Photography News issue 72

Big test

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PERFORMANCE: AUTOFOCUSING

Final word

This sequence was shot using the EOS 90D fitted with an EF200mm f/2 lens at a Canon event.What the still pictures can’t tell you was how grim the lighting was at this indoor go-karting track even though the appalling existing lighting was supplemented by several powerful LED continuous lights. However, the camera’s live viewAF tracked the subject really well coming towards the camera, as you can see here. The exposure was 1/800sec at f/2 and ISO 6400. It should be said that the go-karts were coming around a sharp bend so they suddenly appeared in view and at speed; so the camera did not always lock onto the subject successfully or quickly enough to then track. When it did lock on, though, the AF did really well as you can see here – the amazing EF 200mm f/2 lens helped too.

Verdict The EOS 90D sits top of Canon’sAPS-C DSLR range and it does so with good reason. It is a very capable, user-friendly DSLR and its feature set ismore than enough to tempt prospective buyers. fromanAPS-C sized sensor is very welcome and impressive. For others it might be the camera’sAF skills – although these aremost evident when live view is used, and not through the optical viewfinder – or even the fact that the battery can give 1300 shots fromone full charge. Whatever the key buying factors, there’s no doubt that the Canon EOS 90D is an impressive camera and maybe the future is not all full-frame andmirrorless. For many, the star attractionmight be the camera’s high pixel count and having 32.5megapixels available

FEATURES The main attraction is the sensor but there’s a rich feature set HANDLING Typically Canon, so very good and intuitive PERFORMANCE Accurate exposures and AF, decent ISO performance too VALUE FOR MONEY Rates good value and worth a look if a leading DSLR is what your heart desires OVERALL The EOS 90D is a capable camera that handles very well

23 /25

92 /100

IMAGES Give the Canon EOS 90D receptive conditions (good light, hard-edged subjects) and the camera’s tracking autofocus performs really well, but even in challenging conditions like those here at an indoor go-karting arena, the camera can do an amazing job in live view or through the optical viewfinder

PROS Overall control layout, 32.5 megapixels, live viewAF, headphone port, 4K video, articulating touchscreen CONS Size, AF point too easily moved when touchscreen AF set

WHERE THERE WAS MORE OF A PERFORMANCE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN USING THE OPTICAL VIEWFINDER AND LIVE VIEW WAS WITH AUTOFOCUSING

responded well in Lightroom with highlight and shadow control. Exposures were generally very good in a broad range of lighting situations and predictable too. This means you can dial in some compensation before even raising the camera to the eye; and that’s a good thing. Live view exposures were equally consistent. Where there was more of a performance difference between using the optical viewfinder and live view was with autofocusing. In general, shooting the EOS 90D’s AF – via the viewfinder or live view – the camera does a capable job. But faced with more challenging situations, live view AF could do better and more reliably. Live view AF, with its broader coverage and Dual Pixel AF, does a better job with moving subjects, plus there are more features such as focus bracketing, face/eye detection and touch AF which is much faster

to use than shifting focus point using the focus lever. Servo AF works well once a subject is acquired. The face/eye detect does a good job of keeping track with the subject as it moves around the frame – obviously this depends on speed and how it’s moving. For how well the live view AF can perform check out the sequence above, shot at an indoor go- karting track. The EOS 90D doesn’t have any image stabilisation built-in so you have to rely on the IS provided on many Canon EF-S/EF lenses. Lens IS is less effective compared with in-body systems especially for video shooting so that is something to be aware of. There is a two level digital IS for 4K and full HD video shooting and this comes at the cost of image cropping – the higher, enhanced setting gives a significant crop but does give a smooth result even when walking with the camera. WC

ABOVE The EOS 90D's layout is clear and key controls are clearly indicated and positive in use

38 Photography News | Issue 72

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