Mumbai: Canon Inc has launched a number of sizzling hot new products in the global markets.

These include a four-megapixel PowerShot A80 digital camera, the flagship product of the PowerShot A-series line-up, which also includes the A60, A70, and A300. The PowerShot A80 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 also the first PowerShot to support PictBridge, the new standard for high-quality direct printing. The camera is likely to be priced at around $499 (approximately Rs 23,000).

Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice-president and general manager of the consumer imaging group at Canon USA, a subsidiary of Canon Inc said: "We packed advanced features into an entry-level PowerShot digital camera to provide consumers with professional capabilities at an affordable price. This lightweight durable digital camera also captures eye-catching high-resolution photos with its sharp Canon zoom lens and exclusive DIGIC image processor."

The PowerShot A80 digital camera comes encased in a compact metal body and is solidly built and yet is lightweight at 8.8 ounces (approximately 220 gms). It features a 1/1.8-inch, 4.0-megapixel CCD sensor that captures images up to 2272 x 1704 pixels with exceptional detail and colour 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 customisable 'my camera' function plus movie mode (maximum three minutes) 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 travelling, 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 three-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 analyse a scene just before the image is made and in doing so, increase the speed and precision of the camera's auto focus, auto exposure and auto white balance.

It will be on offer in global markets at an introductory price of $499 (Rs 23,000).