As the kids keep growing up and we are always taking pictures of them on the big main cameras – I have been looking for a small pocket camera so I don’t have to lumber the 5D about. The trouble as a photographer we still want full control and usually the small compact digital cameras have so many pre-programmed settings and no manual settings that it is trying to second guess what you want. So after a lot of research I have plumped for the Canon S90.
What I love about this camera is that it is a true compact and will fit nicely into my jean pockets. It has a great feel of quality with its metal casing.
The S90 features an intuitive lens Control Ring, which enables users to adjust the settings of various functions by twisting the selector at the base of the lens barrel to the left or right. The Control Ring can be used for a number of things from setting ISO to using as a manual zoom offering a closer view of subjects in 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm and 105mm steps. This is a cool feature and makes the camera a real breeze to use.
Without getting too geeky a number of features worth noting are Canon’s enhanced DIGIC 4 image processor.This is the same processor in the G11 which I didn’t go for because it was just too bulky. This is particularly useful in low-light photography, where users are able to shoot high quality full resolution images even at ISO 3200. This camera gives me full control over Shutter / Aperture / ISO and also shoots in RAW so I have as much control on the S90 as I do on my 5D DSLR.
Also a big help is it has an aperture of f2.0 which lets in twice was much light as the f2.8 found on the G11. There are a whole load of other stuff which if you are interested in then checkout Canon’s website
The thing is that you can read reviews and research as much as you like but it isn’t until you use it in action that you get to know if the camera is half decent. Well I went to help clear out an old garage the other day so took the camera with me and some of the images can be found below. I have to say it was great to use – so simple and intuitive which meant you could concentrate on taking the picture rather than working out which setting to use. This is what photography should be about. You become so comfortable with your equipment that you just capture what is around you.
There is a final feature of the camera which is the capability of video. It isn’t HD which is a bit of a draw back but for little hand held videos it should be OK. I am going to try some videos next week so come back and take a look and tell me what you think.
Take a look at some more images taken on the day
