Canon S90 vs Sony HX10V: Which Compact Camera Still Holds Up in 2024?

When diving into compact cameras that have made their mark, the Canon PowerShot S90 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX10V frequently come up. Both heralded their own innovations at launch and still attract enthusiasts seeking a pocket-friendly shooter that outperforms typical smartphones. But which one is truly the better choice today? I’ve spent many hours testing, comparing specs, and shooting real-world scenarios with both of these compacts, aiming to help you decide if either fits your needs - or whether newer alternatives are worth considering.

Below, we’ll explore everything from physical ergonomics to sensor technology, autofocus behavior, and real-life performance across photography genres. I’ve integrated contextually relevant images, practical tips, and seller’s advice here to keep the content deeply helpful and trusted, leveraging my decade and a half of hands-on camera testing experience.

Getting a Feel for Them: Size, Build, and Handling

First impressions matter, right? The Canon S90 and Sony HX10V are both small, yet they cater to slightly different niches - the S90 being a classic “premium compact” and the HX10V pushing into “superzoom” territory with a longer lens.

Physically, the Canon S90 is noticeably more streamlined, measuring 100 x 58 x 31 mm and weighing just 195 grams. Its compactness makes it superbly pocketable and discreet, perfect for street photography or an everyday carry. The Sony HX10V, while still compact, is chunkier at 105 x 60 x 34 mm and 234 grams - understandable given its 16.7x zoom lens. It feels a touch more robust in hand but also less stealthy.

Grip and control placement are good on both but lean towards different uses. With the Canon, the controls are tighter, and because of the smaller size, the ergonomics favor quick handheld shooting but can feel a bit cramped for people with larger hands. Sony offers a slightly thicker grip, adding comfort during extended handholding sessions, particularly when shooting with the longer zoom engaged.

Control Layout and Top-Plate Design: Easy Access or Clutter?

Now, the user interface is where you begin to notice subtle design philosophies.

The Canon S90 impresses with a minimal yet intuitive control layout. Dedicated dials for aperture, shutter speed, and exposure compensation (even manual shooting mode with full control) are front and center - a rarity in compacts. For enthusiasts who enjoy direct, tactile adjustments, Canon’s approach is refreshing. The button placement is logical, although the lack of touchscreen means you’ll rely heavily on those buttons and the dial.

The Sony HX10V, in contrast, opts for a more streamlined approach, focusing on zoom versatility with a top-mounted zoom rocker and traditional small compact controls. It lacks dedicated exposure dials; instead, many settings hide within menus, slowing workflow for professionals or enthusiasts chasing spontaneity. However, the rear boasts a sharp, high-resolution 3.0-inch TFT LCD that clearly displays options and settings.

Between these two, I preferred Canon’s hands-on control for my style of shooting, where quick adjustments matter - especially in dynamic lighting. Sony excels if you prioritize zoom flexibility but don’t mind fiddling through menus.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of the Camera

Let’s dive deeper into image quality - where sensor tech, resolution, and lens quality intertwine.

The Canon S90 houses a 1/1.7-inch CCD sensor with 10 megapixels. Though modest by modern resolution standards, this sensor size provides a solid balance of low noise and detail rendering for its class (note the wider physical dimensions means better light-gathering ability compared to smaller sensors). The Digic 4 processor was state-of-the-art at its release, contributing to respectable image processing, balanced color reproduction, and reasonable dynamic range (DxO scores: 20.2 bits color depth, 11.0 EV dynamic range, low light ISO 185 rated).

Sony’s HX10V features a smaller 1/2.3-inch BSI CMOS sensor with 18 megapixels, nearly doubling resolution. The back-illuminated design improves low-light sensitivity and noise performance compared to older sensor tech. While DxO did not officially test the HX10V, real-world tests generally suggest sharper images at the center with good detail retention, though noise can creep in earlier as ISO climbs, especially beyond ISO 800.

What does this mean practically? For crisp, low-noise shots, the S90’s larger sensor and lens aperture (f/2.0 at wide) provide excellent image quality for landscapes and portraits, especially in moderate light. The Sony sacrifices some sensor size for extra megapixels and an extended zoom range, better for wildlife and travel if you need reach but with slightly more aggressive noise reduction.

The Screen and Viewfinder: Your Window to Composition

Both cameras omit electronic viewfinders and rely on rear LCDs - an understandable compromise to keep compact size.

Here, the Sony HX10V clearly outshines the Canon S90 with a 921k-dot, 3-inch “XtraFine TruBlack” TFT LCD, offering vibrant colors, excellent contrast, and good visibility under bright conditions. This makes framing easier and reviewing images more satisfying.

The Canon’s 3-inch LCD sports a lower 461k-dot resolution and is a fixed screen, making it less crisp and flexible. The screen’s maximum brightness is also limited, which can be frustrating in direct sunlight.

Neither camera has a touchscreen - at this level of photography, I preferred physical controls anyway, but Sony’s better LCD is a noticeable win for those who want cleaner previews.

Autofocus, Burst Rate, and Shooting Speed: How Fast Can You React?

The speed and accuracy of autofocus - and burst mode performance - are crucial if you shoot moving subjects or need responsiveness.

The Canon S90 employs a contrast-detection AF system with 9 focus points and no continuous or tracking autofocus. It focuses reasonably accurately in well-lit conditions but can fall behind when tracking moving subjects or in dim indoor lighting. Its burst rate tops out at a modest 1 fps, better suited for relaxed shooting than action.

Conversely, the Sony HX10V offers improved contrast-detection autofocus, plus face detection, 9 AF points, and rudimentary AF tracking. Its continuous shooting mode reaches 10 fps, a standout for a compact from its era, capable of capturing fast action sequences or wildlife moments. However, the autofocus system can hesitate in very low light or at extreme telephoto lengths.

So, if you’re aiming to shoot sports, wildlife, or dynamic street scenes, Sony’s system and burst speed give it an edge. For portraits or landscapes where speed is less critical, Canon’s reliability and precision have you covered.

Lens Quality and Zoom Versatility: Prime vs Zoom?

This really distinguishes these two at a glance.

Canon S90’s lens: a sharp 28-105mm equivalent with a wide aperture range of f/2.0–4.9. The bright f/2.0 at wide is superb for shallow depth-of-field effects - think luscious bokeh for portraits or dim interiors.

Sony HX10V’s lens: an impressive 24-400mm equivalent zoom (16.7x) with f/3.3–5.9 aperture. This extends your reach tremendously, great for wildlife or distant subjects, though less capable in low light or portraiture requiring creamy backgrounds.

Personally, I adore the S90 for portraiture, thanks to those wider apertures and tighter optics. Sony’s superzoom ability excels on travel or wildlife trips, when carrying multiple lenses isn’t an option.

Low-Light Performance and Image Stabilization: The Night Owls

Shooting in dim situations truly tests a camera’s mettle.

Canon S90’s CCD sensor and maximum ISO 3200 provide usable results mostly up to ISO 800; noise levels climb rapidly after. Optical image stabilization helps handholding at slower shutter speeds but will only do so much once light is very low.

Sony HX10V benefits from BSI CMOS sensor design and offers a maximum native ISO of 12800, although usable results tend to drop after ISO 1600. The longer zoom focal length demands steady hands or a tripod, with optical steady shot stabilization helping significantly.

For night or astro photography, neither camera is ideal - Canon’s lower ISO ceiling and slower sensor limit both; Sony’s more modern sensor is better but with grain creeping in. Both lack specialized long exposure modes you’d find on newer cameras.

Video Capabilities: Beyond Still Photos

Video is increasingly important, even for enthusiast compacts.

Canon S90 shoots basic 640x480 VGA video at 30 fps, outputting H.264 compressed movies. This is, frankly, dated and quite limiting for today’s standards.

Sony HX10V impresses for its class with 1080p full HD at 60 fps, plus 720p and standard-definition options. It records using MPEG-4 or AVCHD formats, and while no external mic input exists, the video quality and frame rates make the HX10V a substantially better video companion.

Hence, video shooters will gravitate toward Sony’s clearly superior option here.

Battery Life and Storage: Practical Everyday Use

Basic but essential questions: How long can you shoot? How do you store your files?

Sony HX10V offers up to 320 shots per charge using its NP-BG1 battery - respectable but not exceptional. Canon S90's battery details are less clear, but typically it handles fewer shots per charge due to older tech and LCD power draw.

Both accept SD cards; Sony’s broader memory card support includes SDXC plus Sony’s own Memory Stick Duo formats, adding some flexibility.

In real-world shooting, both require carrying spares for extended trips.

Connectivity and Extras

Sony HX10V holds a slight edge with Eye-Fi card compatibility, enabling wireless image transfer, and built-in GPS tagging, a fabulous aid for travel photographers wanting location metadata embedded.

Canon S90 lacks wireless or GPS features, which may limit workflow for those who rely on instant sharing or geotagging.

Real-World Photography Tests: Putting Them Through Their Paces

To really know a camera’s mettle, one must test across genres. I’ll summarize how each stacks up in common photography fields.

Portrait Photography

Canon S90 shines with its bright f/2.0 wide aperture and pleasing color reproduction. Skin tones render smoothly without overprocessing. The limited number of autofocus points and lack of face or eye detection (no animal eye AF either) means manual focus finesse benefits portraits here.

The Sony HX10V does include face detection, facilitating easier focus on portraits, but the smaller sensor and narrower apertures limit bokeh creation. Portraits appear overall slightly less creamy but still sharp.

Landscape Photography

Canon’s larger sensor area, wider dynamic range, and balanced color depth allow for richer landscapes and fine detail capture. The fixed lens at moderate zoom ranges suits compositions well, but the 10MP resolution may feel limiting for massive prints.

Sony’s higher megapixels help crop flexibility but the smaller sensor means less dynamic range and slightly increased noise in shadows.

Neither camera is weather sealed, so plan accordingly outdoors.

Wildlife Photography

Sony’s superzoom blows the S90 away here - 400mm reach versus Canon’s 105mm equivalent makes hands down the better choice for bird or wildlife shooters on a budget.

The faster burst speed and rudimentary AF tracking also favor Sony, though neither matches current pro standards.

Sports Photography

Similar to wildlife, Sony’s faster burst rate and zoom edge make it better suited for quick moving subjects. However, both cameras’ AF systems are modest, so they’re better for casual sports photography than serious action.

Street Photography

Canon wins this category thanks to its discreet size and quick manual controls. The f/2.0 aperture helps in low light, and the sub-200g weight stays unintrusive.

Sony’s larger size and noisy zoom motor may draw unwanted attention.

Macro Photography

Both offer 5cm macro focusing, but Canon’s lens tends to produce crisper close-ups with better background blur due to wider aperture.

Night and Astro Photography

Neither is ideal; Canon’s lower ISO and image noise limit workability. Sony’s 12800 max ISO and optical stabilization help but only up to a point.

Video Use

Sony’s full HD 60fps video is far and away better, ideal for casual filmmaking or vlogging in bright conditions.

Travel and Everyday Use

Sony’s greater zoom versatility, GPS, and wireless features cater well to travel photographers wanting flexibility.

Canon’s smaller size and superior control interface appeal to minimalists or street shooters who value form factor over zoom.

Professional Work

Neither camera meets modern professional standards but for RAW support, Canon beats Sony (which lacks RAW output entirely). Canon’s files integrate better into professional workflows.

Canon S90 screen back Sony HX10V front Sony HX10V screen back

Here you can see side-by-side the Canon’s warmth and saturation versus Sony’s sharper yet sometimes noisier detail rendition, illustrating these differences in skin tones and outdoor shots.

Overall Performance Ratings: Statistical and Subjective

To summarize measured and tested scores:

As expected, the Canon S90 scores better in image quality and control ergonomics, Sony HX10V leads in zoom, video, and burst rate.

Niche-Specific Performance Breakdown

This breaking down helps visualize where each camera shines:

• Portrait: Canon clearly ahead
• Wildlife & Sports: Sony dominant
• Street: Canon’s smaller form factor preferred
• Video: Sony best by a mile
• Travel: Sony’s zoom and GPS advantageous

Final Thoughts: Who Should Buy Which?

If you want a compact, intuitive, manual-control-friendly camera that produces excellent still images especially for portraits, landscapes, and street use, the Canon PowerShot S90 remains a very valid option - classic, pocketable, and skillful.

If versatility, extended zoom reach, better video quality, and modern conveniences like GPS and Eye-Fi wireless integration matter more, and you can handle a slightly larger pocket camera, the Sony Cyber-shot HX10V is your champion.

Both cameras show their age in sensor tech and video compared to today’s mirrorless cameras and smartphones, but for enthusiasts favoring compactness and practical usability, they each offer a compelling, affordable experience.

Dear Canon, Dear Sony: Some Parting Requests

• Canon: Please bring back the magic of the S90 in a modern iteration - bright lens, RAW, manual controls, and a decent LCD. We miss you.
• Sony: Your zoom and video are killer here; just push autofocus and RAW support harder next round.

If you want my full hands-on comparison with image samples and walk-through, check out my extended video review linked above. But in the meantime, I hope this deep dive helps you decide the perfect compact camera companion for your photography adventures in 2024!

Happy shooting!