Canon PowerShot Pro90 ISAn impressive update to the PowerShot "Pro" line, with a 10x optically stabilized zoom lens and 2.6 megapixel CCD!<<Video, Power, Software, & Hardware :(Previous) | (Next): Reference: Datasheet>> Page 12:Test Results & ConclusionReview First Posted: 2/6/2001 |
Test Results
In keeping with our standard test policy, the comments given here summarize only our key findings. For a full commentary on each of the test images, see the Canon PowerShot Pro90 IS' "pictures" page.
As with all Imaging Resource product tests, we encourage you to let your own eyes be the judge of how well the camera performed. Explore the images on the pictures page, to see how the Pro90 images compare to other cameras you may be considering.
Overall, the Pro90 did a great job with color balance, overcoming the challenges of our most difficult lighting situations. We used the automatic and manual white balance options during most of our testing, although the white balance presets produced accurate results in most cases, differing only minutely from the automatic settings. The Pro90 reproduced the large color blocks in the Davebox test target quite well, with good saturation. Tonal handling was also good, as the subtle tonal variations of the Q60 target were visible up to the "B" range, and the small blocks in the vertical grayscales were distinguishable all the way into the deepest shadows. We did notice slightly oversaturated red tones in a few of our test images (mainly the red flowers in the outdoor portrait), but overall color balance was remarkable throughout our testing.
The Pro90 also performed very well in our "laboratory" resolution test, with excellent detail visible to 900 lines per picture height and beyond, in both horizontal and vertical directions. The onset of aliasing (slightly jagged appearance in the fine details, barely perceptible as thickening and thinning in the lines) at 750 lines per picture height prompted us to "call" the resolution at 750 lines in both directions. (It's almost a toss-up though, to rate it at 800 lines...)
We appreciated the Pro90's very flexible exposure system, which offers as little or as much control as you need. In addition to the standard Automatic, Program AE, Aperture Priority, Shutter Speed Priority, and Manual modes, the camera also provides a handful of programmed Scene modes that you can use when you're at a loss as to how to handle specific lighting or focusing situations. In addition, the user is given control over flash mode and power, metering, exposure compensation, ISO, AE / FE Lock, white balance, sharpness, contrast, and color saturation.
The Pro90 performed very well in the low-light category, as we were able to obtain very bright, usable images at light levels as low as 1/16 foot-candle (0.67 lux) at the 100, 200, and 400 ISO settings. (An excellent performance in a really dark scene!) At the 50 ISO setting, we could see the target at the 1/16 foot-candles light level, but the image was just a little too dim. As we expected, noise levels were the highest at the 400 ISO setting, with a much larger grain pattern than the slower ratings. At 50 and 100 ISO, noise was minimal, even at the darkest light levels. To put the Pro90's low-light performance into perspective, one foot-candle of light equals the overall lighting conditions of an average city night scene under modern street lamps. Based on our results, the PowerShot should easily handle even darker situations.
Since the Pro90 features an electronic SLR design, we measured the viewfinder accuracy using the larger LCD monitor on the back panel. We found the LCD monitor to be very accurate, measuring about 98 percent at both wide angle and telephoto settings (for all three resolutions). Since we generally like to see LCD monitors as close to 100 percent accurate as possible, the Pro90 does an excellent job.
The Pro90 also did well in the macro category, capturing a minimum area of 4.40 x 3.30 inches (111.74 x 83.80mm). Color, detail, and resolution all looked great, though we picked up a low level of noise in the gray background. Printing details on the dollar bill were slightly soft, but the coins appeared reasonably sharp. The Pro90's built-in flash had a little trouble throttling down for the macro area, producing a bright reflection on the brooch, and a large shadow area extended across the bottom of the flash image, indicating that the flash was partially blocked by the rather long lens.
The Pro90 performed very well throughout our testing, handling our toughest light sources well, and coping with low light levels with ease. Resolution was great, as was overall image quality, and the variety of exposure controls makes the camera very flexible in a wide variety of shooting situations. Though its macro capability is slightly less than average, the Pro90's 10x zoom lens and Image Stabilizer technology more than make up for it! Overall, we were very pleased with the Pro90's performance.
Conclusion
Canon's earlier PowerShot Pro70 received wide acclaim for its excellent picture-taking capabilities, with excellent optics and beautiful, accurately-rendered images. The Pro90IS is a very worthy upgrade to the earlier product, carrying on the tradition of image quality, but now adding the power of a 10x Image Stabilizer lens and a 2.6 megapixel CCD. The intervening time has also brought advances in the CCD and camera circuitry, with the result that the Pro90IS is also capable of low-noise image captures in very low light conditions as well. By offering a wide range of preset exposure modes along with flexible manual exposure options, the Pro90IS will appeal to serious amateurs and less-committed family members alike. All in all, a very nice picture-taking package, entirely worthy to carry on the PowerShot "Pro" heritage!
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