I have a PowerShot A75 and you can buy a telephoto 2.4 for it.  You can also
buy a number of fixed lenses  (which is what the Canon Telephoto lense
really is) from other manufacturors (you may need a step down ring) which
should work with the a75 and/or a A80.  For Canon's own lenses have a look
at http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_a80-review/index.shtml
and you might want to do a search via google for lenses Canon A80 and see
what turns up.


"Bob Traill" <rtraill@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:Jn8lc.3030$ZJ5.141684@news20.bellglobal.com...
> I have tried using all of the optical zoom plus the digital zoom and it
> seems to bring the subject close enough, although the picture is very
> digitized.
> Is there any I can accomplish getting 6 - 8 times zoom in an optical mode
> only?
> If there is how pratical is it to use and is picture of good quality?
> Please do not use complex answers as I understand little or no camera
jargon
> I am mostly a point and shoot picture taker.
>
>