Travel Photography - Canon S90 - Opinions?

From what I've read this looks really nice. I've been a Canon guy for years now with the P&S models and have been looking to upgrade to a more semi-pro model. I can't get over the heft of a SLR, so this seems to be a nice compromise. Thoughts?

You might want to look at this thread

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-photography/911879-best-pocket-camera.html

in particular from post 43 onward where one of the posters tells of their experience with the S90

More compact than the LX3, better zoom range, very good low light performance thanks to the bright lens and surprisingly good ISO performance even at 800, excellent image stabilization, excellent and easy to use controls (you don't have to wade through layers of menus to change a setting), priced well. Only small gripe is moderate battery life...i've been averaging probably around low 200 shots per charge but it depends on how much I've been chimping.

Do you have any specific inquiries?

Sounds really appealing. Thank sfor the response Smahatma and the link to the other thread which I hadn't seen before. I think it'll be a perfect camera for me based on these points. Ive been happy with the SD series before but definitely wanted an upgrade that has some better features and ability to shoot in RAW mode natively (without using the hacked firmware). This seems to check off all the boxes.

I was considering the S90 when it was first announced. But I soured on it when I found out it comes with a pop-up flash. I'm not one that likes that feature even though it is better to have it that way. I have the SX200IS and I keep putting my hand on top of the flash all the time.

I picked up an S90 in Akihabara last week and have to say I'm thrilled with it. I usually lug a DSLR around with me but wanted a compact for business trips. The low light capability means that I haven't had to use the flash yet - it has coped wonderfully with snaps in a sushi bar and produced atmospheric cityscapes.

I picked up an S90 in Akihabara last week and have to say I'm thrilled with it. I usually lug a DSLR around with me but wanted a compact for business trips. The low light capability means that I haven't had to use the flash yet - it has coped wonderfully with snaps in a sushi bar and produced atmospheric cityscapes.

I am struggling with the low light capability of my S90. What mode are you using? I have used P for the most part and get very slow shutter speeds.

Granted, I usually shoot low light manual with a D700 and the 2/8 80-200 lens and certainly don't expect anything close to the same quality.

I am struggling with the low light capability of my S90. What mode are you using? I have used P for the most part and get very slow shutter speeds.

Granted, I usually shoot low light manual with a D700 and the 2/8 80-200 lens and certainly don't expect anything close to the same quality.

Apologies for the delay, only just spotted your question!

I use P or A but I wind the ISO speed up if I can't find anywhere to rest the camera. The lens at f2 is acceptable but a little soft if you zoom in.

Apologies for the delay, only just spotted your question!

I use P or A but I wind the ISO speed up if I can't find anywhere to rest the camera. The lens at f2 is acceptable but a little soft if you zoom in.

Thanks. I have switched to manual and seem to be doing better. The noise at 800 or above is substantial, however.

All the compact's ISO 800+ will result in a lot of noise/grains due to the small sensor. The GF1, micro43, are a new crop of semi-compact that result in great colors and low noises.

The S90 has the sensor out of the G11 which is bigger than most compacts.

The S90 has the sensor out of the G11 which is bigger than most compacts.

The G11/S90 sensor is 1/1.7" which is the same as some other compacts (but bigger than the standard 1/2.5"), and 1/5 the area of a 4/3 camera
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_sensor_format#Compact_digital_camera_formats

The G11/S90 sensor is 1/1.7" which is the same as some other compacts (but bigger than the standard 1/2.5"), and 1/5 the area of a 4/3 camera
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_sensor_format#Compact_digital_camera_formats

Thanks - interesting information. This is my first compact in about 6 years and I am just getting used to the limitations compared to a full frame DSLR (not a fair comparison, I know). The pocket size is a major plus when I don't want to carry a DSLR, but I think I will stick to day light shots for the S90.

OTOH, I should have plenty of shots to try out the (vastly?) improved noise reduction feature in LR3.

I am struggling with the low light capability of my S90. What mode are you using? I have used P for the most part and get very slow shutter speeds.

Granted, I usually shoot low light manual with a D700 and the 2/8 80-200 lens and certainly don't expect anything close to the same quality.

There's a low light setting on the top dial (it uses a candle icon). Works fine for me when i'm food blogging flashless...

There's a low light setting on the top dial (it uses a candle icon). Works fine for me when i'm food blogging flashless...

Forgot about that. Will give it a try. Any idea what the low light setting actually does?

Forgot about that. Will give it a try. Any idea what the low light setting actually does?
Would not recommend it. The low light setting jacks up the shutter speed and the ISO (up to a max of 12800) and decreases the image size to compensate (medium size, 2.5 MP equivalent). For reference, in standard modes the ISO selection tops at 3200. The low light mode is more of a last resort if you really need to capture moving subjects in very very low light. Expect ISO noise. Lots of it.

I so wanted to like this camera, till I got to the battery part.
I've kinda had my fill of specialty Li-on Batteries, stinks when you're somewhere and forget the charger or spare, plus the added expense and storage of additional charger\batteries

though I am in the market(sorta) for a replacement to my A710is

Would not recommend it. The low light setting jacks up the shutter speed and the ISO (up to a max of 12800) and decreases the image size to compensate (medium size, 2.5 MP equivalent). For reference, in standard modes the ISO selection tops at 3200. The low light mode is more of a last resort if you really need to capture moving subjects in very very low light. Expect ISO noise. Lots of it.

I see. Just a gimmick.

Has anyone had problems downloading images to LR2 on a Mac? I did this on my iMac at home and it worked fine. I am traveling and just tried the same on my laptop and it ran through the download quickly and reported that the images were not convertible to dng or were corrupted. I shot RAW, BTW.

Would not recommend it. The low light setting jacks up the shutter speed and the ISO (up to a max of 12800) and decreases the image size to compensate (medium size, 2.5 MP equivalent). For reference, in standard modes the ISO selection tops at 3200. The low light mode is more of a last resort if you really need to capture moving subjects in very very low light. Expect ISO noise. Lots of it.

So, is the S90 that capable in low-light situations?

Just wondering as I'm another person considering a replacement for my P&S.

This looks like almost the perfect P+S camera - as automated or manual as you want with excellent image quality, even RAW shooting.

The only drawback is the lack of a decent zoom. If they stretched the lens to 200mm or so, it would be truly perfect.

I'm weighing this camera against the Fuji F70EXR - at the same time wondering what other new models are just around the corner for the holidays.

I need this camera for someone who does not want the complexity or bulk of a SLR, but might want to explore more creative photography in the future....or is a more expensive, but more versatile Micro 4/3 model a better choice?

Bumping to catch the attention of current S90 users....

is the quality good enough to consider cropping or digital zoom to get better telephoto results? The long end on this camera is pretty short and is still causing me to waver on recommending it.