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8.9 out of 10

Canon PowerShot S90

10.0 megapixels

Information found in: from 135 sources in 25 countries

Great Deal: $349.99

  • User Score (737)
    8.9 8.9 from 737 reviewers
  • Expert Score (40)
    8.2 8.2 from 40 reviewers
  • Design (5)
    8.5 8.5 from 5 reviewers
  • Value for money (26)
    7.6 7.6 from 26 reviewers
  • Features (29)
    9.2 9.2 from 29 reviewers
  • Ease of use (24)
    8.8 8.8 from 24 reviewers
  • Performance (28)
    8.5 8.5 from 28 reviewers
  • Picture quality (42)
    9.0 9.0 from 42 reviewers
  • Durability (6)
    8.0 8.0 from 6 reviewers
  • Reliability (3)
    9.7 9.7 from 3 reviewers
  • Overall quality (10)
    8.6 8.6 from 10 reviewers
  • Display (24)
    9.9 9.9 from 24 reviewers
  • Construction (2)
    10 10 from 2 reviewers
  • Video quality (3)
    8.3 8.3 from 3 reviewers
  • Ergonomics (24)
    6.7 6.7 from 24 reviewers
  • Build quality (2)
    8.8 8.8 from 2 reviewers
More grades Less grades

  • Score Distribution

Experts:
9-10
(13)
7-8
(25)
5-6
(2)
3-4
(0)
1-2
(0)
Users:
9-10
(464)
7-8
(165)
5-6
(40)
3-4
(30)
1-2
(11)

  • Expert Reviews

  1. DP Review

    DP Review
    7.5/10
    9 August 2011

    The S90 offers an appealing combination of compact styling, photographic functionality and powerful control. Crucially it also offers some of the best image quality we've seen in such a small camera for a long time, sensor... Read more

    • Excellent image quality, particularly at lower ISO settings, Well optimized JPEGs, Extensive photographic feature set, New Function Ring transforms use of manual controls on a small camera, Usable, fast raw mode with excel...

  2. Camera Labs

    Camera Labs
    8.8/10
    1 December 2009

    As such the S90 really ought to be one of the standout products in Canon’s current range, but has been somewhat overshadowed by the latest versions of popular series like the PowerShot G11. Read more

    • Pocketable body with great controls., 3.8x zoom with f2.0 aperture at 28mm., Great quality 3in / 460k screen., Full manual contro, RAW files and HDMI.
    • No HD movies or zooming when filming., Slow burst shooting – below 1fps at full res., Panasonic LX3 better-featured., M4/3 better for noise and shallow DOF.

  3. Digital Camera Review

    Digital Camera Review
    9.0/10
    20 November 2009

    I enjoyed taking pictures with the PowerShot S90. It takes excellent photos outdoors and very good pictures indoors as well. It has a high quality lens with minimal distortion. Read more

    • Compact size, Excellent build quality, Very good images, Fast lens
    • Not much optical zoom, No HD movie mode

  4. Digitaltrends

    Digitaltrends
    8.5/10
    19 August 2009

    This camera is white hot – forget about getting a good deal for months. Checking legit online retailers, we only found list price and higher! Now is $429 a deal for a point-and-shoot? Read more

    • Terrific low-light shooter; typical high-quality Canon photos; extensive photo adjustments via control dials; excellent LCD screen
    • Watch your fingers with pop-up flash; button placement takes getting used to; slow frame rate; no HD video; worse-than-average battery life

  5. Imaging Resource

    Imaging Resource
    16 January 2010

    Canon gets extremely close to the ideal pocket camera with the PowerShot S90, close enough that a great majority of users will be extremely happy with it. Read more

    • Very small body that is easily pocketable, Excellent, high-res, vibrant LCD, Fast f/2 lens at wide-angle, Optical image stabilization, Front Control ring is handy for some controls, Firm Mode dial, Shooting-priority design...
    • Rear Control dial turns freely, which causes inadvertent exposure changes, Front Control ring's function changes with the mode, Zoom control takes too long to respond, Flash is placed where fingers are usually in the way, ...

  6. What Digital Camera

    What Digital Camera
    9.0/10
    26 November 2009

    only add to its appeal, and though it's not perfect - and at times frustrating to use - it is capable of superb image quality. Had it been any dearer it would have found itself in the uncomfortable position of competing with... Read more

    • Compact proportions, fast lens, lens control ring, Raw mode, good quality LCD screen, overall image quality, fast start-up
    • Operation hampered by a few design issues, flash sometimes raised when not needed, some WB inaccuracies, mode dial stiff and slightly inaccessible

  7. neocamera.com

    review.neocamera.com
    8.0/10
    29 September 2011

    The Canon Powershot S90 is a unique ultra-compact to feature a full-range of manual controls including manual focusing, a bright stabilized wide-angle F2 lens and two control wheels for efficient controls. Read more

    • Better image noise than most ultra-compacts, Fast F2 wide-angle lens, Effective stabilization, Generally good lens sharpness, Low optical distortion at telephoto, Good automatic white-balance, Good color accuracy, Very eff...
    • Slightly below average speed of operation, Tendency to overexpose, Auto-focus not so fast, Focus misses more frequent than average, Slight edge softness and more corner softness, Noticeable distortion at wide-angle, Limite...

  8. PC World

    PC World
    9.0/10
    26 February 2010

    The Canon S90 takes great Read more

    • Extremely compact and lightweight, Excellent user interface, Outstanding image quality, RAW format support, Focus bracketing mode, Click ring around lens provides excellent control, Full manual controls
    • Lackluster battery performance, No high-definition movie recording, Control dial can accidentally change settings

  9. DigitalCameraInfo.com

    DigitalCameraInfo.com
    28 March 2010

    The Canon PowerShot S90 is a high-end point & shoot camera that takes great photos and provides great manual controls for serious shooters. The video it captures is lackluster, though. Read more

  10. Wired

    Wired
    26 March 2010

    Usually I’d spend a lot of time running down features and talking about performance before giving you the bottom line on Canon’s new pocketable camera. But I just can’t be coy about this one. Read more

    • Awesomely fast lens. Granular control over just about any aspect of your shots that you can think of. Slick control ring. Quick startup and shooting.
    • Slightly bulkier than the smallest pocket cams. Backside controls are a little cramped.

  • User Reviews

  1. Very pocketable

    Amazon
    8.0/10
    Reviewer: Brian Reistad, Amazon
    2 December 2011 See Product at Amazon ($399.95)

    I really enjoy using this camera as it has a good mix of image quality and pocketability. I can fit it in the front pocket of my jeans and take it with me when carrying a DLSR is not feasible. Read more or see product

  2. Canon PowerShot S90

    10/10
    Reviewer: NanPalmero, pcworld.com
    3 weeks ago

    The Canon S90 is finest point and shoot I've ever owned. I've shot with the Panasonic DMC-FX50 and the Canon SD790IS prior to this camera. Read more

    • Low light capability with an f/2.0 lens, full manual controls, well built, amazing photos, great screen, HDMI output
    • No HD video mode, the strap

  3. great camera

    J&R
    10/10
    Reviewer: Bean, J&R
    30 August 2010

    This is certainly the nicest compact digital camera I've ever owned...certainly a great tool if you're interested in improving as a photographer. Read more

    • Good Image Stabilization, Good in Low Light
    • Difficult to Use

  4. "Not Much Room for Improvement"

    CNET
    8.0/10
    Reviewer: desertratchel, CNET
    6 September 2011

    Handy when the SLR's too much to carry. Among the best images I've ever seen from a compact camera. Colors are accurate, contrast is just right, dynamic range is very good. Remarkably clean images up to ISO 800. Read more

    • Excellent image quality, Wide aperture, Full manual control, RAW image capture, Good in low light, Compact, Lens shift image stabilization, Lens ring, 3-inch LCD
    • Limited zoom, Can't zoom during filming, Low res movies

  5. Excellent for compact at low ISO.

    8.8/10
    Reviewer: keysmith, dpreview.com
    29 March 2011

    Excellent for compact at low ISO. I 've been using it for 5 months (i bought one second hand for 200€). I also have a Canon 500D 18-200IS. I ve ended up using more the S90 as I can always carry it with me. Read more

    • Excellent for compact at low ISO. I 've been using it for 5 months (i bought one second hand for 200€). I also have a Canon 500D 18-200IS. I ve ended up using more the S90 as I can always carry it with me. It is a good cam...
    • it droped when switched off from 1m. When switched on lens jammed (lens error). I paid 60€ plus shipping for repair (no spare part needed only fixing of original lens). Do NOT use flash on Auto. It will jump and scare some...

  6. Very nice little camera

    Newegg
    10/10
    Reviewer: Steve, Newegg
    26 August 2010

    I shoot with a Canon 7D normally. I'm not a pro, but a very experienced amateur. It's great to have a small camera that has controls I understand that I can just slip in my pocket anywhere I go. Read more

    • Shoots in RAW, small, decent image quality. A very good value for good quality. This is a "point and shoot", but it's quite advanced.
    • Don't expect miracles. It's a small sensor. High ISO (800 or higher) is quite noisy, but I've found the noise to be very controllable in post-processing (I use Nik Dfine 2.0).

  7. Satisfying

    Ebay
    10/10
    Reviewer: nguyenlol, Ebay
    2 weeks ago See Product at eBay ($349.99)

    Great camera for those who need something simple and powerful. I like that for such a small camera, it can indead give you the quality like those heavy professional camera. Read more or see product

  8. PhotoRadar

    PhotoRadar
    10/10
    Reviewer: PhotoRadar
    5 March 2010

    Gr8 camera, I like the Canon series.It give the images very clear. Special effects include lighter skin tone, darker skin tone, positive film, black & white, color accent, vivid green, vivid blue, color swap, vivid red, vivid... Read more

  9. Great shots, bad lens cover

    OneCall
    6.0/10
    Reviewer: Dorit, OneCall
    16 February 2010

    Image quality is fantastic. Took a long time to figure out how to activate the RAW settings - that should be much more straight forward. The lens cap malfunctioned from day 2, not closing or opening completely. Read more

    • Good Image Quality, Good Image Stabilization, Good in Low Light, Large Clear LCD, Nice Body Color, Small / Compact
    • Convoluted settings, Lens cover, Short Battery Life

  10. The Photographer's Point-and-Shoot Camera

    epinions.com
    10/10
    Reviewer: jzorns, epinions.com
    3 December 2009

    Why I bought this camera:I bought this camera because I'm a demanding amateur photographer who doesn Read more

    • Full manual control, wonderful analog control rings, RAW format, F/2.0 lens, compactness
    • Lens barrel protrudes a bit due to the front control ring.

  • WikiFreak Description

Canon PowerShot S90

The PowerShot S90 is a digital camera that combines the features of the PowerShot Digital ELPH line and the functionality from the PowerShot G-series. It features a High Sensitivity System sensor in addition to a 28 mm wide-angle f/2.0 lens to produce optimal images in low-light situations while the customizable control ring allows users to adjust shooting settings. The S90 is a 10.0-Megapixel High Sensitivity System with a 3.8x Optical Zoom and Optical Image Stabilization. The c…

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Canon PowerShot S90

The PowerShot S90 is a digital camera that combines the features of the PowerShot Digital ELPH line and the functionality from the PowerShot G-series. It features a High Sensitivity System sensor in addition to a 28 mm wide-angle f/2.0 lens to produce optimal images in low-light situations while the customizable control ring allows users to adjust shooting settings. The S90 is a 10.0-Megapixel High Sensitivity System with a 3.8x Optical Zoom and Optical Image Stabilization. The camera sports a 3.0-inch PureColor System LCD and full range of shooting and recording modes, including RAW + JPEG, which is useful when it comes to editing photos. Scheduled to be available in October, the PowerShot S90 Digital Camera retails for an estimated price of $429.99.

Features

The PowerShot S90 is a digital camera that features Optical Image Stabilization and DIGIC 4 Image Processor, the proprietary technology from Canon that supports signal processing speeds and image quality. The camera also features Smart AUTO technology that can track moving faces and 22 different shooting situations by identifying the surroundings and adjust settings to ensure proper lighting and focus, providing performance in any situation, from group snapshots, to landscapes, to portraits and more. Other features include the ability to shoot 720p High-Definition (HD) video, the PureColor System LCD and a touch screen user interface for navigation through images and menus. The 10.0-Megapixel High Sensitivity System in the S90 provides operation in low-light situations and reduce noise at high ISO speeds, while the High Sensitivity System which is combined with the DIGIC 4 image processor, results in a faster shutter speed to help reduce subject blur and camera shake in recorded images. The High Sensitivity System also allows users to utilize the camera in situations where the flash cannot be used, such as in a wedding or concert hall.

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  • Manufacturer's Description

Cutting-Edge Technology Yields to Old School Feel.Canon’s storied S Series gets a revitalized new leader in the slimmer, lighter, new PowerShot S90, the perfect everyday camera for people who are serious about great photography. Image quality is superb thanks to the new High Sensitivity System and higher ISO speeds, plus an exceptionally bright f/2.0 lens that makes portraits and low-light shots come to life. Photography enthusiasts will love the new control ring at t…

Ask the community

Need more advice? Ask the community a question.

Questions asked: 3 Answers: 2

Previous questions about this product

  • Replacement for Powershot SD990 IS?

    I need a point-and-shoot that will produce pix suitable for print use (300 dpi). I loved but lost my Canon Powershot 990IS and learned that Canon has discontinued it (and wondering why). Looking to replace this for under $400 and don't know whether to buy an S90, a used 990, one or something newer. What is comparable to the SD990, including movie capability? I'm seriously considering a Sony Cybershot DSCTX7 but it's very pricey. Thanks in advance for any advice.

    Answered by asdyee 2010-09-02:

    canon s90 is an awesome camera, read the reviews and see for yourself. You won't be

  • Canon Powershot s90 problem

    Hi, I've purchased the Canon Powershot S90 and the function dial turns but does not recognise the function selected, ie, I select the Manual function and it still tells me that I am in video mode. Any suggestions as it's driving me crazy Thanks

    Answered by Angella 2009-12-08:

    There is something wrong with your camera's button. Send it back to the store to have it

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