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Canon A800

 
Canon PowerShot A800 front
 
  • 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 37-122mm (F3.0-5.8) lens
  • 186g - 94 x 61 x 31mm
  • Launched January 2011
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
93
Imaging
34
Features
19
Overall
28

Canon A800 summary

Canon A800 is Canon's Small Sensor Compact camera originally revealed on January of 2011. It houses a 10 MegaPixel, CCD 1/2.3" size sensor with a full resolution of 3648 x 2736.

The A800 is rated #209 out of 261 in Small Sensor Compact cameras & over-all #1168 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our database. Please check our Advanced camera filter to see camera results based on your custom requirements.

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Below is a chart of different factors used in the rating system.

Canon A800 family

The Canon A800 is part of a family of products. You can read the detailed list underneath.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Canon-PowerShot-A1400 front thumbnailCanon A1400
A800 vs A1400
28-140mm
F2.8-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2013
Canon-PowerShot-A2500 front thumbnailCanon A2500
A800 vs A2500
28-140mm
F2.8-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2013
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Canon-PowerShot-A3500-IS front thumbnailCanon A3500 IS
A800 vs A3500 IS
28-140mm
F2.8-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2013
Canon-PowerShot-A2300 front thumbnailCanon A2300
A800 vs A2300
28-140mm
F2.8-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-A810 front thumbnailCanon A810
A800 vs A810
28-140mm
F2.8-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-A3400-IS front thumbnailCanon A3400 IS
A800 vs A3400 IS
28-140mm
F2.8-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2012
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Canon-PowerShot-A4000-IS front thumbnailCanon A4000 IS
A800 vs A4000 IS
28-224mm
F3.0-5.9
16MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-A1300 front thumbnailCanon A1300
A800 vs A1300
28-140mm
F2.8-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-A2400-IS front thumbnailCanon A2400 IS
A800 vs A2400 IS
28-140mm
F2.8-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-A1200 front thumbnailCanon A1200
A800 vs A1200
28-112mm
F2.8-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2011
Canon-PowerShot-A3300-IS front thumbnailCanon A3300 IS
A800 vs A3300 IS
28-140mm
F2.8-5.9
16MP1/2.3"2011
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Canon-PowerShot-A3200-IS front thumbnailCanon A3200 IS
A800 vs A3200 IS
28-140mm
F
14MP1/2.3"2011
Canon-PowerShot-A2200 front thumbnailCanon A2200
A800 vs A2200
28-112mm
F2.8-5.9
14MP1/2.3"2011
Canon-PowerShot-A800 front thumbnailCanon A80037-122mm
F3.0-5.8
10MP1/2.3"2011
Canon-PowerShot-A3100-IS front thumbnailCanon A3100 IS
A800 vs A3100 IS
35-140mm
F2.7-5.6
12MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-A3000-IS front thumbnailCanon A3000 IS
A800 vs A3000 IS
35-140mm
F2.7-5.6
10MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-A490 front thumbnailCanon A490
A800 vs A490
37-122mm
F3.0-5.8
10MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-A495 front thumbnailCanon A495
A800 vs A495
37-122mm
F3.0-5.8
10MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-A1100-IS front thumbnailCanon A1100 IS
A800 vs A1100 IS
35-140mm
F2.7-5.6
12MP1/2.3"2009
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Canon-PowerShot-A2100-IS front thumbnailCanon A2100 IS
A800 vs A2100 IS
36-216mm
F3.2-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2009

Canon A800 Pros and Cons

Here is a checklist of pluses and minuses of the Canon A800 based on criterias which are generally regarded as crucial in a camera.

built in lens has zoom (37-122mm 3.3 x zoom)
great battery life (300 shots)
has built in flash
provides face detect autofocus
provides tracking focus
very good minimum ISO (80)
cannot change lens (fixed lens mount)
display isn't selfie friendly
external flash not possible
fixed screen
focusing manually not possible
lack of phase detect autofocus
lack of RAW files
lack of shutter priority mode
low megapixels (10 megapixels)
low res video (640 x 480 pxls)
max fps low (1.0 frames/s)
max zoom aperture not good (f5.8)
missing HDMI port
missing headphone port
missing microphone port
missing Timelapse mode
no aperture priority mode
no image stabilization
no manual exposure
screen has low resolution (115 thousand dot)
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.0)
tiny screen (2.5 inch)
wide angle not great (37mm)
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Canon A800 Sensor specs

The Canon A800 is run by the DIGIC 3 processor. The sensor dimension on the Canon A800 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the ability to capture 3648 x 2736 pixels using aspect ratios of 4:3 and 16:9.

Photography Glossary

The CCD sensor has 10 megapixels and delivers a native ISO range of 80 to 1600. Sadly, RAW photos are not saved so the user has less room to maneuver in post.

The image underneath shows the A800's sensor size compared to other common sizes. The A800 sensor has a crop factor of 5.8 and is displayed in green.

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To get a sense of various aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Canon A800 dimensions

Canon A800 is 0.41 pounds (186g / 6.56 oz) & has outside size of 94mm x 61mm x 31mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2"). The weight of average Small Sensor Compact camera is 174g and the Canon A800 is similar when compared with other rivals.

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Underneath is a image of the Canon A800 beside a soft drink to help you get a sense of its size.

Canon PowerShot A800 dimensions scale

The top view under will illustrate the button design on the A800.

Canon PowerShot A800 topview buttons dials

Canon A800 Lens details

The A800 includes a fixed lens having a focal range of 37-122mm making it a 3.3 x zoom which is not at all great but it will definitely be invaluable in a few situations.

At it's widest 37mm, it features an aperture of f3.0 which will be really sluggish and not the best for low light occasions and you will probably struggle to get good bokeh. You could also need to boost your ISO giving you noisy photographs. With the long end, 122mm comes to f5.8 which is fairly slow and you might have to set slow shutter speeds.

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Canon A800 Connectivity

The A800 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes

Digital cameras that feature NFC and Bluetooth connectivity can easily be used wirelessly with smartphones. You will be able to copy photos and usually change camera settings without the hassle of connecting directly with the camera.

Several apps also provide a Liveview and release the shutter when you are not near the camera. If the camera provides a HDMI port, it could be hooked up to an external monitor. Many cameras enable you to recharge the battery pack using the USB socket.

Photography Glossary

Canon A800 Video details

The highest possible video resolution on the Canon A800 is 640 x 480 and you can record in Motion JPEG format. 480p is awful for today's standards. You should really shoot for at least 1080p resolution for decent video. The body does not offer a microphone and headphone jack so you have absolutely no control over the audio. It is perhaps a better idea to look into an alternative model if you need better audio for your video clips.

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Canon A800 Weather Sealing

Canon A800 does not have environment sealing so rainy conditions may damage the camera.

Canon A800 Display and Viewfinder

The Canon A800 is equipped with a 2.5 inch fixed display having a resolution of 115 thousand dots.

Sadly the display is not a touch screen.

Canon PowerShot A800 screen and viewfinder Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The View Finder specifications for Canon A800 are below:

  • ViewFinder None

For sunny outdoor situations that make the camera displays washed out and tricky to see, viewfinders can be particularly valuable.

Canon A800 Shutter details

Canon A800 has the ability to shoot continuously at 1.0 frames/s. The highest shutter speed is 1/2000 sec.

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Canon A800 Flash and Hot shoe details

Canon A800 features just integrated flash lacking external flash support.

Canon A800 Autofocus details

Canon A800 features only Contrast Detect AF & does not have Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection focusing is a lot more snappier & exact as compared with Contrast Detect focusing. The camera supports Face detect which is useful for portraits.

The AF system supports 9 focus points to choose from. It also features Tracking AF for things on the move. Canon A800 does not have manual focus. Manual focus option can be good for low light or you need more precise focusing control.

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Canon A800 Battery life

The battery life (2 x AA) on the Canon A800 is made to last for 300 images according to the CIPA standards which is higher than average when compared to its class. The average Small Sensor Compact camera battery life is 241. Fujifilm X30 offers the best (470) battery life for this type of cameras.

Following is a list of Small Sensor Compact cameras which have the highest battery life:

Canon A800 for different forms of photography

The following illustration presents a outline of the Canon A800 for different forms of photography. To view more, browse to the specific section underneath.

Canon A800 Portrait photography information

The Canon A800 receives a points tally of 26 which is awful, meaning that it is just not acceptable to use for portrait photography. Shooting portraits leans heavily to sensor size, support for RAW photos in addition to the option to use off-camera flash.

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includes face detect focusing
manual focus not available
manual mode not available
external flash not possible
MP count low (10MP)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format

Canon A800 as a Street photography camera

Having a average rating of 46, the Canon A800 is somewhat acceptable for street photography. A decent street photography camera gives a perfect balance of picture quality plus portability.

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no moving screen
does not have image stabilization
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files

Canon A800 Sports photography information

A awful sports photography points tally of 29 indicates the Canon A800 is just not acceptable for taking pictures of sports. A camera needs to have great tracking plus continuous shooting for sports photography.

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features tracking autofocus
great battery power (300 CIPA)
slow fps (1.0 fps)
lack of shutter priority mode
does not have image stabilization
MP count low (10MP)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect auto focus

Canon A800 Travel photography details

Portability is pretty crucial in buying a travel camera. Over-all, the Canon A800 gets a decent 55 for a travel camera which makes it reasonably appropriate to buy for your travels.

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good battery (300 CIPA)
built-in flash
lack of Time Lapse mode
low resolution sensor (10 megapixels)
screen is not selfie friendly
wide angle not the best (37mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.0)

Canon A800 Landscape photography details

For anyone looking to purchase a camera for landscape photography, the most important aspect will no doubt be image quality. The Canon A800 with it's awful rating of 27 for a landscape camera is just not acceptable in the current market.

Photography Glossary
great battery life (300 per charge)
focusing manually not possible
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not fantastic (37mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.0)
tiny screen (2.5 inch)
manual mode not possible
does not have image stabilization
MP count low (10MP)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
has no RAW support
does not have Timelapse mode

Canon A800 Vlogging factors

A camera for vlogging really should offer a articulating screen, mic input and if possible image stabilization. Considering everything, the Canon A800 is just not acceptable as a vlog camera as it gets a awful score of 24.

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includes face detect autofocus
wide angle not fantastic (37mm)
slow max aperture (f3.0)
does not have a selfie friendly display
no image stabilization
video res low (640 x 480 resolution)
lack of mic socket

Canon A800 Alternatives

If you want replacements to the A800, below is a list of the top ranked cameras that fall in to the family of Small Sensor Compact.

The line graph listed below provides you a summary of the A800 vs it's highest rated rivals mentioned previously.

These are various other cameras you may take a look at as alternate options. To look at a thorough comparison, click the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Manufacturer
Canon
Model
Canon PowerShot A800
Category
Small Sensor Compact
Launched
2011-01-05
Body design
Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Processor
DIGIC 3
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor measurements
6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area
28.1mm²
Sensor resolution
10 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio
4:3 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution
3648 x 2736
RAW format
Maximum native ISO
1600
Min native ISO
80
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
AF continuous
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Number of focus points
9
Lens
Lens mount
fixed lens
Lens focal range
37-122mm (3.3x)
Maximal aperture
f/3.0-5.8
Macro focus distance
1cm
Crop factor
5.8
Screen
Display type
Fixed Type
Display diagonal
2.5 inch
Resolution of display
115 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Display tech
TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
None
DXO scores
DXO Overall score
not tested
DXO Color Depth score
not tested
DXO Dynamic range score
not tested
DXO Low light score
not tested
Features
Minimum shutter speed
15 seconds
Fastest shutter speed
1/2000 seconds
Continuous shutter speed
1.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Change WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range
3.00 m
Flash settings
Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync
External flash
AEB
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions
640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution
640x480
Video file format
Motion JPEG
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
186g (0.41 lbs)
Physical dimensions
94 x 61 x 31mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2")
Other
Battery life
300 photographs
Battery form
AA
Battery model
2 x AA
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10sec, custom)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage
SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC/MMCplus/HCMMCplus
Storage slots
1
Pricing at release
$90