Photography News issue 72

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PERFORMANCE: ISO

SPECS

These test shots were taken in CR3 Raw format and processed inAdobe Lightroomwith no noise reduction applied. In-camera noise reduction was turned off too. It was late in the evening and the exposure for the ISO 100 shot was 1.6sec at f/11. Starting at ISO 100 and 200, as you would expect, images are very smooth and clean andmoving to ISO 400 reveals faint graining in areas of smooth tone although some work in software would get rid of it. Up to ISO 800 and the noise ismore prominent even though it is still very acceptable. Noise continues to creep up and, viewed at 100%on screen, by ISO 1600 fine detail starts to suffer. With sympathetic processing, there should be no problemgetting large prints from this speed for critical use. I think you could still get away

with large prints at ISO 3200 but the saturationmay need a boost and evenmore noise reduction applied, taking care of course not to smudge the fine detail. Shoot at ISO 6400 and expect noise, but this speed can deliver fine results if an action stopping speed is the priority.Just look at the go- karting shots on the following page where the only option was to shoot at such ISOs for action-stopping shutter speeds. Up to ISO 12,800 and beyond and the levels of digital noise are very high, so use with care. To sumup, the EOS 90D gives a generally sound digital noise performance and while graining does start to appear even at ISO 400 and 800 you can get great quality at ISO 1600 and even 6400.

›  Prices £1299 body and EF-S 18- 55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, £1209 body only ›  Sensor 32.5megapixels, CMOS, DIGIC 8 processor, low pass filter ›  Sensor format APS-C, 22.3x14.9mm, 6960x4640 pixels, 1.6x crop factor ›  Lens mount Canon EF/EF-S ›  ISO range 100-25,600, expandable to 51,200. In video 100-12,800 expandable to 25,600 ›  Shutter range 30secs to 1/8000sec plus B Flash sync 1/250sec. 1/16,000sec top electronic shutter speed ›  Drive modes Single, continuous L, continuous high up to 10fps in finder and 11fps in live view, 7fps withAF in live view, silent single shot, silent continuous, self-timer modes ›  Exposure system 220,000 pixel RGB+IRmetering sensor, 216 segments via optical viewfinder. Evaluative metering linked to all AF points. 384 zones in evaluative metering via live view. Centre-weighted, partial and spot metering available in live view and via viewfinder ›  Exposure compensation +/-5EV in 0.3 or 0.5EV steps. AEB +/-3EV in 0.5 and 0.3EV steps ›  Monitor Vari-angle touchscreen, 3in, 104K dots ›  Viewfinder Approx 100% coverage, 0.95x magnification ›  Focusing Dual Pixel CMOSAF, on sensor phase detect, EV-3 to 18 working range ›  Focus points 45 cross type. Manual single point, spot AF, zone AF, large zone AF. Focus bracket ›  Video 4K 3840x2160 at 29.97p, 25fps; 4K time lapse 29.97, 25fps; Full HD 119.88, 100, 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25fps ›  Connectivity Wi-Fi, ›  Image stabilisation Optical IS on compatible lenses, movie digital IS ›  Other key features Integral flash, GN12, picture styles, 29 custom functions, water and dust resistance, intervalometer, focus bracket, in-camera Raw processing, multi exposure mode ›  Storage media 1xSD/SDHC/ SDXC UHS-II compatible ›  Battery capacity LP-E6N, 1300 frames approx. at 23°C, 1200 at 0°C Bluetooth, USBMicro B, HDMI mini, microphone and headphone socket

ISO 3200

ISO 100

ISO 800

ISO 1600

ISO 6400

ISO 12,800

IS0 25,600

ISO 51,200

On the rear panel, apart from the AF selector button, there’s a decent size AF-ON button that’s perfect for the right thumb; no need to alter digit position to use it, and there's a focus lever too. Such controls used to be the province of top-end cameras so it is wonderful that the feature is finding its way onto more enthusiast-focused cameras. The EOS 90D’s lever is a good one and works well, being responsive and positive in use. However if you prefer, the large multi controller on the rear can also be used to navigate the AF point around. The EOS 90D has a quick menu (the Q button) and this calls up many frequently used features such as ISO setting, aperture, drive mode and exposure compensation to be adjusted on the touchscreen. The touchscreen comes in very useful for selecting and setting up menu items. You can use the physical controls such as the two input dials to find your way around the menu structure but the touchscreen is faster and probably more intuitive for many. The touchscreen also comes into play for touch focusing/shooting and during image playback too. Personally, I found the touchscreen good to use for many functions but found touch

THE EOS 90D′S TOUCHSCREEN COMES IN VERY USEFUL FOR SELECTING AND SETTING UP MENU ITEMS

view too depending on what has been set. The EOS 90D is typical of DSLRs and the AF point coverage does not extend too far beyond the centre of the screen and compares poorly with live view AF where there is near 100% vertical coverage and 88% horizontal coverage. There’s an AF selector button next to the front input dial which means you can access focus point selection very quickly and also means you have the option of using your forefinger or your thumb to adjust AF point selection.

›  Dimensions (wxhxd) 140.7x104.8x76.8mm ›  Weight 701g body only

ABOVE The EOS 90D’s layout is very ‘Canon’. Existing system users will immediately find themselves at home, and it’s easy for newcomers too

Issue 72 | Photography News 35

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