Canon 10 Megapixels PowerShot S90 Zoom Review by TechRadar With Rating 4/5

Average Camera Review Rating [13 reviews]

On August 19 2009, Canon announced 6 new PowerShot cameras. One of them is the 10 Megapixels Canon PowerShot S90, marking the return of the Canon PowerShot S-series of truly compact digital cameras that features full manual control. The highlight of the new Canon S90 is the 6-22.5mm f/2.0-4.9 zoom lens with optical image stabilization.

The PowerShot S90 also features an intuitive lens Control Ring, which enables users to adjust the settings of various functions by twisting the selector at the base of the lens barrel to the left or right. The Control Ring can be used as a quasi-manual zoom offering a closer view of subjects in 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm and 105mm steps. Additional settings can be assigned, such as ISO, shutter, aperture, focus and exposure compensation. Also on board is Canon's Dual Anti-Noise System for enhanced low-light performance and the improved Intelligent Contrast Correction technology that attempts to make the most out of the dynamic range of the sensor. The Canon PowerShot S90 also features a 3.0 inch LCD display with a resolution of 461,000 dots. The PowerShot S90 is curerntly selling at $397. Here is the summary of a recent review of the camera by TechRadar, giving the camera a rating of 4 out of 5:

"At around £370 if you shop around, the PowerShot S90 makes a lot of sense as a backup for Canon SLR users, or as a versatile, high performance compact that you won't outgrow quickly. Being able to shoot in RAW and process the files in Digital Photo Professional will obviously be a big advantage for Canon SLR users, but the PowerShot S90 is also very easy for photography novices to get to grips with.

We liked: The biggest attractions are the fast, sharp lens, with an impressive f/2 maximum aperture, combined with an exemplary ISO performance (remember, you are getting the same sensor as the PowerShot G11, the jewel in Canon's compact crown). The layout and design of the PowerShot S90 is generally good too, and the generous rear LCD beyond criticism.

We disliked: The downsides are the occasionally fiddly ergonomics, the rather harsh flash, the restricted zoom, and of course, the lack of HD video recording. We suspect it'll be this that determines whether the target market goes for this camera or buys an HD movie-enabled competitor like the Panasonic LX3 instead. Nearly £400 might not seem a lot in SLR terms, but we can't help thinking that Canon have been a bit stingy on the video front"

Photo Album: Canon Announces 6 New PowerShot Cameras G11, S90, SX20, SX120, SD980 and SD940

Canon Powershot S90 Sample Photos on Flickr

Canon Powershot S90 Camera Reviews Roundup

ePhotoZine: "Low ISO in controlled light is exceptional and as the sensitivity moves through into the mid-range, slight salt and pepper noise is only detected at ISO400. Not bad for a small sensor, so the thoughts on finding the optimum resolution may be true after all. Noise is evident at ISO800 and ISO1600 and by the final stage of ISO3200, coloured blobs of green and purple are more noticeable. However, I expected it to be a..." - Apr 15 2010 More »
dpreview: "On paper it's a compelling package, with comprehensive photographic features, a fast, useful zoom and as much in the way of external control as you could possibly fit onto such a small body. For the SLR user wanting something that offered the 'carry anywhere' convenience - but not the compromise - of an ultra compact DSC the S90 promises to be the perfect second camera. And for the most part it delivers on that..." - Apr 09 2010 More »
MacWorld: "In addition to the control dial on the back of the camera, there are a few other improvements I'd like to see on the S90. It does include a movie mode, but only captures at Standard Definition (640 by 480 at 30 fps). This seems odd because with its relatively large CCD sensor, image stabilized lens, and HDMI output port, this camera seems perfectly designed for HD movie capture. There's no optical viewfinder, w..." - Mar 08 2010 More »
Digital Camera Resource Page: "Photo quality was very good. The PowerShot S90 takes well-exposed photos with pleasing, vivid colors. Like most compact cameras, the S90 does clip highlights at times, though I've seen much worse. Photos have the typical Canon "smooth" look, though some may find things a bit too soft (thankfully, you can increase the in-camera sharpening). While you will spot some noise in shadow areas and some very mild n..." - Dec 13 2009 More »	N/A