Buy or wait? Canon S90

[PaulVI]

My big camera is the XSi. My small camera is the Powershot A630.

The "problem" is... there's nothing wrong with my A630.

But the S90 is coming down in price, and I'm salivating. I've seen coupon deals online for $299 shipped and no-coupon deals as low as $336, getting lower every week. I don't want to be a spendthrift or one who buys "because it's on sale". Something may be around the corner from Canon, but sometimes the next gen makes you wish for the last gen. (It's not that SD4000, is it?) I don't need the S90 successor; S90 would be fine.

If I wait for my A630 to die, will S90 disappear from the market before then?

[inkista]

Here's the deal. Most of the Canon P&S cameras have a product life cycle of a year. Both the G11 and S90 were announced August of last year. So, the "G12" and "S95" are expected to be announced in a month or two. I'd say it's very likely, but nothing's ever 100% certain in the world of Canon rumor-mongering (hell, I thought we'd see a 60D this spring).

So, yeah, I'd go ahead and grab an S90 at $300, if you were completely certain you don't wanna blow $400+ on an S95, or wait for the A630 to die, and then call Canon Service and find out what's on offer through the Canon Loyalty Program. If you can stomach refurbs with 90-day warranties, the last I heard was that you could trade up to a G11 for $250. This fatwallet thread tracks what's on offer and what qualifies. Forget it. A-series doesn't qualify for the G11.

[IainM]

If the P&S you have now is not a PoS, stick with it. There's no point upgrading every time something shiny comes along. Something better than the s90 will come along soon enough, and then something even better...
stcik with what you have until it really is no longer good.

[inkista]

Originally Posted by IainM

If the P&S you have now is not a PoS, stick with it. There's no point upgrading every time something shiny comes along. Something better than the s90 will come along soon enough, and then something even better...
stcik with what you have until it really is no longer good.

Except that the usability "gap" between the A630 and S90 is pretty damn substantial. The S90 can be used for available light, the A630 cannot. While it's true that there's always going to be something better, if you never make the leap, you never take advantage of those things. And the S90 was $450 when it was brand new. So, finding it for, essentially one-third off is a whopping good deal--a relatively rare one.

[PaulVI]

Available-light photos such as at a restaurant table, plus a purported "instant capture" (from pre-focus, though Imaging-Resources has puzzling performance numbers for S90 vs. A630) --- this is why S90 is ever on my mind.

Thanks to you, both! I may go for it before year's end.