Canon 90D Review

Canon 90D: 32.5 megapixels with and mirrorless

With the M6 Mark II and EOS 90D, Canon presents a mirrorless and a SLR camera with a new, identical APS-C sensor with 32.5 megapixel resolution, which now also allows 4K video recording with dual-pixel CMOS AF. As a classic digital SLR camera, the 90D is much larger than the M6 Mark II. Although the 90D takes fast serial pictures, the small mirror lot is much faster.

Short evaluation

Pros

• Handy housing
• Excellent menu navigation
• Wide range of functions
• Bright pentaprism finder
• Good noise behavior

Cons

• Spartan housing gasket
• Resolution with the 18-135 mm set lens rather moderate
• Fluctuating AF speed

Canon 90D vs M6 Mark II

The EOS M6 Mark II and 90D have a lot in common with the associated technologies due to the identical image sensor alone. It is a newly developed 22.5 x 15 millimetre APS-C sensor (crop factor 1.6), which with 32.5 megapixels currently offers the highest resolution in the APS-C range. The pixel density corresponds approximately to an 83-megapixel 35mm sensor or a micro-four-thirds sensor with a resolution of almost 21 megapixels. Thanks to new manufacturing technologies, the noise should not increase compared to earlier, lower resolution sensors, but it is not a sensor with backward exposed BSI technology.

The sensor offers a dual-pixel CMOS AF function on 5,481 positions covering 88 percent of the horizontal and 100 percent of the vertical image area. For the sake of simplicity, only 143 AF segments in a 13×11 grid can be controlled via the user interface. The AF is sensitive up to -5 LW, so it also works in moonlight. The sensitivity range of the sensor starts at ISO 100 and ends at ISO 25.600 without and ISO 51.200 with extension. In addition, the sensor offers a silent electronic shutter with up to 1/16,000 second short exposure time.

For the first time, the sensor in the APS-C range allows the dual-pixel CMOS AF to be used during 4K video recording, which can now use the entire sensor surface and achieve up to 30 frames per second. In Full HD, on the other hand, even 120 frames per second are possible. Alternatively, 4K videos can also be recorded with 1.2-fold crop, which is also used to record high-speed full HD videos. The video length is limited to 29 minutes and 59 seconds playback time, that means with Full-HD with 120p a maximum recording length of 7 minutes 29 seconds. Both cameras also offer Clean HDMI with 4K.

The Canon EOS 90D is similar in size to the 80D, the same battery handle fits, but is a bit lighter than its predecessor. [Photo: Canon]

Canon EOS 90D with EF-S 18-135 mm IS Nano USM.

In addition to face recognition, they also share eye autofocus, which also remains active during 4K video shooting and, of course, continuous shooting. WLAN and Bluetooth are also on board, so the smartphone can also be used for geotagging as an alternative to the GP-E2 GPS. Since Bluetooth allows a simple connection, NFC is no longer used. Via WLAN, the camera can be connected not only to a smartphone but also to a hotspot in order to transfer images and videos to a cloud and from there to social networks or a local computer. Thanks to power-saving Bluetooth, the camera can even be woken up in your pocket to transfer pictures. The M6 Mark II and 90D are also compatible with the BR-E1 Bluetooth remote release.

In addition, both cameras offer a UHS-II-compatible SD card slot, which allows the buffer to be quickly emptied, for example when taking continuous pictures with a corresponding memory card. Both models are also capable of an interval function including 4K timelapse, and thanks to 4K frame grab, still images can be extracted from video sequences.

Introduction To The Canon 90D

The Canon EOS 90D is the successor of the EOS 80D and has a very similar body. It consists of an aluminium body with a polycarbonate housing, which is sealed against dust and splash water at a similar level to the 5D series. The battery used is the LP-E6N, which, according to the CIPA standard, allows more than 1,800 images without flash or around 1,300 images with flash if the SLR is used. This enlarges 0.95 times (0.59 times in 35 mm equivalent) and covers 100 percent of the image field.

Despite its similar size to the 80D, the 90D is even somewhat lighter, but is compatible with the same BG-E14 battery handle as the 80D. A new feature is the joystick on the back, which has been added to the familiar Multicontroller. The fact that the rear touchscreen can be swivelled and rotated is already known from the 80D.

In addition to the 45 cross sensors, the phase autofocus now has nine auxiliary line sensors that are not marked in the viewfinder. 27 of the AF sensors still work at a speed of F8, so that even quite “dark” lens teleconverter combinations can still be focused automatically. Also new is the light meter with 220,000 pixels resolution. This is sufficient to realize a face recognition and also makes the tracking autofocus better.

A new feature is the joystick on the back of the Canon EOS 90D, which has been added to the familiar Multicontroller. The screen on the back is movable but does not reach any peak values in terms of luminance. [Photo: CANON INC.]

As usual, the touch screen of the Canon EOS 90D can be swivelled and rotated sideways. [Photo: Canon]

But why do you need a SLR viewfinder and its phase autofocus when mirrorless systems are now so good and often even superior in terms of serial image frequencies? On the one hand the reflex viewfinder is energy-saving, without delay and also works with the camera switched off, which is practical if you have to wait longer for your subject. In addition, due to their smaller measurement base, the phase AF sensors integrated on the image sensor can only measure in which direction the AF has to travel and approximately how far. But in principle they are “short-sighted”. The large phase AF sensors of DSLRs such as the 90D, on the other hand, can measure the distances at which objects are located, precisely. This enables the phase AF to calculate even better where the camera should focus and to follow the focus more closely in the event of unpredictable movements and changes in direction of the subject. Furthermore, the large DSLR phase AF systems can handle the invisible infrared AF auxiliary lights of system flashes, which the image sensor phase AF points cannot do because they are infrared blind through the upstream filters.

Back to EOS 90D: Your series image performance is impressive. In viewfinder mode, ten continuous shots per second are possible with tracking autofocus. In Live View mode, there is even a maximum of eleven continuous shots per second, but only with One-Shot AF (AF-S). With Tracking AF (Servo AK), the serial frame rate with live image drops to seven frames per second. Another new feature is a pull-along motif program that works at 5.7 continuous frames per second and is intended to simplify the recording of pull-along motifs. The buffer holds a maximum of 54 continuous images in JPEG or 23 in raw. By the way, the mechanical shutter is 1/8,000 second fast.

The EOS 90D offers micro-USB (without charging function), mini-HDMI, a remote trigger connection, a microphone input and a headphone output as interfaces. From 12 September 2019, the Canon EOS 90D will be available at a price of just under 1,300 euros. With the 18-55 mm IS STM as the set lens, the price rises to 1,400 Euros, if you take the 18-135 mm IS Nano USM instead, almost 1,700 Euros are due.

Ergonomics and workmanship

The new APS-C recording sensor (22.5 x 15 millimetres) developed by Canon for the EOS 90D, among others, has 32.5 megapixels (effective), the pixel density of an 83 megapixel 35mm sensor. According to Canon, thanks to new manufacturing technologies, image noise has not increased compared to earlier sensors. Whether this is true, can be found in the “Picture Quality” section later in this test report.

The EOS 90D is the successor to the EOS 80D, which is getting on in years. The case measures about 147 x 105 x 77 millimeters (width x height x depth) and weighs about 710 grams including SD memory card and battery. The housing is made of polycarbonate on an aluminium chassis. The plastic feels a bit like plastic, but does not make a cheap impression. The handle is very well formed and offers enough space and grip for the entire hand. The grained rubber coating is attached to strategic points such as the handle and the well-shaped thumb recess on the back as well as on the left camera side. However, the rubber coating on the left side of the camera is rather useless, as there is not enough space to hold the camera well. Here the rubber coating has probably rather aesthetic reasons.

The operating elements are manifold and very well positioned. In total, the 90D has two rotating wheels, one of which is located above the trigger and the other is positioned on the back around the steering pad. In addition, the camera also has a joystick on the back, Canon’s first in this camera class. It is not only used for focus field selection, but can also be used for menu navigation instead of the control pad. The controls are optimally within reach of the index finger and thumb, so that the photographer always has the camera safely under control.

The switch between photo and video mode has been strategically placed. This consists of a small shifting ring. In the middle of this ring there is a small button that has two different tasks. In photo mode, the live image is activated and in video mode, the button becomes the video trigger. Depending on the mode selected, the function settings in the camera’s setup menu may also change. With the extensive equipment of the EOS 90D, this is also quite a good idea, although you may have to search for certain functions a little longer because you don’t suspect them to be exclusively linked to a certain operating mode.

The 7.7 centimeter (three inches) touchscreen is attached to the camera with a swivel joint and can be swung out (maximum 180 degrees) and rotated by a maximum of 270 degrees. In addition, the monitor can be rotated so that it faces the camera and is thus optimally protected from mechanical influences and nose-prints when looking through the viewfinder. When the monitor is retracted, the photographer can see all shooting settings on the LCD display on top of the camera, which works very well even in the dark thanks to an activatable backlight. Speaking of lighting: the monitor’s luminance reaches a maximum of 568 candelas per square metre. That’s not bad, but it’s not really good either. The use of the monitor at high ambient brightness, especially as a viewfinder, is therefore somewhat limited.

Of course, the EOS 90D has a reflex viewfinder. It represents 100 percent of the image field. The viewfinder technology used is not a low-cost mirror viewfinder, but a real prism viewfinder. This type of viewfinder scores with a large and bright viewfinder image. The disadvantage is that the prisms are slightly heavier and more expensive to produce. It’s commendable that Canon didn’t cut corners at this end despite the camera designed for beginners. In order to compensate for minor eye defects, the viewfinder offers diopter compensation. With this the viewfinder can be balanced by -3 to +1 dioptres. The viewfinder magnification factor is 0.95x, which corresponds to 0.59x magnification for a 35 mm camera.

The EOS 90D features a touch screen, joystick, pad and two rotating wheels to help you navigate through the camera settings. But nothing works with the recording settings without the Quick Menu button or the Q button. This key is available virtually on the touch screen or as a real mechanical key on the housing on the back. With the Q key, it is possible to make relevant settings for photographs first, the photographer gives the camera the command to react to inputs. The detailed settings are then made via the wheels and confirmed with the joystick or the “set” button in the middle of the control pad or the Q button. The preassigned functions on the various swivel wheels and knobs do not require the Quick Menu button. These can also be configured extensively in a practical way. Canon also shows you how to operate the camera in Live View. By visible delimitations of the announcements the photographer recognizes, in which ranges changes are possible and in which simply not.

Thanks to the different navigation options, there are different possibilities for operating the camera and navigating the menus. This means that every photographer can acquire the best operating concept for himself and more or less choose his preferred type of menu and setting navigation. The 90D is very flexible when it comes to individualization options. In addition to a configurable menu, the photographer has two memory locations available for storing and recalling complete configurations. These memory locations can then be selected directly on the mode dial on the top of the camera.

The EOS 90D’s connection options are just as lavish. A micro-USB plug (without battery charging function) is available for data transmission, but it is incomprehensible why no USB-C interface was installed. Videos can be transferred to your home TV via Mini-HDMI (Type C). To avoid having to use the camera’s built-in stereo microphone, optional external microphones can be used, provided they have a 3.5 mm jack plug. A stereo headphone connection for 3.5 mm jack plugs has been integrated for better sound control. The last interface allows the optional cable remote release TC-80N3 to be connected via a 2.5 mm jack plug socket. Of course, neither WLAN nor Bluetooth functions are missing in the EOS 90D. But more about that later.

In terms of proportions, the EF-S 18-135 mm IS Nano USM fits well with the EOS 90D housing. [Photo: Canon]

In the EOS 90D, the memory card and battery each have their own compartment. While the battery compartment is located on the underside of the camera, the memory card is located on the right side of the handle. Media with an SD form factor is used as the memory card. The camera can process SDHC, SDXC, UHS-I and even the fast UHS-II storage technologies. How fast the memories should be, we clarify in the section “Equipment”. The LP-E6N, which has been known for a long time, is used for the power supply. The battery is designed to hold up to 1,300 shots when the viewfinder is used and the flash only needs to be activated for 50 percent of shots. The optional BG-E14 battery handle can be used to extend battery life. Then the photographic range doubles. By the way, the BG-E14 was already used in the EOS 70D and 80D. So those switching from one of these cameras can continue to use batteries and the battery handle.

According to Canon, the EOS 90D is splash-proof. On closer inspection, we discovered a small foam/rubber element on the battery door to prevent water from entering. The interfaces of the camera are equipped with soft rubber covers that “plug” into the interfaces. This should make it possible to carry out the protective application to prevent splashing water and dust. The memory card compartment has no visible seal at all. However, as mentioned above, this is accommodated in the handle and in most cases this is sealed by the human hand of the photographer. The EOS 90D doesn’t have the really luxurious rubber seals known from Olympus or Pentax.

The small manually fold-out flash unit on top of the camera has a guide number of 13 at ISO 100 and a shooting distance of one meter. With this performance it does not stand out from cameras in this class. The 90D also features a system flash shoe and the ability to control external system flashes via light pulses using the built-in flash light. Four channels and two groups are available for this purpose.

Equipment

Inside the EOS 90D, the Digic 8 image processor takes care of all camera control and image processing. This also includes the 5,481 autofocus measuring points integrated on the recording sensor. These are so-called dual pixels that allow fast and very precise focusing directly on the image plane. They function according to the same principle as phase AF sensors. In this type of sensors, two sensor units with an obliquely ground microlens are used. The bevel of both microlenses is in opposite directions. If one of the sensors now detects a contrast edge, it compares the signal of the two sensors. Depending on how the two signals differ, the image processor detects how far away the object to be focused is and whether the focus distance needs to be reduced or increased. The focus is not set correctly until both signals are identical.

Canon uses a metal bayonet for the lens mount of the camera. [Photo: Canon]

A new feature is the joystick on the back of the Canon EOS 90D, which has been added to the familiar Multicontroller. The screen on the back is movable but does not reach any peak values in terms of luminance. [Photo: CANON INC.]

Fortunately, the photographer doesn’t have to manually control this huge number of focus points. Canon has grouped the individual sensors together. There are a total of 143 AF segments which are distributed over 100 percent of the sensor height and 88 percent of the sensor width and thus cover the majority of the image field. As far as speed is concerned, the EOS 90D with the EF-S 18-135 mm IS USM unfortunately doesn’t deliver any peak values. The focus time fluctuated considerably, especially in the wide-angle range, so that without Live View we finally determined an average shutter release delay with autofocus of about 0.43 seconds in the wide-angle range and 0.31 seconds in the telephoto range. With Live-View, the calculated values of 0.4 and 0.43 seconds were much closer together. The camera’s shutter release delay was only 0.07 seconds, regardless of the operating mode set.

In addition to the “usual” autofocus functions, the 90D of course also offers a fast tracking function where objects can be marked as targets. Once the mark is made, the camera tries to keep the point in focus. That also works pretty well and above all quickly. The dual-pixel autofocus can be used in both photo and video mode, and for the first time with 4K video resolution.

The light meter with 220,000 metering points celebrates its premiere in the EOS 90D. However, the data from the sensor is not only used for differentiated exposure metering, but also supports facial recognition and tracking autofocus. Of course, the motif programs and the automatic motif control benefit from the improved sensor technology of the camera. Anyway, the EOS 90D has a lot of functionality in the background. This includes, for example, the electronic correction of lens errors, the optimization of tonal values and the adjustment of image processor settings via an automatic system or individually set parameters. However, these settings are only relevant for JPEG recordings.

The EOS 90D has, like some Canon system cameras (EOS RP, EOS M6 Mark II), a so-called focus bracketing. Although this function is not a world novelty in itself, it is nevertheless worth mentioning. In this series of shots, the camera extends the focus range by always changing the focus a little bit. The difference in focus between the individual shots is determined by the photographer before the task on a scale of one to ten. In addition, the number of shots is specified. In addition, one can create a separate folder for the series of focus shots before shooting, so that the maximum of 999 images are easier to find. An external software is required to calculate the images into a single image. For this purpose, one either uses the free Canon Digital Photo Professional or another image processing software that can calculate the single images. However, this function has one small limitation: it can only be used in Live View mode. We will introduce this function in more detail in a photo tip.

An interval timer belongs to good sound in this camera class and Canon doesn’t get lumpen here. Detail settings allow interval duration and number of shots to be adjusted (maximum 99). A Bulbtimer allows you to control long exposures via a timer. This puts an end to the times when the photographer stands next to the camera with a stopwatch and a remote shutter release and has to wait until the time has elapsed. The timer allows exposure times of up to 100 hours.

In the side view, the covers for the interfaces are clearly visible. [Photo: Canon]

As already indicated in a subordinate clause, the EOS 90D is also capable of 4K video recording (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) with a maximum of 30 frames per second. Even though the maximum recording time is limited to a little less than 30 minutes, videos can still be recorded without any problems. The cinematic ambitions are supported by a microphone input and an audio output for sound control, both with 3.5 mm jack plugs. In addition, the modulation can be adjusted and an electronic wind filter can be activated. The camera also offers an HDMI clean output, so that an external recorder can be used to record the videos (then without time limit).

While 4K recording without a digital image stabilizer is possible without cropping the image angle, the image is slightly cropped when using the digital stabilizer. If there is an optical image stabilizer in the lens, it can of course be used in addition.

In addition to 4K video recording, the EOS 90D can also take 4K time-lapse shots directly in the camera. Various default settings are available for this purpose. The photographer can also create his own presets with a few settings. He can choose from an interval time of 2 to 4 seconds and between 30 and 900 shots. In addition, other parameters can be adjusted, such as when exposure metering is performed for a shot. The 4K time-lapse images can only be stored as MP4 at 25 or 30 frames per second.

Since the camera has an SD memory card slot with UHS II technology, we now want to answer the question of how fast the camera stores. In this test we used the Panasonic SDXC UHS-II V90 Class 10 64 Gigabyte memory card. According to Canon, the camera should be able to store ten raw images per second for 23 consecutive images. Our test couldn’t quite confirm that. The camera reaches about 7.3 frames per second and from 23 frames the buffer memory was full and had to be emptied at about 172 megabytes per second. As expected, the JPEG shots reached a continuous shooting speed of ten frames per second, which the camera was able to maintain up to the thirtieth frame. Thus, when buying a memory card, it is recommendable to make sure that the memory card can write at least 172 MB per second, then nothing stands in the way of untroubled continuous shooting and video enjoyment.

When it comes to image reproduction, the EOS 90D offers a wide range of options, including “standards”. For example, images can be reduced in size, trimmed, effects applied and rotated. In addition, raw data development is available in the camera. Furthermore, pictures can be presented in a slide show with various transition effects and music. In addition, the camera offers the possibility to cut videos and also provide background music, but this must first be brought by the photographer on the memory card.

Hidden in the handle is the memory card compartment for the SD memory. [Photo: Canon]

In addition to the connection options already mentioned, the EOS 90D, like any modern DLSR, offers the option of being connected to a smart device via wireless functions. All you need is the free Canon Connect App (iOS and Android) or the EOS Utility if you want to connect the camera to a local wireless network. Connecting the camera to the smart device for the first time is quite easy thanks to a good guide in the app, but it does take a few minutes. If the initial pairing of the two devices has been successfully completed, future pairing processes will be noticeably faster.

The EOS 90D offers a Bluetooth and a WLAN connection option. While the WLAN connection is able to transport large amounts of data, the Bluetooth connection is very economical in energy consumption. So when it comes to transferring images to the smartphone, the device connects the smart device to the camera via WLAN. The WLAN connection is also used for the Live View remote control. The Bluetooth connection, on the other hand, is used for geotagging. In other words, the camera retrieves the position data from the smartphone during the recording and writes it into the metadata of the recording. In addition, the photographer can use the app to remotely trigger the camera via the Bluetooth connection. In contrast to the Live View remote control, however, no settings relevant for the recording can be made. In this case, the Bluetooth connection virtually only replaces the wire remote release.

Picture quality

We tested the Canon EOS 90D together with the EF-S 18-135 mm IS Nano USM available in the set.

As already mentioned, the EOS 90D uses a CMOS sensor with about 32 megapixels of effective resolution. The pixel density corresponds to that of an 83 megapixel 35mm sensor. Such a high pixel density also places high demands on the lens used and the 18-135 mm IS Nano USM does not stand out here. The reason for this is not the negligible edge darkening of a maximum of 0.3 EV in the wide-angle, but the inconsistent correction of the distortion. This is visible in all focal length ranges. In the wide-angle the distortion is strongly barrel-shaped (about 3 percent). In medium and maximum focal length the distortion reaches a cushion shape of about 1.5 percent.

In addition to the monitor on the back, the photographer also has an illuminated LC display on the top of the camera.

Color fringing can be a problem with lenses that have a large zoom range. However, the EF-S 18-135 mm IS Nano USM is not very strongly affected by this. On average, color fringes are almost not visible at all in wide-angle and only slightly visible in other focal lengths. All in all, there are fortunately no unusually large colour fringes visible.

Resolution is a combination of the camera sensor, signal processing and lens resolution. The camera-lens combination can resolve a maximum of about 59 line pairs per millimeter in 35mm equivalent (lp/mm) in wide-angle at 50 percent contrast. For such a high-resolution sensor, this is also the minimum value it should reach. In other focal length ranges, however, the resolution decreases. It is pleasing to note that the drop in sharpness to the edge of the image is quite small.

On the image processing side, the camera is very gentle, so there are only a few artifacts that arise from the subsequent sharpening. The disadvantage of a small resharpening is the missing sharpness impression in the picture. Up to ISO 200, the EOS 90D presents sharp images, with the sharpness slowly decreasing as the ISO setting increases. However, sharpening or adjusting the image processor setting in the camera can counteract this impression.

When Canon introduced the EOS 90D, it was announced that the noise behaviour would not differ from current models with less resolution. This statement is confirmed without any doubt. The signal-to-noise ratio is OK up to ISO 800 and fine details are reproduced differentiated in the image. Only beyond this does the interference signal superimpose the image signal. The image noise is fine-grained over the entire ISO range, the uncritical brightness noise becomes visible from ISO 6,400. Colour noise is hardly visible in all ISO settings.

The tuning of the sensor is rather soft and so it is not surprising that the input dynamics are very high up to ISO 6,400. It does not sink to low values either. The tonal value transfer is, as to be expected, very bulbous. This means that midtones are raised to display all image areas in detail. The output side of the tonal values is also convincing with slightly more than 224 grayscales. These decrease with increasing ISO setting and only fall below the 128 grey levels at ISO 3,200.

The 1/4″ tripod connector is located in the optical axis and in the middle of the camera.

The EOS 90D’s battery and memory card compartments are separated.

The color fidelity of the camera is good. However, there are color areas in which the color fidelity is sacrificed to a pleasant image impression. These include red-magenta, red-orange, yellow-green, magenta and orange shades. Colour differentiation is very good to good with over four million colour tones up to ISO 800 and over two million up to ISO 6,400.

Bottom line

Canon shows with the EOS 90D that the APS-C SLR cameras are not yet a thing of the past. It is equipped with everything the beginner needs to easily enter the world of digital photography and it also offers enough technical potential to support photographers in their long term ambitions. The fact that the camera remains easy to operate despite the wide range of functions is due to the excellent user interface and the diverse navigation options. The housing design is convincing and combines a pleasant, ergonomic shape with modern ease of use using high-quality materials.

Whether the combination with the 18-135 mm IS Nano USM unleashes the maximum performance of the camera is doubtful. However, the lens is an ideal “always on” for photographers and videographers. It doesn’t reach any peak values in the resolution, but it is quite even from the center of the picture to the edge of the picture. The autofocus is unfortunately not the fastest with the lens, after all the camera is very fixed with the pure delay. Otherwise, the autofocus functions in photo and video mode are convincing. In the end, the camera convinced us and we are sure that Canon has succeeded in launching an APS-C DSLR that can easily stand up to mirrorless system cameras.

Canon EOS 90D Datasheet