 Powerful Little Gem |
| Review Date: November 14, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Alan Levine, Arizona |
I got the early version of this camera in Japan, sold as the IXY 3000 IS and am head over heels in love; this replaces an SD800IS which was a long time favorite. The new one got my attention for the whopping 14.7 MP as I have been using this for taking panoramas on a GigaPan rig - [...]-- and more pixels count for much there. Plus there is the full manual (focus and exposure modes). And then there was the thrill of getting a new camera a few weeks before it was available in the US.
Mine is set up with an 8GB SD HC card, which feels infinite.
I've been very happy with the quality, and I do a lot of macro shots, posting hundreds on my flickr site [...]
The new QuickShot mode is nice- to shoot through viewfinder where you want the quickest response time. And a bonus is a long overlooked feature- an on screen battery level indicator. There is a small button where you can instantly go to view mode, rather than flipping the shooting mode. Face focussing is very handy. Video quality is superb. Having the camera stitch mode (used for getting good overlap for single row panoramas) on the presets selection is great. And w00t! It uses the same NB-5L battery, so I now have more spares.
My negatives are minor- the black style is slick, but the plastic shell feels a little cheap/flimsy, but the camera is sturdy. My biggest gripe is the latch on the battery/SD card compartment comes open easily in your bag or your pocket; the one on the SD800 never popped open on its own. The latch for the USB dock too is odd, it is hard to figure out where the hinge part is, and I always feel like I am going to do it wrong and break it off.
Spinning the lower selection wheel takes some dexterity; so setting the aperture and f/stops in manual mode is going to take some time to be a smooth process.
I've never bought a camera just because it has a large resolution, but I am shooting 4416x3312, better than my first generation Digital Rebel.
I am in love with this little camera! |
Amazing camera! 9/10th of a G10 for much less $$
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| Review Date: October 24, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Drew J. Pearson, Michigan |
First of all, this camera is built beautifully. It is a highwater mark among the current Canon lineup (along with the G10 obviously). The metal body feels very solid and luxurious in your hand. I have only taken about 40 pictures with it thus far, in all different settings, and they all turn out great. The manual mode is what made me choose the SD990 over the aging SD950. It is nice to have this much control of a compact camera.
I was initially worried about the noise a 14.7 megapixel sensor this size would produce, but thanks to the new DIGIC 4 processor, it is always under control. I wouldn't use anything above ISO 600.
I am the type of consumer that pays more for better quality, and then holds onto things for a long time. This is one of those high-quality items. After your friends go through 2 or 3 plastic Kodak digicams, this will still be going strong. I wish I could afford a G10, but alas, I cannot. This is truly the next best thing. Way to go, Canon! |
SD990 IS Rocks
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| Review Date: November 8, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Kiki, PA |
I upgraded from the SD550, which was a great little camera.
I'm loving the SD990 IS. Pictures are awesome. Colors are right on, even when printed. There are many preset options to choose from, plus you have the option of shooting manually. Digital zoom is much less noiser than my old SD550.
I'm never fond of digital zoom, but I do have to say in full digital zoom I got an awesome shot of the moom. Very detailed to the point you could see the surface of the moon. Yes it was a little noisy, but much better than what I expected.
The camera is made very well. Feels very solid in your hands. Controls are placed nicely...very easy to access. You have the option of in camera edit for red eye, cropping, color swap...features which come in handy if you want to use direct print.
Face detect works great in the conditions I've used it in. I haven't used the self timer so I can speak for that. I do like the option of having magnified focus display which kind of zooms in to check the focus.
Macro images turned out great as well--crystal clear.
With the new software in the camera this little sucker is fast. Much faster than my old SD550.
I purchased this camera thinking I'd find some kind of flaw and have to return it after returning a few other cameras over the past few months; however, I haven't found any reason to return it. I would recommend this camera to anyone looking for an awesome compact camera that gives the user many options to choose from. My 8yr old could pick up this camera and get a great shot with the preset modes and a pro could get an awesome shot on manual as well.
Forgot to comment on video mode: It's good, but not much of a change from my SD550. I'm more a picture person so that doesn't phase me too much. It's nice to have the option for those video moments and you can even set the transfer button to video mode, which is a nice feature. |
From A70 to SD990 IS
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| Review Date: November 17, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Gringo Puma, México |
I purchased a Canon Powershot SD990 IS camera after my five-year old Powershot A70 died due to a sensor failure. (Even though the camera is long out of warranty, if I return it to Canon, they will replace the sensor.)
Shutter Lag was a major problem with A70. The SD990 IS appears to have none.
Low-light photographs with the A70 were always blurred because of camera motion. The image stabilization and the ISO 3200 setting of the SD990 IS produce low-light images with no blur.
The sensor of the SD990 IS is a 1/1.7" CCD (7.60 x 5.70 mm, 0.43 sq cm); the A70 sensor is 1/2.7" (5.27 x 3.96 mm, 0.21 sq cm)
The LCD of the SD990 IS is larger and much brighter.
Videos from the SD990 IS look good. If I wanted HD video, I would buy a video camera.
The A70 used four AA batteries; the SD990 IS uses one small NB-5L battery pack.
The SD990 IS is smaller and lighter -- 182 gm vs. 320 gm.
The SD990 IS has not experienced the e18 error or the "lens error, restart camera". Neither did the A70 in spite of being dropped on a concrete floor from a height of three feet.
Bottom Line - I am happy with the SD990 IS and think it is worth the price.
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Awesome Awesome Awesome
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| Review Date: October 8, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Safari Hood, http://www.safarihood.com |
I received the Canon PowerShot SD990 today (October 7th, 2008) and I love this new camera. I bought the black version, and it is very very sharp looking. The pictures on Amazon's site just don't do it justice. It has to be seen in person to be appreciated.
The pictures that it takes are just as amazing !!
I upgraded to this camera from a Canon PowerShot SD950.
Fans of Canon's PowerShot series won't be disappointed. It is compact and lightweight, as you've come to expect. It features Canon's new Digic 4 processor. The Digic 4 is all about speed.
I put in a SanDisk 2GB Extreme III SD card, and the camera estimates it could store 309 pictures, at full resolution (4416 x 3312) and SuperFine quality. That was with a completely empty card.
The camera comes with a 32 MB card, which, at the settings I mentioned, you might get 5 pictures on it, maybe 6. I would definitely recommend that you buy a 1 or 2 gigabyte card to go with your camera.
I hope this review helps. This is my fourth Canon PowerShot camera. I have had it less than a day, and I absolutely love it.
Happy Photography!
- Safari Hood |
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