In addition to their 3x optical zoom lenses with IS, the camera features enhanced auto focus performance for low-light shooting and includes Motion Detection Technology¹, which works in tandem with IS to reduce all kinds of blur, and Face Detection Technology¹ with Face Select & Track and Face Detection White Balance for accurate, natural-looking people shots in all situations. Bright, clear PureColor 3" LCD II enhances user experience thanks to their wide viewing angle, high contrast easy-view displays, and glare-resistant coatings.

The Digital IXUS 90 IS feature:

• Solid, chiselled design with flat control panel

• 10.0 Megapixel image sensor

• 3x optical zoom lens with optical Image Stabilizer (IS)

• Face Detection Technology with White Balance and Face Select & Track

• DIGIC III¹ with Noise Reduction Technology

• Automatic Red-Eye Correction in shooting and playback

• 3.0” PureColor LCD II (90 IS)  

• Enhanced auto focus performs at up to 1-stop darker

• 19 shooting modes including new Sunset mode and My Colors photo effects

• Extensive movie options including VGA 30fps, Long Play and Time Lapse movie modes

• Optional accessories include Waterproof Case, Soft Case and High Powered Flash

• Easy printing with PictBridge and quick print order settings in playback mode³

Compare prices for the  Canon Ixus SD790IS at Amazon

Great design- One Digital IXUS
Built to facilitate individual expression, these new cameras offer an evolution of two key Digital IXUS design strands. The Digital IXUS 90 IS takes the geometry of the Digital IXUS 75 and gives it a new sense of boldness and solidity. A flat key control panel enhances the camera’s seamless feel, giving it the appearance of being forged from a single piece of metal.

Exceptional optics
The Digital IXUS 90 IS features a 3x optical zoom lens, allowing everything from landscape shots to close-ups and medium telephoto zooms. Exceptional image clarity and compactness of form are achieved thanks to the inclusion of Canon’s UA (Ultra-high refractive index Aspherical) lens elements. The lens has a straight optical path for uncompromising image quality. Canon’s lens-shift type optical Image Stabilizer (IS) is incorporated into both cameras, vastly reducing the effects of camera shake when shooting in low light conditions or at the end of the zoom. The IS system gives thecamera a 3 stop advantage, facilitating better images in dusky conditions. Improved low-light AF performance helps users take advantage of the benefits of IS. The AF is now able to achieve focus in 1 stop less light, so the camera obtains excellent results even further into the evening.

Bye-bye to blur – Motion Detection Technology
Activated in High ISO Auto, Canon’s intelligent Motion Detection Technology works to eliminate the blur caused by subject motion and camera shake. When these are detected, the system provides an ISO boost between ISO 80-800 - counteracting motion blur to improve action shots and night snaps, without compromising shots where no ISO boost is needed. Combining inputs from Face Detection Technology, the optical Image Stabiliser, changes in scene brightness and changes from frame to frame, Canon’s Motion Detection Technology is a comprehensive solution to motion blur.

Enhanced Face Detection Technology
Equally comprehensive is Canon’s approach to Face Detection Technology. The Digital IXUS 90 IS includes Face Select & Track, which allows you to select a single face from a crowd of up to 35 detected faces. The optimum focus, exposure, flash and – in a new addition - white balance will then be set for that face, tracking the subject as they move around the frame.

Canon’s Red-Eye Correction draws on Face Detection Technology in order to eliminate red-eye from photographs. Whenever a face is detected in a shot, red-eye is checked for. It can then be either removed automatically while shooting or in playback mode. New AF Point Zoom allows the photographer to magnify the AF frame when the shutter button is pressed half way, so that facial expressions can be checked before shooting.

As well as powering features including Face Detection Technology, Canon’s DIGIC III image processor enables quick response times and fast buffering speeds. The processor also features advanced Noise Reduction Technology for excellent image quality at high ISO settings.

Intuitive ergonomics, easy menus
The Digital IXUS 90 IS features high resolution PureColor 3" LCD II screens. These screens offer a number of benefits over conventional LCD screens, including improved colour contrast for enhanced visibility, a wide viewing angle for easy shooting and instant image sharing, anti-glare coatings for viewing under bright light, and anti-scratch coatings.


A host of features enable users to enhance their shooting options. Users can choose from a range of 19 shooting modes, including a number of Special Scene modes that automatically optimise camera settings for common shooting subjects. Both cameras feature Sunset scene mode for optimum capture of this tricky subject. Movie options include Long Play (LP) mode, which uses only half the memory of standard movies, and Time Lapse movie for the creation of fun and atmospheric accelerated film clips.

Several menu features also let users manipulate their images in-camera, without the need for computer software. The Trimming function offers image trimming to predetermined sizes. This function is integrated with Face Detection Technology – if several faces are detected in frame users can jump between faces to create instant trimmed portraits. The Image Resize function enables users to create smaller image files by reducing the number recording pixels in larger images. The original image can then be deleted in order to save space on the memory card, leaving the new file an ideal size for e-mailing and uploading to the web.

Canon Ixus 90 IS Digital Camera Reviews 

Cnet has a Canon Ixus 90 reviiew and writes: The IXUS range is more about good design than ground-breaking photographic innovation. True to form, the specs and feature set of the IXUS 90 aren't particularly exciting. The lens has a distinctly average 35-105mm-equivalent focal length, with a 3x optical zoom. The usual compact whistles and bells are included, such as face detection, a self-timer and video recording.

We don't mind Canon leaving out an internal memory: they're usually so meagre as to be pointless. But bundling a 32MB SD card with the camera is so poor it's almost insulting.

One big plus is the inclusion of optical image stabilisation to combat image blur caused by shaky hands. It's possible to check focus before and after an image is captured, with the centre of the image enlarged in shooting mode and the option to zoom in on the resulting image in playback mode.

While in playback mode, images can be resized and cropped in 2-megapixel increments down to VGA size. Images can be tagged with the 'My Categories' function. This offers preset tags like people, events and sport, or three generic tags. Sadly, these blank tags cannot be customised by the user.

Performance
We found the autofocus on the IXUS 90 to be fast and decisive. The onscreen focus zoom, which magnifies the centre of the screen, really helps in this regard even if it does take some getting used to.

The IXUS 90's speed is adequate. Start up is close to instantaneous once you disable the Canon-branded start-up screen, but shot-to-shot time is an uninspiring 3 seconds. The burst mode ticked along at a steady if underwhelming shade over 1 frames per second, but kept that up for a worthy 15 minutes with no sign of stopping. With more than 1,200 images and counting, the IXUS 90 looked set to fill the 16GB Kingston SDHC card we were using, although the battery indicator was flashing rather urgently by that point.

Image quality
Images come out generally crisp and colours are accurate. Predictably, image noise is a big problem in high ISO mode, completely negating its usefulness for low-light shooting -- best avoided. Noise at ISO 1,600 isn't much better, but at speeds of 800 and below, you'll find it's well controlled without too much smearing of detail.

The Canon Digital IXUS 90 IS is a worthy addition to the IXUS line-up, in that it's every bit as stylish as the brand requires. Despite a paucity of features, the IXUS 90 feels substantial, thanks to its sturdy build, quirky controls, large screen and respectable picture quality.

Still, it doesn't do much to shake our nagging feeling that the IXUS range demands a price premium for style and branding rather than outstanding qualities. There are other point-and-shoots around with extra attributes that give them the edge, like the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W130's longer lens or the Samsung L830's manual controls. Still, there's something about IXUS that's hard to resist.

Trusted Reviews highlights the following in its Ixus 90 review: "I remember when Canon launched its first IXUS camera. The original IXUS used APS film to record its images, rather than a CCD and memory card. The introduction of the APS film format allowed for far smaller compact cameras to be produced, but the IXUS took things to the next level. Canon had created a camera that was no larger than a packet of cigarettes, meaning that you really could have it with you at all times, ensuring that you captured all those priceless moments no matter where or when.

The IXUS was a runaway success for Canon, despite the fact that APS was far from the best quality film format. That said, I took some stunning pictures with my APS IXUS in situations where I wouldn't have had a camera with me if it hadn't been so small. But when digital photography came along, it was a match made in heaven for Canon's diminutive snapper.

There have been many incarnations of the Digital IXUS, and over the years many of Canon's competitors have created cameras that are just as small and stylish. As always though, the competition is a good thing, as it has pushed Canon into developing the IXUS line and continually improving it. And I have the latest Digital IXUS in my paws right now - the IXUS 90 IS.

The IXUS 90 IS forms part of a trio of new models that Canon announced last week and sits in the middle of the group. Below the 90 IS is the 85 IS, while sitting at the top of the range is the 970 IS. As you've probably worked out from the names, all three of these new cameras feature Canon's image stabilisation technology.

Image stabilisation is one of the buzz words in photography at the moment, along with face recognition (the IXUS 90 IS has that too), but you need to be aware that it has its limitations. It's true that a good IS system can give you a couple of extra stops before you have to resort to a flash, but it's important to remember that it's only useful when you're shooting a static subject. The ability to use a longer shutter in a hand held situation isn't going to help you if you're subject is running, walking, or even waving their arms. To freeze the action in low light you need fast glass, which is why SLR lenses rated at f2.8 or below carry a hefty price premium.

Talking of glass the IXUS 90 IS sports a 6.2 - 18.6mm (35 - 105mm 35mm equivalent), which equates to a 3x optical zoom. The focal range is slightly disappointing when you consider that many compacts of this size sport lenses with 28mm settings at the wide end, giving you just a little more flexibility. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX33 that we reviewed last August for instance offers similar features, design and build to the IXUS 90 IS, but gives you 28mm at the wide end. And when you throw in the fact that the Panasonic also offers 3.6x optical zoom, then it can almost match the IXUS 90 IS at full zoom too, offering 100mm compared to 105mm.

More Canon Ixus 90 Reviews ...

What Digital Camera.com has this to say about the Canon Ixus 90 IS in its review "Canon’s IXUS range has long been the market leader with regards to design-driven compacts, and the 10MP IXUS 90 IS is no exception. A 3x optical zoom, complete with lens-based image stabilisation, is joined by a breathtaking 3in PureColour LCD screen, along with face and motion detection, with images taken then processed by Canon’s DIGIC III processor. Where Canon triumphs, as with previous IXUS models, is design. The IXUS 90 IS has a reassuring weight to it, and the function button looks as though it may be more at home on a spaceship than a digital camera, with circular mode dial completing the intuitive interface. The 90 IS handles extremely well, and image quality is generally good. Tones are excellent throughout the frame, fringing is kept to a minimum and highlights rarely blow out. Noise is also barely an issue up to ISO 800. "
The review verdict was that it is  "stunning compact with a striking LCD screen – and a pleasure to use.
The review outline the Pros: Design, LCD, speed in use, interface, and the Cons:Slight noise at high ISOs, may be a touch large for some "

Digicamreview writesin their review "The Canon Digital IXUS 90 IS / SD790 is an ultra stylish compact camera that provides an impressive 3" screen, 10 megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom lens and image stabilisation. Noise is controlled quite well considering the camera has 10 megapixels, and image quality is generally very good. The camera's screen works well even in bright sunlight and battery life is quite good. Overall this is a fairly appealling camera however it's price could put a number of people off buying it, especially when other cameras from Canon and other manufacturers often offer better value for money. Another area where this camera could be seen as lacking, is in the lens department, especially as most new cameras now offer a more wide angle lens. However, if you want a genuinely good camera with a large 3" screen that works in the sun, then this is recommended."

 Buy the Ixus 90 IS/ PowerShot SD790IS