Disappointed with the S90

[s.agar]

The specifications of this camera is great. Especially the WA F2.0 setting for street photographs.

However, in the actual use, the 28mm gives a very strange distortion. The resolution is also very low at F2.0 at any point except the center. You have to be very careful when using this setting. I had bought this camera as a gift to my wife, while buying a GF1 for myself. Although these are not directly comparable, the results are far from being comparable for this setting.

The camera performs better than the other P+S cameras at higher ISO's and gives better colors. But the 28mm WA limitations must be in mind, or 35mm may be used instead. (not F2.0 then of course)

The camera will also make a short trip for repair, because in the first few hundred shots, the AF started performing poorly most of the time, resulting in out of focus photos. This became more pronounced with flash photos even when the assist light is on.

There are a few particles on the inner lens surface..

The firmware needs to be upgraded. For example, even with forced flash, camera gives shake alert. There are so many of these.

It seems that this model was sent to shops under a very tight time frame. So we may need a few improvements in firmware, and possibly a new lens design for the coming models.

Also a general disappointment with the Canon service conditions: I had accept that Canon has the right to send me a refurbished camera instead, or to use such components in the repair etc. They also offer quite oddly, inferior refurbished cameras if I choose to pay "additional money"??

My s90 is brand new, bought 1 month ago, at only a few hundred exposures. It makes one feel really bad, having no other option to have the camera repaired by Canon, and hqaving to agree with these conditions.

They may or may not do that, but they force you to agree if you want your camera to be repaired even when under guarantee..

Being a "Cononian" with 5DII, 500D and most of the lenses, I don't think this general repair policy as written fits the fine image of Canon.

I wanted all users to know these details.


Seyhun

 

[Oxide Blu]

Sorry to hear about the problems you are having with your new camera. The thing about warranties and warranty repairs is that it all differs from place to place. It can be wildly different in the US where 50-states each have their own idea of what minimum warranty coverage is. If you had bought your camera in California and it failed in the first month, you, as the consumer, can return it to the store for either exchange (new camera) or repair, your choice. After 30-days it is the manfr's choice to replace, repair, or refund (the 3 R's) your money. Warranty service drop off is anywhere any Canon product is sold, in Calif. Calif also requires the manfr to maintain a warranty repair facility in the state, so many camera manfrs (and other electronics manfrs) have their repair centers in southern Calif. That kind of warranty coverage is not available to consumers in the 49 other states. And I can only imagine how it would differ in other countries.

Fwiw, one of the best companies I have ever dealt with for repairs is Ricoh.

 

[s.agar]

I have sent for repair in Illinois.

I could have returned the camera to amazon as well, but I had no box and was missing some small things from the original package.

The problem here is that, Canon really puts you in the corner, when you need their help for an item which is still under guarantee. I had no such problems with Leica, Nikon, and many others.

With Canon, upfront, you have to agree to their conditions, to arrange for a repair, which is totally their fault. this hurts me as a loyal customer.

I didn't put down all the conditions here. But it may be a good idea that Canon may include these on their products, so customers know what to expect in advance, before buying.

BTW, I don't expect them to do all these in this case, but why write then?

Let me show you a typical offer also from my repair page, just for laughs.. Imagine paying additional money to exchange it with a refurbished camera which you could have bought cheaper than your camera.. Even the new G10 would cost only 80 USD more than the S90, and now you have to pay 250 USD more to get the refurbished version of it.. According to the forum rules, I can't comment on this offer as required.

Seyhun