Comments on: The Lightweight Photographer:Canon Powershot S90 Real World Camera Review

By: Alan Haynes / PhotoCitizen

Alan Haynes / PhotoCitizen — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:08:25 +0000

Hi Natalie,

I imagine there will come a day when image quality of compact cameras is as good as a DSLR – but that day has not yet arrived. I’ve reviewed a lot of small cameras and none of them can beat even my 3-year old Nikon D300. Still, the allure of a lightweight camera keeps me looking.

Alan

By: Natalie Washbrook

Natalie Washbrook — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 22:22:28 +0000

Hi Alan, I thought I would add to this review of the Canon S90 after purchasing one at the end of Dec 2010. I’ve been using it now for the past 3 months and have really made up my mind that it is not as good as I had first deemed. I find some of the images I have taken are too soft and lose the sharpness I need in my photos. Also I had a go at speed shooting the other day and was so dissappointed. I barely got a shot every 2-3 seconds. I was hoping that this camera would be a good starting point for me to get into more serious photography before shelling out a small fortune on a DSLR, but to be honest I wish I had saved my money and bought a low/mid range DSLR. Think I will be quickly passing this one on.

By: Alan Haynes / PhotoCitizen

Alan Haynes / PhotoCitizen — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 02:11:43 +0000

Hi Alan, I was briefly able to get my hands on a Nikon Coolpix P7000 and was quite impressed: optical viewfinder, iTTL flash compatibility and about the size of a Canon G11/G12. I'm looking forward to getting enough time with the P7000 to do a full review. If you're serious about photography, you need a DSLR. A compact is a good choice for non-photographers or as a second camera for a pro, but so far, none of them can touch a good SLR. The Nikon D300s or D700 are good mid-priced (relatively speaking) SLR's suitable for a pro or serious amateur. At the lower end of the scale, the Nikon 3100 seems like a good camera, but one you'll outgrow more quickly than the others. Good luck, Alan

By: Alan V

Alan V — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 04:27:27 +0000

Hi Alan,
What an excellent review! I’ve read many and this correlates with my impressions of this camera. I have been heavily considering an upgrade to my point-and-shoot (PAS) Nikon S710 and was wondering about the next level of “luxury” line models. I’m still on the edge of the top of the line PAS style (like Canon G12 and Nikon P7000) and leaning more towards the land of DSLR. I feel like the usable ISO levels on PAS are still leaving more to be desired. I just wish camera makers would make something as speedy and clear in a smaller package.
-Alan V

By: Alan Haynes / PhotoCitizen

Alan Haynes / PhotoCitizen — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 12:54:31 +0000

Hi Anthony,

Certain DSLR lenses do exhibit color aberrations such as purple fringing. However, most of my Nikon lenses do not have this problem. With a fixed-lens camera like the Canon S90, you don’t have the option to use a better lens. For that reason, I’d still have to reject the S90.

Thanks for your thoughts,

Alan

By: Anthony

Anthony — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:09:18 +0000

well… Alan, if you test this way, even some of the most expensive nikon, canon dslr lenses will show you the same or even more color fringing… I know this because I have tried. Tree branches against the bright sky will almost always result in more or less color fringing when 100% zoomed in. The other thing is, some more expensive dslr cameras correct for those lens abberations inside the camera… I wouldn’t think it’s as serious problem with S90 as you have presented in your review, but anyway, thank you for your thoughts and tests, it was quite useful. Cheers

By: Alan Haynes / PhotoCitizen

Alan Haynes / PhotoCitizen — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 00:54:34 +0000

Hi Chris,

I have not tested the Canon S95. Keep in mind that I’m apparently a bit pickier about image quality than most people. I say that because a LOT of people loved the S90 even though, in my opinion, image quality was not up to par.

So, I’d advise you to buy the S95 from a reputable store with a good return policy. B&H photo is top-notch and here’s a link to the S95 on their site where you’ll find many users who say they love this camera too.

From the testing I’ve done on cameras, I’ve found that reviews by other people are just not enough: you have to get your hands on the camera and go shooting with it.

If you do get the S95, I’d love to hear about your experiences with it.

Alan

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 07:04:07 +0000

How about the new Canon S95? Have you tested it or seen results that this newer model has fixed this problem?

By: Olympus PEN E-P1 Real World Camera Review — photocitizen

Olympus PEN E-P1 Real World Camera Review — photocitizen — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 02:33:57 +0000

[...] Canon Powershot S90 Real World Camera Review [...]

By: Alan Haynes / PhotoCitizen

Alan Haynes / PhotoCitizen — Tue, 25 May 2010 17:00:24 +0000

Dan,

Thanks again for your comments about raw processing and purple fringing. I’ve experimented with different raw processors and updated the article to show the results. My conclusion has not changed: the Canon S90 has a big problem with purple fringing.

Alan