A guest Review of the Canon PowerShot S90 by Patrick Dean from NeutralDay.com.
The Canon PowerShot S90 takes the helm as the latest and greatest from the PowerShot “S” series of digital compact cameras, and does so with a bevy of photographer friendly specifications.
Featuring a 10 megapixel sensor, DIGIC IV processing, and a fast f/2 lens, Canon has placed an emphasis on a typical compact camera weakness, low light photography, while at the same time offering full manual shooting controls, a large 3 inch LCD, and an innovative control ring that emulates an analog experience. In short, the S90 appears perfectly designed to please photographic enthusiasts.
Highlights
10.0 Megapixel, 1/1.7-inch CCD Sensor: Combined with the S90’s DIGIC IV processing, the 10 megapixel sensor forms the heart of what Canon dubs the “High Sensitivity System”, offering improved low light performance and minimal noise. This is the same sensor found in Canon’s flagship PowerShot, the G11.
3.8x Zoom Lens (f/2-f4.9, 28-105mm): The S90 offers decent wide-angle coverage at 28mm with a fast f/2 aperture. This means improved performance in lower light, and shallow depth of field effects.
RAW and RAW+JPEG Shooting: The S90 allows photographers to capture RAW images for improved post-processing.
3 Inch, 461K LCD Display: The large display is bright with ample clarity for capturing and reviewing images. It features Canon’s “PureColor” system that enhances viewing angles, while multiple coatings improve resistance to dust and scratches.
Customizable Control Ring: The bezel around the lens is actually a “Control Ring” which can be set up by the user to manipulate ISO, white balance, focal length, and more.
In The Hands
Offered only in matte black, the PowerShot S90 is small camera, with simple, yet classic good looks. Less than an inch wide, the S90 easily fits into most pants pockets, and certainly fits comfortably in a jacket pocket or purse. Overall build quality is pretty good, with nice tight seams and a minimal of “flex”. I quite like the slim styling, but it does mean consumers will have to do without any sort of grip. Fortunately the S90 is light enough to handle with ease and the buttons on the back, along with the shooting mode dial’s protrusion, do sort of give the thumb something to hold on to. Since the large 3 inch LCD occupies so much space on the rear, camera buttons are small, and can be on occasion, accidentally pressed. By far the worst aspect to the S90’s design is the dial that surrounds its d-pad. It simply spins too freely, giving a distinct sense of lack of precision. While it does get the job done, it would be tremendously improved by the simple addition of a “clicking” type action.
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