Canon SX740 HS PowerShot Canon - Review 🏆

The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS is a compact digital camera that offers a powerful combination of impressive zoom range, fast performance, and 4K video recording. This lightweight point-and-shoot camera packs a 20.3-megapixel sensor and a 40x optical zoom lens into a pocket-sized body.

Some of the key features of the SX740 HS include:

• 40x optical zoom with an incredible focal range of 24-960mm
• 20.3MP 1/2.3" CMOS sensor
• DIGIC 8 image processor delivers fast shooting speeds
• 4K video recording at 30fps
• Tilting 3.0" LCD screen with 922k dots
• Built-in WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity
• 10fps continuous shooting in JPEG mode
• ISO range of 100-3200
• Weighs just 299g

This Canon camera aims to provide stellar image quality and versatile zoom range in a highly portable and user-friendly package. It's designed for travel, everyday and family photography needs.

Design & Build Quality

The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS is a compact digital camera with a solid and lightweight build quality. It has a plastic exterior housing that feels sturdy yet keeps the camera lightweight at just under 10 ounces. Despite the plastic construction, the camera does not feel cheap or flimsy.

The sleek matte black finish resists fingerprints and scratches well. Measuring 4.3 x 2.5 x 1.6 inches, the SX740 HS is small enough to fit in your pocket. The smooth, rounded edges make it comfortable to hold one-handed. Overall, the design prioritizes portability without compromising durability.

While not weatherproof, the camera should hold up fine to regular use. The buttons have a nice click to them and the battery/SD card door feels sturdy. Overall, the SX740 HS has a reliable build that suits a compact travel zoom camera at this price point.

In comparison, the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III offers a premium feel with its metal body and superior ergonomics. It is slightly heavier but remains portable. The G7 X Mark III includes a multi-angle touchscreen, providing flexibility for shooting at various angles. Additionally, the camera supports 4K video recording and live streaming, making it suitable for vloggers and content creators. Both cameras prioritize portability and user-friendly design but the G7 X Mark III delivers extra features for those needing advanced capabilities.

Image Quality

The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS features a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor with 21.1 megapixels resolution. This allows it to capture detailed images with low noise levels. The camera utilizes Canon's DIGIC 8 image processor, providing excellent image processing and noise reduction capabilities.

The SX740 HS has an ISO range of 100-3200, which is expandable to ISO 6400. This gives the camera flexibility when shooting in low light conditions. Image quality is very good for a compact camera, producing sharp images with accurate colors and high dynamic range.

Compared to other compact cameras in its class, the SX740 HS delivers outstanding image quality. The combination of its 21MP sensor and advanced DIGIC 8 processor allows it to capture a high level of detail while keeping image noise to a minimum. Overall image quality surpasses other compact cameras with smaller 1/2.3-inch sensors.

The Canon EOS 90D is a powerful DSLR camera featuring a 32.5-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor that delivers stunning image quality. Equipped with the DIGIC 8 image processor, it offers fast performance and enhanced image processing capabilities. The EOS 90D has an impressive ISO range of 100-25600, which is expandable to 51200, making it ideal for low-light photography. With 4K video recording and Dual Pixel CMOS AF, it provides exceptional autofocus performance for both stills and videos. Its high-resolution sensor and advanced features make it a top choice for photography enthusiasts.

Zoom Capabilities

The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS has excellent zoom capabilities thanks to its 40x optical zoom lens, which provides a 35mm equivalent focal length range of 24-960mm. This versatile zoom range allows you to capture wide landscape shots as well as get extremely close to distant subjects. With the optical zoom maxed out, you can take a photo of a subject about 1/4 mile away and it will fill the frame.

In addition to the generous optical zoom, the SX740 HS also features Canon's ZoomPlus technology which uses digital zoom to extend the reach to 80x. Image quality does start to degrade when using the digital zoom, but it can be useful when you need some extra reach.

To help counteract camera shake when zoomed in, Canon has equipped the SX740 HS with its Optical Image Stabilizer system. This provides up to 4 stops of stabilization, helping to reduce blur caused by hand shake. The stabilization system works very well and allows you to capture sharp handheld shots even at the full 40x optical zoom range. Overall the zoom capabilities are versatile and powerful.

Video Recording

The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS can record high-definition video up to 4K resolution at 30 frames per second. This allows you to capture ultra-sharp and detailed footage.

The camera also provides lower resolution options if you need smaller file sizes, such as 1080p at 60 fps or 720p at 30 fps. Slow motion video can be recorded at 480 fps in 720p resolution.

Useful video features include both optical and digital image stabilization to reduce shakiness when handholding the camera. There is also an external microphone input for higher quality audio recording, and manual exposure controls during filming.

You can take photos while recording video by fully pressing the shutter button. Time lapse movie effects are possible by stitching together images taken over a longer duration.

Overall, the PowerShot SX740 provides strong video capabilities for a point-and-shoot camera in this price range. The 4K resolution combined with image stabilization and external mic input make it suitable for shooting short films, events, travel vlogs and more.

Autofocus & Shooting Speed

The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS has a fast and accurate autofocus system. It uses Canon's High-Speed Servo AF technology, which allows it to achieve focus in as little as 0.16 seconds. This makes it great for capturing fast action shots.

For tracking moving subjects, the SX740 HS utilizes Canon's Intelligent IS system. This analyzes the scene to apply the optimal image stabilization correction for smooth, steady videos and sharp still photos.

The autofocus system has 9 focus points, which provides good coverage across the frame. It's able to lock focus accurately in both bright and dim lighting conditions.

In terms of drive modes, the SX740 HS can shoot continuously at up to 7.4 fps when capturing JPEGs. This allows you to shoot short bursts of fast action. When shooting RAW, the burst speed decreases to 6.9 fps. The buffer depth is around 7 RAW files or 35 JPEGs when capturing bursts.

Overall, the autofocus and continuous shooting performance of the SX740 HS is responsive and reliable, making it a good choice for photographing kids, pets, sports, and other fast moving subjects. The fast autofocus lock and tracking capabilities allow you to capture clear, sharp images.

Display & Viewfinder

The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS has a 3-inch LCD display with a resolution of 922k dots. The screen is not touch enabled but provides a crisp and clear view for composing shots and reviewing images and videos.

The camera does not have a built-in electronic viewfinder. You have to compose all shots using the rear LCD screen. This may cause some challenges when shooting in very bright outdoor light, but the LCD is quite bright and has anti-reflective properties to help make it visible in different lighting conditions.

Overall, the LCD screen is high quality and suitable for the camera's intended use. The lack of an EVF may be disappointing to some, but it's understandable given the compact size and affordable price point of this long zoom travel camera.

Connectivity & Additional Features

The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS has a range of connectivity options and additional handy features that enhance its usability.

For wireless connectivity, it has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth which allows you to transfer images to smartphones, remotely control the camera, as well as tag your photos with GPS data from your phone. Setting up the wireless connections is straightforward with the Canon Camera Connect app.

In terms of ports, the SX740 has a micro-USB port for charging and data transfer. It would have been nicer to see USB-C for faster charging and file transfers. The battery life itself is decent, with around 265 shots per charge when using the rear LCD, or 370 shots per charge with the ECO mode enabled.

For additional features, the camera offers a good range of creative modes and effects. You can shoot panoramas, timelapses, and star trail images in-camera. There are also numerous filter effects and creative modes like toy camera, fisheye, and miniature effect. While many of these can be added in post processing, it's handy to have them built-in.

Overall, the connectivity options and additional features make the SX740 a versatile point and shoot camera for sharing photos or getting creative with your shots. The wireless capabilities are particularly handy for directly transferring images to your phone on the go.

Pros & Cons

The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS has many strengths, along with a few minor weaknesses. Here is a quick summary of the main pros and cons:

Pros: - Impressive 40x optical zoom in a compact body - Good image quality and high resolution 20MP sensor - Fast autofocus and overall shooting performance - Tilting LCD screen useful for creative angles - 4K video and good quality 1080p video at 60fps - Built-in WiFi, NFC, and Bluetooth connectivity
- Numerous shooting modes and manual controls - Good value for price point

Cons: - No touchscreen capabilities - No microphone input or headphone jack - No hot shoe for external flash - Mediocre low light performance - No RAW shooting mode - Small viewfinder - Battery life could be better

Overall, the SX740 HS packs an excellent zoom range and very good image quality into a pocketable body. It's a great choice for travel and everyday photography if you don't need advanced features like RAW shooting or external mic input. The combination of performance, zoom power and value make it one of the best in its class.

Conclusion

The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS is a very capable travel zoom camera that delivers good photo and video quality in a compact body. It's a great option for travelers and casual photographers looking for an all-in-one camera to capture everything from wide landscapes to far away subjects.

The 40x optical zoom lens provides an extremely versatile range for both near and far shots. Image quality is quite good, with excellent color reproduction and low noise levels even at high ISOs. The Dual Sensing IS helps minimize blurriness caused by camera shake. Autofocus is fast and accurate.

Video recording is smooth and stable up to 1080p at 60fps. The flip up LCD makes it easy to frame yourself for vlogging. Built-in WiFi and Bluetooth allow wireless transfer of photos and remote control via smartphone.

Overall, the SX740 HS packs an impressive amount of features into a pocketable body. It's intuitive and easy to use, even for beginners. The powerful zoom, effective image stabilization, and wireless connectivity make this a great travel companion.

If you want an affordable, lightweight superzoom for travel photography and videography, the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS is a fantastic choice. It provides great value for money and outperforms other cameras in its class. Highly recommended for vacations, day trips, or any occasion where you want to zoom in on the action from a distance.