Canon PowerShot SX740 HS: Review, Specs & Buy Guide

There is something quietly stubborn about a camera that refuses to fade away. The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS launched in 2018 with a 40x optical zoom crammed into a body just 39.9mm deep, and retailers still list it in 2026 — not as a clearance afterthought, but as an active product. That staying power deserves a closer look.

Sensor: 20.3 Megapixel CMOS · Optical Zoom: 40x · Video: 4K Ultra HD · Depth: 39.9 mm · Processor: DIGIC 8

Is the PowerShot SX740 HS worth buying?

For anyone who has outgrown a smartphone camera but does not want the bulk of a mirrorless system, the SX740 HS occupies a narrow and increasingly rare niche: a pocket-sized camera with serious zoom reach. The 40x optical zoom (24–960mm equivalent) is the centrepiece, letting photographers frame wildlife, architecture, or distant street scenes without changing lenses. The camera weighs roughly 299 grams, and at 39.9mm deep it slides into a jacket pocket without complaint.

The implication: for photographers who need reach without a bag, this camera delivers where smartphones cannot.

Pros and value proposition

The DIGIC 8 processor enables 4K video at 30p and Full HD at 60p, giving creators more flexibility than older compact cameras. The 3.0-inch tilting LCD flips 180 degrees for selfies and vlogging, and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth handle image transfer to phones without cables. According to Photography Blog (specialist camera review outlet), the lens construction uses 13 elements in 11 groups, including Hi-UD and aspherical elements to control aberrations.

“The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite packs an obscene 24-960mm of range into the pocket of your jeans!”

— Digital Camera World reviewer

Burst shooting reaches 10fps with single autofocus (59 shots) or 7.4fps with continuous autofocus (127 shots), per Digital Camera World (established photography publication). Image stabilisation offers up to 3.5 stops, which matters at full zoom where handshake is amplified.

User reviews summary

Long-term users consistently praise the 40x zoom for its reach, and the camera scores 53/100 in the small sensor superzoom category on PXLMAG.com camera rankings (camera rankings database), excelling in portability (88) and travel use (75). DPReview community platform user reviews note the camera is easy to use with plenty of features.

“Very easy to use. Lots of features and great optical zoom.”

— DPReview user

Battery life draws the most frequent complaint: users report the battery runs low quickly after video recording, and a spare battery is a practical recommendation for anyone planning a full day of shooting.

Is the Canon SX740 HS discontinued?

Canon has not issued an official discontinuation announcement for the SX740 HS, and the camera remains listed on the Canon Ireland Official Store (manufacturer direct sales channel) as a Lite Edition. This is not unusual for travel-oriented compacts — manufacturers often keep popular models on shelves well past their launch date while new successor development continues quietly.

Availability status

The Lite Edition naming suggests Canon is clearing remaining stock through official channels rather than discontinuing the product line entirely. The camera is still found at major electronics retailers, though inventory varies by region and colour variant availability has narrowed over time.

What this means: the camera’s availability is managed, not eliminated — a signal Canon has not committed to a replacement yet.

Lite edition details

The Lite Edition designation typically refers to bundled packaging — the camera and essential accessories without additional software or extended warranty add-ons. It is the same hardware specification as the standard model, just offered at a different retail tier to move remaining units.

Whether Canon develops a successor remains unclear at time of writing. Competing brands have largely moved away from small-sensor superzooms toward larger sensor compacts or smartphone partnerships.

Why does the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS still sell well?

Smartphone cameras have improved dramatically, but they remain fundamentally constrained by physics — a tiny sensor and a fixed short-focus lens. The SX740 HS sidesteps these limits with a 40x optical zoom and a dedicated 20.3-megapixel CMOS sensor. For travellers who want to photograph a lion on safari or a cathedral spire from a boat, digital zoom on a phone simply cannot match the real reach.

The catch: this gap narrows each year as smartphone makers add more computational zoom features, but optical reach remains a physical advantage no software can fully replicate.

Enduring features

The 40x zoom is the headline, but it is not the only reason the camera persists. The DIGIC 8 processor delivers usable 4K video, and the tilting screen makes vlogging and self-portraits practical. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity lets users send images directly to phones, which matters for travel bloggers who want to post without a laptop. The soft textured grip, reported by YouTube review video (camera reviewer), makes the camera comfortable to hold during extended shoots.

Market position

Against competitors, the SX740 HS holds its own. PXLMAG.com camera rankings ranks it at 53/100 in the small sensor superzoom category, slightly ahead of its predecessor SX730 HS (51/100) and close to the Panasonic ZS80 (55/100). The trade-off: Panasonic offers better features scoring (70 vs 63) but only 30x zoom, so the choice depends on whether reach or versatility matters more.

“This compact travel camera packs powerful zoom capabilities into a pocket-friendly body, making it ideal for travel, wildlife, vlogging, and everyday photography.”

— YouTube camera reviewer

What keeps the camera selling is the specific combination of pocket size and extreme zoom — no other current compact camera matches that exact balance at a similar price.

Is a Canon PowerShot better than an iPhone?

For everyday snapshots in good lighting, modern iPhones match or exceed the SX740 HS in image quality. Computational photography on phones handles dynamic range, low light, and portrait mode with software that a fixed-lens compact cannot replicate. But zoom is where the gap widens. An iPhone 15 Pro Max offers roughly 5x optical zoom equivalent; the SX740 HS delivers 40x — eight times the real magnification.

The implication: for wide and standard shots, phones win on convenience; for anything telephoto, the SX740 HS remains in a different category.

Zoom and sensor advantages

At full zoom, the difference is not incremental — it is categorical. Wildlife photographers, birders, and anyone who shoots distant subjects will find the iPhone’s digital zoom produces soft, interpolated results where the SX740 HS maintains optical clarity. The 24–960mm equivalent focal length covers everything from wide-angle landscapes to extreme telephoto without switching lenses or accepting quality penalties.

The 1/2.3-inch sensor in the SX740 HS is modest by dedicated camera standards, but it is physically larger than the sensors in most smartphones, which contributes to better light-gathering at equivalent apertures. RTINGS.com product reviews (product review platform) notes the trade-off clearly: the SX740 HS is outperformed by the premium Canon G7 X Mark III with its 1-inch sensor, but the G7 X costs significantly more and lacks the 40x zoom.

Smartphone limitations

Smartphones cannot compete on optical zoom range, physical shutter controls, or battery life per charge when used intensively. They also lack a traditional optical viewfinder and have no lens mount — both meaningless to casual users but meaningful to anyone who wants a camera that behaves like a camera. The SX740 HS also records video in 4K without the smartphone’s 10-minute or 15-minute recording limits in many jurisdictions.

“The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III is a much better point-and-shoot camera than the Canon PowerShot SX740, though it’s priced higher.”

— RTINGS.com reviewer

Canon PowerShot SX740 HS pocket sized 4K Camera Review

The SX740 HS is not a flagship camera — it is a travel camera that takes its job seriously. Released in 2018, it predates current smartphone generations but has aged by becoming the definitive option for a specific use case rather than trying to be everything to everyone.

The pattern: the camera succeeds by excelling at one dimension — zoom — rather than spreading effort across features that smartphones already handle well.

Key specifications

Here is how the core specifications break down against the competitive field:

The comparison confirms the SX740 HS leads on zoom range while staying competitive on weight and depth.

YouTube head-to-head reviewer notes the ZS99 offers similar pricing but different colour science — Canon leans toward more saturated, reddish tones while Panasonic is more neutral.

Performance highlights

The DIGIC 8 processor handles 4K recording with a 30-minute maximum clip length, which is competitive for this class. Burst shooting at 10fps is sufficient for action sequences, though the contrast-detect autofocus is slower than the phase-detect systems found in mirrorless cameras.

Image quality in good light is strong for the sensor class, with the lens construction managing chromatic aberrations reasonably well, according to Photography Blog independent review (independent specialist publication). High-contrast scenes show some fringing at edges, but this is typical for compact travel cameras and correctable in editing.

Low-light performance is limited by the sensor size and f/6.9 maximum aperture at full telephoto — noise appears above ISO 800, which is expected for a 1/2.3-inch sensor. The 5-axis image stabilisation helps at moderate zoom but cannot fully compensate for motion blur at maximum telephoto in dim conditions.

The SX740 HS is a specialist tool. It excels at exactly one thing — delivering massive zoom reach in a pocket camera — and accepts the compromises that physical size constraints demand. For photographers who want that specific capability, it remains the clearest option in its price range.