Announced on 31 July 2018, Canon’s new superzoom compact camera, the PowerShot SX740 HS, is sleek, compact, and packs in astounding 40x optical zoom. Powered by DIGIC 8, the latest version of Canon’s image processor, it not only features astounding image quality, and 4K video shooting and a host of creative possibilities, but also promises faster start-up and continuous shooting, great for capturing unexpected moments and recording memories on the go. (Reported by: Makoto Suzuki (Digital Camera Watch))

 

Go from close-up to wide-angle with 40x optical zoom

The successor of the PowerShot SX730 HS, the PowerShot SX740 HS is equipped with a zoom lens with focal length range 24 – 960mm (35mm film equivalent) and a maximum aperture range of f/3.3-6.9.

 

Shot at 24mm (wide-angle end)

 

Shot at 960mm (telephoto end)

The image processor upgrade has also enabled enhancements to various shooting features. This includes an increase in continuous shooting speed to up to 7.4 frames per second (fps) with AF tracking, and 10 fps with AF lock (for up to 59 consecutive shots).

Click here for 3 Creative Ways to Use Your Camera’s Continuous Shooting Mode

The camera is also faster, with the release time lag and interval between shots supposedly around half that on the previous model.

 

The 3 firsts on the PowerShot SX740 HS

1. First Canon compact camera to feature DIGIC 8

This also makes it only the second ever Canon camera to be equipped with Canon’s latest image processor. With this comes astounding enhancements to key shooting features, including continuous shooting, image quality, resolving power and support for 4K movie shooting.

 

2. First Canon compact camera capable of 4K movie recording

The PowerShot SX740 HS not only records 4K movies, it also comes with a number of supporting features such as 4K Frame Grab, which allows users to extract individual frames from a 4K movie clip as JPEG still images. There is also the new Video Snapshot feature, which users can use to merge and edit short movie clips in-camera.

 

3. First PowerShot SX camera with Auto Lighting Optimizer

With the Auto Lighting Optimizer, a function that reduces overexposure (especially blown highlights) and retain tonal contrasts even in bright areas, you can expect the quality of your daytime, outdoor images to go up a notch.

 

ALO: Disabled

No blowout reduction; no tonal adjustments to bright areas

 

ALO: High

Blowout is reduced; tonal adjustments have been applied to bright areas

 

Other key features to note

Image sensor

The camera uses a 1/2.3-type back-illuminated CMOS image sensor with 20.3 effective megapixels, and supports ISO speed range 100 to 3200.

Find out: What is ISO speed?

 

Minimum shooting distance

The minimum shooting distance (closest focusing distance) measured from the tip of the lens is 1cm at the wide angle end, and 2m at the telephoto end.

With the PowerShot SX740 HS, you can shoot with your subject no further than 1cm away from your lens tip, great for close-ups that capture them in full, precise detail.

 

 

Image stabilisation

Image stabilisation is available at up to 3.5 stops (CIPA standard) when measured at 350mm equivalent focal length, an improvement of approximately 0.5 stops compared to its predecessor. This is partly due to Dual Sensing IS, which utilises information from both the CMOS image sensor and the gyro sensor to detect the amount of shaking, resulting in more precise image stabilisation.

You may be interested in:
How are Image Stabilisation Stops Determined?

 

A: Detection of vibration using image data from the CMOS image sensor
B: Detection of vibration using gyro sensor

Conventional IS detects camera shake using information from the gyro sensor. Dual Sensing IS uses information from the image sensor in addition to this, resulting in more precise image stabilisation.

 

User interface

In a departure from the usual compact camera interface, the PowerShot SX740 HS uses an EOS-style user interface. This not only makes it familiar and easier to use for EOS users who intend to use it as a sub-camera, but also offers a seamless transition for users who plan to eventually upgrade to an EOS DSLR or mirrorless camera.

Beginners are not left out of the equation. The camera also includes the [Guided] menu display option. First introduced for EOS entry users on the EOS 800D, this feature provides an easy-to-understand graphical interface that helps beginner users better navigate and utilise menus and functions.

 

Creative modes and functions

The effort to align the user interface with EOS cameras has resulted in an overhaul to some functions. For example, a new ‘Style Setting’ function replaces the ‘My Colors’ function, providing more options for adjusting their image colour settings.

There is also a new scene mode, Food mode, which is also available on some of Canon’s newer DSLRs such as the EOS 200D. This preset mode is optimised to make food look tasty, and lets users choose from three colour tones: ‘Standard’, ‘Warm’, and ‘Cool’.

 

Food mode - Standard

 

Food mode: Warm

 

Food mode: Cool

 

Connectivity

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are supported, with NFC removed. In addition to the automatic sending of images to a paired smartphone via Wi-Fi, the camera also supports Image Transfer Utility 2. When a Wi-Fi connection is established and the camera is switched on, this new application is said to allow unsent images and movie files to be automatically sent to a computer.

Smartphone pairing also enables a host of other functions, including remote shooting, remote playback, and geotagging images with information from the phone’s GPS system.

 

Rear LCD monitor

The touchscreen LCD monitor is 3.0-inches with approximately 922,000 dots. Tiltable upwards to approximately 180 degrees, it is ideal for self-portraits, and comes supported by a self-portrait mode that allows background blur and skin smoothing effects.

 

Size and weight

The PowerShot SX740 HS has external dimensions of approximately 110.1 × 63.8 × 39.9mm, and weighs approximately 299g (including battery pack and memory card).

 

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