http://www.digitalcameraworld.com OCTOBER 2019 DIGITAL CAMERA^111
is actually a superior camera to the
90D. Thanks to some strategic design
choices, however, the 90D has a few
tricks that its mirrorless sibling lacks...
Best of both worlds
There was plenty of speculation
leading up to the launch of the 90D,
with the prevailing chatter suggesting
that it would succeed both the Canon
EOS 80D and the 7D Mark II. While
the official word from Canon is that
it’s a replacement for the 80D, the
rumours certainly make sense
since the 90D introduces a
joystick – a definite amalgamation
of features from the two lines.
It retains the 80D’s articulating
screen, along with the dedicated
microphone and headphone jacks,
making the 90D just as geared
towards video – ideal for the
newly uncropped 4K mode, which
records to the entire image sensor.
The body feels familiar in both
operation and build quality. It’s not
4The articulating
3.2-inch screen is useful
to shoot at tricky angles
and folds out to assist
videos (and selfies).
6
The joystick controller
is an idea that’s been
brought across from
the higher-end
EOS 7D Mark II.8
A top display provides
feedback on essential
settings and makes
shooting with a tripod
more comfortable.5The optical viewfinder
provides 100%
coverage and, unlike
most EVFs, is blackout-
free for shooting action.
7
The addition of the
joystick has led to a few
control layout changes
compared with the
preceding 80D model.9
Canon’s familiar mode
dial gives you quick
access to shooting
modes – if it ain’t
broke, don’t fix it.678954Canon EOS 90D DSLR
an all-weather camera, and it doesn’t
have the feel of a high end body, but
neither does it feel like a flimsy entry-
level camera – particularly with
the addition of the joystick.
The joystick’s presence does cause
a slight juggling of buttons from the
80D, however, which is guaranteed
to confuse your muscle memory for
a time if you decide to upgrade. The
joystick now occupies the spot where
the Q button used to be – the Q button
replaces the Play button, just above the
control dial, while the Play button now
sits where the Trashcan button used
to live, just to the right of the LCD.
(The Trashcan button is now slotted
to the right of its former home.)
Once you’ve got over the annoyance
of pressing all the wrong buttons,
you’ll note that size-wise the 90D
is incredibly similar to the 80D,
which measures 139 x 105 x 79mm.
However, it’s substantially lighter –
29g lighter, to be precise – than the
80D’s 730g fighting weight.The 90D is geared towards enthusiasts who shoot fast action- where the optical viewfinder and 10fps burst come into their
own – and especially wildlife photographers, who will benefit
from the 1.6x crop factor, greatly enhancing the focal length.