Canon S90 Review!

Canon S90 Get The Best Price Now!..

a Non-Photographer’s Opinion

By Jeffrey Stanley

I’m a very amateur camera user. I understand the basic terms and settings (ISO, aperture, shutter speed, image stabilization, exposure) but I am impatient and like to get things set and just use the camera.

I bought this camera because I wanted the ability to use the camera indoors in low light without a flash. Due to the relatively high price, my expectations were high.

My cam was delivered just last week, and having used it at an event in a local bar the best word I can use to describe this camera is “magic”. This camera takes in so much light it really seems like magic.

The event I was documenting was in a very dimly lit room. The only lighting sources in the room were incandescent chandeliers dimmed as low as they would go.

I set my iso to 1000 in aperture priority mode, f2.0 (this level is only available in the widest zoom), adjusted white balance for incandescent, and took some shots. Most of the shots used 1/6-second shutter speed, which was just fine due to the image stabilized lens. The IS performance is improved over my last Canon compact. I don’t have steady hands, and I like to take quick sloppy shots. If the IS in this cam can handle my hands, a very-careful steady shooter could probably get away with 1/4 second. The resulting images were so bright and had such great color everyone that saw them was in awe. The resulting images appeared more bright and colorful than with a naked eye. Shooting with such high ISOs is like having night vision built into the camera. Noise levels were low enough and color was so good that I can easily print very nice 5x7s from this night.

I took a few candid shots of people in motion at the bar, so I had to bump the ISO to 1600 to get a faster shutter speed (at ISO 1600 I got about 1/30sec in the dimly lit bar). At ISO 1600, color is still acceptable and very nice 4×6 prints, web postings, and email will be no problem. ISO 1600 on this cam is comparable to what most compact cams produce at ISO 400. I’ve never seen a compact cam take such great shots using high-ish ISO settings.

I am just as happy with the results as when using my EOS 20D digital SLR. A critical professional may argue that this cam isn’t as great as an SLR, but for normal-sized prints and digital sharing, this camera makes images that are as good as a consumer SLR.

My last compact was a Canon SD800is. I love that camera, but images are mostly unusable above ISO400, due to muted color, and grain. The S90 goes two full ISO stops beyond what can be done with a typical $300 compact camera. Combine high-ISO performance with the f2.0 option and you can take great shots in 1/3 of the light required for most $300 compact cams.

Adjusting camera settings is a dream. I am just as in control as I am with my EOS 20D SLR. I’ve used friends’ canon rebel SLRs, and the controls on this compact are even better than them. Between the front ring, rear dial, and shortcut button, you have instant control of three camera functions without even really looking. All of the controls are customizable. If you’ve ever used other canon cameras in the past, you won’t really even need to use the excellent printed manual (yes! a printed manual!).

I’ve not taken enough shots with it to test whether the battery can actually deliver 200 from a charge, but 200 isn’t really great battery performance and I bought a backup battery from an Amazon marketplace seller for longer outings (under $30 shipped).

I also highly recommend the Canon compact leather case. This camera easily fits in any pocket, but I’m pretty sure that pocket lint and dust is what did in my last compact camera. The Canon compact leather case for the S90 mounts on your belt and offers light protection away from keys and pocket lint.

The body is comparable in size to Canon elphs. My SD800 elph is 1/2in shorter, but the height and thickness is identical (not counting the lens ring, which makes the overall thickness of the S90 slightly thicker). I posted comparison pics between the SD800 and the S90 in the gallery.

The rear display is really sharp and is viewable outdoors. I haven’t bought a new camera in over three years and the display blew me away compared to my other cameras. I really can’t compare the display to newer cams.

Simply judging by the way it feels in the hand, the build quality is just average.

The only real performance weakness is continuous shooting. Continuous shooting is really really slow.

If you want a compact and think you’ll ever want to photograph dimly lit subjects without a flash, this is THE camera to own. The price is 40% higher, but it takes in 300% more light. Unless you’re shooting a lot of action, this cam is probably a better choice for people considering consumer-level SLRs like the Canon rebel line.

I can’t imagine anyone regretting buying this camera. It beats other compact pocket sized cameras by a wide margin.

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