Canon Powershot S90 IS Initial Impressions: Build Quality

I admit to having a slight bias against Canon. Maybe it's the New Yorker in me, but I tend to root for the underdog. Despite this slight bias, I've purchased a lot of Canon cameras. More than any other brand. Thing is, Canon knows how to build a serious compact.

I'm impressed with the S90 build quality:

- Battery/SD door is firm and heavy duty
- Dial around lens has a good, smooth resistance with satisfying clicks at each adjustment
- Body is metal with no creaking or play
- Parts are tapered and well fitted without gaps, similar to an Apple laptop
- Flash extends and retracts without any sense of wobble
- Mode dial has the right amount of resistance and feels sturdy
- Buttons are all firm with good action
- On/off button is nicely recessed unlike *many* other compacts
- Good crisp feel, travel, and responsiveness to the shutter release
- Rear dial lacks resistance, but that has not been problematic in any way


Two small issues:

- The dial around the lens is plastic and has a touch of play.
- The LCD on my brand new S90 had a couple extremely fine/subtle scratches on it straight out of the box. This makes me wonder whether it scratches easily. Time will tell!


Did I mention that this camera is very compact?  Here it is next to a GRD III.  Please excuse the poor picture quality.