Canon PowerShot S90 Digital Camera (10 Megapixel, 3.8 Optical Zoom) 3.0 inch LCD

Product Information

Many features are missing, and the one I miss most is the G11's Flexizone AF, which allows you to move the AF box around the screen. I find its 28-105mm lens range adequate for most shots, but of course prefer the G series 28-140mm range, or, S120's 24-120mm range more. I've read the expectation that the Canon S90 is a G11 in a smaller package, but that's not quite so.

It represented a truly pocketable enthusiast compact to compete with Panasonic's dominating LX series, only it was even smaller and had better image quality than those cameras, and, any other enthusiast subcompact zoom lens camera at the time. Here, at least, it works as I'd prefer: requiring me to press the EV Compensation button to start compensating.

I wanted a compact alternative to my dslr and have to say that I've been hugely impressed by the s90. All data is based on Canon standard testing methods (according to CIPA Standards) except where indicated. When I spend my money on a digital camera these days, I expect the image quality to be superb, the Auto Focus fast, and the handling of the camera to be comfortable. Interpreted another way, it's like a bulkier G-series camera - such as the recently reviewed G11 - has been shrunk to more manageable proportions. Canon's standard (at least in the USA) CB-2LY charger has an integral folding plug, so it needs no power cord and folds-up flat.

Fixing this is a simple firmware upgrade, so here's hoping that Canon sees fit to make a slight change here, at least adding an option in the Menu to set the function of the Command dial by mode. What the S90 does have that's important is a choice between a smaller and larger AF box, something I've enjoyed on several Panasonic cameras, including the GF1. On that note though, Canon's point and shoot Smart Auto functionality works well, and reliably with it. This is just a silly test image to test ISO 800 IN LOW LIGHT but if I were taking an important image, or something special, it should be able to stand on its own even with some noise in it. If you are in the market for a modern digital camera that is sleek, small, light, and packs a punch then the S90 is a great camera and deserves to be seriously considered.

For instance, this prevents starting each day shooting at ISO 1,600 and tungsten WB from the night before. The standard battery has enough power to let me shoot my S90 as my primary camera all day, for days on end. As we've found with nearly all Canon's semi pro compacts to date, when it comes to image quality there's very little to take issue with, aside from the fact that colours can feel a little cool when left on the camera's default settings, and, at maximum wide angle setting, some barrel distortion is evidenced, most prominently in our white brick wall test shots - along with softening of detail towards the corners. Quite the contrary, some designs are good enough to last years or even a decade or more fulfilling photographic tasks. But the Canon S90's lens and sensor combination do some amazing stuff in low light, so much so that it's a Dave's Pick for that reason alone.