Just got the Canon S90

[Mel Moncrieff]

Hi Everyone:

Based on what I've been reading in the forums, I just went out and picked up the Canon S90 (at Best Buy, since B&H still doesn't have it). I did some test shots, comparing it to my G9 @ 800 iso, and there is no comparison--the S90 blows the G9 out of the water @ that iso. Can't wait to take it underwater. I see that Canon already has a housing for it, but I'm going to hold off until Ikelite, and hopefully Fix, or someone else makes a better housing for it. In the meantime, I finally have a very nice pocket camera with a 28 wide lens and full manual control that I can carry around (it feel like 1/2 the weight and size of the G9). Please let me know if you see any other manufacturers producing housings for this camera, and I'll post some shots, just as soon as I get 'em.

Mel

 

[arun]

Hi Everyone:

Based on what I've been reading in the forums, I just went out and picked up the Canon S90 (at Best Buy, since B&H still doesn't have it). I did some test shots, comparing it to my G9 @ 800 iso, and there is no comparison--the S90 blows the G9 out of the water @ that iso. Can't wait to take it underwater. I see that Canon already has a housing for it, but I'm going to hold off until Ikelite, and hopefully Fix, or someone else makes a better housing for it. In the meantime, I finally have a very nice pocket camera with a 28 wide lens and full manual control that I can carry around (it feel like 1/2 the weight and size of the G9). Please let me know if you see any other manufacturers producing housings for this camera, and I'll post some shots, just as soon as I get 'em.

Mel

Hi there Mel,

I am also looking into the S90 but am reluctant to get it because the OEM housing would severely restrict the use of the add on lenses. I have the G9 in the Ike housing and unless Ike or Fix came out with the housing, I am more likely to go with the EOS500D in an Epoque Housing. Would you be able to post any pics of the S90 v G9 which you took? Thanks.

 

[MattiasA]

I'm have been waiting for the S90 as well and can't wait to get my hands on one. The Canon housing looks a bit like the S80-compatible one and there's a way to fit INON-lenses with that one.

My main concern at the moment is that the Canon S90-housing (judging from the photo I have seen) does not seem to have any space for the pop-up flash which would make it pretty much useless...

I can't wait to hear your thoughts about it, once you get it underwater

 

[arun]

Mattias, you have correctly identified one issue, which is the pop up flash. Obviously without the flash up, you would be restricted and I imagine that the housing must allow the flash to be up. But the second issue is that of using the adapter in order to fit the macro lenses. You can comfortably put on one lens but when you try to stack them, the weight is capable of pulling the adaptor off. Given the 28mm wide lens, you cannot use the existing Inon wide angle lens and would be restricted to the Fantasea Bigeye, which has a whole bunch of issues and is not really a wide angle solution. If Ikelite were to offer a housing, that would be great because then you could use their WD-4 and put on the Inon Macro lenses.

 

[Nemrod]

If there were a suitable housing then the Inon WAL28AD with or without the dome should work with the S90. It is designed for 28mm lenses. IMO the UWL100 Type II will also work but it will be required to zoom in to the equivalent of 32 mm, again, depends upon having a correctly designed front port for 67mm lenses that keeps the objective as absolutely close to the port as possible.

The Canon housing BTW allows the flash to flip up.

If Ikelite makes a well designed housing with a threaded port I will buy it and a S90, if not ------.

N

 

[bvanant]

Canon suggests that the flash works with the Canon housing as Nemrod suggests. Time to take a look at one for days when the DSLR is too much.
Bill

 

[dhaas]

Amigos,

The new Canon S90 will surely be a hit for UW due to RAW capability, small size, etc. But one thing always amuses me when people start talking about the wide angle range of a P&S camera.

Even though the S90 has a 28mm equivalent view it will NOT be that UW behind any brand housing's flat port!

I use a rough "back of envelope" calculation of 1.3X ratio to arrive at the "view" of 36.4mm.

I'm sure the S90 will produce nice (if not spectacular) pics for practiced users. For macro and fish pics it will likely satisfy many UW shooters not wanting a Canon G11 size camera or even a dSLR.

Just don't think you're getting a real wide view without adding some type of external WA lens as Nemrod pointed out. He makes a good point about INON offering WA lenses that were designed for P&S cameras with either 35mm widest or like the S90's 28mm.

YMMV

dhaas

 

[dhaas]

Amigos,

Just popped some Fine / Large JPEG surface images in my lowly little iMac last night from both the G11 and S90. RAW processing will have to wait a bit as I need the updated Canon DPP software

But even at ISO 800, 1600 and some 3200 both of these are amazing little cameras and the photos look pretty damn good.

For those not wanting a digital SLR these would be two top picks in my book. I swore I wouldn't buy a small sensor camera again as even my budget Canon Rebel T1i produces lovely photos with decent lenses. But these two choices may change my mind!

Ikelite should have housings for both in a couple of weeks.....Hoping the S90 can be made to fit the Ultra Compact housing as this would be one teensy macro rig.....

YMMV

dhaas

 

[Nemrod]

For what it is worth, it goes like this.

I went to Best Buy on a mission. The people there know me quite well as the guy who took a Dell apart and then made all of the Macs spaz and is always back in the camera section with micrometers.

I walked in the door and the manager came running, the Geeks vanished and the Mac expert was like a ground squirrel, his head would come up, see me and duck below the counter. I was undeterred, Inon 165AD FE in one pocket, Inon 100WAL with dome in the other, rulers, scales, clamps, the works!

I went to the S90, observed it, wow, this thing is TIGHT! It is very small, huge colorful contrasty LCD panel, amazingly small pop up strobe and the overall size of the camera is Elph size. The lens, oh, wow, unlike the stupid G10 and G11 with that huge honking lens that extends way out as you zoom, the S90 behaves like the Canon 570 lens, it hardly extends at all over the full range--VERY GOOD! Control layout is excellent for adaptation to a housing IMO.

OK, I got the reluctant 20 something camera girl with tongue ring and tats to hold my lenses as the manager unlocked the S90. WOW again, perfect optical lock up with the 100WAL/Dome at approx 35mm FL. I then tried the 165 fisheye, OK, yep, that works too when zoomed to about 35mm FL.

It will be needed for the housing designer to keep the port as absolutely short as possible and to center the lens in the port dead n--- on but there is no reason these lenses will not work. In fact, IMO they worked better than with the Canon A570. I am absolutely certain that the Inon 100-28AD would be perfect, I am better than 90% certain the that the 100WAL plus dome will work and at least 80% certain that the AD mount 165 fisheye will work and if so that is a very good thing.

I am so impressed with this camera I went to a camera store I don't like and looked at it there and there were some prints shot at different ISO, yes, this camera, from that limited review, shoots much cleaner than the G10 and completely torpedoes my 570.

I also looked at the G11, it is nice, it will have the same issues that the G10 has with wet mount optics that is the severe limitation of that platform when used underwater.

N

 

[stargost]

yeah, seems S90 is the revolution. Look at what Mr Rockwell thinks about it !

Canon S90

Now, it only has vga resolution, no HD :depressed:

And even if once assume it is enough, it will somehow be hard to compete with the flexibility of photo/video the Panasonic tz7 offers.