my take on LX3 (
i own LX3) and S90 (tried in shop only):
1. LX3 has got very poor
WB estimation in artificial light ending up with either more magenta in skin tone or blue tone in whites.
S90 seems to be doing better.
2.
LX3 has a
higher 2.5 fps. I shot kid's expressions using Shutter priority mode and burst mode, managed to capture a few 'golden' faces. Skeptical if S90's 0.9 fps can do the same job.
3. LX3 is has too odd shape making it not
pocketable at all. Though even when I bring my ixus out, I hardly put it in the pocket, so might do the same for S90.
S90 has got a more appealing form.
4. More juice out of the
LX3 battery.
5. LX3 has 24mm. Though an advantage since I sold my Sigma 10-20, but its short-coming is the lack of zoom! Hate that every time I wanna take a portrait shot. So positive or negative point? Step back to get wider shot or jump over the fence and trample over the pond just to get a closer shot of the man-eating white tigers? I vote for
more zoom even if its 3.8x, its still more versatile (more walkabout-able), face it...its
S90.
6.
Noise control and details. Both very much on par. Up to individual preference. I prefer
LX3.
7. LX3 fiddles around a small thumb-joystick which accesses almost all shooting settings, but I have always adored the
turn-wheel concept and control ring (despite it controlling only one function) of EOS, G-series and now
S90. Wheels are always better, just look at how successful an ipod is!
8.
HD video on
LX3! Love it on my HDTV.
9. No gripes over the handling of both, since I grew from ixus. No issues with the rear turn wheel of S90 since I rest my fat thumb on the thumb rest all the time.
10.
External bounce flash (using SB600 & SB800) gives very close to DSLR-ish outcomes. Direct flash is just something I will never use! I rather have noisy pictures than have direct flash killing the picture.
LX3 edges with hotshoe accessory.
11.
Appearance. Subjective but
LX3 of course! S90 looks like another incarnation of ixus.
12.
Special features such as dynamic B+W, pinhole effect or nostalgic effects. I think most image software has filters for it. But I do like the
dynamic B+W out of the
LX3.
13.
LX3 ver. 2.1 has a
zoom resume capability which I am loving so much! Not sure if S90 has it. I had a defective zoom lever on my ixus.... call that a phobia!
14.
1cm Macro on the
LX3 is definitely useful at times, but the AF can be rather cranky at that distance.
15.
Lens caps are a bitch! Swing here and there, dunks in the soup when taking a food picture. I prefer the cap-less
S90.
16.
Lanyard or
wrist strap doesn't matter. But a lanyard adds bulk to the LX3. Wrist strap can be changed to a neck strap too. Or even better, go strapless! So both are on par.
17.
Pwned-ness. This is a rather nonsensical point, totally subjective, but LX3 has a good track record of retaining its RP even one year on, and yet not being replaced buy a newer model with more fancy technology. With Canon's style, I just feel that before the warranty of my S90 expires, there will be a S95 or S100 etc. with HD video and or a fancy remote flash capability. Then I will really feel pwned.
At the end of the day, I love the LX3, goes in my bag everyday 24/7, but still yearn for the slightly more zoom and compactness of the S90. That's why might just get the S90 and play for a few months, then maybe sell the other which sits on the bench...
