Canon Powershot SX740 HS Review

Quick Verdict

The Canon Powershot SX740 HS certainly packs in the features, with a 40x optical zoom lens, 4K video recording and quicker continuous shooting, however, soft images and noise tend to leave us feeling a little disappointed.

The Canon Powershot SX740 HS updates the SX730 HS, and adds 4K video recording, as well as offering faster continuous shooting. The sensor remains a 20.1mp BSI CMOS sensor, and there's an impressively long 40x optical zoom lens, with improved image stabilisation. 

Canon Powershot SX740 HS Features

The Canon Powershot SX740 HS offers a 40x optical zoom lens in a compact “travel zoom” camera body, making it possible to take with you wherever you go, even fitting in most trouser pockets, although probably not "skinny" jeans.

There’s a 20.1 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, and the camera has the latest DIGIC 8 image processor, which means the camera’s shooting speed has been improved, with the camera now able to offer up to 10fps continuous shooting. 

SX740 HS updates compared to the SX730 HS:

• 4K 30/25fps video available
• DIGIC 8 image processor
• 3.5 stops Image Stabilisation (IS)
• 299g vs 300g
• +/- 3 EV exposure compensation (vs +/- 2)
• ISO100 to ISO3200 (vs 80-3200)
• 10fps (7.4fps with AF) vs 5.9fps (4.6fps with AF)
• 265 shot battery life (370 Eco) vs 250 shots (355 Eco)

Both the Canon Powershot SX740 HS and SX730 HS have 5-axis dynamic IS (Image Stabilisation), both have Bluetooth, however, the SX740 HS does not feature NFC. 

With the updates, the camera is now competing more effectively with the Nikon Coolpix A900 and Panasonic Lumix TZ90, as both of these travel zoom cameras offer 4K video recording. 

Here's a quick comparison table, showing the main differences between the cameras:

Compared to the other cameras, the SX740 is impressive, as it offers the most optical zoom (at 40x), whilst also being no bigger than the competition (excluding the Sony).

With a whopping 40x optical zoom lens, the Canon Powershot SX740 HS offers an equivalent to 25mm wide-angle, zooming to 960mm telephoto (in 35mm terms). The camera will also focus on subjects that are just 1cm away from the front of the lens. 

There's a tilting 3inch screen, although, unfortunately, it's not a touch-screen. It can be tilted all the way forward, and used for selfies or group shots. 

On the mode dial you can find shooting modes to suit both a beginner as well as more advanced photographers - here's a list of the shooting modes available on the mode dial: 

• Program
• TV
• AV
• M
• Hybrid Auto
• Auto
• Food scene mode
• Creative auto
• Sport
• Scenes
• Video

The camera offers an improved continuous shooting speed of 10fps (7.4fps with AF), and slightly improved battery life of 265 shots, with 370 available with ECO mode switched on.

Video recording has been updated, and the camera can record 4K UHD (3840x2160) video, at 30 or 25fps, with stereo sound. Optical zoom can be used during video recording. FullHD video is recorded at up to 60/50fps.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built-in, and you can connect the camera to your smartphone or tablet, using Canon's Camera Connect app. By using Bluetooth, you can transfer images using less power than Wi-Fi uses, thus saving battery life. 

Key Features

• 20.3 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor 
• 40x optical zoom, f/3.3-6.9, 24-960mm equivalent
• Optical image stabilisation (5-axis Advanced Dynamic IS)
• 3inch tilting screen, 922k dot resolution
• DIGIC 8 image processing
• 4K UHD 30/25fps video
• Full HD movies, 60p, in MP4 format
• ISO100 - ISO3200
• Various creative modes
• Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled 
• 1cm macro mode
• 10fps continuous shooting
• Available in silver or black

Canon Powershot SX740 HS Handling

The Canon Powershot SX740 HS has a mostly metal body, with the front, back and bottom of the camera being made out of metal. This, along with the rubber grips, gives the camera a premium feel, and it looks quite stylish as well. The front grip gives a reasonable area to hold on to, and the rubber grip at the back for your thumb is certainly welcome, however, we'd recommend using the provided wrist strap to help avoid dropping the camera. We'd also recommend holding the camera with two hands to help keep the camera steady when using the optical zoom. 

The mode dial sits on top of the camera, next to the video record button, shutter release button and on/off switch. Surrounding the shutter release button is the zoom rocker. On the back, there is a zoom assist button (which helps you keep track of your subject when using zoom), wireless connection button, 4-way controller/scroll wheel, Func/set button, playback and menu buttons. 

Whilst the measurements for the SX740 HS may seem the same as competitors, at 39.9mm (the same as the A900), the camera is actually slimmer when you take in to account the grip and lens, with the A900 being noticeably bulkier. 

The 3inch screen looks good and is clear and bright, making it visible outdoors. The screen can be tilted forwards for easy selfie shots, and being able to tilt the screen helps make it easier to shoot from different angles. The screen isn't a touch-screen. 

Menus – On screen settings can be easily changed, and to access these you use the Q-Set button. The menus have been updated and look more like the Canon EOS menus from the DSLR and Mirrorless cameras, so for anyone who's familiar with Canon's other cameras, this will be a familiar system. The menus are clearly laid out, with colour coded sections.

Wi-Fi features - Setting up the connection to the camera from a smartphone is quite straightforward, with Canon Camera Connect featuring a built-in guide. You can use the app on your phone to send location data to the camera so that images will have GPS tagging. With built-in Bluetooth, you can transfer images, and this will use less power than Wi-Fi. 

Battery life - Battery life is rated at 265 shots according to Canon / CIPA test results, which is a slight improvement over the SX730, and this can be extended to 370 shots by enabling ECO mode. 

Canon Powershot SX740 HS Performance

The performance section is where we look at the image quality performance of the camera. Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.

Speed - We took a number of shots to test the camera's responsiveness, from switch on to first photo, shot to shot, focusing speed etc. We take a number of shots and then use the average to ensure accurate and consistent tests, making it easy to compare with other cameras.

Shutter Response	<0.05secs
Wide - Focus / Shutter Response	0.1secs
Full zoom - Focus / Shutter Response	0.25secs
Continuous Shooting - JPEG (shots before slow down)	10fps

Focus is very rapid, and continuous shooting is also quick, at 10fps. 

Canon PowerShot SX740 HS Sample Photos

Sample Photos - Under bright sunny conditions the camera can use the lower ISO speeds, and detail is good. As soon as the ISO speed increases, detail and image quality suffers. At the telephoto end of the lens, the camera occasionally struggled to correctly focus on the subjects at the zoo, so the success rate was quite low.

For our portrait shot, we have manually selected a lower ISO speed, as the photo taken by the camera on default settings, used a higher ISO speed of ISO800, and this resulted in a soft image with low levels of detail. Flash performance is good, with no red-eye visible.

Colour reproduction is good, although indoors, in artificial lighting, images are warmer than the previous camera.

Exposure is generally reliable, however, there were times when images were slightly overexposed, so the use of exposure compensation is useful at times. Dynamic range was acceptable, but it's a shame that there isn't the option to shoot raw, as this would give you the option to recover lost detail more effectively. 

Canon PowerShot SX740 HS Lens test images

Lens Performance - Images were slightly soft, and this is more noticeable at the telephoto end of the lens.

Macro focus is very good, letting you focus on subjects just 1cm away from the lens. This means you can get some very close-up shots.

Some purple fringing and chromatic aberration are visible particularly towards the corners of the frame, and when there are areas of contrast, such as trees against a bright sky. 

We did not spot any signs of vignetting in our shots, nor did we spot distortion, with the camera automatically correcting for this in-camera.

Optical image stabilisation does a good job to keep images steady, even when using the telephoto end of the lens.

There is no option to shoot raw images. 

Canon PowerShot SX740 HS ISO test images

ISO Noise Performance - We'd recommend using ISO100 to ISO400, where you can, with the best results achieved when shooting at the lower ISO speeds of ISO100 and ISO200. ISO800 is where image quality takes a nose dive, as detail is lost, making images look overly soft. We'd recommend avoiding ISO1600 and ISO3200 where possible. 

Colour reproduction has become warmer under tungsten lighting, compared to the SX730, and images aren't as sharp.

Canon PowerShot SX740 HS White-balance test images

White Balance Performance - The camera gives warm results under tungsten lighting, and using the tungsten preset doesn't make a huge difference. If you're after stronger correction, for example, for product shots, then you'd be best using manual white balance. Auto White Balance (AWB) performs well under fluorescent lighting. The fluorescent preset gives a magenta colour cast. Images taken under mixed light also show a warm result. 

Digital Filters - There are various scene modes and digital filters (effects), including skin smoothing, monochrome (grainy black and white), soft focus, fish-eye, oil paintings (art bold), water painting, toy camera and miniature. There are also colour options, and you can adjust the contrast, and saturation of these as well. There is no (auto) panoramic shooting mode. 

Video - The camera can record 4K (3840x2160) UHD video, with stereo sound, and you can use optical zoom while recording. The cameras built-in optical image stabilisation does a good job, making it possible to record steady video, even when holding the camera, although better results will be possible when using a tripod. The camera automatically mutes the microphone slightly to reduce noise from the zoom lens, when using optical zoom. 

 

Value For Money

The Canon Powershot SX740 HS is available for £399 which puts it at the more expensive end of the market, with alternatives being available for less, although none offers 40x optical zoom, apart from the previous version, the SX730 HS.

Canon Powershot SX730 HS, 40x optical zoom, FullHD video, £279 
Nikon Coolpix A900, 35x optical zoom, 4K video, £299
Panasonic Lumix TZ90, 30x optical zoom, 4K video, £319
Sony Cyber-shot HX99, 30x optical zoom, 4K video, £450

Have a look at more pocket zoom cameras in our Top 10 Best Pocket Travel Zoom cameras, or if you're looking for more optical zoom, have a look at the Top 10 Best Ultra Zoom Bridge cameras. You'll also need to buy a memory card and a case or bag to keep your camera safe and protected - have a look at our complete guide to camera bags.

Canon Powershot SX740 HS Verdict

The camera needs bright sunny conditions to get the best results, and any deviance from this results in the camera increasing the ISO speed, and detail suffers as images become soft. If you don't need 4K video and don't need 10fps continuous shooting, then the previous version offers great value for money, being available for over £100 less.

The Canon Powershot SX740 HS could add in features such as panoramic shooting, raw shooting, and a touch-screen would make the camera easier for beginners.

The quicker continuous shooting speed is a welcome addition, with the camera offering 10fps continuous shooting. The camera also continues Canon's tradition of offering good colour reproduction, and if you're able to shoot in good conditions, or sharing to social media sites, then the camera should be suitable. Particularly if you want a 40x optical zoom lens camera, without going up to the bigger bridge cameras.

The Canon Powershot SX740 HS packs in a lot, including a 40x optical zoom lens, with 4K video a welcome addition.

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