Canon DSLR Camera [EOS 90D] with Built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, DIGIC 8 Image Processor, 4K Video, Dual Pixel CMOS AF, and 3.0 Inch Vari-Angle Touch…

I purchased this camera from Amazon CA but it is sold by a third party seller, who is not an authorized Canon seller. After using the camera for a few days, I started to check out some things on the cameras settings, in particular the firmware version. I saw that is was 1.1.3 and I went to Canon CA and the only update available was 1.1.1, so I called Canon and found out this camera may be from Europe, somewhere. Long story, short the camera is not recognized in Canada or the US, which means there is no manufacturer’s warranty, I am considering returning it but I really like it and it has the newest firmware that is not yet available, in Canada or the US. I was told that it is in the works to be available in the future.

This is arguably the best Canon APS-C, EF-S mount, DSLR.

It is relatively lightweight when compared to Canon’s full frame DSLR rivals, but still heavy in comparison to Canon’s Rebel’s and mirrorless offerings.

This is an ideal camera if you are invested in Canon EF-S glass and want to have the best images possible with the rest of your current setup. A really good upgrade for someone with a T5 Rebel or older.

Where this camera is less impressive is it’s software. It is familiar to anyone used to Canon’s cameras, but it is frankly stuck in the mid 2000’s with it’s connectivity menus and is relatively unintuitive (to beginners or anyone who isn’t very tech inclined).

Overall this is a good sensor, with a decently capable camera in a fairly okay, semi weather sealed enclosure. If the software was better this would be between 4.5 – 5 stars; unfortunately the software is holding this camera way back and it is only worthy of 3.5 – 4 stars.

J’ai regardé les reviews de cette caméra durant plusieurs semaines avant de faire le “move” Je voulais remplacer ma Canon SL3 et la 90D est parfaite. Le changement en valait grandement la peine. C’est assurément une coche au-dessus. La qualité des photos et des vidéos est impressionnante. Très confortable dans les mains. 32,5 mégapixels, 10 images/sec (rafale), vidéo 4k, écran tactile à angle variable.

I have a lot to say here as always, so I am just going to get right to it. I’ll cover the pros and cons, offer advice, and also have some comparisons at the end.

Pros (So many!)
1. 32mp Sensor – Up from the previous 24mp sensor, this provides even more detailed photos. It will come in handy when shooting subjects that have a lot of detail or when cropping will be likely, such as wildlife. I will let the images do the rest of the talking here.
2. 10/11 FPS burst – Same as the 7DmkII, this is a pretty nice upgrade over the 80D’s 7fps, or any lower level/older model, most of which are 3-6 FPS. I know the newer mirrorless cameras are boasting more than this, some as much as 20FPS, but in all honesty not everyone really needs it. Using an 80D and 5D I haven’t really had trouble getting those stand-out action shots with 7fps. More is usually helpful but not required; 10 FPS should be able to cover almost anything. It’s possible to do 11fps when using the electronic shutter, but you can’t use the OVF while doing it (only possible in live view), and there are likely the usual artifacts/issues with this (rolling shutter). I doubt the 1 extra fps will ever matter, I only mention it for your info.
3. 4K video –In addition to the already useful video functions of the 90D, Canon has finally added 4K to this series of camera. Even better, it is full sensor read out with dual pixel AF! They have also added 120p, but only in FHD and with no sound or AF. Maybe a future firmware update can solve that.
4. 45pt AF system with Face Detection and other improvements – Those that have the 80D, 77D, or T7i will recognize this AF system. The 90D ups the ante by adding face detect AF through the viewfinder, though it seems it is only usable if using the “all points” mode. I’ve not used it much, and I realize it’s not as good as eye AF, but it will find the face and lock onto it, following it automatically without the need for you to recompose. I think it’s mostly going to be good for action shooting. For portraits I think you would be better using a single point to select the eye as your point of focus or to use live view for eye AF. They have also added “Spot AF” as one of the options, which uses a smaller sample area inside the AF box to allow for more precise placement of focus. Also of note, the AF system seems to be faster and more accurate than the previous models. Lastly, If you like to use tele-converters the 90D can still use AF at F8 with 27 AF points, 9 of which will be cross type. This is up from the 80D’s one AF point. It makes this a far more viable option for those that like to use teleconvertors. This is only relevant to teleconvertors though; other lenses behave normally, meaning AF will work all the way to F32.
5. Eye AF – Speaking of eye AF, the 90D has it, but it only works in live view. It also works for video and tracks continuously. I have only tested it for low key portraits and it works well. For action, I would think it is going to be a little too slow to keep up, since you can only use it in live view. I don’t think it was possible to add eye AF to the view finder, since it is not electronic. This is one of the biggest tradeoffs of DSLRs vs mirrorless cameras. I still like my OVF for action, but eye AF and exposure preview in the EVF of mirrorless cameras is starting to look very appealing as the industry continues to improve the overall function of EVF. This is something to consider when looking at this camera. It’s good that it at least has some kind of eye AF, even if not through the OVF.
6. Improved battery life – CIPA rates this to 1300 shots per battery. To be honest CIPA ratings are very conservative. I would bet a battery at full charge would easily clear 1500 to 1800 shots in one charge, maybe more! For video I saw a noticeable increase in battery life over the 80Dl, at least a 30% increase. Note – uses the same battery as the 80D, 77D, 70D, 7DmkII, and most the 5D series!
7. Solid build/weather sealing – Like the 80D, it has an all magnesium alloy body with weather sealing. I would bet the sealing is not any better though, which is to say it might survive if caught in bad weather but isn’t as reliable as higher models (5DmkIV, 1DXmkII). This is something that is hard to judge since there are people that have seen unsealed bodies survive rain and fully sealed bodies die in it. I personally don’t like to risk it. If you get caught in the rain you can probably get to cover, but I wouldn’t push it. Note – shutter is rated to 100,000 actuations.
8. UHS-II mem cards – much faster than the UHS-I cards the previous models use. They can write as fast as 260mbps and read at 300mbps, while UHS-I cards can do 90mpbs and 170mbps at max, respectively. This seems to be mostly for 4k recording though, see the cons on the buffer for more info.
9. Thumbstick – At last! Canon has finally added a thumbstick to a camera that is under 2K. It is in the same location as you would find on a 7D, 5D, or 1D. However, it’s not as good as those. It basically just emulates the D-pad. Still, it works very well to its better ergonomic placement (where your thumb rest on the back of the camera). I’m already addicted to it. I really can’t stress enough how glad I am they added this feature. It’s missing the selector button seen on other models, so you still have to use the button by the shutter to change AF modes.
10. Bluetooth and WIFI – If you haven’t checked out the Canon camera connect app yet, you should. This allows you to connect your camera strait to your mobile device and use it as a remote. You can also transfer images straight to the mobile device this way too. It’s pretty cool. NFC is gone, but Bluetooth all but replaces NFC anyway.
11. Other stuff –Same battery grip as the 80D/70D. Headphone jack to monitor audio during video recording (the 80D is the only other camera in this class to have this). Control layout is almost identical to 80D, only now with the thumbstick. Can charge through USB. 1/16,000 sec max shutter, but only in electronic shutter (I have not tested this), 1/8000 sec otherwise. Still has the middle hot shoe pin so it can work with 3rd party flash accessories (unlike the T7 and SL3). Clean HDMI output, which I think is also a first for this series. I could just keep going on about the good things in this camera.

Cons. This is here for your information; most is not worth the removal of a star. I will explain why I removed a star if I do. Otherwise it is up to the user to know what they are getting and how to use it.
1. Price – At 1200 USD for just the camera this is an expensive one. There are several other cameras these days that are in this same price range in the mirrorless category, and that is fine if that is what you are looking for. They do have some advantages, the EVF probably being the biggest one. It’s hard to advise one way or another in this case, so see the comparisons at the end.
2. Only one card slot – In my review of the 80D I talked about why it was becoming important for cameras in this class to have 2 card slots. More and more cameras are offering it in the mid-range, making them better choices as event cameras thanks to the redundancy you get from the second card. I mentioned since it wasn’t common at the release of the 80D that it wasn’t worth a star, but if the 90D didn’t have 2 slots that it would cost it a star. So, 1 star off for only having one card slot. The lack of a second card slot is starting to matter in a world where more and more cameras have it in this price class. Nikon and Canon both are guilty of this, while Sony and Fujifilm are putting 2 slots in most of their midrange cameras. All cameras priced 1000 USD or more should have some form of a second slot these days, and I can’t overlook this on the 90D. 1 star off, for no second slot.
3. Buffer is disappointing – With the faster burst and support for UHS-II cards I was expecting a better buffer depth. Shooting full res RAW I can shoot 24 shots before hitting the brick wall using a UHS-II card with 260mbps write speed. I can get 22 from a UHS-I card with 90mbps. Almost three times as fast and I only gain 2 shots? I would guess that at least part of the problem here is the larger file size as the result of the 32mp sensor, but I still think that I should be getting a lot more frames from the UHS-II card. If using the C-RAW file type, Canon’s fairly new compressed RAW format, you can push it to 60 frames, which is pretty good as long as you don’t mind a little compression (I do, but you might not). Oddly, I was able to get that from both the UHS-I and UHS-II cards, so I gain nothing from the faster and more expensive card when it comes to shooting stills! So if you are going to be using this as a sport/wildlife camera and want to know if it is worth the extra money to get the UHS-II cards, it might not be if you already have the fastest UHS-I cards. I expected more here, but as I said before I suspect the support for a faster card is more for 4K recording.
4. Doesn’t have the 7DmkII AF system – More of a gripe than a con, I hoped that Canon would add the excellent 65pt AF system from the 7DmkII to the 90D. They made several improvements to the 45pt system from the 80D, but if you have ever used a 7DmkII you know how much better it could have been. The 65pt system has more customized AF zones to help capture action and is known for its accuracy, while also giving better overall coverage in the OVF. The 7D even had an earlier version of face detect in the OVF. If they could have fit this in with all the other improvements, it would have been great! Not a big disappointment, but still disappointed.
5. Lack of high resolution lenses – At least for EF-S. There really aren’t a lot of lenses Canon makes for crop cameras that will be able to use that new 32mp resolution to its full extent. I think the EF-S 60mm F2.8 will do well, and maybe the EF-S 24mm F2.8. Most EF-S lenses are either out of date (17-55mm F2.8, 15-85mm F3.5-5.6), or just not meant for high end shooting (18-55mm, 18-135mm, 10-18mm, 55-250mm). Canon just never really supported the crop sensor format the way they could have. Maybe they will change their mind about EF-S with the 90D, but I really doubt it. There are plenty of EF lenses that will do well, but those are some pricey lenses. To be clear, I am not saying that this can’t take great photos on these lenses. What I am saying is that I am not sure there will be a noticeable difference in a straight comparison with the older 24mp sensor with typical lens setups. So here is hoping that Canon does us a solid and gets us a few really great EF-S lenses for this sensor. I would love to see an update to the 17-55mm F2.8!
6. Other Stuff – AA filter for those that care (I don’t on this camera). Weather sealing likely isn’t as robust as higher models (common to this series). No selector switch/button on the thumbstick like the higher models. Battery grip doesn’t have a thumbstick. USB charging requires special adapter (annoying). No focus peaking, even in live view. This was a feature I was really hoping for, since I focus manually for video. Built in level can’t be used in any live view mode, you have to go black out to use it, which is lame. Still has the 29:59 limited video length due to EU duty tariffs, but I have hope that is going away soon.
A note about the 4K– As I write this there is quite a bit of speculation about the 4K, specifically how Canon is accomplishing the full sensor readout. Popular opinion seems to be either pixel binning or oversampling and upscaling. I don’t know and Canon hasn’t said. So until more is known about it I am not commenting on it any further. I tested it and it worked well and looked good. I personally don’t care to shoot 4K since the files are huge. 1080 is enough for all I use it for.

A note about 24p – At launch Canon made a controversial decision to not offer 24p as a frame rate for video. Fans cried out and Canon listened to them, for a change. There is a firmware update coming in 2020 that will be adding 24p to the options on the 90D. For the time being it still does not have it, so if you have the camera or want to know if you can record in 24p you will be able to before too long. I really feel they never should have omitted it to begin with, and anyone that feels that alone was enough reason to take a pass on the 90D I can understand. Canon has a bruised rep at the moment, and it is one they have earned through decisions like this. At least this time they are making it right.

Conclusions
Overall I really like what is going on with this camera. I am disappointed in the overall buffer size and the lack of a second slot, but that isn’t stopping me from doing what I do. The 10fps burst is a welcome benefit, as is the much improved battery life. And even though I don’t think most the EF-S lenses are up to the task of rendering at 32mp, I personally have plenty of high end glass that will and most looking into this class of camera either also have good glass or are looking into it. I also love the eye AF and face detect, and have taken full advantage of both. I don’t regret getting the 90D for what I will use it for. For video, it’s still on the bulky end, but also still competent. I rate the 90D four stars.

Lastly, I have some breakdown/comparisons to other cameras. Wouldn’t be a WOFG review with it!

Vs the 7DmkII – This can be found new for about the same price as the 90D (1400 vs 1200) and used can be had for under 1000 USD. It has two card slots and a larger buffer; you will get ~32 shots before it fills. It has been a staple with wildlife shooters for years, but the sensor is quite old. The 32mp sensor on the 90D is going to allow for more cropping, which is almost certain for wildlife photos. The 90D likely has a DR advantage as well (there is no test data on the DR yet, but I am guessing around 13 stops), and probably does at least comparably well at higher ISO settings (though the 7DmkII probably does better). Another advantage the 90D has for action is the C-RAW file type allows it to carry on for 60 shots in burst if you are ok with compression. The 7D does not have this option as it pre-dates C-RAW. The 7D is more robust though, and will stand up to the elements. The 90D has the flip out screen, the 7D does not. Honestly, I can’t see taking the 7D over the 90D unless you absolutely have to have that more robust build, which is not common. If wildlife is your main game-plan, the 7DmkII is still a beast and probably beats the 90D in all areas except overall IQ. For all else the 90D is the better choice, especially landscapes and portraits.
Vs the 80D – I think this is an important comparison, since a lot of people are probably wondering “is it worth the upgrade”? This is largely based on what you do. If you have to have 4K, then yes. If you have some superior glass to put in front of that higher res sensor and you want that higher IQ, then yes. If you want that thumbstick, yes (so handy). Most importantly, are you tired of it sounding like you have ADD when people ask you what your camera is? If yes, then yes it’s worth it. LOL, in all seriousness I don’t regret getting it, but I also had a paying gig the day after I got it, meaning it was easier for me to justify it since I sometimes get paid to shoot. If you are still happy with what the 80D does for you it is still one of the best Canon ever made, and until the 90D was my favorite camera ever. If you can justify it, go for it. If you are not sure, give it some time and really push that 80D to the limits, since after all, it probably can still do everything you need it to do. Just read the review, and I hope that helps you decide.
Vs the T7i/77D – In short the 90D outclasses both these cameras in all areas except price. It is worth noting that I have seen both these cameras as low as 650 USD new. That is almost half what the 90D cost, and both are still very competent cameras (they are basically the same camera, with the 77D having a control scheme similar to the 80D). If you can’t quite justify the high price of these other cameras but want something with more punch than the base models, these will do fine for what they cost. Just hold out for those lower prices, otherwise the 80D will likely be coming down in price both new and used, and it also outclasses both these cameras.
Vs the M6mkII – Probably the most important comparison here, the M6mkII is looking pretty good. It has the same sensor and processor as the 90D, so same IQ. Same video specs (4K full sensor, DPAF, no 24p but is on the list to get it added like the 90D). For vlogging it is lighter, but the screen flips up instead of out, so if you mount a mic to the hotshoe the screen will be blocked, which is also why the EVF is detachable (M6 also doesn’t have a headphone jack). If the EVF is attached you can’t attach a flash or wireless trigger. In burst it can do 14fps, but buffers after 14 shots. This makes the 90D better for action, but the M6 probably still does OK. M6 AF system is all around better; it covers almost the entire EVF and also adds eye AF. EVF gives exposure preview, something the 90D can only do in live view. 90D destroys the M6 in overall battery life; M6 uses a smaller battery and the EVF just uses more power. I still like the 90D for what I do, since it is just going to hold up better for action shooting, but I think theM6mkII will be competent and will excel at just about everything else. M6 is cheaper, but I don’t suggest getting it without the optional EVF, and I also suggest the EF EOS M adaptor so that you can use EF and EF-S lenses. Adding all this pushes the price closer to what the 90D cost. Of note – There are only a few EF-M lenses that are worthwhile and they tend to be overpriced. Also, EF-M lenses can only be used on mirrorless APS-C cameras; they cannot be adapted to any other Canon including the RF mount. Simultaneously, RF lenses cannot be mounted to EF-M cameras and there is no way to adapt them. So the EF-M system has no upgrade path outside of other EF-M cameras. You can adapt EF/EF-S lenses, which are fully compatible with both the EF-M and RF mount cameras via an adaptor. I personally have no interest in any of the EF-M mount systems, since I really feel that Canon will abandon that mount eventually, preferring instead to add APS-C systems to the RF mount that will be able to use RF lenses and adapt EF and EF-S lenses. This is part of the reason I am sticking with the 90D, since all my lenses revolve around the EF/EF-S mounts. I can move them over to the RF mount once I feel that mirrorless is where I need to be. I do think the M6mkII is pretty good, just not what I want. If you were looking at the M6mkII over the 90D, well, there are a lot of good reasons to get it. I really can’t argue with the advantage that exposure preview and eye AF offer, especially if you are still learning the game. Just keep in mind some of the points I have made here to help you make up your mind. Also keep in mind this is not a review of the M6mkII; there are many other things to say about it, there just isn’t enough space to do it.

That’s all I got, all that is left is to check out the images. Thank you for reading the review! If you found it helpful, remember to hit that helpful button, thanks again!