Premium compact buying guide: Canon G11 vs Canon S90
Product overview
- Launch price:
- £560
- Launch date:
- 10th October 2009
- Manufacturer link:
- www.canon.co.uk
- G11 - full manual compact with vari-angle LCD, optical viewfinder, 5x optical zoom
- S90 - full manual compact, light and small, 3x optical zoom
Technical Specification
PhotoRadar review
Which of Canon’s high-end compact cameras should you buy? Read our guide...
In 2009, Canon released 2 high-end digital compacts into this ever expanding market, the S90 and the G11. Read our buying guide as we take a look at both cameras to help you decide which to plump for.
Choosing the right premium compact can be a tough decision. Many D-SLR users like to pack one of these for street photography, travel photographer or just as a good ‘back-up’ camera.
Others are looking for something more punchy than a standard compact but aren’t ready to go the full whammy with a D-SLR.
Whatever your needs, the premium compact market is one that can take a little navigating, and when Canon released 2 this summer, with seemingly similar specifications, it can be difficult to choose between your options.
Let’s start with the G11, released in October with controversially 5 Megapixels fewer than its predecessor the G10.
The advantages of the G11 over the S90 include:
- Hotshoe for adding accessories
- Vari-angle LCD screen (great for shooting from different angles or candid and street photography)
- 5x optical zoom (the S90 has only 3.8x)
- Max shutter speed 1/600 (it just beats the S90’s 1/400)
- Optical viewfinder (using the S90 requires composition through the LCD screen)
- Continuous shooting at 1.1fps (again narrowly beating the S90’s 0.9fps).
The S90 meanwhile is a bit like the G11’s little brother, it has many of the key features of the G11 in a much smaller package,
The 3 big advantages of the S90 over the G11 are:
- Small size (much more pocket friendly and discreet)
- Lighter (at 195g it is 185g lighter than the G11)
- Cheaper! (the S90 can be purchased for around £380, £100 cheaper than the G11)
Both cameras share the following features:
- 10 Megapixel CCD sensor
- Maximum picture resolution of 3648 x 2736
- Capable of shooting RAW
- Movie mode at 640 x 480
- Uses Li-On Battery
- ISO 80-3200
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So it would seem at first glance, providing money is not an issue, that the G11 would be the best choice, just taking the edge away from the S90.
But there are a couple of things you should consider before heading down to the camera shop. If you already own a D-SLR, the not un-bulky G11 may be a bit of a pointless purchase. Of course it’s a lot smaller than a D-SLR, but not small enough to fit in a pocket.
If you’re into discreet candid and street photography, the G11 may be almost as obvious as a D-SLR, while the S90 is so small that it could easily be mistaken for an ordinary compact.
However, for anybody who is uninterested in the large size and operation of a D-SLR, the G11 makes the perfect choice, while the manual controls still allowing you to get fully serious about your photography.
So to conclude:
- Buy the S90 if you’re looking for a great back-up camera to your D-SLR and want a pocket friendly device and aren’t bothered by the extra gimmicks.
Buy the Canon PowerShot S90 digital camera here: Jessops | Amazon UK | Play
- Buy the G11 as a sole camera, or if you’re tempted by that vari-angle screen, bigger zoom and optical viewfinder. Buy the Canon PowerShot S90 digital camera here: Jessops | Amazon UK | Play
For more information on both the G11 and the S90, visit the Canon website.
Visit our Christmas 2009 Buying Guide for more on premium compacts.
Posted by Amy Davies on Thursday, 10th December 2009 at 01:03pm GMT.
Loving my s90, it really is the perfect camera to slip into your pocket on the way out the door. In fact at times I forget I have done so.
Image quality isn't DSLR standard (dur) but is really rather good.
#1. Posted on Thursday, 10 Dec 2009 at 02:12pm GMT. Report this
I love the vari-angle screen of G series (abandonned for some time for some strange reason), it makes this camera sometimes more flexible then SLR. But in my opinion the optical viewfinder is pointless, never used it because of parallax.
#2. Posted on Friday, 11 Dec 2009 at 03:02pm GMT. Report this
The S90 is the perfect compliment to my 450D. I can take it anywhere and it's ready to go when I need to get that impromptu snapshot. Whilst it's not as versatile as a DSLR (Or as fast) or has the image qualoty of a DSLR it is amazing for it's size. The low light capabilities are outstanding. More so because of the image stabilizer and lack of mirror slap associated with a DSLR. This allows oyu to take some seriously low light shots and if you need even lower then the ultra-low light mode will give you that at expensive of image resolution and noise. But in normal use 800 ISO (and even above) is very acceptable.
My one gripes are lack of HD, the wrist strap is rubbish (No slider and too big), lack of grip (Available as a third party addon) and slow shutter.
Other those it's great!
#3. Posted on Friday, 11 Dec 2009 at 03:35pm GMT. Report this
I've had the S90 for more than a month now, and must say with all honesty, it is the BEST point-and-shoot camera I have EVER owned, period! All my PnS cameras have been from Canon, and I have owned the following: A40, G3, S2 IS, A710 IS, G9, and now the S90, and this little guy beats them all! I'm also the owner of a Nikon D90 D-SLR, and I definately agree with comments here that it is a perfect companion to D-SLR owners.
However, I would like to see you revise your feature review of the S90 as you missed one of it's MOST important (and unique) differences from the G11 (and any other PnS on the market), in that it has a f2.0-4.9 lens! This is what gives it the fantastic low-light performance, and this was also the deal-breaker in getting the S90 over the G11, as I needed something small with excellent low-light performance.
#4. Posted on Friday, 11 Dec 2009 at 07:25pm GMT. Report this
Having owned a Canon A650IS (poor mans G8 or 9 - as I paid £150 with £50 cash back!) ) for a few years, almost always shooting outside, I would not be without a viewfinder - parralax or not - you can always zoom out, shoot & then crop what you want. For me they are essential as most if not all lcd screens are phased by sun in some situations. I have shot loads of images using the finder when a clear image is unavailable on the screen with the sun directly behind me. And its not just my screen either. Lucky me who has been able to laugh at my friends and tell them to get a proper compact...
10k shots later, I want to get another similar (better?) model that can slip into my pocket - well I for one can slip it into my coat pockets or hook it to my belt! What's available now in good compacts with a viewfinder - only the G11 it would seem from any brand it would seem. Dealers sadly shake thier heads when I ask the question - I suspect the next G12 will even do away with this feature Please Canon, keep a view finder on a few more of your models and sell it as a feature!!
#5. Posted on Friday, 11 Dec 2009 at 07:27pm GMT. Report this
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