Canon PowerShot S90 review and tutorial

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Canon PowerShot S90 review

Announced in 2009, the fresh S90 sits alongside the PowerShot G11 at the top of Canon’s bunched ambit and while both models allotment the aforementioned 10 Megapixel sensor and almost agnate pricing, the S90 is a appreciably altered proposition.

The Canon PowerShot S90 is a able bunched advised for enthusiasts who appetite a baby camera afterwards compromising on composure and chiral controls. Numerically it may chase Canon’s abundant beforehand S-series, but with the antecedent S80 employing a decidedly altered look, not to acknowledgment actuality over four years old, it’s fair to say the S90 wipes the slate apple-pie and starts afresh.

Most obviously, the PowerShot S90 is a appreciably abate and lighter camera, which will clothing anyone who finds the G11 a bit on the beefy side. The S90’s 3.8x optical zoom may not absolutely bout the ability of the G11’s 5x lens, but both alpha at the aforementioned advantageous 28mm agnate advanced angle, and the 105mm best is still acceptable for bound portraits or accepting abutting to abroad details. Making up for the slight accident in telephoto ability admitting is a brighter focal arrangement at the wide-end: f2.0 compared to f2.8 on the G11, acceptance the S90 to accumulate alert as abundant ablaze and accomplish added calmly in dim conditions.

Given the abate dimensions, it’s not hasty to acquisition the G11’s articulate awning and optical viewfinder are absent here, but Canon’s not skimped on the S90’s LCD panel. It shares the aforementioned 460k resolution as the G11’s awning for absolute abundant images during agreement and playback, and it’s absolutely a little beyond at 3in.

The PowerShot S90 shares the aforementioned amount of chiral ascendancy as the G11, including abounding PASM modes in accession to Auto and the Low Ablaze advantage which allows both cameras to accomplish at sensitivities up to 12,800 ISO at a bargain resolution of 2.5 Megapixels. The S90 additionally actualization a accurate fresh ascendancy punch about the butt of the lens apartment which can be configured to acclimatize the focus, zoom or sensitivity, forth with a bulk of added options. Accompanying with the deride caster on the rear, it makes the camera absolute quick and accessible to control.

Completing the blueprint are abutment for RAW files, Arena Apprehension in Auto and an HDMI port, although like the G11, there’s acutely no HD movies, nor the achievability of alike optically zooming while filming.

Lack of HD movies abreast though, the PowerShot S90 charcoal a absolute absorbing fresh camera that in abounding respects is arguably added acute than the G11. It may not accept a beam hotshoe, articulate awning or absolutely as continued a zoom, but by about binding the aforementioned angel affection into a appreciably added carriageable amalgamation with a abundant screen, accurate controls and a brighter f2.0 lens, the PowerShot S90 has justifiably become one of the best talked-about models in Canon’s accepted range.

In our abounding analysis we’ll analyze it carefully adjoin the PowerShot G11, forth with an entry-level DSLR to see how the affection compares at a agnate price-point. We’ll additionally see how it measures-up adjoin Panasonic’s Lumix LX3, a archetypal which may predate it by added than a year, but one which has provided ample inspiration. So will the S90 become the fresh best of enthusiasts in Canon’s range? Read on to acquisition out!

Canon PowerShot S90 architecture and controls

The Canon PowerShot S90 is a cogent abandonment from the beforehand S-series, dispensing with the characteristic continued beefy anatomy for a abundant beneath and slimmer architecture that best carefully resembles a hardly beyond adaptation of the IXUS 100 IS / PowerShot SD780 IS. We’ve pictured it beneath alongside Canon’s added high-end compact, the PowerShot G11, and it’s ablaze how the S90 is appreciably smaller. We’ve additionally pictured the Canon EOS 450D / XSi DSLR on the appropriate to put both PowerShots to scale. Both the S90 and G11 are aimed at those who appetite a pocketable accompaniment to a DSLR, or in some cases a replacement, and afresh the differences in admeasurement actuality are considerable.

The S90 may allotment a agnate alien actualization to the IXUS 100 IS / SD780 IS, but is beyond all-round at 100x58x31mm compared to 87x55x18mm. It’s unsurprisingly added too at 196g compared to 132g aback both are adapted with their corresponding batteries. But to be fair, the IXUS 100 IS / SD780 IS is a super-slim actualization compact, admitting the S90 is aimed at enthusiasts with its brighter lens, bigger sensor, added acceptable controls and larger, added abundant screen.

In Canon’s range, it absolutely shares best in accepted with the PowerShot G11, but as the photo aloft illustrates, they’re in a absolutely altered chic size-wise. Measuring 112x76x48mm, the G11 is calmly beyond in every ambit and at 402g including battery, aloof over bifold the operational weight. Pick up both models and the aberration is remarkable: the G11 is a beefy brick of a camera which may be abate than a DSLR, but still best-suited to ample pockets or baby bags. In contrast, the S90 is appreciably lighter afterwards accident the advance of solidity, and abundantly baby to clasp into best pockets. Ultimately it’s a abundant added carriageable prospect.

While the S90 represents a altered anticipation both in admeasurement and actualization in Canon’s range, it’s fair to say a antecedent battling provided ample inspiration. Panasonic’s Lumix LX3 predates the S90 by over a year but the affinity is uncanny. Both allotment a absolute agnate alien actualization with a collapsed advanced and bulging lens apartment positioned hardly off-centre. Measuring 109x60x27mm and belief 265g including battery, the LX3 additionally shares almost agnate basic statistics and lest we forget, both models additionally accept a ablaze lens, 3in / 460k awning and abounding chiral ascendancy with abutment for RAW recording. There are of advance a cardinal of key differences amid them which we’ll altercate throughout the review, but it’s ablaze which camera Canon’s activity afterwards here.

One aberration we’ll acknowledgment beeline apropos their grips: the LX3’s advanced apparent has a bashful appendage active bottomward its appropriate ancillary which gives you article to authority onto, admitting the S90 has a characterless agleam surface. To be fair, the S90’s accomplishment isn’t too slippery, and a aloft appendage on the rear provides acceptable acquirement for your deride to authority the camera steady, but it’s not as assured a authority as either the LX3 or the PowerShot G11 abnormally aback aggravating to acclimatize the zoom single-handed.

The S90’s anatomy affection is about absolute acceptable and as you’d achievement for the price, on-par with the LX3 and G11, admitting defective the anatomy of the latter. One advantage both the PowerShot S90 and G11 accept over the LX3 admitting are alternative underwater housings, rated to base up to 40m; the S90’s underwater apartment is alleged the WP-DC35.

Another aberration amid the models apropos the flash. The S90 actualization a baby popup beam housed in the aerial larboard ancillary of the camera, and like the Lumix LX3 it raises vertically, although clashing that model, there’s no button to absolution it. Instead it’s an absolutely motorised architecture which rises aback appropriate or forced-on, and retracts automatically aback not appropriate or affected off.

A beam which pops-up by itself is not unusual, but one which motors itself aback bottomward afresh is adequately altered and the S90 performs the activity swiftly. There’s the assured allurement to advance it aback bottomward yourself, but the apparatus sits absolute durably in abode and resists any motion. Acutely you could columnist absolutely adamantine and force it aback with some abeyant damage, but afresh it’s abundantly aggressive to alike a close push, acceptance you to realise your aberration and let go. It may be gadgety, but it’s absolutely fun to about-face the beam amid affected on and forced-off and watch it popup and bottomward unassisted.

Unlike both the PowerShot G11 and Lumix LX3 though, there isn’t a hotshoe on the S90. This is a key aberration and you ability accept it’s due to the S90’s thickness, but the LX3 is absolutely 4mm thinner and manages to clasp one on top. We’re not afraid to see Canon because a hotshoe as a differentiator amid the S90 and G11, but it additionally gives the S90’s rival, the LX3, a key advantage. To be fair to the S90 though, you can arise the alternative HF-DC1 aerial ability beam assemblage on a bracket.

Moving assimilate the S90’s controls, you’d accept from the photos that best of the activity takes abode on the accepted aerial appropriate and rear surfaces, but what’s not accessible from the pictures is an added and avant-garde ascendancy about the absolute lens housing. Like the G11, the S90 has a bent arena about the lens, but area the G11’s is alone adorning (and disposable to board accessories), the S90’s absolutely turns with auspiciously concrete clicks to bear an added ascendancy system. It feels a little like axis the breach arena on an earlier SLR lens, which evokes affable memories for enthusiasts.

It would accept been accessible for Canon to bind this ascendancy to adjusting, say, the chiral focus, but the S90’s lens arena can be reconfigured like a programmable action key application a committed button on top of the camera. You can set it to acclimatize the ISO sensitivity, acknowledgment compensation, chiral focus, white antithesis or the zoom in anchored increments.

Alternatively you can set it to Standard, which configures it for context-sensitive operation, area the action changes depending on the accepted approach or cachet of the camera. For example, this will acclimatize the ISO in Program approach by default, set the breach and bang in their corresponding Priority modes, or alike the apish age in the Nostalgic Arena Preset. The absolute action at that time is adumbrated in the bend of the screen. It’s a absolutely able ascendancy and one which gives the S90 a altered operational feel. Indeed the G11 absolutely feels like it’s absent out in this account and Canon now has the boxy accommodation of chief whether its almsman should cede affinity with absolute lens accessories for the arena control. We’d vote for the latter.

Moving assimilate the added accepted controls, there’s a baby approach punch on the aerial appropriate surface, accordingly about the aforementioned bore as the G11’s, but recessed into the anatomy rather than perched aloft a beyond dial. We’ll detail the options in the area below. Alongside the approach punch are a recessed bang absolution with a baby rotary zoom control, and two lozenge-shaped buttons to admission the arena functions and ability the camera on and off.

The rear controls are bedeviled by a deride caster which can be acclimated to acclimatize things like the acknowledgment advantage and chiral absorption distance, forth with allotment a arena preset, abyssal airheaded or scrolling through images in playback. Afresh like the lens ring, the absolute action at that time is adumbrated by an figure in the bend of the screen. It’s addition abundant ascendancy system, although acutely clashing the G11 and Canon’s EOS DSLRs, this accurate caster doesn’t accept any concrete beat feedback. Instead it has smooth, step-less operation like some added Canon compacts, which in our appearance makes it abundant harder to affirm incremental positions.

The absolute caster additionally tilts up, down, larboard or appropriate to double-up as the acceptable cross-keys. Blame up rotates images in playback or locks the acknowledgment with a accompanying half-press of the bang release, blame appropriate sets the beam options, blame bottomward sets the self-timer or deletes images in playback, while blame larboard sets the absorption mode. In the average is a FUNC / SET button to affirm options or fire-up the super-imposed card arrangement we’ll call lower bottomward this page. Aloft and beneath the caster are four buttons: a programmable Shortcut and Play buttons at the top, with DISP and MENU buttons underneath.

The Shortcut button can be configured to actuate one of 12 altered functions, including face apprehension AF and i-Contrast, forth with a accessible one-press custom white antithesis account which additionally switches the white antithesis approach to custom afterwards so you’re accessible to go.

So while at aboriginal glance the S90 looks like a acceptable compact, it absolutely actualization some absolute able-bodied advised controls, with a aerial amount of customisation. The alone abrogating animadversion we’d accomplish is the baby admeasurement of the camera, accompanying a abridgement of advanced anchor and buttons which are absolutely even to the apparent makes it accessible to aback advance one of them as you grab it out of a pocket, or conceivably circle the camera to appearance a account aspect shot. We generally begin ourselves bottomward and acute a button or alternating the deride caster by mistake.

Canon PowerShot S90

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