Posts Tagged ‘Image Stabilizer’
Canon EF 28 135mm f 3 5 5 6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
Equipped with an Image Stabilizer and high zoom ratio, the Canon EF 28-135mm standard zoom lens delivers sharp, natural-looking pictures virtually ever time. The lens is particularly handy for places where flashes are prohibited, as it excels in dim lighting without requiring a flash or a tripod. Other features include a ring-type USM for swift, silent autofocusing and full-time manual focusing; a close focusing distance of 20 inches; and a maximum aperture of f/3.5 to 5.6. The lens carries a one-year warranty.
- Focal length: 28-135mm
- Maximum aperture: 1:3.5-5.6
- Lens construction: 16 elements in 12 groups
- Diagonal angle of view: 75 to 18 degrees
- Focus adjustment: Rear focusing system with USM
- Closest focusing distance: 1.6 feet
- Zoom system: Rotating type
- Filter size: 72mm
- Dimensions: 3.1 inches in diameter, 3.8 inches long
- Weight: 18.9 ounces
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Canon 28-135mm IS f/3.5-5.6 great all around lens!
This lens is an excellent general use lens for either a digital crop (Rebel, 40D, 50D etc) or full frame camera (5D, 5D MKII) although its slightly less appealing on a crop camera as the zoom range isn’t quite as wide as on the full frame but still very respectable. In fact for a complete review of my thoughts on this great little performer check out the complete article [...]
1 Star Defective, no manual, all images blurred – incapable of focusing correctly
Either it was damaged in shipping, or I got a defective lens. For whatever reason, the picture quality on any photo taken on this lens (with every setting, stop, is on/off, tested) came out blurry, particularly on the left side. Photos taken with my old stock 18-55 lens were dramatically clearer. The zoom range was decent, but I’m disappointed. Sending this lens back. It didn’t even come with a manual. I was really looking forward to a lens upgrade.
—
Update -
I reordered the same lens from the same folks and, surprise, this one came in a real Canon lens box with manual and everything. Clearly the one I sent originally was not brand new. Be advised, if you don’t get a manual and a canon box, you’re getting sent something that someone else returned. That said, the new lens is beautiful. The shots are crisp and even using it for a few pictures, it’s pretty awesome and the best lens I have.
If I could, I’d change my rating from 1 star to 4. For the hassle I went through returning the bad lens, I have to take away a star.
5 Stars A good value walkaround lens
The Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 lens with Image Stabilization is a very capable, and more importantly, affordable lens,and is perfect for times when you just want to have one lens on the camera but you also want to have a lot of options with your focal range. While you get the benefits of a slight wide to telephoto range in one handy package, you do lose in light stops as you move through the focal range (the maximum aperture stops down as you move toward the telephoto end of the range). This is where the image stabilization comes in very handy, and allows you to keep hand shake at bay even when you have to compromise on shutter speed to get the correct exposure.
I’ve had no complaints about the optical quality, I think you’ll be pleased with the shots you get from it – the lens may be cheap but don’t confuse that with what the quality of image this lens can provide. Keep in mind on a camera with a cropped sensor (any Canon DSLR model other than the 5D and 1D models) the focal range is equivalent to @45-215mm – you lose a bit of the wide angle advantage, but you get more telephoto, so it depends which end of the focal range you value the most as to whether that is a disadvantage or not.
4 Stars Great Walk Around Lens
This is a great general purpose walk around lens, and the Image Stabilization is great when hand holding your camera for shooting. Sharp and Fast outdoors, but unfortunately the lens is not fast enough for most indoors photography (unless very well lit). I’ve usually got this lens on my camera when I’m outdoors and I need an all purpose walk around lens.
Pros:
Fast and Sharp
Image Stabilized
Great range of wide and telephoto lengths
Cons:
Poor low light performance
Gets soft in the outer ranges
4 Stars great lens – good all rounder
I actually got this lens to upgrade my original lens from the XTi set (which I was able to sell on Craigslist). It was a good upgrade, the zoom was better up to 135mm and the IS is good for picture taking. It is a versatile lens to use on a daily basis. Sometimes when I need to I use my 50mm prime for portraits but most of the time I have this on.
Plasticity body but does feel solid, would have liked it to have more metal on it for $400. There is zoom creep when pointing extemely up or down especially when filters and hood are on. (does not come with a hood – again for $400 really should be part of the package).
Main objective is the picture quality which is very good. Sharp and well saturated with good contrast. I also like the fine focus adjustment ring – nice.
I think this was a good upgrade for the XTi, I do like using it and think it is a fair price when considering other options. For an extra 1 star should come with a hood and have no zoom creep and perhaps a bit more metal in the outer construction. One of the better non L lens.
Canon EF 70 200mm f 4 L IS USM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
Capture the far-off action of fast-paced sports or zoom in for an intimate portrait with the Canon EF 70-200mm telephoto zoom lens. The L-series lens offers an Image Stabilizer that provides up to four stops of shake correction–a first for Canon IS lenses. The use of fluorite UD lens elements, meanwhile, produces an excellent optical performance in terms of resolution and contrast. Add in a sturdy housing with water- and dust-proof construction and you have a lens that’s both portable and high performing. Other details include an f/4 maximum aperture, a ring-type ultra-sonic monitor (USM) that enables quick and quiet autofocusing, compatibility with circular polarizing filters, and a lightweight body. The lens carries a one-year warranty.
- Focal length: 70-200mm
- Maximum aperture: f/4
- Lens construction: 20 elements in 15 groups
- Diagonal angle of view: 34 to 12 degrees (with full-frame cameras)
- Focus adjustment: AF with full-time manual focus
- Closest focusing distance: 3.94 feet
- Zoom system: 7-group helical zoom (72-degree rotational angle)
- Filter size: 67mm
- Dimensions: 3 inches in diameter, 6.8 inches long
- Weight: 26.8 ounces
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User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Essential
This lens provides image quality comparable to the best primes with image stabilization and the versatility of a zoom. That makes it a must have for a basic lens collection. I am shooting on a 1Ds III that tests every lens to the max and previously owned the non IS version of this lens. It was not as sharp as primes like the 135mm f.2 or the 85mm f1.8. My first priority is image quality so I basically stopped using the zoom and relied on the primes instead. The basic image quality of the new zoom is equal to any lens I have ever owned, even on a tripod with the IS off. The IS adds another dimension to its versatility, which is obviously a big advantage on a telephoto. I recently shot some wildlife at 200mm hand held and the image was as sharp as if the camera were on a tripod next to the animal. Now I use the primes only if the extra speed is needed to stop motion.
5 Stars Great color and contrast
Prior to purchasing the 70-200mm f/4 L IS I’ve had mixed results with telephoto lenses. This lens has shown me what a truly great telephoto can do for my hobby. The first thing I noticed was how bright the view finder was. My photos displayed great color and contrast when using this lens. Focus is incredibly sharp compared to my previous telephoto experiences. Even with the IS I prefer to use a monopod because I feel like the camera is moving with that lens hanging out front. Now I don’t know how I got along without my 70-200 f/4 L IS. A great addition to anyone’s bag for those who take their photography serious.
5 Stars Great lens
As everyone has already mentioned, this lens is truly great! Incredibly sharp even wide open at f4, and the IS works fantastically well.
Build quality is top class as you would expect, and using this lens is just pure joy.
If you can afford the IS version get it, otherwise the f4 non IS is a great alternative at almost half the price.
5 Stars Wonderful Lens
I recently traded in my long beloved 70-200mm f/4 L lens for the IS version after a recent hand surgery. I wrote an extensive review on the 70-200mm f/4 L for Amazon, and everything about that lens applies to this one plus more. I have to say that I am incredibly impressed with this lens. Not only is it just as sharp, contrasty, and light as the non-IS version, but the IS adds almost 4 stops of hand-holding ability! I was able to hand hold this lens and get sharp and clean images at 1/13 second shutter speed with the IS on!
My only gripe about this lens is that the IS is noisier than the IS on the Canon 100-400 or the Canon 24-105. When I first got it, I thought I had gotten a bad copy. It turns out after taking it to the shop, that the IS is just noisier than on the other IS lenses, and it seems to work perfectly except for a little more noise than I would like.
If I could give this lens 4.5/5 stars, I would do so, but I figure it’s worth rounding up just because the image quality is second to none.
If you need a lightweight telephoto lens that will produce excellent images consistently and also IS, then this is your lens.
5 Stars My favorite lens!
This is the best lens in my camera bag. Meaning: versitile, light, and excellent image quality. I upgraded from the non-IS version(which is a great lens as well) to the IS and love it! I highly recommend this lens. For those who don’t shoot birds or racing or in low light stadiums, this lens is all you need. I contemplated the 2.8, but decided for the much lighter weight of the f/4. I can consistently get three more stops with the IS. No complaints whatsoever.Bottomline: Canon L-series+image stabilization=HEAVEN Get this lens.
Canon DC410 DVD Camcorder with 41x Optical Zoom
Introducing the new Canon DC410 DVD camcorder that
makes every video you shoot great. With the new
Canon DC410 DVD camcorder, its easy to capture the
extraordinary events of your life on DVD and show it on
your home theater. A 2.7-inch widescreen LCD and
simple-to-operate controls let you frame the action from
just the right angle. Stellar features like Canons 41x
Advanced Zoom for heart-pounding close-ups, DIGIC
DV II Image Processor for brillant picture quality and
true 16:9 widescreen recording will keep your audience
on the edge of their seats. Quick Start conserves
battery power between shots and makes sure youre
ready for another take in less than a second. Plus,
when youre shooting, Canons Image Stabilizer keeps
every shot on an even keel. Stylishly compact, the
Canon DC410 even has an SDHC memory card slot for
photos. Get the quality and performance youre looking
for with the Canon DC410.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Canon DC410 camcorder
Not sure what the other reviewer is talking about, but I have this camera and it definitely comes with a USB port and cable. It is very easy to use and takes great pictures.
1 Star Bad product design DC 410
Cannon’s DC 410 is a bad product by design. No USB connectivity and very difficult to use. I bought it to replace my Sony DCR 550. No match to the
Sony, esp which has USB, touch screen and extremely easy to use.
Guess what? I returned DC 410 and got a Sony DCR 650. I am not sure if
the Cannon product designers and marketing was thinking to put this product in the market. I shall probably not buy a Cannon camcorder ever and would
recommend you to not even consider DC 410 while shopping a camcorder.
4 Stars It does what we want it to do.
We bought this camcorder to document the lives of our children. So far we’ve had no trouble. It takes a reasonably clear video and we really like the zoom. I’ve been a fan of Canon since my old AE-1 in high school so we knew we weren’t going to be disappointed. I read the other reviews and wanted to make a clarification: This camcorder (DC410) does NOT have a USB connection to the computer. There’s a jack for a microphone and for AV out. The av out can go to a TV or to a computer if you have the right setup but will not connect to the average computer. This didn’t really bother me since I never planned on storing terabytes of video on the laptop!
The DC410 is very easy to use if you spend a little time reading the instructions. You might want to get an extra battery, I was lucky since it uses the same one as my digital camera (Rebel XTi).
2 Stars It falls short of my expectations
This camera has many flaws that are important to understand before buying. First is a limitation of the DVD in recording length. 30 min is the default with 60 minutes max at the sacrifice of video quality.
Consider that Mini-DV tapes will support 60 min at highest quality.
These 3 inch DVD disks are difficult to handle under perfect conditions. I wanted to use this camera for outdoors events but it would be too easy to get fingerprints on the recording surface to take chances without clean hands and dry conditions. The disks are small and have to be forced onto the spindle without touching the recording surface.
Another limitation is that the least expensive DVD disks are DVD-R write once only which makes it impossible to edit what you shoot. They can’t be erased. Scenes deleted so be sure you don’t record anything with them you might regret later. It supports DVD-RW Write Many format also but considering how easy it is to mess up the recording surface don’t expect them to last forever.
The greatest problem with this device is that the DVD drive is limited to only three brands of disks. This makes the DVD recorder not very well supported for using with the video.
The DVD drive does not support all DVD formats available. THIS IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW: YOU MUST USE ONLY DVD-R, DVD-R DL, or DVD-RW FORMATS. Notice it is a MINUS – not a plus +. (Amazon.com bundles this with a 3 pack of DVD+RW disks which are not ever going to work with this camera so don’t include it like I did.)
To make matters worse you cannot just use any 3 inch DVD-R disks. The camera claims to only support 1-layer Hitachi-Maxwell HG series disks or 2 layer Canon DVD-R DL54 and Verbatim DVD-R DL disks. (Not Sony, which is the brand Amazon.com recommends.)
If you decide to risk it and use an unsupported disk, every time the camera is turned on you will get a dire warning that using this disk is not supported and you run the risk of damaging the camera or end up with poor/no video. I could only find Maxell DVD-R DS and TDK-RW at Rite-Aid. Both will work with the camera but the warnings are enough to make me believe I should try to buy disks it won’t complain about. It is very annoying that it doesn’t support both – and + formats like most dvd recorders to start with. I would suggest that if you want a DVD camcorder, look for one that can use both +/- if possible and supports all manufacturers disks.
The camera also lacks a firewire port so you can’t use it with a computer to capture the video stream. The model 410 has an AV port and microphone jack. It does not have a USB port. The model 420 USB doesn’t support the video just the photo feature and takes the place of the microphone jack.
The last disappointment with this camera is the image stabilization feature is awful. The video becomes so shaky that people will think you have been drinking or you are filming an earthquake. Even on a stable tripod the video was not stable even if focused on inanimate objects.
All the reasons I wanted to get this camera are total disappointments for me. I wish I would have chosen a different camera with better DVD support or one that records to flash memory, and probably not from Canon.
P.S NO software with the camera for editing the video or the photos!
Canon EF S 17 85mm f 4 5 6 Image Stabilized USM SLR Lens for EOS Digital SLRs
Canon EF-S 17-85MM f4-5.6 IS USM Lens is possibly the best single lens to own with your Canon Digital Rebel SLR Camera. Equivalent to a 28-135mm lens, this new EF-S lens brings true wide-angle to tele coverage to EOS 20D, 30D, 40D and Digital Rebel shooters. It has Canon’s Image Stabilization system, allowing safe hand-holding at speeds up to three stops slower than otherwise possible. And of course, it’s optically optimized for digital SLRs. A ring-type USM means both fast and silent AF, as well as full-time manual focus when in the AF mode. Circular aperture design — natural highlights, even stopped down two stops Non-rotating front element; lens length does not change during zooming EF-S lens mount — exclusively for EOS 20D and Digital Rebel bodies Filter Size – 67mm Maximum Diameter x Length, Weight – 3.1 x 3.6, 16.8 ounces Only compatible with the 40D, 30D, 20D
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Great Lens !
This lens is a great lens not only because it is extremely versatile in its range going from a wide angle to a telephoto but also because I found the quality of the pictures that I got from it to be excellent.The Image Stabilizer is a good tool to have in situations where there is not a lot of light.You can drop your shutter speed down,have enough light for a good exposure, and not have an out of focus picture. I would highly recommend this lens. I have a 70-200 L series Canon lens that I am very happy with because of it’s high optic quality, but I have no problem at all, and all the confidence in the world using this “S” series lens in any situation that I feel to be appropriate at the time.
1 Star After 40 Years In Photography: My First Canon Failure
As a professional photographer and decades-long Canon camera and Canon lens consumer/enthusiast, this over-priced boondoggle fails on many counts.
My specialties include producing the Driving & Discovering Hawaii photo guidebooks that contain lots of landscapes and seascapes. There is lens barreling at the wider angles that is so bad I thought something was wrong with my particular lens, but come to find out, they’re all like this.
At wide angle settings you can forget about having a straight/level horizon, and the wider the setting the more preposterous this aberration becomes. Worst of all, this is a CANON lens, and a high-priced one at that, so it amazes me that this company would actually produce a lens of such abysmal quality.
In the old 35mm SLR days, photo magazines would scream blue-bloody murder if they uncovered problems like these in lenses of that period. Cheap, off-brand lenses of the day were vilified for problems not as bad as what we now have here in this present day Canon “premium-class” lens.
Also a big problem at wide angle is STRONG green/magenta fringing along the edges of objects, even at 24mm, which worsens as you go wider. There is a software “fix” for this fringing, but it should not even be present to begin with. To have to use software to fix an aberration in an expensive piece of equipment from a top-rated company is insulting the consumer, and should be a major embarrassment for Canon…but the folks at Canon seem unfazed.
I purchased this lens to give me an all-around tool for shooting many different kinds of travel-related photos, but it fails miserably for me and my particular needs, as I use wide angle for 75% of my shots.
ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS since this review was written: While in the middle of shooting a wedding with this nightmare lens, my Canon xti froze up and flashed me an Error 99 message. Via forums, I found that an error 99 usually signals a problem with the gold contacts in the lens, and I cleaned them diligently, but the problem persists. I also use a Canon EFS 70-300 mm and a Canon macro EFS 60mm, and the xti works fine with both of them.
Do as much research online as you can before considering purchasing this lens.
3 Stars Good features, not so great performance
This is a good lens, but not great. The construction and build quality are solid, and the lens feels heavy and sturdy. It has a useful range of 17-85 as well as IS and USM which makes for ideal “walkaround” lens. However, it is not very fast (4-5.6) which limits indoor, lowlight usage. IS certainly effective and useful and will help for lowlight photography, but not for stopping action.
Ultimately though, a lens is only as good as the photos it produces. Unfortunately, this lens (or perhaps my copy of it?) disappoints in that area. Comparing shots, the kit 17-55mm IS lens actually took sharper photos than this! I still have this lens with me, but more often than not I have been disappointed with the sharpness, especially in my landscape shots (even at higher f/8-10). Barrel distortion is also fairly obvious, even to the untrained eye. Buildings, towers and other tall structures will look concaved. This is less prevalent for smaller, shorter objects, but nonetheless there. Vignetting is not present in most cases, though it can creep in at the wide end with the addition of a polarizing filter.
3 Stars Not a bad lens but there are probably better buys out there
This lens was one of the first lenses I bought and, more than anything, has taught me the value of extensively researching any lenses I buy. I bought this lens because it was a Canon and not because it was a great lens. If I had the opportunity to buy this again, I would definitely consider a different lens.
The good:
- This lens has a fairly respectable range (17-85mm)
- The construction feels solid
- USM is nice
- IS helps
The bad:
- The lens isn’t particularly sharp. I usually use this lens for every day shots or when I can only bring one lens with me and I am indoors. Other than that, I use other lenses even when they are less convenient due to their range because of their sharpness.
- There is no zoom lock. When moving the camera in between shots, the zoom frequently changes. Other lenses in this price range have the ability to lock the zoom at least to some extent.
- The IS isn’t enough to compensate for the f/5.6 at 85mm. It helps, but I would much rather have a faster lens.
I’ve borrowed a Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR DI-II LD Aspherical from time to time and, while it has less range, it is sharper and faster. If you don’t need the whole range of this lens, I’d definitely consider the Tamron.
3 Stars Mechanical problems with 17-85mm
The lens was bought in July, 2008. I have used the lens as my primary lens since I got it. Overall I’m more than pleased with the picture quality that the lens provides. This review however is about construction quality.
On a family mountain hiking trip I shot some pictures to document our successful hike. I used the zoom as normal and shot the pictures I wanted. When the kids had been refueled we started to run down the hiking path with the camera securely placed in my backpack. Naturally the decline was of the bumpy sort, but still I was quite disturbed when (at night) the zoom was no longer working. It was fixed on 17 mm and did not move.
If I had put my lens through some serious direct blows I could have understood why the zoom didn’t work anymore. But laying still in my backpack and suddenly malfunctioning is not good.
Unfortunately I bought it at Amazon and not in my home country, Norway. Having bought it in Norway the repair wouldn’t have cost me a dime. Now, 14 months after purchase I have to pay the equivalent of $180.
If the construction quality of my lens represents the general construction quality of the 17-85mm IS lens, I would NOT recommend bying it.
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 the base of the lens barrel, designed for intuitive, pro-style manual control. A Wide-angle 3.8x Optical Zoom (equivalent to 28 – 105mm) with Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer Full range of shooting and recording modes including RAW + JPEG for the ultimate creative control Large 3.0-inch PureColor System LCD for even greater true-to-life color reproduction Effective Pixels – Approx. 10.0 Megapixels Type – 1/1.7-inch type Charge Coupled Device (CCD) Lens – Canon 3.8x optical zoom Lens Focal Length – 6.0 (W)-22.5mm (T) f/2.0-4.9 (35mm equivalent – 28-105mm) LCD Monitor – 3.0-inch TFT color with wide viewing angle Shutter Speed – 15-1/1600 sec. ISO Sensitivity – Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600/3200 Exposure Control Method – Program AE, i-Contrast, Manual; AE Lock, Program Shift, Safety Shift, Auto ISO Shift White Balance Control – Auto, Preset (Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash, Underwater), Custom Built-in Flash – Auto, Auto w/ Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On w/ Red-eye Reduction, Flash Off; FE lock, Safety FE, Slow Synchro Shooting Modes – Auto, P, Av, Tv, M, C, Portrait, Landscape, Special Scene, Night Snapshot, Stitch Assist, Low Light, Movie Storage Media – SD/SDHC Memory Card, MultiMediaCard, MMCplus Card, HC MMCplus Card File Format – Still Image – Exif 2.2 (JPEG); Movie – MOV (Image – H.264; Audio – Linear PCM (Stereo)) Still Image – Up to 3,648 x 2,736 (Large); Movie – VGA 640 x 480 Dimensions (WxH
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars New King of Compacts
I bought this camera on 10/9, which is the first day it was available here in Kansas City. I have already taken a couple hundred shots with it comparing images side by side with my G10 at various settings. This review is of my initial impression based on the short time that I have had it. I was anxiously awaiting the release of this camera. I own a Nikon D90 DSLR, but there are many times when I prefer to just take a compact. In the past the Canon G10 has served that purpose, but the S90 boasts improved low-light performance and smaller size.
The first thing I wanted to test was image quality and noise at high ISO settings. Most photography hobbyists and pros know that low light performance is the number one factor influencing camera and lens prices. This is the main reason an f/2.8 zoom lens costs 3-5 times as much as an f/3.5-5.6 zoom. The S90 performs superbly in this regard. RAW images from the S90 set at ISO 800 were equal to or better than RAW images from the G10 set at ISO400. Both luminance and chrominance noise were lower in the S90 images. This represents a 1 stop improvement, which is what I was hoping for. These comparisons were made with all noise reduction disabled in camera and in the DPP software. I tested all other ISOs and found the S90 to be better at all ISO settings above 100 and the 2 cameras demonstrated equal IQ at the base ISOs of 80 and 100.
Canon also boasts about the S90 having a faster f/2.0 lens compared to the f/2.8 on the G10, but this part of the camera did not impress me. The lens only has the 1 stop advantage at the absolute widest setting and the max aperture closes down fast from there. The G10/G11 lens is faster at the telephoto end and the difference is negligible at all zoom settings in between. Both lenses are equally sharp throughout their zoom ranges.
The ergonomics of the camera will take me a while to get used to. I was looking for a smaller camera and the S90 definitely fits the bill. But now that I am using it, I wonder if it might be too small. I hope that it will become more comfortable in my hands as I get used to it. On the G10, I could operate all of the controls on the right-rear of the camera with the thumb of the hand holding the camera. With the S90 there are fewer controls that I can operate one-handed and at times I feel like I might drop this camera, because I just can’t get a good grip on it. Other ergonomic concerns are that the rear control ring turns too easily and I have found myself unintentionally adjusting settings because of this, which was never a problem on the G10. I think I might miss the external ISO and Exposure Compensation dials on the G10, but I have set the front control ring to adjust the ISO setting and I would honestly need to use it more before I say the controls are not easy to access; again this should improve with more use. None of the concerns I have about the size and controls on the camera would dissuade me from the purchase; the trade-off is worth it for the smaller carrying size and improved performance.
The camera ships with a newer version (3.7) of Canon’s Digital Photo Professional software. There is not much difference compared to older versions, but there is one nice improvement: the lens aberration section is enabled for images taken with the S90. This allows for correction of vignetting, CA and distortion. I do not understand why the same controls are not available for RAW files taken with the G10. There is still no straighten function in the software, which is a disappointment. Another disappointing factor about the software is that Canon has not yet released a new RAW Codec; the current version (1.5) does not support the S90 or G11. This allows raw files to be viewed in Windows and for thumbnail images to be created in Windows explorer. I am sure they are working on an update, but I wish they had this ready by the time the camera was released.
I went step-by-step through the menus and features of both cameras during my comparison and most functions are very similar. The S90 has fewer AF options and no remote control, but I do not think I will miss either of these.
I considered giving this camera only 4 stars because of the couple of hits I mentioned above, but then decided that would not be fair. The title of “Best Compact” has been debated feverishly on the web, with most votes going to the G10 and LX3. But now, I think Canon’s new release of both the S90 and G11 will put a quick end to these debates. There is no question in my mind that this pair sits above all competitors. Therefore a five star rating is the only logical choice. I highly recommend this camera.
5 Stars A Compact Camera Suited for Serious Photographers
My first impressions of the Canon S90 Compact Camera are quite good although I do have some nits:
Some functions should be easier to set. For example, Canon requires you to go into the menus to format the SD card. I would prefer to do that with buttons like I can on a DSLR. I also was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t set more functions in my custom menu (only five custom items can be set at one time.) It’s really easy to smudge the LCD because it takes up almost the entire camera back. And the manual setting of aperture is backwards. Canon set it to turn like you are looking at the camera, but it needs to be reversed because you are setting it from the back of the camera. It’s counter intuitive–and there’s no way to change the dial rotation to match what comes intuitively.
Post processing tests show that the S90 shots easy to manipulate photos. The biggest drawback are with marginal photos (extremely under exposed, for example.) I can bring back mistakes like that in poorly executed shots taken with my DSLR. With the S90, however, the photos blow out and become surrealistic looking when I try to recover them. But in fairness, we are talking about shots that should be greeted by the delete key anyway.
I shot some low light photos at ISO 2000 and 3200. Ridiculously high settings for a digital camera. And I must say that this camera handles noise extremely well. Sure, noise is there at high ISO settings. If you look closely enough you will see it, but it’s not objectionable. The image quality and detail is quite good. Focusing, even in low light, is fast and spot on the mark. There is almost no delay from the time I press the shutter button to the time the camera takes the photo. The camera does well in write speed to the SD card as well. Plus, I love being able to manually set aperture and shutter speed without using menus. That’s a terrific feature! And I haven’t yet missed having an optical viewfinder.
The S90 is a well designed, solid camera. The build quality is excellent. It’s small, but easy to handle. It has features that aren’t even on my DSLR and is quite capable. All-in-all, a very good camera and well worth the money.
5 Stars Keeper
Yes. Its a keeper. Easy to use, portable, some nice features, low light performance is amazing (tested ISO 400 and 800 mostly). Zoom is abit on a short side, but thats understandable. Love the front and rear rings and custom button. Waited a few years for this to come out. LX3 is also a great camera but zoom range and size killed it for me.
5 Stars Keeper
Yes. Its a keeper. Easy to use, portable, some nice features, low light performance is amazing (tested ISO 400 and 800 mostly). Zoom is abit on a short side, but thats understandable. Love the front and rear rings and custom button. Waited a few years for this to come out. LX3 is also a great camera but zoom range and size killed it for me.
5 Stars walk around photography
Took this out with my girls for an afternoon at the park yesterday. The ability to carry this in your pocket so easily is soooooo awesome. The quality I’m seeing so far has been great. Haven’t read the manual yet, and haven’t come close to denting what this camera seems able to do. It won’t replace my DSLR, nor did I intend for it to, but having caught the photo bug, this is an awesome tool to be able to carry with you wherever you are so you won’t be caught saying, “man I wish I had my camera with me”.
This camera is not for those who want an all in one. It takes video, but not HD. There are cheaper cameras that can take nice shots. If you want the ability to shoot RAW though, and really enjoy still photography, and never want to be caught without your camera….buy this. By the time I’ve actually played with this enough to know what all it can do, my 5 stars will be 5 stars with emphasis.
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