in less-than-ideal lighting conditions. Additionally, the camera lacks any high-definition video capture, limiting users to standard-definition 640x480 footage, and features a low-resolution, 2.5-inch LCD display with only 115K dots. With no manual or scene modes available, and a somewhat sluggish 3.4-second recycle wait time between shots, PCMag gave this camera a 3.0...

The Canon PowerShot A800 is a budget-friendly, no-frills entry-level point-and-shoot camera designed primarily for casual snapshots. As Canon's first camera released with a starting price under $100, its greatest strength lies in its ability to produce excellent, high-quality photos that outshine what is typical for its low price point. The device features an all-plastic body, functions entirely on standard AA-size batteries, and operates as a straightforward, easy-to-use automatic camera. Despite delivering great image quality for its class, the camera suffers from notable performance and hardware limitations. On the downside, the A800 has very slow shooting performance and possesses very few advanced shooting features. Furthermore, it is equipped with a low-resolution LCD screen that is incredibly difficult to view when operating under bright sunlight. Ultimately, CNET rates the camera a 7.0 out of 10, concluding that while you should not expect anything beyond basic automatic performance, it remains a sound and affordable purchase for users on a strict budget.

The Canon PowerShot A800 is a budget-friendly, 10-megapixel compact camera that delivers detailed images with accurate color, quick autofocus, and a user-friendly, comfortable design. Powered by AA batteries for long-lasting use, it proves ideal for casual, on-the-go photography, yielding up to 500 shots with rechargeable options. However, the camera is limited by a slightly bulky design, slow shot-to-shot times during flash recharge, and a slow 0.35fps continuous shooting rate. Furthermore, the small LCD screen lacks visibility in bright sunlight, and the camera sometimes struggles with exposure in high-contrast, bright conditions.

The What Digital Camera review awards the Canon PowerShot A800 an 85% score, highlighting its value as an entry-level compact featuring a 10-megapixel sensor and 3.3x optical zoom. Key pros include an extremely low price, good performance, and impressive image quality for its class, capturing sharp, detailed photographs with accurate color. Conversely, the review notes cons such as the lack of optical image stabilization and limited video, restricted to 640x480 VGA resolution. Furthermore, the camera suffers from slow shot-to-shot speeds, particularly when using the flash.

The Canon PowerShot A800 is a budget-friendly, entry-level point-and-shoot camera reviewed by Smart Photography magazine as an ideal option for casual, everyday photographers. Built with a solid wedge-shaped plastic body and powered by two AA batteries, it features a 10-megapixel CCD sensor, a DIGIC III image processor, and a 3.3x optical zoom lens. In terms of performance, the camera shines with strong pros, including satisfactory image quality with bright colors, sharp macro close-up performance, impressive Auto White Balance execution, and exceptional value for money at its retail price. Its automated features like Face AiAF and "My Colors" custom processing filters offer effortless usability for beginners. However, the reviewer highlights several prominent cons regarding its low-end hardware and optical limitations. The camera suffers from a complete lack of optical image stabilization, making low-light shots difficult unless utilizing the automatic blur reduction mode. On the physical side, the lack of a defined handgrip makes the handling feel unsettled, and the 2.5-inch TFT display is considered a major setback due to its low 115,000-dot resolution. Optically, the lens suffers from noticeable lens flare...

The Canon PowerShot A800 is a budget-friendly, entry-level digital camera designed specifically for simplicity and affordability. Built with a functional but bulky blue-grey plastic chassis, the camera operates on two standard AA batteries and requires an external SD card from the start due to a total lack of internal memory. It features a 10-megapixel CCD sensor, a 3.3x optical zoom with a 37-122mm focal range best suited for portraiture, and a 2.5-inch rear LCD screen. The device prioritises beginner-friendly operation with large, intuitive backplate controls and an automated "Smart Auto" mode that effortlessly handles focus and exposure. The camera's primary advantages are its highly inexpensive price point and its incredibly straightforward, easy-to-use point-and-shoot interface. However, these pros are offset by several notable cons, including a thick, unstylish build and the omission of both HD video recording and an HDMI output. Furthermore, image quality is described as somewhat soft in the middle distance, the optical zoom is completely disabled during standard-definition video capture, and the mandatory memory card incurs an extra cost. Ultimately, while it offers fair performance for children or...

The PCMag Australia review highlights the Canon PowerShot A800 as a budget-friendly, pocket-sized entry-level camera that balances basic functionality with distinct tradeoffs. On the positive side, its major selling points are an inexpensive $90 price tag, "dead-simple" operation, and a design that includes a comfortable right-side mini-grip. Performance-wise, it provides a 3.3x optical zoom lens with a focal length spanning 37-122mm, allowing it to outperform standard mobile phone cameras of its time by delivering sharper, higher-resolution still images. However, the camera's low cost introduces noticeable limitations. Its primary drawbacks include a complete lack of optical image stabilization and an inability to record high-definition video, maxing out instead at standard-definition capture. Additionally, the hardware compromises are highly visible on the back of the device, which features a small 2.5-inch LCD screen with a very low resolution of only 115K dots. Finally, while it remains portable enough to slip into a pocket, its physical measurements make it noticeably thicker or more "husky" than competing ultra-compact pocket shooters.