Canon SX1 IS

	Nikon P90 Comparison
	Design & Handling	Page 12 of 16	Olympus SP-590UZ Comparison

The Nikon P90 is the low-cost choice among our reviewed ultrazooms, at just $400 for a 12-megapixel camera with 24x zoom. It has a 3-inch LCD that tilts up and down from a bottom hinge, though it doesn't fully pivot the way the Canon SX1 screen will. The Canon costs $200 more for a slightly shorter zoom and lower resolution (at 10 megapixels), but provides full 1080p video recording, where the Nikon is stuck in old-fashioned 640x480 movie mode. The Nikon comes with a rechargeable Lithium ion battery, a potential plus versus the AA-burning Canon, but if you invest in a set of rechargeable AAs you'll get more shots per charge with the Canon than the Nikon can deliver, plus the ability to buy off-the-shelf AAs if your rechargeables peter out while shooting.

Despite the Nikon's higher megapixel count, our still image lab test results favor the Canon by a significant margin in nearly every category (the P90 did turn in better scores for image noise). The Nikon image stabilization system was ineffective in our testing, a considerable stumbling point for an ultrazoom camera. And when it comes to continuous shooting, the Canon smoked the Nikon with 3 frames per second versus 1.36 fps. The Nikon does offer a much higher top ISO setting, though, with ISO 6400 at full res.

All told, the Nikon P90 isn't a bad camera for the price, but we far prefer shooting with the Canon.

	Comparison Scores
	Canon SX1	Nikon P90
Price	$599.99	$399.95
Color	14.44	12.94
Noise	8.74	9.17
Resolution	9.67	8.24
Image Stabilization	18.73	0.00
Shot to Shot	5.65	2.34
Video Color	10.93	2.45
Video Sharpness	6.02	0.36