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

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Finally, another compact camera to come my way to challenge my wife’s trusty D-Lux 4, the KING of 2009 COMPACTS IMO! The S90's smart auto functionality goes ‘one louder' than rivals in comparing common scenes or subjects with not just five or six options, but 22 variables to deliver - in theory - the most appropriate and optimal results.

What was visible was some chromatic aberration that was a below average amount in high-contrast situations where you expect to see it, but it's noticeable in prints of 8x10 inches or larger (especially if you're sensitive to seeing it). If you already own a DSLR, and possibly also a bridge camera, ownership of the S90 - more portable and with nearly as much on-board sophistication - starts to make a little more sense. However, the S90s performance makes it best suited for portraits, landscapes, and the like--but not for fast-moving subjects. The Canon S90 still uses the ring around the shutter button for zoom control, only this time it's somewhat recessed into the camera's top deck.

I keep wondering why Canon, a company with tons of experience designing great cameras, would put EV compensation on a loose Control dial on the back. IMO, its position should be switched with the on/off button, and should retain the ability to be customized if desired. On the other hand, its photos have minimal noise and its noise suppression isn't heavy to the point of destroying all detail until ISO 3,200.

Using the batteries and memory card format supplied with the camera (where included), except where indicated. I find its image quality desirable overall with good to excellent looking raw files, all the way up to its highest ISO setting of 3200. There were some complaints about the S90's popup flash design, and its rear control wheel being too easy to turn. On 'Auto' it will do everything for you, on manuel you can have the freedom to use it as you would with a DSLR.Press this with a fingernail and the S90 powers up for action in just over a second, rear LCD bursting into life soundtracked by a musical ‘sting' and lens barrel extending from its stacked hiding place within the camera's innards to its maximum wide angle setting. The S90 shares the same 10 megapixel CCD sensor as the G11, as Canon targets image quality rather than out-and-out resolution. Base ISO looks great, noise free, and ISO 3200 is definitely usable for 8x10 sized prints so long as you process from raw and expose your scene correctly. With the integral flash housed and hidden to the far left of the top plate (if gazing down on the camera), to the right is an inset shooting mode dial operated by the thumb. Ultimately I decided to lock the Control ring into serving as the ISO control, and used the Rear dial to adjust exposure.