Posts tagged: Dynamic Range

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!

Searching the web for the best product deals...

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

Tags: Amazon, Canon Powershot, Canon Powershot S90, Canons, Ccd Sensor, Dynamic Range, Great Camera, High Sensitivity, Image Quality, Isos, Light Images, Light Performance, Lighting Conditions, Low Noise, Noise Levels, Optical Image, Shutter, Versatility, Wide Angle, Zoom Canon

categories Photography | admin | datetime August 21, 2010 11:58 pm | comments Comments (0)

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

Tags: Canon Powershot, Canon Powershot S90, Ccd Sensor, Dynamic Range, Finger Tip, Grandkids, High Res, High Sensitivity, Image Quality, Isos, Light Images, Light Performance, Lighting Conditions, Low Noise, Noise Levels, Optical Image, Viewfinder, Wedding Reception, Wide Angle, Zoom Canon

categories Photography | admin | datetime August 16, 2010 10:15 am | comments Comments (0)

Canon PowerShot SX120IS 10MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Images Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD

Canon PowerShot SX120IS 10MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Images Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD


51FVBjR2mxL. SL75 Canon PowerShot SX120IS 10MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Images Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD

– 10.0 Megapixels- 10x optical zoom with optical image stabilizer-3.0 LCD- DIGIC(R) 4 image processor-Smart auto intelligently selects the proper setting for the camera based on 22 predefined shooting situations-Easy mode takes the guess work out of the equation by determining the right shooting mode for the situation- Requires AA batteries

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Fantastic Camera for all Users
A wonderful camera, despite the user’s skill level.

Because of the size and weight, the portability isn’t exactly optimized, but it’s far better than carrying around a full size professional SLR.

Pictures are of amazing quality- don’t bother spending an extra $50-$75 for two more mega pixels! The zoom is wonderful- it’s a great camera. I’m very happy with it, and recently bought it to take it with me to a 5 week study abroad trip in London. It never let me down!

Another great feature is that the camera has a setting where the front display tells you how many pictures it has left on the memory card based on what setting you’re using.

IMAGE STABILIZATION is a life saver- especially for a traveller- and nearly guarantees a great picture every time. Easy to use camera- you turn it on and within seconds you know how to use it.

3 Stars Very pleased with picture quality – until it broke!
This camera produced some beautiful pictures for me…but then it broke after less than two weeks of heavy use. So it gets three stars.

Despite it’s early demise, this camera and I took about 600 pictures at different settings and got to know each other quite well.

Dislikes:

- Bulky and heavy. There is no way to comfortable carry this camera around and still have it readily available, unless you hang a case around your neck or on you belt. Compared to other digital cameras, this puppy is huge!

- No decent dynamic range compensation. If you’re background is very bright, don’t try to take pictures of dark subjects. Also, I found it impossible to take good pictures of people wearing baseball-style hats in bright sunlight, because the camera either the face was too shadowed to recognize or the highlights were completely blown out.

- In program mode, the camera always defaults back to the ‘center averaged’ exposure control setting, which sucked when taking high-contrast photos. Using ‘spot metering’ was the only way I could get acceptable shots of people and bright backgrounds.

- No zoom during video. I’ve owned other a-series before, and this has always been an annoyance. I was able to take some good video of a helicopter as it landed, but it took about six tries. Also, camera shake is pretty bad during the video without having some kind of object to stabalize your hand on.

- No wide angle lens. Really missed this during group shots.

- Durability. After less than a month of ownership, the camera simply froze. I couldn’t get the screen to turn on or the lens to retract. This is the second time a canon has done this to me, and the last time I will be buying one for the foreseeable future. To be fair, it did experience some hot and dusty conditions, but my Panasonic has been through similar conditions and three years later still works just fine.

Likes:

- At its best, this camera took pictures to rival a DSLR. Seriously, I took pictures alongside another person with a Canon Rebel, and our pictures came out very similar. We even switched cameras for a bit and the only real improvement I noticed was the almost instantaneous focusing speed of the rebel. Reviewing the images, I also noticed that the rebel produced a very nice background blur for portrait shots, while the background remained sharp for the A120IS. But at a $800 price difference, I was very happy with my camera. Also, its smaller size meant that I caught more spontaneous shots than her because I could carry my camera with me everywhere.

- AA batteries. I spent two weeks with no electricity and never had to worry. This camera ate a set of batteries every day and a half, but I brought about a million AA’s so it wasn’t a problem. It also accounts for most of the bulk of the camera, but it was worth it to be able to take as many pictures as I wanted.

- Fast. From sitting in my helmet on the ground, to taking a very nice picture of a fire truck speeding by was just a few seconds. I never missed a shot because the camera wasn’t fast enough.

- Long zoom. With the lens fully extended, this camera picked up on slightly more details than I could see with my naked eye. There was also no distortion at all.

- Decent low-light photography. This camera had a hard time with multiple fast-moving subjects under florescent lights, but that is very forgivable. Otherwise, it performed relatively well in dim lighting conditions.

Overall, I was very happy with this camera. For a very low price, it took some gorgeous pictures. It’s definitely fighting above it’s weight class. Yes, you make some trade offs, but if you’re looking for something cheap, AA battery powered that still takes good pictures, I would highly recommend this camera to you.

I would say this camera’s ideal use is as a back-up camera or as a vacation camera. Just don’t expect it to last.

5 Stars I LOVE THIS CAMERA!!!!!
I just received this yesterday. Was out yesterday and today testing it out. Replaced it with an old canon s400 which was great so I figured Canon was the way to go. The Zoom works great and the pictures in high resolution are lifelike. Can’t comment on battery life yet but I have taken a couple hundred pictures at least on the original batteries that came with camera. Went and bought the Sanyo Eneloop 4 Pack AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargable Batteries w/ Charger from amazon since battery life seemed to be lacking from previous reviews. All I can really say is this is the best camera I have ever used and I thank God that I was born at a time of such great technological advances.

3 Stars Doesn’t replace Powershot S2 IS
I purchased this PowerShoot SX120IS to replace my Powershot S2 IS, which functioned very well for me but started using batteries at a prodigious rate. The “upgrade” was less than satisfactory.

1) Shape & size: The shape and smaller size of the SX120 do not allow me to get a firm and comfortable grasp of the camera with my left hand.

2) Weight: I prefer the additional weight of the S2, suspecting that I had less camera shake.

3) Viewfinder: I have never had a camera until now without a viewfinder. I thought I could adjust to its lack in the SX120, but this is like waking up in the morning with my right arm missing. Well, perhaps a touch of hyperbole.

4) LCD monitor. The larger LCD monitor on the SX120 is fun, and makes messages easy to read. The monitor on the S2, however, could swing out and swivel up or down, making it ideal for shots in a crowd with the camera above the head or a horizontal shot in the wetlands at ground level.

5) Neck strap: The S2 had two eyelets for a neckstrap, which was ideal for the way I used the camera–hands free until I needed the camera, but the camara immediately accessible. The SX120 has only one eyelet for a small hand strap, requiring one hand to hold the camera, or requiring the camera to be tucked into a case.

6) User manual: I referred to the substantial user manual for the S2 often enough that I packed it in the camera case. The user manual for the SX120 is only online.

The functions for the two cameras are similar but not identical, and the ways of accessing them are sufficiently alike that the transition from the S2 to the SX120 was smooth. The Easy mode of the SX120 is a handy way for another family member to use the camera without giving detailed instructions.

I’ll get along with this camera, but for things that are important to me, this is a downgrade. I wish that I had researched this purchase more thoroughly.

5 Stars Canon PowerShot SX120IS 10MP Digital Camera
DEMASIADO BUENA LA CALIDAD DE LAS FOTOGRAF

Related Blogs

Tags: Aa Batteries, Canon Powershot, Demise, Digital Cameras, Dynamic Range, Great Camera, Image Processor, Image Stabilization, Image Stabilizer, Memory Card, Optical Image, Optical Images, Portability, Predefined, Puppy, Range C, Skill Level, Smart Auto, Three Stars, Zoom Canon

categories Photography | admin | datetime August 14, 2010 8:56 am | comments Comments (0)

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.

Buy/More Info

Tags: Camera Slr, Canon Powershot, Canon Powershot S90, Canon S90, Ccd Sensor, Dynamic Range, Excellent Equipment, High Sensitivity, Image Quality, Isos, Light Environment, Light Images, Light Performance, Lighting Conditions, Nikon Dslr, Noise Levels, Optical Image, Perfect Match, Snapshot Camera, Wide Angle

categories Photography | admin | datetime June 21, 2010 10:36 am | comments Comments (0)

WordPress Themes

Powered by Yahoo! Answers