Canon PowerShot SX40 HS review

Image Quality

Canon PowerShot SX40 HS review - Image Quality

ISO Sensitivity & Image Noise

Thanks to the new sensor the SX40 HS's images are a treat. At first they may not appear to differ by comparison to the SX30 IS's shots, but this all changes as the higher ISO ranks are put to test.

Canon PowerShot SX40 HS review sample image (ISO 1250) - click for full size gallery

Shots taken at ISO 1600 limit image noise successfully, and while there is some grain shots are of very good quality. Sit them side by side to the nearest competitor superzooms and the Canon's shots are the favourites.

Tone & Exposure

Where white or brighter subjects feature in a scene the Canon can overexpose the shot a little, so careful attention to the metering mode can be critical. This isn't a common issue, however, and the vast majority of shots are well balanced with a good tonal range.

Canon PowerShot SX40 HS review sample images WEB

Canon PowerShot SX40 HS review sample image - click for full size gallery

The lack of Raw shooting is one notable absence and a feature that Canon really should have worked into this latest release. With the likes of the Fuji HS20 and Lumix FZ150 offering Raw shooting, we have to wonder why this feature is still missing from Canon's superzoom repertoire.

Colour & White Balance

The PowerShot SX40 HS's shots are vibrant with colour and succeed in balancing out all manner of scenes under various lighting conditions. JPEGs come straight out from camera with a richness and vibrancy that's typical of Canon and most pleasing.

Sharpness & Detail

As per all superzooms there's a pay off between having such a vast zoom range and the image quality's sharpness. While the SX40 isn't going to provide DSLR-like results, it's a darn good and far cheaper alternative that does return shots with enough detail throughout its vast 24-840mm zoom range.

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Scores

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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Have your say!

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