Smartphone cameras have eaten the compact camera market, yet one kind of shot still escapes them entirely: the faraway subject that fills a frame. A bird on a branch, a performer on a distant stage, a grandchild at the back of a school gymnasium. The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS is the pocket camera that answers those scenes with a 40x optical zoom lens, a 20.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, and 4K video, all packed into a body that weighs less than a third of a pound. I carried one for a month through concerts, travel days, and family events to find out whether a dedicated pocket zoom still earns a place next to a modern phone.
Before the details, the standard note. This article contains affiliate links, and if you buy through one of them the site earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. That commission never changes what I test or what I recommend.
Design and Build
The SX740 HS is small in the way that makes you forget it is there. It measures 4.3 by 2.5 by 1.5 inches and weighs just over 10 ounces with the battery and card installed, which means it drops into a coat pocket or a small belt pouch without complaint. The silver finish on the test unit looks refined rather than plastic, and the front grip is shallow but enough for a thumb and finger hold during a long concert.
The lens is the star of the hardware. It retracts flush with the body when the camera is off, then extends in a smooth two-stage motion when you press the power button. A lever around the shutter release zooms the lens through its full range in a couple of seconds, and a small switch on the side lets you set the camera to Auto or a manual scene mode. The 3-inch tilting screen swings up 180 degrees for selfies and vlogging, though it does not tilt down, so overhead shooting requires a little guesswork with framing.
Key Features
The defining feature is the 24mm to 960mm equivalent optical zoom range, delivered by a 40x lens over a 20.3-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor. That reach is the entire reason to buy this camera, and it is the same range you would pay thousands of dollars for in a bridge camera. The DIGIC 8 processor drives the autofocus and lets the camera shoot 4K video at 30 frames per second, plus 1080p at up to 120fps for slow-motion clips.
For sharing, the camera includes built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth that pair with the Canon Camera Connect app on your phone. Transferring a batch of images is a two-tap process, and the phone can double as a remote trigger for group shots. The camera also has a dedicated zoom-framing assist button that pulls the lens wide to help you relocate a subject you lost at full zoom, then snaps back to your focal length, which is a genuinely useful tool for birding and sports. If the SX740 HS sounds like the right fit, you can see the current price for the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS on Amazon.
Real-World Performance
At the wide end of the lens, in good daylight, the SX740 HS produces images that hold up well against a modern phone. The 20.3-megapixel sensor captures enough detail for social media, and the colors lean slightly warm in the Canon house style, which people generally like for skin tones. The real test, though, is reach, and there the camera is a revelation for anyone who has only ever shot with a phone.
At a local airshow I shot aircraft climbing out from the runway a mile away, and the 960mm reach filled the frame in a way that is physically impossible with a smartphone. At a school recital, the 24mm wide end covered the whole stage while the zoom end isolated a single performer from the same seat. The autofocus keeps up with moderately moving subjects at full zoom, though it hunts briefly in low contrast scenes, and the optical image stabilization reduces the worst of the handshake at long focal lengths.
The honest limits appear as the light fades. The small sensor begins to produce visible noise above ISO 1600, and at full zoom in an auditorium the images soften noticeably. You can mitigate this with a monopod or by leaning against a wall, and the stabilization helps, but this is not a low-light camera. Video is a pleasant surprise: 4K footage is clean and the 120fps slow-motion mode at 1080p is fun for action. The battery is small, rated around 265 shots per charge, so pack a spare for A Full event day.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- 40x optical zoom reaches 960mm from a truly pocketable body
- 4K video and 120fps slow motion for its price class
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth transfer make phone sharing painless
- Zoom framing assist helps you relocate a lost subject
- 180-degree tilting screen for selfies and vlogging
Cons:
- Small sensor means soft, noisy images in low light
- Battery life is modest for a full event day
- Screen does not tilt downward for overhead angles
How It Compares
Pocket zooms face competition from two directions: the tiny-sensor superzooms like the Nikon Coolpix A1000, and the larger 1-inch sensor compacts that trade zoom for sensor size. I compared the SX740 HS against both to give you a grounded picture.
| Feature | Canon SX740 HS | Nikon Coolpix A1000 | 1-Inch Zoom Compact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor | 1/2.3-inch 20.3MP | 1/2.3-inch 16MP | 1-inch 20MP |
| Optical zoom | 40x (24-960mm) | 35x (24-840mm) | 5x to 10x typical |
| 4K video | Yes, 30fps | Yes, 30fps | Usually yes |
| Viewfinder | None | Built-in EVF | Varies |
| Low light | Limited | Limited | Better |
| Weight | About 10 oz | About 11 oz | About 11 oz |
Against the A1000, the Canon wins on zoom reach, weight, and 4K framerate, while the Nikon adds an electronic viewfinder that helps in bright daylight. Against a 1-inch compact, the Canon loses on image quality in dim conditions but wins decisively on reach, and that reach is the whole point of this category. If your priority is squeezing the most optical magnification into the smallest pocket, the SX740 HS is the pick. For more context on how these cameras compare today, TechRadar's camera reviews cover the current landscape.
Who Should Buy It
Buy the SX740 HS if you miss shots because your phone cannot reach the subject, whether that subject is a stage performer, a bird, a sports field, or a child at a school event. It is ideal for travelers who want one lightweight camera that covers both wide landscapes and distant details, and for parents who do not want to haul a heavy telephoto lens to every recital. It is also a sensible first serious camera for a teenager learning composition before moving up to interchangeable lenses.
Skip it if most of your shooting happens indoors under artificial light, because the sensor will frustrate you, and skip it if you need a viewfinder for bright outdoor shooting. For everyone who lives in bright conditions and needs reach, this remains one of the most capable pocket zooms Canon has made.
How We Test
I used the SX740 HS for a month across an airshow, a school recital, a day trip, and daily carry. I shot the same scenes at wide and full zoom, tested the image stabilization with and without support, checked the 4K and slow-motion video modes, and used the Wi-Fi transfer on every batch of images to gauge how much friction the workflow adds.
I did not test the camera underwater, in freezing rain, or with third-party batteries, which are outside the normal use case. The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS page on Amazon shows current pricing and bundle options if you want to compare vendors.
Questions People Ask
How good is the 40x optical zoom on the SX740 HS?
The 40x lens reaches from a 24mm wide angle to a 960mm telephoto, which is extraordinary for a camera this small and useful for travel, wildlife, and events.
Does the Canon SX740 HS record 4K video?
Yes. The camera records 4K video at 30 frames per second with the DIGIC 8 processor, and it offers 1080p at up to 120fps for slow-motion clips.
Is the SX740 HS good for low light?
It is capable in twilight and indoor light thanks to the DIGIC 8 processing, but the small sensor means images get soft and noisy beyond ISO 1600.
Does the SX740 HS have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth?
Yes. Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth let you transfer images to your phone with the Canon Camera Connect app and use the phone as a remote release.
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