The Canon Digital
IXUS 90IS
(also known as the Canon Powershot SD790
IS) 
Capturing those unforgettable times has never been easier than with the Canon Digital IXUS 90.
It truly is a great compact camera and measuring only 91.6 x 56.8 x 20.9mm and weighing approximately 155g, it's a
handy size to throw in your pocket ready for every outing.
It offers you a 3x optical zoom lens at 35-105mm-equivalent focal length with a shift-type optical Image
Stabilizer (IS) system. A bright, large 3-inch LCD screen with wide viewing angle leaves no room for an optical
viewfinder (not that I missed it that much anyway!).
The LCD has 15 levels of brightness adjustment and the resolution is the same as the IXUS 80's at 230
pixels. It also has a glare resistant coating which is fantastic for resisting bright sunlight. It has a 10
megapixel, 1/2.3-inch CCD (light sensor). Canon's DIGIC III image processor drives the camera.
The IXUS 90 has Face Detection plus a Red-Eye Correction feature. It also features a range of ISO speeds up
to 1600 including Motion Detection Technology which helps avoid image blur if the camera shakes.
Still with me? Great! Continue reading my in-depth review to find out more …
Build Quality
The Canon Digital IXUS 90 has a quality build and minimalist, cutting edge design with a clean, smooth metallic finish. It is ultra
compact and small enough to fit in the palm of your hand or a jeans or shirt pocket and it weighs just
155g.
It is comfortable and easy to use and despite it's small size, the IXUS 90 grips well in your hand. You can
easily take pictures with one hand and the camera feels nicely supported by both thumbs while pressing the shutter button
with your right finger. There is nothing flimsy about the buttons either. They are well made and easy to
operate.
ISO Auto Shift
This function increases the
ISO speed when the camera is having difficulty providing a shutter speed fast enough for the prevailing light. When you
activate this feature you will see the Print/Transfer button at the back of the camera flashing blue. Half pressing the
shutter button and simultaneously fully pressing the Print/Transfer button enables a faster ISO speed - ISO
800.
Controls/Features
Being a point and shoot
camera the IXUS 90 is straight forward and functional to use. It doesn't feel crowded with controls - a very clever
design considering its small size.
Canon's PureColour LCD II screen performs fantastically in bright light whereas some other camera models fail
miserably with the sunlight obscuring the image on the screen. The back of the camera houses the main
controls.
Face Detection is the new zap word at the moment regarding the current compact cameras. The Canon Digital
IXUS 90 IS is fantastic at detecting faces, even at quite a distance too. It will set exposure and autofocus
for you.
Briefly, the main modes are: Auto, Manual, Digital Macro, Color Accent, Color Swap, Movie, Stitch Assist, Special
Scene (Night Snapshot, Kids Pets, Sunset, Indoor, Beach, Foliage, Snow, Fireworks, Aquarium, Portrait, Underwater, ISO
3200¹)
The Canon IXUS 90 has a really good movie mode too with the image quality giving MiniDV recordings on camcorders a run for
their money! The resolution is 640 x 480 at 30 frames per second. There are lower resolutions which are handy
if your plan is to upload your images onto the web.
If you want to view your shots on your HDTV then the IXUS 90 has 2 features for you - the Stitch Assist Mode
and Widescreen Mode.
As a side point, once you get used to shooting in Widescreen mode, normal mode may seem a thing of the past as you
may want to watch the image playback on your HDTV. Or you could get creative and make a DVD slideshow based on your
widescreen photos.
You'll find the Mode switch on the right and from here you can select Still Record, Playback and Movie
modes. The shutter button is flush with the body of the camera and easy to locate. The rear panel holds the LCD
screen and a range of controls.
Manual Features
Face Detection is a very handy feature for the
novice point and shoot user. However, it does seem rather difficult to find in the Canon Digital IXUS 90 compared to other
cameras. On the IXUS 90 you press the Menu button then find the AiAF mode options and select it from there.
The Function button leads to the My Colours option, revealing the Custom Colour Menu and this includes several
pre-set looks, like Vivid Green and Positive Film. If you want to gain a particular effect, then these are a fast way
of achieving just that.
The Shooting Mode menu gives other exciting options like Colour Swap and Colour Accent. Colour Swap lets you
to pick a colour in the image and swap it for another and with Colour Accent you can select one colour and turn the rest
black and white.
The Manual Mode gives you access to advanced features, for example, white Balance and ISO speed.
Unfortunately, this camera does not afford full photographic controls like aperture or shutter speed. However, it's
point and shoot at its best!
Menu System
This has a dedicated button
under the navigation pad and is very user-friendly and isn't too complex. This is mainly due to the main features being
located in other parts of the camera. The 3 icons along the top of the LCD screen lead to a set of sub menus and just 6
options are available on the LCD screen at once, so it isn't too cluttered.
Managing your Images
Sorting your images is also easy with 3
custom categories available. The Display button gives you flexibility so you can choose what information to have visible, such as
white balance or ISO rating.
The Canon Digital IXUS 90 has a great range of options for managing your photographs. You can zoom in and out,
protect and rotate an image or delete it. You can also instantly scroll through the photos, view slideshows and view
thumbnails.
Start-up Time and Focusing
The storage of pictures is fast - about 1 second. This allows you to keep snapping away whilst each photo is recorded onto
the memory card. The shooting rate is 1.7 frames per second, average for a camera in this range. This rate is
maintained right up until the memory card reaches maximum storage.
The Canon Digital IXUS 90 has quite a fast operational speed, especially for a camera in this class. It only
takes about ½ a second from turning on the IXUS 90 to being ready to take a picture. The camera easily and quickly
focuses in good outdoor light and to zoom from the longest to the widest focal length takes about 2 seconds. It also
contains a focus assist light which helps focusing in low light or indoors.
In Summary
So all in all, the Canon Digital IXUS 90 is a well designed point and shoot camera, well built, user-friendly, operationally fast and it's stylish. I
hope you found this review helpful. Have fun capturing those special moments with this great, compact
camera.
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