Posts tagged: Ccd Sensor

Canon PowerShot G11 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Stabilized Zoom and 2 8 inch articulating LCD

Canon PowerShot G11 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Stabilized Zoom and 2 8 inch articulating LCD


51yxYiIsa6L. SL75  Canon PowerShot G11 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Stabilized Zoom and 2 8 inch articulating LCD

The G Series Comes Full Circle.
You asked, and Canon not only listened, but delivered big-time. Advanced amateurs who have overwhelmingly embraced the G Series will be delighted with the PowerShot G11, which features RAW mode for unlimited editing options, a 28mm wide-angle lens, and a 2.8-inch Vari-Angle PureColor System LCD. Add to that Canon’s new High Sensitivity System and high-speed ISO for incredible image quality, and Canon’s top-range compact digital camera is a truly groundbreaking successor.

  • New 10.0 Megapixel sensor coupled with Canon’s DIGIC 4 Image Processor designed as the High Sensitivity System for improved low light image performance.
  • Full range of shooting and recording modes including RAW + JPEG for the ultimate creative control.
  • Large, bright 2.8-inch Vari-angle LCD with 461,000 dots for shooting at a variety of angles plus an optical viewfinder.
  • A host of optional accessories including Speedlite flashes, underwater housing and Tele-Converter Lens are available.
  • A high-powered Wide-Angle 5x Optical Zoom (equivalent to 28 – 140mm) with Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer gets you up close and personal to your subjects.
  • DIGIC 4 Image Processor improves the overall camera performance.
  • HDMI output for viewing still images on an HDTV.
  • Improved Smart AUTO intelligently selects the proper setting for the camera based on 22 predefined shooting situations.

Image Quality That’s Better Than Ever.
New 10.0 Megapixel sensor coupled with Canon’s DIGIC 4 Image Processor designed as the High Sensitivity System for improved low light image performance.

The PowerShot G11 employs a newly-developed, 10.0 Megapixel High Sensitivity System by combining a powerful CCD sensor and Canon’s DIGIC 4 Image Processor. Thanks to this technological advancement, the G11 is dramatically more sensitive than cameras with identical megapixel counts, and delivers spectacular images with minimal noise. Increased sensitivity d

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star Poor Sensor Quality
I will never buy Canon again. The “G” series is not as good as you think. My G9 sensor failed within 18 months. I sent it in to Canon for repair $169. Worked fine for 11 months, then the new sensor failed, with multiple dead pixels, and a phantom “line” vertically across my photos. For the price of these cameras, this is not acceptable.

Canon failed to make ANY sort of concession, they suggested I buy a NEW Canon. Right. A casual user might not notice the dead pixels cropping up, if they don’t do large prints. I suggest previous owners who have given good reviews take a “pixel-eye” view of their latest photos to see what I mean. They may be changing their ratings.

5 Stars Great camera!
Easy to use, great features ans not too bulky to carry around. Absolutely love this camera and the photos it takes!

5 Stars Canon G11 SDHC Memory Recommendation and Features
I’ll get around to the memory recommendation in a minute. I purchased the Canon G11 and a Canon underwater housing (130′ rated) for scuba diving. The combo works very well together. The camera has an underwater preset mode which produces exceptional scuba diving photos. The G11 was a little intimidating at first but after a few hours of punching buttons and reading the manual, it was clear that the camera has many advanced features and wasn’t all that difficult to use. It includes numerous preset modes, (underwater,snow,portrait,action,foliage,etc,etc,etc)to make taking great pictures easy. I was truly inpressed with the possibilities. I have taken numerous stills (with and without enhancements)and videos. The photos and video have been impressive. It can do color swap, and color enhancements, like taking a picture of a child holding a red rose and only the red rose has color, the child can remain black and white. Very cool stuff.

Back to the memory thing….

I wanted to know what Size (GB) and Class (2,4,6,10) of SDHC card Canon recommended to optimize the cameras performance. The new SDHC cards have a Size in gigabytes and a Class. (Some cards show a Multiplier like 100x, 133x or even 400x). The Class and the Multiplier are essentially the same thing, transfer speeds. The bigger the number the faster the transfer rate.

The camera doesn’t come with a memory card and the manual doesn’t tell you what to buy. So, I sent a note to Canon and they responded within 24 hours and answered me on a Sunday. “Thumbs up” on Canon Customer Service.

Here is there response:

Thank you for writing to us regarding Memory card choices for your PowerShot G11.

While we don’t publish the internal transfer rates for our cameras, the following information may assist you in deciding on memory cards:

Some memory cards rate their speeds by a “class.” Canon cameras are recommended to be used with cards rated are class 4 for SD (Standard Definition movies) and class 6 for HD (High Definition Movies) or higher because of the large amount of data being written to the card. As long as the card adheres to the following card standards, the memory card should be compatible regardless of the class or speed rating.

The PowerShot G11 will accept SDHC memory cards with a capacity of up to 32GB.

My Comments:

The cost for the SDHC cards vary all over the place. I have used a Class 2 card and it seemed to work fine. However, I wanted to see if bigger and faster was better so I ordered a Verbatim 16GB, Class 6 ($52). I got a “memory card error” with two of my cameras and now have to return it. (It was big, fast and cheap, but didn’t work). I have two other Sandisk Class 4 cards that work fine. So go with Sandisk. A little more money, but they work. I picked up a Sandisk SDHC 8GB Class 10 for around $58, shipped. The 8GB card gives you around 2990 photos or 240 minutes of video. The larger capacity cards seem to be exponentially more expensive. The Class 10 is fast enough for good recovery time between shots and high quality video. The Canon manual lists several different type of compatible memory, but go with the SDHC card.

I hope you find this helpful…..it’s a great camera, packed with features, and if you’re into scuba diving…even better.

3 Stars Huge disappointment after loving the G9 – all pictures are washed out – poor color quality1
I had the previous version, the Canon Powershot G9, and LOVED IT. It finally stopped working so I immediately ordered the most updated version, the G11. This camera was HORRIBLE. The color is completely washed out in every picture I took on my recent trip to Alaska, and is a huge disappointment. I even adjusted many different things along the way to try and remedy the color, but nothing worked. I will now spend much time “adjusting” the color using computer programs; which should not be required, but is the unfortunate situation. Positive features are the size, and a great battery life; however, if you are interested in a camera that will portray even a fraction of the vibrant colors and landscapes that you may encounter in amazing places like Alaska, look elsewhere. In addition, I am not sure why Canon chose to both reduce the megapixel size from previous versions (G9 was 12.0; G11 is 10.0) AND reduce the zoom range!

5 Stars Great Camera!!!!
I love photography- I have been snapping and developing my own film for years. However, it is a pain to always lug my professional camera with me; especially if I just want a night on the town with my girlfriends. Plus, sometimes I would want someone to take a picture for me and unfortunately unless someone knew about professional SLR cameras no one could work mine! So I had been looking for a professional quality point and shoot with convenience and ease that even an amateur photographer could grasp. And this was it!!!! It take gorgeous high quality shots, yet is simple to use and the rotating screen is excellent for self timed pictures or hard to see areas! I highly recommend this camera to both first time buyers and long standing photographers!

Buy/More Info

Related Blogs

Canon PowerShot S90 10MP Digital Camera with 3 8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD

Canon PowerShot S90 10MP Digital Camera with 3 8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD


41zpfU4s fL. SL75  Canon PowerShot S90 10MP Digital Camera with 3 8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD

The pocketable PowerShot S90 gives powerful everyday shooting. Shoot quickly with a lens control ring and get superior low-light performance with a high-sensitivity 10.0 MP CCD and f/2.0 lens. A high-sensitivity CCD sensor gives outstanding image quality in a wide variety of lighting conditions. Even images taken at high ISOs show exceptionally low noise levels and a wide dynamic range. A bright f/2.0 aperture allows exceptional versatility, capturing low-light images and fast-moving subjects at higher shutter speeds. A wide angle of 28mm lets you put more in the frame, while Canon’s optical IS reduces blur caused by camera shake.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great camera for the money
This is one of the greatest cameras I have owned. Picture quality is phenomenal. Very versatile. Like taking SLR pictures with a digital point and shoot. Some people have mentioned problems accidentally moving the ring when taking pictures but I have not had this problem. The only issue I have had is that the flash often pops up where I am holding the camera. Very small but powerful. Highly recommend.

1 Star Blurry Pictures…Ugh!
I bought this item just recently. I am a point and shoot photographer. I have owned several point and shoot Canons and have been quite happy with them. This one just didn’t behave like my other Canons. Half of my pictures were blurry and all seemed to be somewhat grainy. Total diappointment! I have sent it back to Amazon. I am not sure what to buy at this point, since I have always been a Canon fan, but this has shaken my trust in the product.

4 Stars First small form camera…
Quick impressions:

1. Working through the manual is not the quickest, so am using strictly on “auto” for now. Which means my shots are likely less than optimal at this point.

2. Not sure about “low light” as flash generally takes over and what you get is a flash picture. Not sure if flash can be overridden. But shot 85 pics indoors at a wedding reception and pics turned out okay, flash and all.

3. Regarding those same pics, they appear reasonably sharp when viewed on a 26″ high definition screen, though shot and stored as high res JPG’s.

4. Heavier than I expected, but I take that as a good thing. Otherwise, very portable. As part of intent was for my wife to easily carry in her purse, as we were missing too many picture opportunities with the grandkids. And she took most of the pics at the wedding reception.

5. Display screen is nice. No issues as such. 1st camera we’ve had without a viewfinder. So getting use to that.

6. The telephoto-wide angle lever is smaller than on my prior cameras, so I find myself fumbling just a bit to get a good finger tip hold to operate, but I would expect that to ease over time.

All in all, reasonably satisfied with my purchase.

5 Stars Love this camera
When it comes to photography, I am lame. Even though I am an artist, I could arguably be the worst photographer on the planet. My mom once complained that art school was a waste after seeing my shots. Seriously.

The main issue is a combination of clunky menus that work against you in the spur of the moment, the quality of the camera, or portability. You had to compromise on something. I hate lugging gear or fumbling with a lens cap but wanted something better than a simple point and shoot. Shooting photos was more frustrating than fun. It seemed like a chore.

The S90 is a really fun camera to use and takes amazing pictures. The lcd screen is large with good color which makes it easy to compose shots. The onscreen information is really useful since I’m always forgetting something. It fits in a pocket and is easy to customize (I Googled “S90 tips” to customize settings). The control ring feels intuitive and this is the first time I can adjust shots on the fly. The layout of the buttons make sense. I have never ever ever been this comfortable with a camera.

The other reviewers on Amazon were spot on about the experience. I am one of the small group of people who are fine with the ergonomics. I would agree with others that the flash takes getting used to and the couple of times it popped up, I was startled and dropped the camera but had the wrist strap on so no harm was done.

This is a camera that is fun to use and takes amazing indoor or outdoor shots with excellent color.

p.s. The non hd video is fine for my purposes since I am a worse videographer than a photographer. Besides, if you ever import stuff into a computer, the HD files are too large to process for what most people would ever need.

5 Stars Hard to find a better one
I just want to touch a couple of points, since they seem to be the most controversial:

-the back ring, the one all the people complain about: maybe it’s my way to hold the camera, but I never accidentally moved it, so it’s not a constant. There is a website that offers, for about 3 bucks, a sort of plastic ring that goes around it and it appears it removes the problem

-battery life: I really don’t find it limiting, I shoot more than 500 pictures with it, some of them with flash

excellent camera, it happens that I bring it even when I have the reflex with me, and for travelling in big cities it’s a blessing, pocket size and wonderful pictures, a lot of control!

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progress Canon PowerShot S90 10MP Digital Camera with 3 8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD

Canon PowerShot S90 10MP Digital Camera with 3 8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD

Canon PowerShot S90 10MP Digital Camera with 3 8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD


41zpfU4s fL. SL75  Canon PowerShot S90 10MP Digital Camera with 3 8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD

The pocketable PowerShot S90 gives powerful everyday shooting. Shoot quickly with a lens control ring and get superior low-light performance with a high-sensitivity 10.0 MP CCD and f/2.0 lens. A high-sensitivity CCD sensor gives outstanding image quality in a wide variety of lighting conditions. Even images taken at high ISOs show exceptionally low noise levels and a wide dynamic range. A bright f/2.0 aperture allows exceptional versatility, capturing low-light images and fast-moving subjects at higher shutter speeds. A wide angle of 28mm lets you put more in the frame, while Canon’s optical IS reduces blur caused by camera shake.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars First small form camera…
Quick impressions:

1. Working through the manual is not the quickest, so am using strictly on “auto” for now. Which means my shots are likely less than optimal at this point.

2. Not sure about “low light” as flash generally takes over and what you get is a flash picture. Not sure if flash can be overridden. But shot 85 pics indoors at a wedding reception and pics turned out okay, flash and all.

3. Regarding those same pics, they appear reasonably sharp when viewed on a 26″ high definition screen, though shot and stored as high res JPG’s.

4. Heavier than I expected, but I take that as a good thing. Otherwise, very portable. As part of intent was for my wife to easily carry in her purse, as we were missing too many picture opportunities with the grandkids. And she took most of the pics at the wedding reception.

5. Display screen is nice. No issues as such. 1st camera we’ve had without a viewfinder. So getting use to that.

6. The telephoto-wide angle lever is smaller than on my prior cameras, so I find myself fumbling just a bit to get a good finger tip hold to operate, but I would expect that to ease over time.

All in all, reasonably satisfied with my purchase.

5 Stars Hard to find a better one
I just want to touch a couple of points, since they seem to be the most controversial:

-the back ring, the one all the people complain about: maybe it’s my way to hold the camera, but I never accidentally moved it, so it’s not a constant. There is a website that offers, for about 3 bucks, a sort of plastic ring that goes around it and it appears it removes the problem

-battery life: I really don’t find it limiting, I shoot more than 500 pictures with it, some of them with flash

excellent camera, it happens that I bring it even when I have the reflex with me, and for travelling in big cities it’s a blessing, pocket size and wonderful pictures, a lot of control!

5 Stars Love this camera
When it comes to photography, I am lame. Even though I am an artist, I could arguably be the worst photographer on the planet. My mom once complained that art school was a waste after seeing my shots. Seriously.

The main issue is a combination of clunky menus that work against you in the spur of the moment, the quality of the camera, or portability. You had to compromise on something. I hate lugging gear or fumbling with a lens cap but wanted something better than a simple point and shoot. Shooting photos was more frustrating than fun. It seemed like a chore.

The S90 is a really fun camera to use and takes amazing pictures. The lcd screen is large with good color which makes it easy to compose shots. The onscreen information is really useful since I’m always forgetting something. It fits in a pocket and is easy to customize (I Googled “S90 tips” to customize settings). The control ring feels intuitive and this is the first time I can adjust shots on the fly. The layout of the buttons make sense. I have never ever ever been this comfortable with a camera.

The other reviewers on Amazon were spot on about the experience. I am one of the small group of people who are fine with the ergonomics. I would agree with others that the flash takes getting used to and the couple of times it popped up, I was startled and dropped the camera but had the wrist strap on so no harm was done.

This is a camera that is fun to use and takes amazing indoor or outdoor shots with excellent color.

p.s. The non hd video is fine for my purposes since I am a worse videographer than a photographer. Besides, if you ever import stuff into a computer, the HD files are too large to process for what most people would ever need.

1 Star Blurry Pictures…Ugh!
I bought this item just recently. I am a point and shoot photographer. I have owned several point and shoot Canons and have been quite happy with them. This one just didn’t behave like my other Canons. Half of my pictures were blurry and all seemed to be somewhat grainy. Total diappointment! I have sent it back to Amazon. I am not sure what to buy at this point, since I have always been a Canon fan, but this has shaken my trust in the product.

5 Stars Great camera for the money
This is one of the greatest cameras I have owned. Picture quality is phenomenal. Very versatile. Like taking SLR pictures with a digital point and shoot. Some people have mentioned problems accidentally moving the ring when taking pictures but I have not had this problem. The only issue I have had is that the flash often pops up where I am holding the camera. Very small but powerful. Highly recommend.

Buy/More Info

Related Blogs

Canon PowerShot G11 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Stabilized Zoom and 2 8 inch articulating LCD

Canon PowerShot G11 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Stabilized Zoom and 2 8 inch articulating LCD


51yxYiIsa6L. SL75  Canon PowerShot G11 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Stabilized Zoom and 2 8 inch articulating LCD

The G Series Comes Full Circle.
You asked, and Canon not only listened, but delivered big-time. Advanced amateurs who have overwhelmingly embraced the G Series will be delighted with the PowerShot G11, which features RAW mode for unlimited editing options, a 28mm wide-angle lens, and a 2.8-inch Vari-Angle PureColor System LCD. Add to that Canon’s new High Sensitivity System and high-speed ISO for incredible image quality, and Canon’s top-range compact digital camera is a truly groundbreaking successor.

  • New 10.0 Megapixel sensor coupled with Canon’s DIGIC 4 Image Processor designed as the High Sensitivity System for improved low light image performance.
  • Full range of shooting and recording modes including RAW + JPEG for the ultimate creative control.
  • Large, bright 2.8-inch Vari-angle LCD with 461,000 dots for shooting at a variety of angles plus an optical viewfinder.
  • A host of optional accessories including Speedlite flashes, underwater housing and Tele-Converter Lens are available.
  • A high-powered Wide-Angle 5x Optical Zoom (equivalent to 28 – 140mm) with Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer gets you up close and personal to your subjects.
  • DIGIC 4 Image Processor improves the overall camera performance.
  • HDMI output for viewing still images on an HDTV.
  • Improved Smart AUTO intelligently selects the proper setting for the camera based on 22 predefined shooting situations.

Image Quality That’s Better Than Ever.
New 10.0 Megapixel sensor coupled with Canon’s DIGIC 4 Image Processor designed as the High Sensitivity System for improved low light image performance.

The PowerShot G11 employs a newly-developed, 10.0 Megapixel High Sensitivity System by combining a powerful CCD sensor and Canon’s DIGIC 4 Image Processor. Thanks to this technological advancement, the G11 is dramatically more sensitive than cameras with identical megapixel counts, and delivers spectacular images with minimal noise. Increased sensitivity d

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star Poor Sensor Quality
I will never buy Canon again. The “G” series is not as good as you think. My G9 sensor failed within 18 months. I sent it in to Canon for repair $169. Worked fine for 11 months, then the new sensor failed, with multiple dead pixels, and a phantom “line” vertically across my photos. For the price of these cameras, this is not acceptable.

Canon failed to make ANY sort of concession, they suggested I buy a NEW Canon. Right. A casual user might not notice the dead pixels cropping up, if they don’t do large prints. I suggest previous owners who have given good reviews take a “pixel-eye” view of their latest photos to see what I mean. They may be changing their ratings.

5 Stars Canon G11 SDHC Memory Recommendation and Features
I’ll get around to the memory recommendation in a minute. I purchased the Canon G11 and a Canon underwater housing (130′ rated) for scuba diving. The combo works very well together. The camera has an underwater preset mode which produces exceptional scuba diving photos. The G11 was a little intimidating at first but after a few hours of punching buttons and reading the manual, it was clear that the camera has many advanced features and wasn’t all that difficult to use. It includes numerous preset modes, (underwater,snow,portrait,action,foliage,etc,etc,etc)to make taking great pictures easy. I was truly inpressed with the possibilities. I have taken numerous stills (with and without enhancements)and videos. The photos and video have been impressive. It can do color swap, and color enhancements, like taking a picture of a child holding a red rose and only the red rose has color, the child can remain black and white. Very cool stuff.

Back to the memory thing….

I wanted to know what Size (GB) and Class (2,4,6,10) of SDHC card Canon recommended to optimize the cameras performance. The new SDHC cards have a Size in gigabytes and a Class. (Some cards show a Multiplier like 100x, 133x or even 400x). The Class and the Multiplier are essentially the same thing, transfer speeds. The bigger the number the faster the transfer rate.

The camera doesn’t come with a memory card and the manual doesn’t tell you what to buy. So, I sent a note to Canon and they responded within 24 hours and answered me on a Sunday. “Thumbs up” on Canon Customer Service.

Here is there response:

Thank you for writing to us regarding Memory card choices for your PowerShot G11.

While we don’t publish the internal transfer rates for our cameras, the following information may assist you in deciding on memory cards:

Some memory cards rate their speeds by a “class.” Canon cameras are recommended to be used with cards rated are class 4 for SD (Standard Definition movies) and class 6 for HD (High Definition Movies) or higher because of the large amount of data being written to the card. As long as the card adheres to the following card standards, the memory card should be compatible regardless of the class or speed rating.

The PowerShot G11 will accept SDHC memory cards with a capacity of up to 32GB.

My Comments:

The cost for the SDHC cards vary all over the place. I have used a Class 2 card and it seemed to work fine. However, I wanted to see if bigger and faster was better so I ordered a Verbatim 16GB, Class 6 ($52). I got a “memory card error” with two of my cameras and now have to return it. (It was big, fast and cheap, but didn’t work). I have two other Sandisk Class 4 cards that work fine. So go with Sandisk. A little more money, but they work. I picked up a Sandisk SDHC 8GB Class 10 for around $58, shipped. The 8GB card gives you around 2990 photos or 240 minutes of video. The larger capacity cards seem to be exponentially more expensive. The Class 10 is fast enough for good recovery time between shots and high quality video. The Canon manual lists several different type of compatible memory, but go with the SDHC card.

I hope you find this helpful…..it’s a great camera, packed with features, and if you’re into scuba diving…even better.

3 Stars Huge disappointment after loving the G9 – all pictures are washed out – poor color quality1
I had the previous version, the Canon Powershot G9, and LOVED IT. It finally stopped working so I immediately ordered the most updated version, the G11. This camera was HORRIBLE. The color is completely washed out in every picture I took on my recent trip to Alaska, and is a huge disappointment. I even adjusted many different things along the way to try and remedy the color, but nothing worked. I will now spend much time “adjusting” the color using computer programs; which should not be required, but is the unfortunate situation. Positive features are the size, and a great battery life; however, if you are interested in a camera that will portray even a fraction of the vibrant colors and landscapes that you may encounter in amazing places like Alaska, look elsewhere. In addition, I am not sure why Canon chose to both reduce the megapixel size from previous versions (G9 was 12.0; G11 is 10.0) AND reduce the zoom range!

5 Stars Great camera!
Easy to use, great features ans not too bulky to carry around. Absolutely love this camera and the photos it takes!

5 Stars Great Camera!!!!
I love photography- I have been snapping and developing my own film for years. However, it is a pain to always lug my professional camera with me; especially if I just want a night on the town with my girlfriends. Plus, sometimes I would want someone to take a picture for me and unfortunately unless someone knew about professional SLR cameras no one could work mine! So I had been looking for a professional quality point and shoot with convenience and ease that even an amateur photographer could grasp. And this was it!!!! It take gorgeous high quality shots, yet is simple to use and the rotating screen is excellent for self timed pictures or hard to see areas! I highly recommend this camera to both first time buyers and long standing photographers!

Buy/More Info

Related Blogs

Canon PowerShot S90 10MP Digital Camera with 3 8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD

Canon PowerShot S90 10MP Digital Camera with 3 8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD


41zpfU4s fL. SL75  Canon PowerShot S90 10MP Digital Camera with 3 8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD

The pocketable PowerShot S90 gives powerful everyday shooting. Shoot quickly with a lens control ring and get superior low-light performance with a high-sensitivity 10.0 MP CCD and f/2.0 lens.A high-sensitivity CCD sensor gives outstanding image quality in a wide variety of lighting conditions. Even images taken at high ISOs show exceptionally low noise levels and a wide dynamic range.A bright f/2.0 aperture allows exceptional versatility, capturing low-light images and fast-moving subjects at higher shutter speeds. A wide angle of 28mm lets you put more in the frame, while Canon’s optical IS reduces blur caused by camera shake.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Awesome Camera
This camera takes great pictures and is so convenient I use it much more than my bulky Nikon DSLR, which I also love. But this Canon s90 shoots extremely well in low light. And it is fast. So I find I tend to reach for it whenever I am going to be in a dark place or when I know I won’t have a lot of time to set the shot. Plus it is very well built and so easy to carry around in a pocket. I highly recommend this camera.

5 Stars Excellent equipment
A very good piece of equipment. I did study it profoundly before purchasing the Canon S90, but the features presented really surprised me. An excellent equipment for serious photographers to have on hand and very cool camera for the photographic enthusiast. It’s the perfect match to an DSLR, as a “backup gun”.

There are few bad things about it. The very small size of the camera makes it difficult to hold.

I am actually considering buying a second one to have as a spare. I really wouldn’t like Canon to discontinue this one. Highly recommended.

4 Stars GOOD SNAPSHOT CAMERA. SLR USERS WILL NOT BE HAPPY WITH COMPOSING A PICTURE IN BRIGHT LIGHT ENVIRONMENT.
GOOD SNAPSHOT CAMERA. SLR USERS WILL NOT BE HAPPY WITH COMPOSING A PICTURE IN BRIGHT LIGHT ENVIRONMENT.

5 Stars Great camera so far-very glad I got it
I own a Nikon D300 and a Casio Exilim EX-Z750. Since the Casio was showing its age, I was looking for a very compact camera to carry in a belt-pouch as a replacement.

My review might be a little premature since I’ve only owned the camera a few weeks but so far, WOW! The rear control ring, which adjusts EV value by default, is easy to knock if you’re not careful but since relative EV value shows on the LCD, it’s just as easy to get into the habit of checking the EV setting as you would shutter speed or F-stop (and it shows right down in the same area of the LCD that those settings do). And if you’re a skilled photographer making the most of your camera, you will often want to check and tweak the EV value to optimize your shots, anyway.

The camera LCD is breathtaking (not quite as good as a Nikon D300′s but great for appreciating your pictures as you take them). The pictures are very sharp. The low-light capability of the camera is impressive and I like the motion-warning that’s very obvious when you’re about to cross the threshold of acceptable shutter speeds in a low-light situation. See ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71ylIfu832L.jpg (0.5 sec exposure, ISO 1600, hand-held by available light!)

The zoom, as other reviewers have noted, is a bit incremental but with the quality of the pictures taken, hey, I don’t mind zooming out a bit more than I want if needed and cropping later.

I like the ability to shoot simultaneously in RAW and JPEG. If you do, you lose some of the special tweaks the camera is capable of but I enjoy the latitude having a RAW image affords for post-capture processing.

The Digital Photo Professional software that comes with the camera for handling RAW images is pretty easy and intuitive to use, too. Too bad it doesn’t offer local area correction like Nikon Capture NX2 does but I guess one can always plunk down the money for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2, which offers local corrections and handles Canon S90 RAW images.

I tried two belt cases for the S90 based on online reviews. Both the Canon Powershot 500 case and the LowePro Rezo 30 case fit the S90 well. The Rezo 30 case closes with a zipper, not as convenient as the Velcro flap on the Canon case but better for keeping the dust and dirt out of the case. Canon case has a permanent belt loop while the Rezo case easily detaches from the belt, using a combination of a Velcro flap and button snap to securely attach the case to a belt.

All in all, I highly recommend the Canon S90 for a camera you can easily carry anywhere on your belt but takes GREAT pictures and is a joy to use.

4 Stars Not perfect, but close
This is going to be more like a story than a product review, but maybe it will be helpful to others who were looking for the same features I was.

First of all, I wasn’t in the market for a camera at all: I have a Casio EX-Z750 that, frankly, is still nearly unbeatable in its class (subcompact P&S). I happened to be browsing a recent B&H catalog and noticed the Olympus E-P2 – very attractive retro look! Started reading up on it (especially the outstanding information on [...]) and decided I had to see one of these in the flesh. Found one at a local store, and while it’s gorgeous, it’s nowhere near as compact as I imagined from the catalog photo. And it has no viewfinder (Casio does) and no flash! But it has a large image sensor and apparently amazing image quality. So I got to thinking: what else is out there that can do better than my beautiful little Casio? I’ve always lamented its lack of RAW images, and eventually it will break, but pretty much everything about it is incredible. So my research turned up these cameras (data largely gathered from [...], with additional info from manufacturers’ websites):

Camera || Sensor size || Aperture || Focal length || Flash

Canon PS S90 || .43 cm2 || f/2.0 || 28-105mm || Yes

Olympus E-P2 || 2.43 cm2 || f/2.8* || 17mm* || No

Panasonic LX3 || .45 cm2 || f/2.0 || 24-60mm || Yes

Sigma DP2 || 2.85 cm2 || f/2.8 || 24mm || Yes

* The Olympus camera has interchangeable lens; the 17mm F/2.8 was the fastest “normal” lens that fits my needs.

The Panasonic’s lens is a Leica that’s very highly regarded.

The Canon S90 is, by far, the most compact of the cameras in this group. The Olympus could never be considered a pocket camera. The Panasonic is somewhat larger than the Canon, though perhaps still “pocketable”. The Sigma is really too large for a pocket, though quite a bit more compact than the Olympus.

All of these cameras have RAW mode. None of them has an integral viewfinder (not many subcompact P&S cameras do, anymore, but I still like them for when the sun is shining directly on the LCD).

I ruminated about all of this for quite a while before settling on the Canon. Its lens is excellent, the image sensor is the .43cm2 size (1/1.7″) of the best-in-class subcompact P&S cameras, and it has RAW image mode. The other cameras were all larger – enough to be the deciding factor for me. But I really do like the idea of the very large sensor – eventually someone will offer a camera closer to my wishes, but there isn’t one around at the present time.

Concerning the camera itself: there’s little need to repeat what’s already been said very well by others. I’ve compared the JPEG images to my Casio (which is probably the best I’ve seen on any camera for color balance, saturation, etc.) and they’re just as good. I haven’t seen a P&S that does better. But having RAW image recording opens up a world of processing that’s not possible with the Casio. There’s some barrel distortion, but it’s no worse than on any other camera with a similar lens (and marginally better than the Casio, which can be fairly annoying). And, for the desperate, this can be corrected with PhotoShop and other software.

My only real complaints have been voiced numerous times by others: the rear control dial looseness and the flash location.

The control dial on the rear of the camera is outrageously loose. It’s virtually impossible to use the camera in any mode but fully automatic without inadvertantly changing whatever setting the dial controls for the chosen mode (the dial does nothing in full automatic). In fact, the entire control assembly of which it’s a part is so poorly designed as to be an utter anomaly in Canon cameras. How on earth could they not notice such a shortcoming before releasing the product? Nevertheless, I knew about this and had even tried the camera in a store, and it still didn’t deter me from buying it. But it will be a constant nuisance. No doubt Canon will eventually get around to addressing this, but as it can’t be fixed by a firmware update, those of us who bought this camera are stuck with it.

Second, the location of the pop-up flash is absurd: it’s at the top left front corner of the camera, exactly where my left index finger is all the time! I’ve had the camera for exactly two days, and I can’t count the number of times that the damn thing decided to pop up (since it’s usually preferable to leave the flash in automatic than turned off all the time) and promptly retract after bumping into my finger, with the resulting “restart camera” error message. I hope that this doesn’t eventually cause the flash mechanism to self-destruct, and, with luck, I may get used to holding the camera differently, but even though I knew about this before buying, it is unexpectedly annoying. Given the size and layout of the camera, it’s not an unreasonable location for the flash, but still …

So it’s not quite the perfect pocket camera, but for me, it’s the best currently available. I really miss a viewfinder, and that control dial and flash are a royal pain. But I finally got my RAW mode on a very compact camera with a good, fast lens and a larger image sensor. So I’ll carry both the Casio and the Canon for a while until I decide which one will become the spare. I suspect the Casio might end up in a drawer – unless that dial on the S90 finally drives me crazy.

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