Canon PowerShot S90 Video Preview

The new Canon PowerShot S90 showed up at my door last week. The S-Series cameras have been missing from the Canon PowerShot lineup for a few years. Essentially, the S-Series offers G-Series image quality and performance in a pocket-sized package. Like previous S-Series PowerShot digital cameras, the Canon S90 has the same 10-megapixel sensor as its big brother, the G11. For people who want G11 image quality on the trail, in their pocket, in the briefcase or in their purse, it’s the camera to have.

The video below offers a brief hands-on introduction to the Canon PowerShot S90. I’ve been able to shoot with it for a few days now and I’m surprised with both the small size of the camera and the image quality the new 10-megapixel, high-sensitivity sensor delivers.

Laurence Chen wrote an excellent Canon PowerShot S90 preview article on the when it was announced in August. He’s got the camera now and he’s working on an S90 review for us. The S90 uses the same 10-megapixel sensor as the Canon G11 and they both share a less-is-more resolution strategy. Last year’s Canon G10 had a 15-megapixel sensor so the 10-megapixel resolution of the S90 and G11 might be a surprise to some. To increase resolution, pixels have to be smaller. And smaller pixels mean more noise and generally compromised image quality. So going back to 10-megapixels is an interesting and welcome strategy. Based on what I’ve shot so far, I think the lower resolution is successful. I’m very impressed with the image quality from the S90, especially in low light situations. Take a look at the images below to see for yourself.