Manage updates with the Download AppCanon PowerShot SX40 HS
Manufacturer: Canon Part number: 5251B001
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- If you're after a wide and long lens and excellent photo quality, the Canon PowerShot SX40 HS is a standout. In features, design, and performance, though, it's a bit lacking.
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CNET editors' review
Canon PowerShot SX40 HS price range: $299.00 - $429.00
- Reviewed by: Joshua Goldman
- Reviewed on: 12/07/2011
- Released on: 10/01/2011
The good: The Canon PowerShot SX40 HS has a flexible lens range, very good image stabilization, excellent photo quality for its class, and shooting modes for every kind of user.
The bad: The SX40 HS's shooting performance lags behind that of the competition and has a couple potentially irritating design points.
The bottom line: If you're after a wide and long lens and excellent photo quality, the Canon PowerShot SX40 HS is a standout. In features, design, and performance, though, it's a bit lacking.
User reviews
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Magnum Camera without the dSLR price!
by CharlesNNC on April 14, 2012
Pros: 1) Image quality is truly amazing
2) Excellent low light, day light
3) Fantastic zoom and an amazing image stabilizer
4) 1080p Video is amazing
5) Lots of features and versatilityCons: 1) Motor noise is especially noticeable in quiet environments
2) There is no external microphone jackSummary: My wife recently asked me about getting a camera for around the house and wanted to upgrade from our old point and shoot. Being an amateur photo enthusiast for as ...
Summary: My wife recently asked me about getting a camera for around the house and wanted to upgrade from our old point and shoot. Being an amateur photo enthusiast for as long as I have been and hanging with some real camera nuts I can honestly say I never hesitated. The Canon SX40 HS is the answer for many who want to get more serious, but maybe the bulk or price of a true dSLR doesn't fit your needs. In many (and most cases) this camera not only fills the gap, it will leave you not even wanting a true dSLR. This coming from a man that owns a Nikon D7000 with 3 detachable lenses and hundreds of dollars in accessories. I also own a Canon SX20is which is 2 years old as of this writing, but a camera that I still grab if I want to not worry to much about technical shooting and want to worry more about composition and maybe add some artistic flare with it's many cool functions.
No, the Canon is not a detachable lens dSLR. It is a full body "bridge camera" that does more in many instances of what a dSLR camera can do for the average person but maybe a bit less than what a professional would want done to their pics. Of course a professional would need thousands of dollars in lenses and a photoshop program to match some of the functions this camera can do. This camera is top in it's class amongst bridge style camera's in picture quality and shooting side by side with the Nikon Cool PIx direct competition proved what I had thought all along. (Again this coming from a Nikon d7000 owner). Canon plain and simple owns the high end bridge camera market in my opinion.
Zoom is a big seller and many are disappointed when they hit the dSLR market and see the price of even a modest Zoom lens. Considering a low end 200mm lens for a dSLR is about the price of this entire camera, I can see why some skip the dSLR market altogether and would want something like this. The average person would never be able to afford the zoom this camera offers on a dSLR.
Quality usually goes down when zoom is involved as well. Ask any camera buff to test this baby out. They will be amazed. Im not saying it's the equivalent of a f2.8 200mm or 500mm lens professionals use, but it's not bad and this entire camera weighs less than most 300mm dSLR lenses do and a 10th of what a 500mm lens would. The detractors of my comparison, I'm sure, will mutter some mumbo jumbo about how the f-stop is too high on these super zoom cameras and that there is no way they can get as much quality as their $5000-$10000 outfit. It may be so when comparing many technical aspects, but what I like is flat out results, not what some technical guru is telling you. And I LOVE the results of the testing I've put this camera through. For the money, for the weight of this unit and all else, I will stand behind my claim that
This camera has a 35X optical zoom (WITH an incredible 140X digital zoom) that produces images better than I could ever have imagined (even compared to my 80x zoom on my sx20...so big improvements in technology there!). It has an optical stabilization of which I am totally impressed with considering you can freehand a zoomed in pic at 140 digital zoom (35x optical) and get impressive pics. The zoom doesn't seem to suffer from lack of resolution or light gathering capabilities either in daylight hours.. On one particular extremely overcast day my wife took a picture of the trans-allegheny lunatic asylum in Weston, WV clock tower from the fence at the street and it filling the frame completely (and then some) with no motion and beautiful resolution. Considering at full zoom the 35mm equivilant is 840mm (can you imagine the price of THAT lens for a dSLR) I found this impressive. You could see the paint peeling off the clock face she got so close! We were a good 300 yards from it.
Size is manageable as well. Smaller than any dSLR. It's not slim like a pocket camera, but it isn't bulky like a dSLR either. Its a "best of both worlds hybrid camera" that any camera enthusiast would be proud to have in their arsenal. In addition the video on this camera rivals any consumer HD camera available. I use my sx20 for my youtube videos and consistently get complimented on image quality. The sx40 has now further 'upped the ante' (from my sx20) and bumped up quality to a full 1080HD video WITH autofocus (which even the best dSLR cameras cannot rival to this date). Considering video cameras have typically low res photo taking quality, it would make sense to buy this as your video camera AND you get awesome 12MP picture quality in addition.
OK, so thus far you may think I have elevated this to God status. I realize it's faults. I know it's shortcomings. Thus the reason I own my Nikon d7000.
A true dSLR has advantages. Manually focusing pictures is so much easier(I wouldn't even bother with manual focus with this camera), lower f-stops (with the correct lens, which btw are very expensive), wide angle shots (again, expensive lense) and the ability to crank out 3200ISO pictures with decent quality are the 3 that come to mind immediatly. The art of pulling together a beautiful picture that you can truly call your own, with a combination of technical expertise and composing can be more fully realized with a dSLR detachable lens type camera. But for the average person looking at your pictures and seeing the end result, most all but the most arogant camera snobs would say "who cares" [lol]. Again, this coming from a man that owns an amazing Nikon dSLR.
For the amateur enthusiast who wants to 'up their game' (without the expense of a magnum camera), dabble with manual settings and experiment with various picture options like fish eye lens, color swapping/enhancing, super-vivid color saturation option in addition to having the capability to get high quality video all within one carry around camera (without the bag) and so much more...I will HIGHLY recommend this camera to anybody that is looking for a camera but not quite wanting to reach into the expensive dSLR market.
Highly recommended accessory would be the conversion ring that allows the use of 58mm filters so that you can dabble with polarizing and ND filters to further enhance your photography. This camera does not allow the use of standard dSLR camera filters, you need this conversion ring to allow filters to be screwed on properly.
Advice, for low price if you're will buy this Canon SX40 HS, I suggest you have to compare prices before you decide at: *****************.info/Canon-SX40HS
Hope this review is helpful.9 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Install CHDK and then enjoy this amazing camera
by StevefromOhio on July 11, 2012
Pros: Amazing camera made even better with CHDK (Canon Hacker's Development Kit) which opens up this camera to be able to use RAW images.
Great still photos, really nice 1080P video capability. Sound is pretty good too. Lots of after market stuff availableCons: The camera is a little slow in saving images even with a 64 gb SDXC Ultra class 1 card. Booting into CHDK takes a little time but worth it.
Some don't like not having a printed manual, but in today's world, it really is not necessary.Summary: I've owned this camera for a while now and opened up its abilities with the use of CHDK which stands for Canon Hacker's Development Kit.
By installing this ...Summary: I've owned this camera for a while now and opened up its abilities with the use of CHDK which stands for Canon Hacker's Development Kit.
By installing this on your SD card and booting from it, it opens up the ability of this camera to be what it really should be.
RAW files are the best image files that can be made right now. The standard programming for the SX40 does not allow for RAW images. With CHDK, that changes. JPEG files have so much less information in them that it limits your ability to do color corrections, image manipulations and anything else you need to do with photos. By using CHDK, the SX40 HS becomes almost a super camera. I have been using a 64 GB SDXC card with my camera and so I do not have to worry about running out of room with RAW files. I also save JPEG with the RAW files in case I need them.
Image stabilization is very good with videos being fairly smooth even at the maximum zoom. Having an 840mm zoom is really nice with very good still and video.
There are lots and lots of accessories that you can get for this camera. I recommend a larger mah battery and a good lens shield. There are some excellent after market flashes that can be used with this camera as it does have a hot shoe, which can also be used with the factory flash.
There are several internet sites that cater to the Canon Powershot SX40 HS owner. Lots of good information on them and tons of recommendations on how to install CHDK and where to get the necessary files. Plus lots of YouTube videos on this camera.
Macro can be problematic with certain instances. Sometimes the auto focus cannot decide what it wants to do.
Overall, I recommend highly this camera especially when you install CHDK.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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A great intermediate camera with a ton of features.
by COWBELL on April 12, 2012
Pros: It just takes good pictures...
Cons: No camera is perfect...
Summary: This is one of my favorite cameras, It feels good holding it in your hands. It is a worthy upgrade from a SX10 SX30 SX110 And it takes a picture ...
Summary: This is one of my favorite cameras, It feels good holding it in your hands. It is a worthy upgrade from a SX10 SX30 SX110 And it takes a picture as good as my S100 - G11 coming from a point and shoot world never using raw,I am sure a advanced user could get a better picture from S100 - G11 but I am getting good quality photos without a lot of hassle using auto & P mode with the SX40.
Very good image quality, good auto white balance, user-friendly design make the SX40 difficult to exceed in a single-lens camera unless you go to the canon G1X. I posted some pictures on this site to see the sharpness and true to life colors. I was also very pleased with its image stabilization The camera isn't perfect, but no camera is. The most improvement is lower noise even at 200iso and up in my test, with all my cameras except the S100, that said my canon G1X is the best here but it has that huge sensor in it.
The first thing that I did was to get a better lens cap, A lens hood, A power2000 battery for canon NB-10L ( I have been using power 2000 batterys in all my cameras for years ), A blackrapids sholder camera strap(sports model) or I use the regular camera wrist strap off of my old canon SX110 and throw away the canon neck strap that comes with the camera, I did this with my Canon T3I also. I am using a 8gb extreme pro sandisk card, I know it is a little over kill here. Note if taking alot of movies get a spare card just in case... The canon speedlite 270EX works great with this cameras hot shoe, I would highly recommend getting one when you can afford it...
I mostly take pictures of bear in the Smokey Mountians (CADES COVE) and love chaseing the grand kids around taking their pictures.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Best camera I've ever had.
by TommyCalstrup on January 28, 2012
Pros: The zoom and the picture quality, the optical view finder even works in very low light conditions.
Cons: Coming from a 3x zoom, the 35X can take me by surprice at times, do not start zooming untill you are ready!
The autofocus is not the fastest, especialy when zooming on distant objects, but the results are worth the extra second of waiting time.Summary: For casual shooting this might be a bit of a owerkill, but if you want to be prepared for any situation this is the tool to use. From bright sunlight ...
Summary: For casual shooting this might be a bit of a owerkill, but if you want to be prepared for any situation this is the tool to use. From bright sunlight to almost no light, from up close and personal to quite a distance.
Just for the fun of it I took a couple of shots of the planet Jupiter, and I got 3 of its moons visible in the pictures, that's not a zoom, that's a telescope :)3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Camera!!
by gpaull on January 6, 2012
Pros: -Great low light phots, even without a tripod.
-Great zoom/anti-shake.
-Great auto mode.
-Good battery life. Lasts all day.
-Tough. Went zip lining without issue.
-Feels quality. Some of the SX40's competition feels plastic and cheap.Cons: -Needs more manual controls for the serious photographer.
-LCD is low resolution, making manual focus almost impossible to use.
-Size. It won't fit in a pocket and needs a camera bag.Summary: I've had many point and shoots up to this point, but was looking for something with a decent zoom that could take indoor and low light photos better. This ...
Summary: I've had many point and shoots up to this point, but was looking for something with a decent zoom that could take indoor and low light photos better. This camera is exactly what I was looking for. Low light photo quality is amazing compared to eveything that I've had before. Even the video looks good on my TV, which I wasn't expecting after reading reviews. Auto mode works great too. I was able to get several great photos on vacation that were missed by others that couldn't get their DSLRS set up in time. I was also able to zoom further than any of the DSLRs, which made them very jealous!
Perfect for someone looking for something better than a point and shoot, but not wanting to take a photography class and buy a DSLR.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Phantastic camera
by eduardoik on November 18, 2011
Pros: performs like a professional, costs like a point and shoot
Cons: There is nothing against this camera yet. Only positive points.
Summary:
I am curious to see official CNET's review on CANON SX40HS. If possible please notify me by email when this occurs. Thanks
Updated on Nov 18, 2011Summary:
I am curious to see official CNET's review on CANON SX40HS. If possible please notify me by email when this occurs. Thanks
Updated on Nov 18, 20111 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Best camera for NOT being a DSLR... Best Camera EVER!!
by MattMcLean on February 1, 2012
Pros: Everything so far...
Cons: Not sure about the battery, Used to cameras that use AA batteries...
Summary: I was VERY unsure whether to get the SX40 or the Nikon P500...
Thank goodness for CNET... I finalized my decision when I Compared the two at Best Buy... So ...Summary: I was VERY unsure whether to get the SX40 or the Nikon P500...
Thank goodness for CNET... I finalized my decision when I Compared the two at Best Buy... So far I Love it... I've always been a Canon user. -
awesome gadgets I ever got...
by ianoopkumar on December 14, 2011
Pros: super steady shot,all manual menu ring contol.
Cons: only thing i am missing is Zoom Barrel
Summary: Fantastic camera with superb image stablization and macro.
Adding filter like UV,MACRO makes it equivalent to DSLRSummary: Fantastic camera with superb image stablization and macro.
Adding filter like UV,MACRO makes it equivalent to DSLR -
Best I have ever had.
by trndispr on December 11, 2011
Pros: really crisp clear pictures and at full zoom it is just as clear.. low light is what i was looking for and this meets my requirements. With the auto feature it is the closest thing to point and shoot
Cons: Sure it could be a little smaller but with that lens i can give up size. could have a battery charger while the battery is in the camera
Summary: Best camera i ever had for my needs ..I don't care about movie capability because if i want that i will use a Camcorder..
Summary: Best camera i ever had for my needs ..I don't care about movie capability because if i want that i will use a Camcorder..
0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Canon
- Part number: 5251B001
- Description: The PowerShot SX40 HS is a versatile compact point-and-shoot camera that easily captures amazing photos and videos. The Canon HS SYSTEM boosts low-light performance with the Canon DIGIC 5 Image Processor and a high-sensitivity 12.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor. This advanced Canon technology delivers stunning image quality with reduced noise and blur. Colors are more vibrant and white balance is true-to-life. The 35x Optical Zoom offers incredible reach and range, allowing you to shoot any scene, near or far. The Optical Image Stabilizer helps images come out steady and clear, and a 24mm ultra Wide-Angle lens makes it easy to take pictures of large groups of people, tall buildings, expansive landscapes and much more. The camera also features a 2.7-inch Vari-angle LCD for great shooting flexibility. Packed with an array of powerful technologies, the PowerShot SX40 HS is a convenient digital camera capable of brilliant image capture.
General
- Packaged Quantity 1
- Product Type Digital camera - Compact
- Resolution 12.1 megapixels
- Optical Sensor Type BSI-CMOS
- Total Pixels 12,800,000 pixels
- Effective Sensor Resolution 12,100,000 pixels
- Optical Sensor Size 1/2.3"
- Optical Zoom 35 x
- Digital Zoom 4 x
- Image Processor DIGIC 5
- Image Stabilizer Optical
- Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
- Auto Focus Points (Zones) Qty 9
- AE/AF Control Subject-tracking AF
- Digital Video Format MOV,
iFrame,
H.264 - Image Recording Format JPEG
- Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080
- AV Interfaces HDMI,
Composite video/audio Exposure & White Balance
- Light Sensitivity ISO 3200,
ISO 1600,
ISO 800,
ISO 100,
ISO 200,
ISO 80,
ISO 400,
ISO auto - Exposure Metering Evaluative,
Center-weighted,
Spot - Exposure Modes Program,
Automatic,
Shutter-priority,
Manual,
Aperture-priority - Shooting Programs Handheld night shot,
Snow,
Beach,
Sports mode,
Stitch assist,
Foliage,
Low light,
Fireworks,
Movie digest,
Hi-speed burst HQ,
Portrait mode,
Landscape - Special Effects Miniature,
Vivid Blue,
Vivid Green,
Vivid Red,
Super Vivid,
Posterization,
Positive Film,
Toy camera,
Vivid,
Fisheye,
Black & White,
Sepia,
Neutral,
Darker Skin Tone,
Lighter Skin Tone,
Monochrome,
Color Accent,
Color Swap,
Custom Effect - White Balance Automatic,
Presets,
Custom - White Balance Presets Daylight,
Tungsten light,
Fluorescent,
Cloudy,
Fluorescent light (cool white),
Flash - Max Shutter Speed 1/3200 sec
- Min Shutter Speed 15 sec
- Exposure Compensation ±2 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps
- Auto Exposure Bracketing 3 steps
Lens System
- Type 35 x x Zoom lens - 4.3 mm - 150.5 mm - F/2.7-5.8
- Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera 24 - 840 mm
- Focus Adjustment Manual,
Automatic - Min Focus Range 0 in
- Macro Focus Range 0 in - 19.7 in
- Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
- Features UA lens,
Aspherical lens,
Voice Coil Motor (VCM),
UD glass,
HI-UD (High Index - Ultra Low Dispersion) glass Camera Flash
- Camera Flash Pop-up flash
- Flash Modes Fill-in mode,
Slow synchro,
Auto mode,
Flash OFF mode,
Red-eye reduction - Features Flash +/- compensation,
AF illuminator - Effective Flash Range 1.6 ft - 23 ft
Additional Features
- Continuous Shooting Speed 2.4 frames per second,
10.3 frames per second for 8 frames - Self Timer Delay 30 sec,
0 - 10 sec,
25 sec,
20 sec - Flash Terminal Hot shoe
- Additional Features Digital image rotation,
HS System,
Display brightness control,
In-camera red-eye fix,
Face Detection AF/AE/FE/WB,
Audio recording,
AF/AE tracking,
Smart Flash Exposure,
Wink Self-timer,
Zoom Framing Assist,
Eye-Fi Card Ready,
Resizing an image,
Cropping an image,
Subject tracking technology,
I-Contrast (Intelligent Contrast Correction) system,
Face Detection Self-timer,
Blink Detection technology,
Subject Detection technology,
Smile Detection technology,
Date/time stamp,
Exif Print support,
AF lock,
High-speed recording,
DPOF support,
FE lock,
Built-in speaker,
Motion Detection Technology,
Smart AUTO,
Smile Detection Auto Shutter,
AE lock,
Digital noise reduction,
Histogram display,
Camera orientation detection,
In-camera movie editing,
Focus bracketing,
PictBridge support,
1080p Full HD movie recording,
USB 2.0 compatibility,
Direct print Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type Electronic
- Viewfinder Color Support Color
- Viewfinder Resolution 202,000 pixels
- Field Coverage 100%
Display
- Type 2.7 in LCD display
- Display Features Rotating
Microphone
- Microphone Operation Mode Stereo
- Microphone Features Wind noise reduction
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Hi-Speed USB,
1 x Composite video/audio output,
1 x HDMI output
Software
- Software Canon ZoomBrowser EX,
Canon PhotoStitch,
Drivers & Utilities,
Canon ImageBrowser System Requirements for PC Connection
- Operating System Support Apple Mac OS X 10.5 - 10.6,
MS Windows XP SP3,
MS Windows 7,
MS Windows Vista SP2 - Peripheral Devices USB port,
CD-ROM drive Miscellaneous
- Microsoft Certifications Compatible with Windows 7
- Included Accessories Battery charger,
USB cable,
Case for hot shoe cap,
Lens cap,
Neck strap,
Shoe cap Battery
- Supported Battery Canon NB-10L
- Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery ( Included )
Memory / Storage
- Memory Card Slot SD card
- Supported Memory Cards SDHC Memory Card,
SD Memory Card,
SDXC Memory Card - Image Storage JPEG 4000 x 3000,
JPEG 4000 x 2664,
JPEG 4000 x 2248,
JPEG 2816 x 2112,
JPEG 2816 x 1880,
JPEG 2816 x 1584,
JPEG 1600 x 1200,
JPEG 1920 x 1080,
JPEG 1600 x 1064,
JPEG 640 x 480,
JPEG 640 x 424,
JPEG 640 x 360,
JPEG 2992 x 2992,
JPEG 2112 x 2112,
JPEG 1200 x 1200,
JPEG 480 x 480 - Video Capture H.264 - 1920 x 1080,
H.264 - 1280 x 720,
H.264 - 640 x 480,
iFrame - 1280 x 720,
H.264 - 640 x 480,
H.264 - 320 x 240,
H.264 - 640 x 480 - Miniature Effect,
H.264 - 640 x 480 - Miniature Effect,
H.264 - 640 x 480 - Miniature Effect,
H.264 - 1280 x 720 - Miniature Effect,
H.264 - 1280 x 720 - Miniature Effect,
H.264 - 1280 x 720 - Miniature Effect Dimensions & Weight
- Width 4.8 in
- Depth 4.3 in
- Height 3.6 in
- Weight 19.6 oz
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 32 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 104 °F
Main Features
- Image stabilizer feature Optical stabilization helps prevent blurry pictures, especially for handheld cameras at slow shutter speeds or when using high optical zoom.
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Canon products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Canon
- Address:
One Canon Plaza, Lake Success, NY 11042 - Phone: 516-328-5000
- Email: mediacontact@cusa.canon.com
