I bought the Pro90 new in 2001. This was the most expensive camera which I could afford at the time; digital SLRs were still a just a bit out of my reach, and most people were still shooting film. The Pro90 was Canon’s prosumer digital camera. It had an amazing lens. The lens was fast, had a large zoom, and included image stabilization. I really enjoyed using the the Pro90. I reluctantly replaced it, somewhat because the average number of megapixels in digital cameras had doubled, but primarily because it was terribly slow. It was slow to focus and slow to write images to the compact flash card. The speed of the camera didn’t drop since it was new, but digital cameras were getting better so quickly during this time that it was very noticeable. The electronics in the PowerShot S2 I got next were far superior, unfortunately the lens was not. I didn’t use another lense as good as the Pro90’s until I finally got a Rebel T3i.
The PowerShot Pro90 IS digital still camera, Canon’s first digital camera to incorporate a built-in 10x zoom lens with optical Image Stabilization. The PowerShot Pro90 IS is the latest example of Canon’s ongoing commitment to provide consumers with high-quality, easy-to-use products by combining its expertise in camera and lens design with advanced digital imaging technology.
The new Pro90 IS tops Canon’s current lineup of PowerShot-series cameras. In addition to its 10x zoom lens with image stabilization, it 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. Other advanced features include a highly ergonomic handgrip plus a variable-angle LCD monitor for easier handling and greater shooting flexibility; full compatibility with Type I and II CompactFlash memory cards, optional accessories including supplementary lenses and a hot shoe for EX-series Speedlites. Additional camera features include shutter speeds from 8 seconds to 1/1000 second; an iris diaphragm; built-in flash with five control modes; an eye-level electronic viewfinder with dioptric correction; a wireless remote controller; and a high-capacity lithium-ion battery that can be recharged in the camera.
The Canon PowerShot Pro90 IS also offers numerous advanced digital features including a 1/1.8″, 3.34 million pixel CCD (2.6 megapixels recorded); high-speed plug-and-play USB data transfer plus optional RS-232C serial interface; switchable video output format (NTSC/PAL); and a wide selection of image quality settings including JPEG and RAW as well as adjustments for contrast, sharpness and color saturation.