Design: It may not be the slimmest model in the market but the Canon Powershot SD990IS fits into a pocket nicely with 3.8 inches wide by 2.5 inches high by 1.1 inches thick dimensions. Weighing in at 6.5 ounces with SD card and battery, it has a nice comfortable grip to go with its 2.5-inch, 230,000-pixel LCD screen. Controls are a little cramped, especially in the zoom ring department but nevertheless, still easy to use. There is also an optical viewfinder above the LCD display.
Specifications: At 14.7MP and with a 3.7x optical zoom the Canon Powershot SD990IS has some of the best specs for an ultra-compact in the current market. This model comes with a set of f2.8-5.8 36-133mm-equivalent lens. It can capture 30fps 640×480 movies and offers a sensitivity range from ISO 80 to ISO 1600. You can push it to ISO 3200 but this lowers the resolution to 2MP. The camera provides optical image stabilization and face detection, locating up to nine faces in the frame. For more control the camera offers Program AE and Manual modes.
Features & Performance: Utilizing the Canon Powershot SD990IS’s viewfinder the Quick Shot mode automatically adjusts focus and exposure for either faces detected in or at the center of the viewfinder without having to pre-focus, working well with moving subjects. The time frame from startup to first shot is nearly 2 seconds while the continuous shooting time is at a decent 1.3 frames per second. With a 0.5 to 0.6 second shutter lag and a shot-to-shot time of 1.9 seconds the camera performs respectably. The camera delivered consistently excellent photos with accurate colors that are well saturated while exposure is accurate even in tough conditions. ISO noise control is excellent at 200, great at 400 and good at 800.