The Canon PowerShot Pro90 IS Digital Camera - Like a Work of Art...

Canon has long been renowned as manufacturers of incredibly well made cameras for years. Their line of EOS Rebel camera helped changed the way people took pictures and viewed 35mm SLR's. Now they hope to do the same in the digital world with their exciting and sexy new Powershot Pro90 IS Digital Camera. One look at this futuristic camera, and you'll know that it's something very special.

But sexy looks alone do not a quality camera make. Fortunately, Canon backs the looks of this camera with astounding performance, quality and features. Yet it's important to note that it's because of its look - and its non-conformist design - that helps propel this camera into a range that both amateurs and professional will find very appealing.

Through this design, the Powershot Pro90 IS offers a very impressive 10x optical zoom lens - far surpassing other non-SLR digital camera in its price and megapixel range. And speaking of megapixels, this camera offers 3.3 which provides exceptional color, clarity and detailed images - sufficient enough for printing photo-quality images up to 8 x 10 inches (depending on your printer of course). However it should be noted that the true recording number of megapixels is 2.6, placing this camera somewhere in between a 2 and 3 megapixel camera range.

In addition to its superb lens and albeit odd megapixel rating, the Powershot Pro90 IS incorporates a multitude of advanced features including 12 EOS system-based picture-taking modes; wide exposure sensitivity (equivalent to ISO 50-400); several manual settings; and movie recording and playback with audio.

One of the nicer, and rarer features, that this camera offers is the variable-angle (270-degree) swiveling 1.8-inch TFT LCD monitor for easier handling and greater shooting flexibility. It gives this digital camera the feel and flexibility of a camcorder - something I've often looked for in a digital still camera.

Additional camera features include shutter speeds from 8 seconds to 1/1000 second, a built-in flash with five control modes, an eye-level electronic viewfinder with dipodic correction (for those of you who wear glasses), a wireless remote control which is really an added benefit, and a high-capacity lithium-ion battery that can be recharged in the camera.

This camera obviously has the horse power to compete with all other digital cameras in its (near) megapixel range, but once you actually use the Powershot Pro90 IS, you really begin to appreciate the difference of the design.

Despite having the elongated lens, this camera feels remarkably balanced in your hand. This is crucial to taking good pictures. If you're constantly correcting your grip on a camera, and searching for the fire button, you'll ultimately take a bad picture. With the Powershot Pro90 IS, the balance is so even, and feel of the camera so comfortable, that you'll be putting all of your focus on your picture subject instead of worrying about holding the camera steady.

Essentially, this camera feels like a very natural extension of your arm.

Of course, with all the Powershot Pro90 IS offers, you'll be expected to pay a price. When it first arrived on the scene, the asking price was well over $1,000. But now, as is often the case, a little research and patience will allow you to obtain this camera for nearly half that price.

3.3 (2.6 recordable) megapixels. Incredible 10x optical zoom. Audio/video video capturing options. A multitude of options and included accessories. A competitive price. The Powershot Pro90 IS isn't just a camera - it truly is a work of art.

A full list of accessories and specifications follows. Thanks, as always, for reading.

Included Accessories

PowerShot Pro90 IS, Lens Cap, Neck Strap, Compact Power Adapter (CA-560), AC Cable (for CA-560), Battery Pack BP-511, Terminal Cover (for Battery), 16MB CompactFlash Card (FC-16M), Case for CompactFlash Card, Wireless Controller (WL-DC100), Lithium Battery CR2025 (for Wireless Controller WL-DC100), Canon Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM, Adobe Photoshop LE CD-ROM, USB Interface Cable (IFC-200PCU), AV Cable (AVC-DC100), Camera User Guide, Software Starter Guide, System Map, Canon U.S.A. 1 Year Warranty

Camera Specifications

* Image Capture Device: 1/1.8-inch interline transfer CCD
* Total Pixels: Approx. 3.34 million (2,140 x 1,560)
* Recording Pixels: Approx. 2.6 million (1,856 x 1,392)
* Filter Array: Complementary-color mosaic filter.
* Image Quality: 24-bit color (image capture at 10-bits per channel)
* Zoom Lens: 10x 7-70mm (37-370mm in 35mm film equivalent) Canon shift-type Image Stabilizer (IS) all-glass 13 elements in 10 groups.
* Digital tele-converter: 2X / 4X (Maximum of 40x digital zoom is available when combined with optical zoom)
* Maximum Aperture: 2.8 (Wide-angle) to 3.5 (Telephoto)
* Focusing Range (from lens surface): Wide-angle: 10 cm (3.9 in.) to infinity. Telephoto: 1m (39 in.) to infinity
* Viewfinder: Color LCD viewfinder 0.44 inch, 180k pixels 100% Coverage
* LCD Monitor: Low-temp polycrystalline silicon TFT 46mm diagonal (1.8 inch) 113,578 pixels (521 x 218) 100% Coverage
* Focusing System: TTL AF (Continuous)/ Manual. Focus lock and Manual focus are available. 1 focusing point
* Exposure Metering Center-weighted averaging / Spot
* Exposure Modes: Program AE, Shutter speed-priority AE, Aperture-priority AE, Manual
* Exposure Compensation: ±2.0 in 1/3-stop increments
* White Balance: TTL auto / preset (Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent and Flash) or Custom
* Shutter type: Mechanical and electronic
* Aperture Range: Wide-angle : F2.8-F8.0, Telephoto : F3.5-F8.0
* Shutter Speeds: 8 to 1/1000 sec.
* Release time lag: 0.17 sec.
* Flash Modes: Auto, Red-eye reduction auto, Red-eye reduction ON, ON or OFF
* Flash Range: 0.7 to 4.2 m (Wide-angle). 1 to 3.4 m (Telephoto)
* Recycling time: 10 sec. or shorter (full flash, battery voltage = 7.4 V)
* Flash exposure compensation: ±2.0 EV (at every 1/3-stop)
* Flash contacts: Sync terminal at accessory shoe
* Compatibility: Canon SPEEDLITE 220EX, 380EX, 420EX, 550EX
* Flash exposure compensation: ±2.0EV (in 1/3-stop increments)
* Shooting modes: Auto, Creative zone (Manual / Shutter speed-priority / Aperture-priority / Program), Image zone (Pan-focus / Portrait / Landscape / Night Scene / Black & White / Stitch Assist / Movie)
* Continuous shooting: 0.7 images/sec. (at Large / Fine)
* Movie: Approx. 15 images/sec., max of 30 sec. (per clip)
* Self-timer: Operates with approx. 10 sec. countdown
* Wireless control: Shooting and playback are available (Wireless controller is included) When shooting, image is captured 2 seconds after shutter release operation
* ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 50, 100, 200 and 400 (Auto adjusts sensitivity from ISO 50 to 100)
* Shooting interval: 2.5 sec.
* JPEG compression modes: Super Fine, Fine and Normal / CCD RAW
* Number of Recording Pixel Large : 1,856 x 1,392, Middle : 1,024 x 768, Small : 640 x 480, Movie: 320 x 240
* File Format: Design rule for Camera File system (DCF) (main image and thumbnail : JPEG), DPOF ver. 1.0
* Image recording format: JPEG or RAW (still image). AVI (Motion JPEG : image, WAVE : audio (monaural)) (movie)
* Storage media: CompactFlash Type I, II
* Tone reproduction: RAW : 10 bits (linear) JPEG : Y-signal 8 bits, C-signal 8 bits (Cr/Cb)
* Operating temperature: 0 - 40C (32 - 104F)
* Operating humidity: 10 - 90%
* Dimensions: (WxHxD) 126.5 x 83.9 x 139.1 mm (4.98in. x 3.3in x 5.48in.)
* Weight: Approx. 680 g (23.9oz) (excluding batteries and CF card)