Canon IXUS 80 IS

£136.05 on amazon free delivery.
My Oh is 50 soon and needs a new compact.
It has to be easy and have a viewfinder as well as a screen.
IS will be handy
it has to be simple as he wont read the manual.
he doesnt like AA batteries as his last camera ate them and he specifically asked for a camera with this type of battery.
Id rather it had a bit more optical zoom .
this one has good reviews.
what do you lot think..
is there anything better and not much more expensive out there ?

I've heard they are pretty good Jean - and that price seems one of the lowest too

Jean, it is the same model as the one I have just bought for my daughter. I won't know for another month how it really is but the reviews are excellent and it is a which best buy. In the top buys it was their highest scoring point and shoot camera.

Here is the review.

It’s a small, slim camera that is easy to carry. It has a 38-114mm zoom range, which won’t offer a particularly wide field, so indoor shots of groups might be a bit of a squeeze. It has an eight megapixel resolution, and six ISO setting between 80 and 1,600.

Auto white balance doesn’t always give you the best results however, so if you find your colours are a bit off, try using one of the manual white balance settings for a better shot.

This camera is fairly quick – start-up time and shutter delay are decent, but shot to shot time in burst mode is on the slow side. Its close-up macro capabilities are particularly good, while the flash provides an even dispersion of light and the battery life is healthy. The monitor is easy to see in all lighting conditions, but we found that the viewfinder isn’t terribly accurate.

There’s no internal memory, but a 32MB memory card is supplied. There are 11 exposure programmes to experiment with, and the camera will be ready for use just 1.5 seconds after being switched on.

Pros: Versatile, short shutter delay, good macro function, good monitor

Cons: Viewfinder is not very accurate


Canon Digital Ixus 80 IS
Price (£) 150
Score 69 Best Buy
Overall reliability Not applicable
Availability Widely available
Web address www.canon.co.uk
Phone no 0870 514 3723
Features
Specification
Resolution Mp 8.0
Optical zoom range 38 - 114
Optical zoom magnification 3.0
Size (wxhxd) (cm) 9x6x2.2
Weight (g) 153
Supplied battery Rechargeable
LCD
LCD width (mm) 50
LCD height (mm) 37
Viewfinder
Viewfinder type Optical
Connections
Direct Link to TV Yes
Compatible memory cards SDHC Card or xD Card
Lens converter attachable No
Video and sound
Short video recording Yes
Sound recording Yes
Video zoom recording Digital
Picture settings
Burst mode, shots in a row Unlinited
Scene Modes 11
Image stabilisation Yes
Manual focus setting No
Shutter speed priority No
Aperture priority No
Face detection Yes
Max manually selectable ISO 1600
Flash strength adjustable No
Ratings
Picture quality
Shutter delay


Flash


Viewfinder/monitor


Focusing


Image quality


Taking videos
Movie


In use
Battery life


Ease of use


Amount of features


Additional Notes
2008 test results

Thanks.. is it suitable for a 50 year old male???
a 7 yr old can probably work it ( what kind of budget allows a 7 yr old a camera like this?? ) however can he?

If it is anything like my other IXUS it is easy to use. There is an auto mode and for other things like portait, landscape, nightime etc, there is a choice menu. I think it can be as easy as point and click or you can delve deeper into the settings menus.

well its here, Ive had a look at it,.... its TEENY WEENY!
reckon OH will never work it with his big fingers, hes getting it tho like it or lump it!