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Canon A490 vs Pentax E90

Portability
93
Imaging
33
Features
10
Overall
23
Canon PowerShot A490 front
 
Pentax Optio E90 front
Portability
94
Imaging
33
Features
11
Overall
24

Canon A490 vs Pentax E90 Key Specs

Canon A490
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 37-122mm (F3.0-5.8) lens
  • 175g - 94 x 62 x 31mm
  • Announced January 2010
Pentax E90
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 32-95mm (F3.1-5.9) lens
  • 145g - 102 x 59 x 25mm
  • Launched January 2010
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Canon A490 vs Pentax E90 Overview

Below is a complete comparison of the Canon A490 and Pentax E90, both Small Sensor Compact cameras by competitors Canon and Pentax. The resolution of the A490 (10MP) and the E90 (10MP) is fairly comparable and both cameras offer the identical sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The A490 was unveiled within a month of the E90 so they are both of a similar generation. Both of the cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before getting right into a more detailed comparison, here is a concise summary of how the A490 grades vs the E90 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Canon A490 over the Pentax E90

 A490 E90 

Reasons to pick Pentax E90 over the Canon A490

 E90 A490 
Display size2.7"2.5"Larger display (+0.2")
Display resolution230k115kCrisper display (+115k dot)

Common features in the Canon A490 and Pentax E90

 A490 E90 
LaunchedJanuary 2010January 2010Same generation
Manual focus Lack of manual focusing
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen No selfie screen
Touch friendly display No Touch friendly display

Canon A490 vs Pentax E90 Physical Comparison

When you are intending to lug around your camera, you need to think about its weight and proportions. The Canon A490 comes with outer measurements of 94mm x 62mm x 31mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2") having a weight of 175 grams (0.39 lbs) whilst the Pentax E90 has measurements of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") with a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs).

See the Canon A490 and Pentax E90 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you choose at the time. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the A490 compared to the E90.

Canon A490 vs Pentax E90 size comparison

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the A490 and E90 is 93 and 94 respectively.

Canon A490 vs Pentax E90 top view buttons comparison

Canon A490 vs Pentax E90 Sensor Comparison

Normally, it's hard to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements merely by seeing a spec sheet. The visual below may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the A490 and E90.

Clearly, both of those cameras feature the identical sensor size and the identical megapixels so you should expect comparable quality of images although you may want to factor the release date of the cameras into account.

Canon A490 vs Pentax E90 sensor size comparison

Canon A490 vs Pentax E90 Screen and ViewFinder

Canon A490 vs Pentax E90 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Canon A490 Portrait photography factors
Pentax E90 Portrait photography factors
19
no manual focus
lack of manual exposure
can't use external flash
megapixel count low (10 megapixels)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
19
no manual focus
no manual control
can't use external flash
MP count low (10 megapixels)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
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Street Comparison

Canon A490 as a Street photography camera
Pentax E90 as a Street photography camera
46
screen is fixed
lack of image stabilization
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
47
fixed screen
does not have image stabilization
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Canon A490 Sports photography advice
Pentax E90 Sports photography advice
16
continuous shooting slow (1.0 fps)
no shutter priority mode
lack of image stabilization
megapixel count low (10 megapixels)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect autofocus
16
no shutter priority mode
does not have image stabilization
MP count low (10 megapixels)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Canon A490 Travel photography features
Pentax E90 Travel photography features
50
built-in flash
no Timelapse recording
megapixel count low (10MP)
does not posses selfie friendly screen
wide angle not the best (37mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.0)
50
has built in flash
doesn't have Time Lapse function
MP count low (10MP)
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
wide angle not the best (32mm)
slow max aperture (f3.1)
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Landscape Comparison

Canon A490 as a Landscape photography camera
Pentax E90 as a Landscape photography camera
22
no manual focus
can't switch lenses (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not the best (37mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.0)
small screen (2.5 inch)
lack of manual exposure
lack of image stabilization
megapixel count low (10 megapixels)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
no Timelapse recording
22
no manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not the best (32mm)
slow max aperture (f3.1)
tiny screen (2.7 inch)
no manual control
does not have image stabilization
MP count low (10 megapixels)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
doesn't have Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Canon A490 as a Vlogging camera
Pentax E90 as a Vlogging camera
21
wide angle not the best (37mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.0)
does not posses selfie friendly screen
lack of image stabilization
video res low (640 x 480 pxls)
no external microphone support
22
wide angle not the best (32mm)
slow max aperture (f3.1)
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
does not have image stabilization
video resolution low (1280 x 720 pxls)
doesn't have external mic support
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Canon A490 vs Pentax E90 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon A490 and Pentax E90
 Canon PowerShot A490Pentax Optio E90
General Information
Company Canon Pentax
Model type Canon PowerShot A490 Pentax Optio E90
Type Small Sensor Compact Small Sensor Compact
Announced 2010-01-05 2010-01-25
Physical type Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Powered by - Prime
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 10 megapixel 10 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 4:3 and 16:9
Highest resolution 3648 x 2736 3648 x 2736
Highest native ISO 1600 3200
Minimum native ISO 80 80
RAW format
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
Continuous AF
AF single
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Total focus points 5 3
Lens
Lens support fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 37-122mm (3.3x) 32-95mm (3.0x)
Highest aperture f/3.0-5.8 f/3.1-5.9
Macro focusing distance 1cm 6cm
Crop factor 5.8 5.9
Screen
Type of screen Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 2.5" 2.7"
Resolution of screen 115k dots 230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Lowest shutter speed 15 seconds 4 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/2000 seconds
Continuous shooting rate 1.0fps -
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Set WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 3.00 m 3.50 m
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync -
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (15 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 640x480 1280x720
Video file format Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 175 gr (0.39 lb) 145 gr (0.32 lb)
Physical dimensions 94 x 62 x 31mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2") 102 x 59 x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery ID 2 x AA 2 x AA
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom, Face) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage type SC/SDHC/MMC/MMCplus/HC MMCplus SD/SDHC, Internal
Card slots 1 1
Price at launch $99 $100