Canon SX740 Comparison Review

The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS is a fixed lens compact camera that was announced in July 2018 and is equipped with a 1/2.3-inch sensor. It offers a resolution of 20.2 megapixel.

Is the Canon SX740 a good camera? The SX740 has a Camera Elo of 2154. This rating puts the SX740 among the top 30 percent of all superzoom compact cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (small sensor cameras), the SX740 ranks among the top 20 percent. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 4.5-star performance rating.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

The physical dimensions of the Canon SX740 relative to a credit card are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Canon SX740 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon SX740	110 mm	64 mm	40 mm	299 g	265	n	Jul 2018	US$ 399	amazon.com
2.		Canon G5 X Mark II	111 mm	61 mm	46 mm	340 g	230	n	Jul 2019	US$ 899	ebay.com
3.		Canon G7 X Mark III	105 mm	61 mm	41 mm	304 g	235	n	Jul 2019	US$ 749	amazon.com
4.		Canon G9 X Mark II	98 mm	58 mm	31 mm	206 g	235	n	Jan 2017	US$ 529	ebay.com
5.		Canon M100	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	302 g	295	n	Aug 2017	US$ 499	ebay.com
6.		Canon SX430	104 mm	69 mm	85 mm	323 g	195	n	Jan 2017	US$ 299	ebay.com
7.		Canon SX710	113 mm	66 mm	35 mm	269 g	230	n	Jan 2015	US$ 349	ebay.com
8.		Canon SX720	110 mm	64 mm	36 mm	270 g	250	n	Feb 2016	US$ 379	ebay.com
9.		Canon SX730	110 mm	64 mm	40 mm	300 g	250	n	Apr 2017	US$ 399	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic TZ90	112 mm	67 mm	41 mm	322 g	380	n	Apr 2017	US$ 449	ebay.com
11.		Panasonic TZ95	112 mm	69 mm	42 mm	327 g	380	n	Feb 2019	US$ 449	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Canon SX740 was launched in the US market at a price of $399. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Check SX740 price at
amazon.com

Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Canon SX740 features a 1/2.3-inch sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 5.6. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Canon SX740 among the smaller-sensor digicams that favor affordability and compact design.

For most cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of alternative cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon SX740	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1050	51
2.		Canon G5 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	583	65
3.		Canon G7 X Mark III	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	583	65
4.		Canon G9 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.9	12.5	522	65
5.		Canon M100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.5	12.9	1272	78
6.		Canon SX430	1/2.3	19.9	5152	3864	720/25p	20.5	11.9	900	49
7.		Canon SX710	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.2	11.6	712	47
8.		Canon SX720	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.3	11.8	817	48
9.		Canon SX730	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.5	11.9	924	50
10.		Panasonic TZ90	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	19.1	10.6	106	36
11.		Panasonic TZ95	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.7	12.2	1103	52
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The SX740 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the SX740 can use is 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The tables below summarize some of the other core capabilities of the Canon SX740 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon SX740	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/3200s	10.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Canon G5 X Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	30/s	Y	Y
3.		Canon G7 X Mark III	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	30/s	Y	Y
4.		Canon G9 X Mark II	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	8.2/s	Y	Y
5.		Canon M100	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.1/s	Y	n
6.		Canon SX430	none	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	0.5/s	Y	Y
7.		Canon SX710	none	n	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/3200s	6.0/s	Y	Y
8.		Canon SX720	none	n	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/3200s	5.9/s	Y	Y
9.		Canon SX730	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/3200s	5.9/s	Y	Y
10.		Panasonic TZ90	1166	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Panasonic TZ95	2330	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The LCD screen on the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD can be tilted vertically to facilitate odd-angle shots in landscape orientation. This tilting design is often preferred, for example, by street photographers to a fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment, as it is more unobtrusive during shooting than a screen that flips out to the side.

One convenient feature of the SX740 is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon SX740	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Canon G5 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
3.		Canon G7 X Mark III	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
4.		Canon G9 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
5.		Canon M100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
6.		Canon SX430	-	mono / mono	-	-	-	2.0	Y	Y	-
7.		Canon SX710	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
8.		Canon SX720	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
9.		Canon SX730	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
10.		Panasonic TZ90	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
11.		Panasonic TZ95	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y

It is notable that the SX740 offers wifi support. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

The SX740 has a zoom lens built in (4.3-172mm f/3.3-6.9), which, in full frame equivalent terms, provides a focal length range from 24 to 960mm. The camera is, hence, ready to shoot, while remaining more compact in size than an interchangeable lens camera with an optic that offers similar focal length and aperture specifications.

Further information on the features and operation of the SX740 can be found in the free online Canon SX740 Manual or on the Canon support site.

Expert reviews

While the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the SX740 handle or perform in practice. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is where reviews by experts come in. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon SX740	..	+	3.5/5	..	4/5	4/5	Jul 2018	US$ 399	amazon.com
2.		Canon G5 X Mark II	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	..	4/5	Jul 2019	US$ 899	ebay.com
3.		Canon G7 X Mark III	..	+ +	4/5	81/100	4/5	..	Jul 2019	US$ 749	amazon.com
4.		Canon G9 X Mark II	4/5	..	4/5	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	US$ 529	ebay.com
5.		Canon M100	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Aug 2017	US$ 499	ebay.com
6.		Canon SX430	..	..	..	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Jan 2017	US$ 299	ebay.com
7.		Canon SX710	..	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Jan 2015	US$ 349	ebay.com
8.		Canon SX720	..	+	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	US$ 379	ebay.com
9.		Canon SX730	..	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Apr 2017	US$ 399	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic TZ90	..	+ +	4/5	..	4/5	4/5	Apr 2017	US$ 449	ebay.com
11.		Panasonic TZ95	..	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	..	Feb 2019	US$ 449	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Check SX740 price at
amazon.com

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just make your choice using the following search menu. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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