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Customer Reviews for PowerShot SX40 HS
PowerShot SX40 HS
The PowerShot SX40 HS is a versatile compact point-and-shoot camera that easily captures amazing photos and videos.
Average Customer Rating:
(108 Reviews) 108
Rating Snapshot (108 reviews)
5 stars
84
4 stars
16
3 stars
7
2 stars
1
1 star
0
97 out of 108(90%)reviewers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for PowerShot SX40 HS
Review 1 for PowerShot SX40 HS
Nickname: Bill
Location: Medford, OR
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Portraits
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: No
VERY NICE ALL-AROUND CAMERA
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:April 28, 2013
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use, durable for a camera
Sharp image quality in all focal lengths, even when lens is wide open. Because image size is so small I shoot most of my photos at widest aperture to make the background as out of focus as possible. Also, I have a tremor in my hands. so when I do macros or shoot in dim light, the image stabilizer is a great help.
Very handy to carry around. I use a wrist strap rather than the neck strap that it come with.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Review 2 for PowerShot SX40 HS
Nickname: Richie
Location: New York
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: Yes
Best ever
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:April 6, 2013
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Excellent picture quality Low light to Bright snow Light!!! Use indoors or out.
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Review 3 for PowerShot SX40 HS
Nickname: Cookiesoes09
Location: French Camp, MS
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: Yes
Excellent Product
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:April 3, 2013
Pros: Good Low-Light Performance, durable, easy to use, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, Simple controls/menu
I have always like using a Canon camera because its easy to manage, settings are very easy to follow, has excellent image quality, and th durable that it carries. I would recommend a Canon Camera.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Review 4 for PowerShot SX40 HS
Nickname: canonforever
Location: Auburn, New York
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: Yes
Forget the DSLR
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:March 25, 2013
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, easy to use
Cons: Complicated controls/menu
The Alaska cruise was planned and I needed to upgrade from my trusty AE-1, I went to buy an EOS Rebel. When I tried the SX40HS and realized that I did not have to change lenses... I was sold. I could have the focal length in a point and shoot. Great performer. Picture quality is outstanding. Weight of camera did not negatively impact the excursions.The camera is easy to use, easy to operate, ergonomic and intuitive... although the features are plenty and more than I may ultimately use. The results are outstanding!!
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Review 5 for PowerShot SX40 HS
Nickname: rustingaway
Location: NewYork, NY
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: Yes
The GO TO GUY!!!!
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:March 23, 2013
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use, hd video!!!
This is truly a "goto" camera. The fact that it outputs its video via HDMI, makes for portability, ease of use and instant viewing after the shot. I have used this for multiple video events and shared upon completion of the event. It is a hit, and i bet a few more cameras were sold right after I did this. The picture quality rivals SLR quality, without the price.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 6 for PowerShot SX40 HS
Nickname: GA Photog
Location: Atlanta, GA
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Travel
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: Yes
Excellent Camera
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:March 22, 2013
Pros: Good Low-Light Performance, excellent image quality, Simple controls/menu, easy to use, excellent zoom lens
Cons: Heavy/Bulky
Have used the SX40 at home and traveling to France, Spain and Israel. Used primarily in auto mode but also have used manual mode for special situations. Produced excellent shots and videos in a variety of settings. The zoom lens is beautiful, just to test it, I did a max zoom on 2 birds standing on Masada ruins about 150 feet away and they came out crisp, clear and in focus. Picture quality in a variety of settings, from French & Spanish cities to Pyrenees mtns and Israeli deserts were all great in auto mode. Should say that I have had Canon digital cameras for years now and therefore are used to their controls, however I find them easy to use and straight forward. And I have never read the user guide, just use it for reference.
I Have another camera from a different mfr that has now been relegated to backup status.
Only downside is the size of the camera. It is not heavy but considerably larger than the normal digital model, had to get used to not being able to carry a camera in a belt case. This is why satisfaction received 4 stars instead of 5.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for PowerShot SX40 HS
Nickname: canonfanforlife
Location: Spokane, WA
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Travel
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: No
SX40 Really Is All That
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:March 17, 2013
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, easy to use
Based on the way Canon Customer Service treated my wife and I when we had a lens error problem with our SX160 (Canon replaced our camera), we bought a SX40 to go with our Canon A3100 and SX160. We now think that we have a great combination of Canon cameras: A small point and shoot that is easy to carry; A relatively small point and shoot with a 16X zoom lens; And a relatively large point and shoot with a 35X zoom lens. We think of them as our "small, medium and large" cameras that meet all our picture taking needs from macro to far away. But, bottom line, it is the Canon Customer Service that keeps us buying Canon cameras. We have taken pictures and videos that we like with half a dozen different cameras but no camera maker has treated us as well as Canon, plus we just plain like our Canon cameras. One problem, at this stage I'm convinced that the SX40 has features I may never come to understand but that does not prevent us from taking great pictures with it. My dear wife is already planning a new trip/adventure that will include all three of our Canon cameras: The A3100 will be in her purse, the SX160 will be in a harness on my chest and the SX40 will be in our camera bag for those shots that require features not available with our A3100 and SX160. Truth be told, we could probably take all the pictures that we want to take with our new SX40 but what the heck, why not use all three of them just for the fun of it? And, so far, when we look at our pictures, we can't tell which picture was taken with which camera because all three of them give us great pictures.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Review 8 for PowerShot SX40 HS
Nickname: Gabby
Location: California, Los Angeles
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Casual User
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: No
Never made a better purchase!!!
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:March 1, 2013
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Cons: not too good for recording in the dark
I really recommend this camera. it performs real good. had no clue what i was buying, but i went for it and i am satisfied. still have more to learn about the camera. but i would really recommend it!
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Review 9 for PowerShot SX40 HS
Nickname: daylebread
Location: Spring City, TN
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: Yes
Great Camera
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:February 15, 2013
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Cons: nothing negative to say!
I have owned the rebel, the sx15 and the sx30. They are all good cameras. The sx40 is a great camera. I travel a lot over sea and this camera with its exceptional zoom is amazing. At maxed out zoom, I get great pictures without having to use a tripod. I find it to be easy to use; it takes wonderful pictures in day light and at night. I rarely have to use the flash in low light settings. I consider it light weight, not bulky and it travels well. The battery is a plus. I get well over 300 shots on one charge. Over all this is a great camera.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Review 10 for PowerShot SX40 HS
Nickname: Steve
Location: Dover, PA
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 11 to 20 years
Product replacement: No
Awesome!
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:February 12, 2013
Pros: good battery life, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
This is a great camera with an amazing telephoto lens. I mainly shoot with a T2i (when is the T5i coming out?), but decided not to lug it, the accessories, and the telephoto lens (28-300) that I use to Jamaica.
Instead I brought this camera with me. The pictures that it took were nothing short of incredible. In fact, some of the shots I took as the sun was going down over the water were so good, the resort is using them on their website.
My only complaint is that it is not always able to focus in low light perfectly. I recommend that you take multiple pictures just in case. Of course, that is as much a function of the lighting as it is of the camera.
I haven't pulled the trigger on the new SX50, because this camera is so good.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for PowerShot SX40 HS
Nickname: mlo68
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: No
Huge Zoom!
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
3
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:January 22, 2013
Pros: good battery life, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Cons: Poor Low-Light Performance, Flimsy Construction
This camera is amazing. First of all, it has impressive image quality from the relatively small sensor, which probably means DIGIC 5 is doing its job really well (eliminating noise, correcting lens distortion, etc). The 24mm wide angle is superb for indoor shooting. The 840mm telephoto is WAY beyond what most people will ever need, and well beyond the ability to get a blur-free handheld shot (even with the IS). The slow-motion VGA movie mode (120 fps) is AWESOME! My only gripes are that this camera is nearly as big and heavy as my XTi DSLR, the plasticky body feels cheap and low-light performance is mediocre (even with handheld night scene).
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Review 12 for PowerShot SX40 HS
Nickname: Photohunter
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: Yes
Perfect camera
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:December 16, 2012
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Have owned camera since August. Have owned several other brandname cameras with various megapixels and zooms, but favorite had been a Canon SX120 for several years. Had finally decided to upgraded and researched this camera. Eventually purchased it and have not been disappointed. This camera takes really good photos in auto mode, but the more I was willing to experiment with other settings and functions the more I enjoyed this camera and the quality of the photos. This camera requires a little patience and willingness to experiment butis well worth the time and money.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Review 13 for PowerShot SX40 HS
Nickname: Anonymous
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: Yes
Overall Rating
Features
3
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:December 6, 2012
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Bright LCD, easy to use
Cons: Heavy/Bulky, Complicated controls/menu
I've had several Canon cameras and have never been disappointed and look forward to some great photos and movies with my NEW Power Shot SX 40..BUT I am diappointed that it does not have a user manual except for the on line version making it cumbersome to easily find help topics on specific camera "how to" questions I may have..
7 of 9 people found this review helpful.
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Review 14 for PowerShot SX40 HS
Nickname: Amyd
Location: Pulaski, Tn
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: Yes
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:December 1, 2012
Pros: good battery life, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, easy to use
Cons: Complicated controls/menu
I am not a professional photographer but decided to take pictures as a hobby. I researched many cameras and after checking reviews and videos decided this was the camera for me. I absolutely love it! This camera is Canon's best for amateur photographers. It is easy to use, the zoom is wonderful, and the pictures are beautiful. The only issues I have is learning the correct settings and knowing which and when to use them. This is a user issue and I learn everyday. I suggest liking Canon's Facebook page. The admin and personnel answer any question you have and provide wonderful tips and tricks. I will always use Canon, their products are great
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Review 15 for PowerShot SX40 HS
Nickname: Alice S.
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Casual User
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: Less than 1 year
Product replacement: No
Great but not Amazing
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
3
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:November 25, 2012
From the minute I saw this camera, I knew this was the camera I wanted to buy. It was pretty expensive though. I bought it went it first came out and like most all cameras the price has now gone down on it. Let me just say the video part on the camera is amazing! The images are very sharp. As for the actual camera part, its good but not great. One thing that really bugs me about this camera is the focus. If you try to take a close up shot on let's say a flower, it won't focus right, and the flower becomes blurry. It makes me extremely frustrated when it does this because i love to take close up shots. The zoom is very good. I've taken many beautiful shots of the moon, and even some close ups of Mars! Over all the camera is a pretty easy going camera, just a few here and there minor things but in total I think it's a great camera.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Review 16 for PowerShot SX40 HS
Nickname: Bob
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: Yes
Slooowww shot to shot time
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
3
out of
5
Price/Value
3
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
3
out of
5
Date:November 25, 2012
Nice camera. Shot to shot time is horribly slow - in the range of two seconds. Focusing could be quicker too. The zoom is great, love the optical viewfinder, and the twist screen is great for shooting over crowds or down low. I'd buy something else next time though, because of the slow shot to shot time.
0 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Review 17 for PowerShot SX40 HS
Nickname: JP
Purchased For My Cancun Trip
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
3
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:November 16, 2012
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use, excellent quality animal portraits
Cons: Missing features/settings, controls are easly pushed accidentally., it would be nice to have the raw feature, it would be better to have brass threads filters, bulb feature would be helpful
Pros: This camera is loaded with features, Zoom is incredible, excellent quality at full zoom range, easy to get around in the menu/settings. I purchased this camera the day before leaving to Cancun Mexico, I took around 1000 images, beach, high sun photos, low light, daytime, dusk, after dark, in caves, bird portraits, small creatures. I was rushed most of the time, i am amazed how well they turned out. I own the SX10IS, SX30IS, this camera is an excellent addition to the PowerShot lineup.
14 of 15 people found this review helpful.
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Review 18 for PowerShot SX40 HS
Nickname: Tony P.
Location: Ohio
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: Less than 1 year
Product replacement: Yes
Just What I Wanted
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:November 4, 2012
Pros: good battery life, excellent image quality, durable, Simple controls/menu
I have had this camera for aout 6 months now and I am very pleased. It is very easy to use and takes great looking pictures. I do wish that it came with an owners manual so I could look things up if needed. I went ahead and printed one off that I keep in a three ring binder.There are to many options for me to remember, so i need to keep looking back to check on how to do all the different settings. I am also pleased on the length of the lens because you can really zoom in nice and close on your subject.I do have a little problem when I use the macro,I seem to get a lot of blurry shots. But that could just be me.The battery lasts a long time plus I always carry an extra one just incase I would happen to need it.I also like all the promps I get like when I need to raise the flash up.Overall I would recommend this camera to anyone.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Review 19 for PowerShot SX40 HS
Nickname: Nells
Location: New England
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: Yes
A step down...
Overall Rating
Features
3
out of
5
Performance
3
out of
5
Price/Value
3
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
3
out of
5
Date:October 24, 2012
Pros: good battery life, durable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use, super zoom!!
Cons: Poor Low-Light Performance, viewfinder is too small, too many blurred photos for no appearant reason
I have been using Canon's "super zooms" for a long time now. I was not happy about the switch to a battery pack, but so far, the supplied battery has been great. Holds a charge for a very long time (NOTE I use the viewfinder most of the time). But NO PRINTED MANUAL! (sigh...)
I have always found these cameras to have easy to use controls. I also LOVE the LCD screen... you can keep it stowed away, or position it many ways when you do need it.
There is one major problem with the SX40 - blurred photos. I do nothing different with this camera than with my older ones, and I have had many ruined photos because for some reason the camera can't focus fast enough. I tend to wonder if as the zooms get longer, the lenses get slower. I take a lot of train photos, and some of my best shots have been ruined, and I have, at times, wanted to throw the stupid thing right at the train and watch it get crushed...
As much as I like Canon cameras, this one has been a major dissapointment. The photos that DO come out in focus are indeed good. But there is still a low-light issue. These cameras seem to dislike low light, and unless you have some advanced skills to overcome it, you get less that great photos.
Also, the viewfinder is WAY too small. It is very hard to see through. Another bad change.
So, I hate to say it, but for the first time, I have to give a rather negative review of a Canon camera.
11 of 16 people found this review helpful.
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Review 20 for PowerShot SX40 HS
Nickname: Anonymous
Location: Denver
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: Yes
Great, as usual
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:October 19, 2012
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Cons: easy to push wrong buttons.
The best bridge camera I've tried. Super clear pics, wonderful IS and easy to use.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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