Canon PowerShot SX40 HS review

Design

Canon PowerShot SX40 HS review - Design

The SX40 is a carbon copy of the SX30 on the outside. In some respects this is a good thing: the build quality's sturdy, the camera holds well in the hand and shooting options are easy to access. But in other respects it's a letdown: the fact the 2.7in, 230k-dot LCD remains the same size and resolution is disappointing as other models - such as the Sony HX100V - come with 3in, 921k-dot screens. Of course the Canon's screen does bring the benefit of a full 180º horizontal and 270º vertical rotation for more adventurous framing.

Canon SX40 flash up The electronic viewfinder (EVF) is also as per the SX30, at 0.2in in size and with a 202k-dot resolution. While this is ample by common standards, it's a shame Canon hasn't pushed the boundaries as the SX40 feels somewhat ‘safe' by design. Certainly ‘if it ain't broke then why fix it', but there are tweaks and adjustments that should have escalated this release up a peg or two.

The SX40 also includes a hotshoe that's hidden under a plastic cap on top of the camera should you wish to use a more powerful Canon Speedlite external flashgun. Leave the hotshoe cap on and it meshes perfectly with the body - you'd be forgiven for assuming there was no hotshoe at all.

A rechargeable li-ion battery provides around 380 shots per charge, slightly more than the previous model was capable of, but only by 10 shots or so.

Control-wise and the SX40 HS features a four-way d-pad with a rotational ring for adjusting options, as well as a variety of quick-access and one-touch buttons for display and menu access. Pressing the Function button in the centre of the d-pad brings up the common options on screen for quick adjustment, or the main shooting/camera menus are accessed via the main Menu button. It's a well-versed system that's simple to get to grips with and use, though the rotational wheel can be a little tardy when changing settings.

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: £459.00

Scores

Design	18/20
Image Quality	19/20
Performance	17/20
Value	16/20
Features	18/20
Overall Score	88%

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Current Rating 3.5 (40 others voted)

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Latest comments

October 08 12:20

allan

the SX40 HS is a truly wonderful digital camera with fantastic picture quality and at the end of the day that`s what counts, not speed or gimmicks....picture quality!!!! no other superzoom in my opinion can match it in this regard indeed its picture quality is not far of the picture quality of an slr, well done canon this powershot is truley a winner.

October 09 15:42

AB

I disagree with above comment - you need to be able to achieve the shot. Of course we want picture quality which this Canon's good at, but it's NOT the best in performance terms.

October 14 18:35

Rafi

It's the photographer that takes the photo, not the camera.. If you set your exposures are good you will get good results.. I have the SX20 and have gotten some great results so I presume the SX40 would even be better.. I must say though I mainly use the SX20 in full daylight.. I suspect the SX40 to be much better in low light.. I agree with Allen, It depends on the photographer.

October 15 16:14

Alan Thomassen

I think that Canon has made some significant improvements over the SX30 with this camera. My photos have better colour balance and - more importantly to me - no colour fringing at all. The slow motion plays back brilliantly on my tv & the night scenes are excellent considering the shooting conditions. As for the resolution of the viewfinder & lcd screen I think that they are perfectly adequate for my needs. I bought the SX40 for portability, especially for holidays, so I think that Canon is spot-on with this all-rounder of a camera.

October 16 05:10

Tarun

I went to a multi brand shop and asked the guy to let me use my memory card and take some pics......I clicked three different shots with each sony, nikon and canon.........came back to download the images on my laptop.......saw them.........went straight to the shop and bought SX40 with no doubt in my mind :-)

October 26 13:21

Mathias Bachmann

I would like to express my gratitude to the author. Great review, it contains an answer for a lot of the questions wich I had conserning the Canon sx 40 hs

January 09 04:08

michael

what is the bestg setting for taking shots of the moon with the sx40 on manual mode I am having some problems with that ?

January 29 06:51

Paul Churchward

Good review. I am looking at the SX40, I have a Canon S5IS and been very happy with it. Also looking at the Canon 600D. But I don't like the extra weight to carry about. I too am a bit disappointed about the small LCD and the low level EVF. I just wonder if the photos are a much better than the S5IS. I also have a Panasonic TZ20 which I must say shoots Video very nicely and very stable, but the still pictures are terrible. Just too much noise, especially in low light. Never buy Panasonic again. Regards.

February 29 16:45

Shanthamenan

Canon powershot sx40HS is a super camera I perched recently. super stills, HD video.

May 09 12:50

Mike Hamblen

Just got mine from QVC for Â£311.00, ordered Sat arrived Tuesday, looking forward to the weekend to put it through its paces