Canon PowerShot SX540 HS Canon - Review 🏆

The Canon PowerShot SX540 HS is a superzoom digital camera that offers a versatile 50x optical zoom lens in a compact point-and-shoot form factor. Released in 2016, it is designed for enthusiasts seeking high zoom capabilities for everything from wildlife to landscape photography.

Key features of the PowerShot SX540 HS include:

• 20.3MP 1/2.3” CMOS sensor
• DIGIC 6 image processor
• 50x optical zoom lens, equivalent to 24-1200mm
• Intelligent IS image stabilization
• Full HD 1080p video at up to 60 fps
• 3.0” LCD screen with 461k dots
• Built-in WiFi and NFC connectivity

With its extremely flexible zoom range, the PowerShot SX540 HS provides outstanding versatility and reach in a portable package. Its 50x zoom capability allows you to capture distant subjects without compromising image quality.

Design and Build Quality

The Canon PowerShot SX540 HS has a solid and sturdy build quality thanks to its plastic construction. The camera feels dense and substantial in-hand without being too heavy. The matte black finish has a textured grip that allows for a secure hold. While the plastic build helps keep the camera lightweight, there are no obvious weak points or creaking that indicates flimsiness. The PowerShot SX540 HS does not have any weather sealing but the solid construction should hold up well to regular use.

Overall, the materials and construction quality of the Canon PowerShot SX540 HS are very good for an affordable superzoom camera. It delivers a reassuringly robust in-hand feel despite the plastic build.

In comparison, the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II offers a more premium compact design with a sleek metal body that enhances its durability. This camera is equipped with a larger sensor for improved image quality, making it an excellent choice for enthusiasts seeking portability without sacrificing performance. The combination of a fast lens and advanced features like touchscreen controls further elevates its user experience, making it a top contender in its category.

Image Quality

The Canon PowerShot SX540 HS features a 20.3 megapixel 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor paired with the DIGIC 6 image processor. This combination delivers excellent image quality for its class.

The 20 megapixel resolution allows the camera to capture a high level of detail in images. This makes the SX540 well-suited for landscapes, architecture, and other subjects where retaining fine details is important. The sensor's native ISO ranges from 100-3200, which is expandable to ISO 6400.

In terms of sharpness and detail, the SX540 produces pleasing results in ideal lighting conditions. Images show good definition and clarity when shot at lower ISOs. The level of detail does decrease somewhat when shooting at higher ISOs or in lower light, but overall the image quality remains quite good.

The camera handles noise well through most of the ISO range. Images are very clean up to about ISO 800. At ISO 1600 and 3200, some noise and loss of finer details starts to become noticeable. The highest ISO 6400 setting shows visible noise, but is still usable for small prints or web sharing.

For a compact superzoom camera with such a long focal length, the PowerShot SX540 HS delivers very good image quality and low light performance. The combination of sensor resolution and DIGIC 6 processing provides the ability to capture highly detailed scenes when shooting in optimal conditions.

In comparison, the Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II offers a 20.1 megapixel 1-inch stacked sensor which improves performance in low-light situations significantly. Its DIGIC 7 processor enhances image processing speed and overall quality. The G5 X Mark II also features a fast f/1.8-2.8 lens that allows for beautiful bokeh and sharp foregrounds, making it an excellent choice for photographers looking for versatility in a compact design.

Zoom Capabilities

The Canon PowerShot SX540 HS is equipped with a 50x optical zoom lens, which provides an incredibly versatile zoom range equivalent to 24-1200mm in 35mm terms. This allows you to capture wide landscape shots and get extremely close to distant subjects. The 50x zoom range gives you great flexibility to compose the perfect shot without having to move positions.

Despite the long zoom range, image quality remains sharp and detailed throughout the focal length range thanks to Canon's advanced lens technology. The lens combines Ultra-low Dispersion elements and Canon's effective Optical Image Stabilizer system to minimize aberrations and reduce blur from camera shake. This allows you to handhold the camera at slower shutter speeds and still obtain sharp images even at full 50x telephoto extension. Overall the 50x zoom is high quality and maintains good image resolution without sacrificing light gathering capability.

The powerful zoom gets you remarkably close to subjects and is great for wildlife, sports, concerts, or any situation where you need the flexibility of wide angles to extreme telephoto. The zoom is controlled by a toggle lever surrounding the shutter button, allowing easy zooming even while composing shots. With such versatility packed in a compact body, the 50x zoom lens is a standout feature of the Canon PowerShot SX540 HS.

Video Recording

The Canon PowerShot SX540 HS can record high-definition 1080p video at up to 60 frames per second. It also offers 720p HD video at 30 fps. The 60fps frame rate results in very smooth, detailed video.

For slow motion, you can shoot 720p video at 120fps. When played back at normal speed, this allows you to achieve a 4x slow motion effect.

The PowerShot SX540 HS utilizes the efficient H.264 video compression, which helps keep file sizes manageable without sacrificing too much quality. Videos are recorded in .MP4 format.

You have full manual control over exposure settings like shutter speed, ISO, and aperture when shooting video. This allows you to adjust the brightness to suit different lighting conditions. The camera also has built-in stereo microphones for audio recording.

Overall, the video capabilities of the SX540 HS are quite good for a compact superzoom camera. The combination of 1080p resolution with 60fps recording makes for excellent results. The ability to tweak exposure settings manually is also a nice touch.

Autofocus and Shooting Speed

The Canon PowerShot SX540 HS features a contrast-detection autofocus system that provides good performance in most situations. It has Face Detection that can identify and track human faces, helping ensure sharp focus and proper exposure on portraits. For moving subjects, the camera has Servo AF that can continuously adjust focus to keep the subject in sharp focus.

There are several autofocus modes to choose from including Single Point for precise focus control, Tracking AF that locks onto a moving subject and follows it around the frame, and Face Detect with Tracking that finds and tracks human faces that are in motion. In terms of sheer autofocus speed, the SX540 HS is reasonably fast at focusing in bright light, though it can struggle and hunt more in dim conditions.

For rapid shooting, the SX540 HS has a continuous high-speed burst mode that allows up to 5.9 frames per second at the full resolution. This is quite fast for the class and enables capturing multiple shots of fast action. The camera also has a High-Speed Burst HQ mode which captures up to 10 fps at a reduced resolution of 8 megapixels. Overall, the autofocus capabilities and burst shooting speeds allow the SX540 HS to handle a variety of everyday action photography needs fairly well.

Connectivity and Wireless Features

The Canon PowerShot SX540 HS offers robust wireless connectivity options, making it easy to transfer photos and videos as well as control the camera remotely.

• The camera has built-in WiFi and NFC (Near Field Communication) allowing you to quickly connect to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. You can transfer images to your mobile device using the free Canon Camera Connect app.

• With the Camera Connect app, you can also remotely control the camera, seeing a live view on your phone or tablet's screen and changing settings or shooting remotely. This is very handy for taking self-portraits, group shots, or any situation where touching the camera could lead to shake.

• The camera does not have Bluetooth built-in. However, by using NFC to initially pair the camera with your mobile device, an ongoing Bluetooth LE connection can be established for quick wireless control without having to re-pair each time.

• Overall, the wireless connectivity of the SX540 HS is excellent, providing versatile options for transferring images as well as full remote live view shooting and camera control from your mobile device. The NFC makes establishing connections quick and seamless.

Battery Life

The Canon PowerShot SX540 HS is powered by a NB-6LH rechargeable lithium-ion battery that is rated at 1,060 mAh. This provides enough power for the camera to take around 205 shots per charge when using the LCD screen, or 260 shots per charge when using the viewfinder, according to CIPA testing standards.

Real-world battery life can vary depending on usage, but the SX540 HS generally provides enough juice for a full day of casual shooting before needing to be recharged. However, shooting long 4K video clips will drain the battery much faster. Overall, the battery life is decent but not outstanding. Carrying a spare battery is recommended for longer shoots or all-day excursions.

The battery is charged outside the camera using the included CB-2LY charger. A full charge from empty takes approximately 2 hours.

Pros and Cons

The Canon PowerShot SX540 HS has a number of strengths as well as some weaknesses that are worth considering.

Pros:

• Impressive 50x optical zoom range, allowing you to get very close to distant subjects
• Decent image quality and performance for its class
• Good value for the price
• Intuitive menus and controls
• Built-in WiFi and NFC allow easy sharing
• Above average battery life

Cons:

• Lens is slow, with a maximum aperture range of f/3.4-6.5
• No RAW support
• Mediocre low light performance
• No external mic input for better audio on videos
• No viewfinder only LCD screen for composing shots
• Autofocus can struggle in low light conditions

Overall, the PowerShot SX540 HS packs a versatile superzoom lens into a compact body at an affordable price point. It performs well in good lighting conditions. However, low light photography is a weakness, and more advanced users may be frustrated by the lack of RAW support and external mic input. For casual users looking for an easy-to-use bridge camera with long zoom, it's a solid choice. But enthusiasts may want to consider other options.

Conclusion

The Canon PowerShot SX540 HS is a solid choice for those looking for an affordable superzoom camera that can capture distant subjects. Its 50x optical zoom lens provides unmatched reach in its class, allowing you to zoom in tightly on faraway people, animals, landmarks, and more. Image quality is quite good for a camera with such a long zoom lens, producing nice colors and crisp details as long as there is sufficient light. Low light photos can get noisy, but that's expected for a camera at this price point.

For its capabilities, the SX540 HS is an excellent value. It delivers the key features many consumers want - extremely long zoom, full HD video, and wireless connectivity for easy photo sharing - at a budget-friendly price. While more advanced photographers may want a camera with more controls and customizability, the SX540 HS is perfectly suited for vacationers, parents capturing their kids' activities, nature enthusiasts, and all kinds of casual photographers who want great optical zoom without breaking the bank.