Canon PowerShot S90 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX700: A Deep Dive into Compact Camera Excellence

In the fast-evolving world of compact cameras, the Canon PowerShot S90 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX700 stand out as compelling options from the 2010 era. Both target enthusiasts and casual photographers who demand high image quality, versatility, and portability without diving into bulky DSLRs or mirrorless systems. We’ve spent extensive hands-on hours with each, testing their real-world performance across multiple photography disciplines. This comparison unpacks their technology, design, and practical use scenarios to help you confidently choose the right camera for your creative needs.

First Impressions: Size, Handling, and Build Quality

Physical ergonomics often influence the shooting experience as much as optics and sensors. Let's start by examining the size and form factor.

The Canon S90 is slightly thicker and heavier, offering a more substantial grip - an advantage for steady handling, especially when shooting handheld at slower shutter speeds. The Panasonic FX700, on the other hand, capitalizes on a slimmer, lighter chassis that enhances portability - the kind of camera you’d easily slip into a pocket for casual daytrips or travel.

The S90’s body feels more robust, a byproduct of Canon’s intent to provide a more “advanced compact” experience. The Panasonic opts for subtle ergonomics, compensating with touchscreen interaction for quick navigation. Our experience suggests that while the FX700 is great for on-the-go shooting, the S90 feels more comfortable during prolonged sessions.

Designed for Hands-On Control: Top Layout and Interface

Having easy, tactile access to key controls greatly benefits enthusiasts who want to quickly adapt in changing conditions.

• Canon S90: Sporting dedicated dials and buttons for aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and exposure compensation, it empowers you with creative control reminiscent of DSLR operation. The DIGIC 4 processor ensures responsive menu navigation.
• Panasonic FX700: Incorporates touchscreen functionality alongside physical buttons. Aperture and shutter controls are accessible but require navigating through on-screen menus more often than the S90.

If you relish manual control and quick adjustments without diving into menus, the Canon’s layout will serve you better. But if you’re comfortable with touchscreen-driven interfaces and prefer a more streamlined body, the FX700's design is appealing.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

A camera’s sensor and processing pipeline define the quality of your images, from sharpness to dynamic range and color depth.

The Canon S90 benefits from a larger 1/1.7" CCD sensor with 10 MP resolution, enhancing image quality particularly in noise levels and dynamic range. DXOMark tests assign the S90 an overall score of 46, highlighting respectable color depth (20.2 bits) and dynamic range (~11 EV), with low-light performance rating an ISO 185 equivalent.

The Panasonic FX700 clocks in with a smaller 1/2.3" CMOS sensor but with a higher 14 MP count. Larger pixel density generally means more noise, especially in low light, but the FX700 compensates with a more modern Venus Engine FHD processor and a higher native maximum ISO of 6400. Unfortunately, it does not support RAW capture, which limits post-processing flexibility.

In practical terms, the S90 excels in producing cleaner files with better tonal gradation, critical in portrait and landscape work. The FX700 offers higher resolving power under good light thanks to its pixel count but will show noise in dim conditions.

Viewing and Composing Your Shots: Screen and Viewfinder

Neither model includes an electronic viewfinder (EVF), relying heavily on their rear LCDs for composition.

The Canon S90 sports a brighter, higher-resolution 3-inch fixed LCD that makes reviewing images and menu navigation more comfortable. By contrast, Panasonic’s inclusion of a touchscreen on the FX700 provides intuitive interaction, though the lower resolution presents a softer image preview.

From an experienced standpoint, the higher pixel density and brightness on the S90 render fine details and focus verification better in various lighting scenarios. However, if quick focus point selection via touch appeals to you, the FX700 has that flexibility.

Lens Versatility and Macro Capabilities

Fixed lens zoom systems define what kind of shots you can take at different focal lengths, affecting all photography types.

The wider lens start of the FX700 (24 mm) suits landscapes and street photography more flexibly, capturing more scene context. Its longer 120 mm maximum focal length zoom gives more reach for casual wildlife or sports snaps but at the expense of a slower max aperture, which can challenge low-light shooting and shallow depth of field effects.

Canon’s faster f/2.0 maximum aperture at the wide end is a distinct advantage for low-light and portraiture, allowing you to isolate subjects with pleasant background blur (bokeh). Its macro capabilities, while slightly less close than Panasonic’s 3 cm, still permit handheld macro shots with good autofocus precision.

Autofocus and Shooting Speed: Capturing the Moment

Autofocus (AF) performance profoundly impacts usability in dynamic or spontaneous scenarios.

With a slower 1 fps burst rate, the Canon S90 feels limited for fast action photography. Its 9- point contrast-detection AF provides adequate accuracy but struggles to track moving subjects effectively.

Alternatively, the Panasonic FX700 offers an impressive 10 fps continuous shooting mode, better suited to capturing fleeting moments in street or sports settings. However, its autofocus points are fewer and less documented, and it lacks face or eye-detection autofocus, a feature that is increasingly essential in portrait and wildlife photography.

Portrait Photography: Skin Tone Rendering and Eye Detection

Portrait shoots demand accurate color, skin tone rendering, and pleasing subject isolation.

• Canon S90 excels with its large sensor and fast 28mm f/2.0 lens, offering natural skin tones and smoother background blur. Unfortunately, it lacks face or eye-detection AF but has centre weighted metering and a manual focus option useful for creative control.

• Panasonic FX700 provides higher resolution but its smaller sensor and slower aperture degrade shallow depth of field effects. The touchscreen and face recognition software are minimal or unavailable, reducing precise focus on eyes.

For portrait enthusiasts prioritizing image quality and artistic control over automation, the Canon S90 is the stronger candidate.

Landscape and Travel Photography: Dynamic Range and Versatility

Landscape photography hinges on dynamic range and resolution to capture vivid scenes, while travel demands portability and battery life.

• The Canon S90’s larger sensor delivers a better dynamic range (approx. 11 EV), crucial for preserving highlight and shadow detail in scenes like sunsets or forest walks. Its f/2 aperture assists in lower light situations, but its shorter zoom reach might require cropping.

• The Panasonic FX700’s zoom range (24-120mm) caters to diverse compositions, from wide vistas to distant subjects. Its higher resolution sensor captures fine detail. At 176 grams and slimmer dimensions, it’s slightly easier to carry for travel photographers.

Neither camera offers weather sealing, so caution is required shooting outdoors in harsh environments.

Wildlife and Sports Photography: Focusing Speed and Burst Performance

When photographing fast wildlife or sports, autofocus speed and continuous shooting dominate the user experience.

• Canon S90 falls short due to its slow burst rate (1 fps) and AF system limited to single-shot contrast-detection. This restricts its ability to track fast movement or capture sequences.

• Panasonic FX700’s 10 fps burst is impressive for a compact, increasing the odds of capturing the key moment. However, absence of tracking AF and slower lens aperture limits performance in low light or high-speed bursts.

For casual snapshots of animals or action, the Panasonic offers more flexibility and responsiveness.

Macro Photography: Getting Close with Precision

Both cameras feature macro focusing, essential for close-up nature or detail work.

• Canon’s 5 cm macro minimum focus distance enables strong detail retrieval, especially with its faster aperture aiding depth of field control.

• Panasonic’s 3 cm macro lens gets you closer, providing greater magnification. Its image stabilization helps handheld shooting at such distances.

If your passion lies in fine macro imaging and handheld shooting, the Panasonic FX700’s closer focusing and stabilization offer a tangible benefit.

Night and Astrophotography: High ISO and Exposure Options

Shooting in low-light or astrophotography requires strong noise control, long shutter speeds, and exposure flexibility.

The Canon S90 offers longer exposure times (up to 15 seconds), critical for astrophotography, alongside RAW support, which is invaluable for noise reduction and exposure adjustments in post-processing.

The Panasonic FX700 has a higher max ISO, potentially brightening stars or night scenes; however, no RAW capture limits quality control, and the minimum shutter speed of 60 seconds is ample but not superior.

For night landscape or star trails, the Canon S90 maintains an edge due to its RAW support and exposure flexibility.

Video Capabilities: Resolution and Stabilization

Compact cameras increasingly double as video shooters. Here is how our contenders compare:

The Panasonic FX700 outperforms with full HD recording at 60 fps, delivering smoother, more detailed video suited for casual videographers and vloggers alike. Its touchscreen aids in videography settings adjustments.

The Canon S90 is limited to VGA resolution, significantly lagging for today’s video expectations. If video is part of your creative workflow, the FX700 is the clear choice.

Battery Life and Storage Flexibility

Neither manufacturer lists official battery life figures, but both support standard Li-ion batteries typical in compact cameras.

• The Canon S90 uses an NB-6L battery, known for decent longevity but no wireless connectivity options.

• The Panasonic FX700 supports SD/SDHC/SDXC cards plus internal memory, giving you flexibility to store images and videos onboard when cards are not available.

Neither camera includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or GPS, which are increasingly common in contemporary compacts.

Price to Performance: Getting the Best Value

As refurbished or used units, these cameras fall into budget-friendly categories.

The S90 commands a premium for image quality and manual controls despite its age. The FX700 appeals with aggressive shooting speeds and video specs for less.

In Summary: Who Should Choose Which?

Canon S90 screen back Panasonic FX700 front Panasonic FX700 screen back

These sample images illustrate how each camera performs under varying conditions. The Canon S90 renders smoother skin tones and better low-light detail, while the Panasonic FX700 excels in reach and video clarity.

Deep Dive Into Genre-Specific Performance

Let's consider this objective numeric assessment from our testing methodologies.

• Portraits: S90 outperforms with better skin tone smoothness.
• Landscape: Tie, though S90 edges in dynamic range, FX700 wins in resolution.
• Wildlife and Sports: FX700’s burst rate is beneficial.
• Street and Travel: FX700’s compactness and zoom range are favorable.
• Macro: FX700’s closer focusing and stabilization provide advantages.
• Night/Astro: S90’s ISO noise handling and RAW offer higher quality.
• Video: FX700 dominates with 1080p60 recording.

Overall Performance and Final Thoughts

Our thorough real-world tests yield this overall scoring: The Canon PowerShot S90 remains a stalwart in image quality and manual control for serious photographers craving creative freedom in a compact body. While its video and continuous shooting specs feel dated, the fidelity of its still images is durable for years.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX700 serves content creators who value versatility - especially video shooters, wildlife enthusiasts, and those who favor portability. Its fast burst rate, reach, and HD recording capabilities make it a flexible tool for casual and enthusiast use alike.

Recommendations for Your Photography Journey

• Getting started with portraits and low-light work? Try out the Canon S90 for rich colors and manual exposure mastery.
• If you crave video, travel ease, and continuous shooting speed, the Panasonic FX700 fits perfectly.
• For macro and nature shooting, the FX700’s closer minimum focus and stabilization tip the balance.
• Enjoy nightscape and astrophotography? The Canon’s RAW file support and longer exposures open creative doors.

Wrapping Up: Which Compact is Your Next Companion?

Both cameras have stood the test of time in their own rights, offering unique propositions shaped by sensor technology, design philosophies, and intended user experiences. Your choice boils down to how you prioritize image quality, controls, and additional features like video and shooting speed.

We encourage you to handle both - if possible - feel their ergonomics, navigate their interfaces, and envision how they sync with your shooting style. Pair your decision with the right accessories (extra batteries, neck straps, protective cases) and expand your creative horizons.

For more detailed hands-on reviews and sample galleries, head to established camera review platforms. Exploring real user samples in online forums also offers practical insight.

Here's to capturing your best moments, empowered by the right camera tool for your passion and budget!

This comprehensive comparison reflects our expert technical evaluations and real-world testing knowledge, equipping you with authoritative insights for your next camera purchase.