Canon PowerShot SX740 HS pocket sized 4K Camera Review

This is a gear review of the new Canon PowerShot SX740 HS point and shoot camera.

As I’m off to Japan, I thought this would be a good trip to put the camera to the test and to share with you all the key features that this camera has to offer.

The powerful Canon PowerShot SX740 HS is the ultimate ‘all-in-one’ solution for a pocket-sized compact body. A perfect camera for those who wish to cut down on camera size so they can pack light and still take top quality photographs on the go.

Here are my thoughts on how I got on with the camera.

Amazing 40x optical zoom pictures

Normally I’m very sceptical when it comes to zoom on cameras as I’ve found that pictures become distorted the more you zoom into the subject.

With the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS this simply wasn’t the case and I was rather surprised how well the quality remains the more you start to zoom in.

With a powerful 40x optical zoom and superfast DIGIC processing, this camera retains high-quality in the picture even if the subject is at some distance.

If you want to capture nature and wildlife from a distance, this is a wonderful feature to have sitting in your pocket when the moment comes along.

Night photography works well

Normally I find photography at night a struggle with many cameras but the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS managed well in low light situations.

Take my trip to Osaka as an example, a city famous for its nightlife. It was wonderful to capture the popular neon lights and the landmark running man sign – the camera did well with the job.

Also, if you need to use the flash you can flip the switch up from the side for the flash feature to work. The flash fits compactly back into the camera body when not in use, which is rather nice. The flash is there when you need it.

Share your pictures easily with Bluetooth

One feature I always look out for on new camera models is the ability to easily share my photos to my smartphone, so I can upload my photos to social media quickly.

This cuts out the need to bring a laptop on a trip and makes sharing photos simple and easy.

The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS has built-in Advanced Bluetooth, Wi-Fi connectivity and Auto Transfer so you can share and back-up photos to your smartphone on the move.

Amazing picture quality on the go

The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS has a built-in 20.3 Megapixel CMOS sensor, plus DIGIC 8 for capturing high definition photos with ease. This allows you to take picture perfect compositions every time on the go.

Pretty mighty for a compact camera that fits into your pocket.

Canon’s unique DIGIC 8 processor actively manages camera settings such as Zoom Framing Assist and Hybrid Auto so you can point and shoot with incredible results. This is a nice feature if you find big DSLR cameras to be too complicated with all their features and settings. You can simply click away and let the camera sensors do all the work to create great photos.

Never miss a moment with 10 fps

Fast shooting speeds allow you to never miss a moment with incredibly responsive shutter release and 10 fps continuous shooting. This came in extremely handy in Nara, Japan when I was shooting wild roaming deer in the forests of Nara Park. The deer were constantly moving in random directions and it was difficult to capture the perfect moment but with the continuous shooting I was able to take some wonderful photos without losing a blink of moment or quality.

One for the selfie lovers

One advantage of the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS is that the camera has a built-in flip up LCD screen, making it easier to take a selfie on your next trip.

This is also perfect for solo travellers when you want to shoot a video in vlog style for YouTube using the Self Portrait mode. Such a handy and helpful design feature indeed.

Key features of the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS

This is a list of all the features you get with the camera:

– 24 mm 40 X optical zoom
– 20.3 Megapixel CMOS sensor
– 4k Ultra High Definition
– 10 fps
– 180 degree flip up LCD screen tilt
– 5-axis Stabilisation
– DIGIC 8 Powerful processor
– Bluetooth always-on connectivity

The camera also has a very stylish design, which is always a lovely feature to have with any camera.

Shoot 4K video on a pocket-sized camera

Did you know that this camera comes with an amazing 4K movie resolution? You can easily capture memories in incredible detail with the stunning 4K movie resolution and 5-axis stabilisation, even if you’re shooting on the move.

Here is a test demo of a 4K video shot on a Canon PowerShot SX740 HS, just to give you an idea of the quality.

I had some free time around Finland before I grabbed my flight to Japan, so I quickly put this one together:

I’m very impressed with the 4K quality that this camera can produce. It’s also super handy that this PowerShot fits perfectly into your pocket and you can have this incredible quality with only a few clicks wherever your adventure takes you. It’s an interesting point and shoot camera packed with awesome features.

It’s always nice to have the latest technology on new equipment as it future proofs the product for a long time. Having 4K built in is a wonderful additional feature to have on a new camera as the quality is outstanding for many years to come.

What do you get in the box?

Here is a list of what’s included in the box:

– Digital Camera PowerShot SX740 HS
– Wrist Strap WS-800
– Battery Pack NB-13L
– Battery Charger CB-2LHE
– AC Cable
– Canon user Manual Kit

Not included:

– Camera case
– USB cable IFC-600PCU (for charging on the go and transfer)
– HDMI cable
– SD card

Any downsides to the camera?

For the price, you get a lot of value out the camera, and it’s an all-round good purchase. However, I did have a small issue with the screen not being touch screen compatible.

I felt a bit silly when tapping on the screen to play around with the settings and then realising that I have to use the dial and buttons. But I got used to it rather quickly, and maybe this is because I’m so used to touching screens these days. Just a small issue but I can easily manage without this feature.

Thank you for reading my gear review of the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS

Thank you very much for passing by and checking out my review of the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS model. It was a fun camera to play around with, and it’s packed with many incredible features for its mighty compact size.

This blog post was put together in collaboration with Canon UK and all opinions expressed here are my own.

If you have any further questions that I didn’t mention in the review article, please feel free to send me a message on either Twitter or by email and I will be more than happy to help with your enquiry.

Have a fantastic time with this camera taking incredible 4K video footage and photography.