About the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS

Sharp stills and 4K video

A full-color 3" LCD screen on the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS helps frame and review photos and video.
Sharp stills and 4K video
The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS is small enough to throw in a backpack. Its small size belies the amazing things it can do. It shoots sharp, clear 20.3-megapixel stills, and records dazzling 4K video at 30 frames per second. It's a no-brainer to take on your next road trip.
Lots of zoom from a little camera
When you use the camera's 40X optical zoom range, you'll find you can capture sharp close-ups of distant subjects. Sure, a smartphone can deliver a small amount of digital zoom. But it also degrades the quality of your photos, leaving you with grainy images that lack clarity.
This camera provides outstanding image quality across the zoom range, from a wide-angle landscape to a tight close-up of your kid at graduation. And Zoom Framing Assist makes it easy to track a moving subject when the zoom lens is fully extended. Dual Sensing IS will keep shaky hands from ruining that close-up, too.
Quick and easy photo sharing via Wi-Fi®
Thanks to the PowerShot SX740's built in Wi-Fi, it's a snap to wirelessly transfer images from the camera to your smartphone or tablet. Canon's free app for Apple® and Android™ even lets you use your smartphone as a remote, so you can set up the camera on a tripod and use the phone as a monitor and shutter release device.
Highlights:
Specifications:
- 20.3-megapixel effective recording CMOS sensor
- 4K video at 30 fps
- 40X optical zoom (4X digital zoom)
- records photos and video onto optional SD, SDHC, or SDXC memory cards
- rotating 3" color LCD screen (922,000 dots)
- pop-up flash
- shutter speed: 1/3200-1 sec.
- ISO 100-3200
- 35mm equivalent lens focal length: 24-960mm
Special Features:
- built-in Wi-Fi for wireless image transfer to smartphones and tablets
- free Camera Connect App:
- upload and share photos and videos
- tag images with GPS location data
- remotely control your camera's shutter via Bluetooth®
- Creative Shot mode automatically produces five additional variations of your shot by applying any of 46 creative filters
- Zoom Framing Assist makes it easy to track a moving subject when the zoom lens is fully extended
- Dual Sensing IS counteracts shaky hands for blur-free photos and video
- burst mode: up to 10 shots per second (with AF lock)
- self timer: 2 sec., 10 sec., custom
Connections and Dimensions:
- micro HDMI output (cable not included)
- high-speed micro USB interface (cable not included)
- 4-3/8"W x 2-9/16"H x 1-5/8"D
- weight: 10.5 oz. (with battery and memory card)
Supplied Accessories:
- rechargeable lithium ion battery (NB-13L)
- battery charging station
- wrist strap
- warranty: 1 year
- Our 60-day money-back guarantee
- MFR # 2955C001
What's in the box:
Canon PowerShot SX740 HS owner's manual
- Digital camera (black)
- NB-13L Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery (3.6V 1250mAh 4.5Wh)
- CB-2LH Battery charger (DC output: 4.2V 0.7A)
- Wrist strap
- Getting Started booklet (Eng/Span/Fren)
- Online registration card
- Warranty card
- Safety Instructions (for battery charger)
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More details on the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS

Features & specs
General | ||
---|---|---|
LCD Screen Size | 3" | |
Adjustable-angle LCD | Yes | |
Wi-Fi | Built-in | |
Touchscreen | No | |
Waterproof | No | |
GPS-enabled | Via Smartphone | |
Lens 35mm Equivalent | 24-960mm | |
Optical Zoom | 40x | |
Digital Zoom | 4x | |
Filter Diameter | N/A | |
Manual Focusing | No | |
Manual Exposure | Yes | |
Built-in Flash | Yes | |
HDMI Output | Micro | |
Memory | ||
Internal Memory | None | |
Memory Stick | No | |
CFexpress Cards | No | |
CompactFlash Cards | No | |
SD Cards | SD, SDHC, SDXC | |
XQD Cards | No | |
Image | ||
Sensor Size | 1/2.3" | |
Megapixels | 20.3 | |
Image Stabilization | Optical | |
Highest Resolution | 5184 x 3888 | |
4K Video | Yes | |
Video Resolution | 3840 x 2160 | |
Dimensions | ||
Width (inches) | 4-3/8 | |
Height (inches) | 2-5/8 | |
Depth (inches) | 1-5/8 | |
Weight With Battery (ounces) | 10.5 | |
Warranty | ||
Parts Warranty | 1 Year | |
Labor Warranty | 1 Year |
Product Research
Recording Features
Playback, Editing and Print
Functions
Wireless Functions
Battery Information
Inputs and Outputs Notes
Software
Recording Features
Tilting LCD Monitor: The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS has a 3.0" TFT LCD monitor, featuring 922,000 dots with a 4:3 aspect ratio, and approximately 100% picture coverage. The LCD panel can be tilted upwards as far as 180°, facing the front, allowing you to take self-portraits or from other unique perspectives. The LCD display's brightness can be adjusted to one of five levels.
Note: The camera does not have a separate viewfinder.
Image Sensor/Image Processor: The camera is equipped with a 1/2.3" CMOS image sensor with 21.1-million total pixels, and 20.3-million effective pixels. The DIGIC 8 Image Processor helps improve auto focusing performance, and lets you capture movies in 4K Ultra High Definition.
Optics and Stabilization: The SX740 HS has a 40x optical zoom lens with a 4.3-172mm focal length (35mm equivalent is 24-960mm). The built-in Optical Image Stabilizer helps control camera shake to give you clear images when you're zoomed way in.
Zoom: In addition to the 40x optical zoom, the camera features a 4x digital zoom. When used in combination, the total zoom is approximately 160x. When optical and digital zoom are combined, the total focal length is 24-3840mm (35mm equivalent). The zoom range is divided into three color-coded sections:
- Optical Zoom: The optical zoom range is 1x to 40x, and is color-coded in the monitor in white. Images are clear and sharp.
- ZoomPlus: The ZoomPlus range is 40x to 80x, and appears in yellow in the zoom range. Digital zoom of 2x is applied to the optical zoom, and the image is not noticeably grainy.
- Digital Zoom: The Digital Zoom range is approximately 80x to 160x, and appears in blue. Full 4x digital zoom is applied to the optical zoom, making the images appear grainy.
Digital Tele-Converter: The focal length of the lens can be increased by an equivalent of 1.6x or 2.0x through the use of the Digital Tele-Converter. The equivalent focal lengths of the lens (35mm equivalent) are 38.4-1536mm when using the 1.6x digital tele-converter, and 48-1920mm with the 2.0x tele-converter. The digital zoom and digital tele-converter cannot be used simultaneously. Using the digital tele-converter may help reduce camera shake because the shutter speed is faster than it would be using the zoom function.
Zoom Framing Assist: When you have fully zoomed in and temporarily lose track of your subject, the Zoom Framing Assist function will help you locate your subject. With a dedicated button on the back panel, Zoom Framing Assist causes the camera to zoom out as long as the button is held down, allowing you to locate your subject. When the button is released, the lens returns to its original zoom position, keeping the subject in focus until you're ready to capture the image.
Recording Media: The camera records still images or moving images with stereo audio on SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards, including UHS-I cards. Still images are recorded in JPEG format, and the movies are recorded in MP4 format (Image data: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, Audio data: AAC stereo). The camera has no built-in memory, and no memory card is included with the camera.
Still Image Resolution/Compression: The SX740 HS can record still images in 3 different sizes (Large, Medium, and Small) and 4 aspect ratios (4:3, 16:9, 3:2, and 1:1). For each resolution, you can set the compression to Fine or Normal. You can choose from the following resolutions:
4:3 | 16:9 | 3:2 | 1:1 | |
Large | 5184 x 3888 | 5184 x 2912 | 5184 x 3456 | 3888 x 3888 |
Medium | 3648 x 2736 | 3648 x 2048 | 3648 x 2432 | 2736 x 2736 |
Small | 2432 x 1824 | 2432 x 1368 | 2432 x 1616 | 1824 x 1824 |
Movies: Movies can be shot in 4K (3840 x 2160 at 30fps), Full HD (1920 x 1080 at 60 and 30 fps), and HD (1280 x 720 at 60 fps). Recording will automatically stop when either the clip file size reaches 4 GB or the recording time reaches approximately 30 minutes.
Time-Lapse Movies: You can shoot images automatically at regular intervals and combine them into a 4K Time-Lapse movie. In the Time-Lapse movie mode, you can select one of three Scenes:
- Scene 1: for shoot moving subjects, such as walking people; takes 300 total shots at 3 second intervals
- Scene 2: for shooting slowly changing subjects, such as clouds; takes 240 total shots at 5 second intervals
- Scene 3: for shooting slowly changing scenes; takes 240 total shots at 15 second intervals
Continuous Shooting Mode: You can use the continuous shooting mode to shoot successive frames while the shutter button is fully pressed. The continuous shooting speed varies with the auto focusing mode:
- One-Shot AF (auto focus locked at first image):
- High Speed: 10 shots/sec max.
- Low Speed: 4 shots/sec max.
- Servo AF (auto focus tracks your subject):
- High Speed: 7.4 shots/sec max.
- Low Speed: 4 shots/sec max.
Focusing Range: The camera features the following focus ranges (from the end of the lens):
- Auto: 0.4" to infinity (W), 6.6' to infinity (T)
- Normal: 2" to infinity (W), 6.6' to infinity (T)
- Macro: 0.4" to 1.6' (W)
Shooting Modes: You can choose between the following shooting modes using the top panel mode dial:
- Program: The camera sets both the aperture value and shutter speed, allowing you to customize many function settings to shoot your preferred shooting style.
- Shutter Priority (Tv): You can set your preferred shutter speed, letting the camera automatically adjust the aperture value to suit your shutter speed.
- Aperture Priority (Av): You can set your preferred aperture before shooting, and allow the camera to automatically adjust the shutter speed to suit your aperture value.
- Manual: You can set your preferred shutter speed and aperture value to obtain the desired exposure.
- Auto: The camera will automatically select the best settings for the scene.
- Hybrid Auto: Lets you make a short movie of the day just by shooting images. The camera records 2-4 second clips of scenes before each shot, which are later combined into a digest movie.
- Food Mode: The color tones are adjusted to make food look fresh and vibrant.
- Self Portrait: When you take self-portraits, you can add special image processing, such as skin smoothing, brightness, and background defocus to enhance your photo.
- Sports: Sports Mode lets you shoot continuously as the camera focuses on moving subjects.
- Special Scene: Select from the following, according to the scene or effects desired: Portrait, Handheld Night Scene, and Fireworks. You can also add a variety of effects to images while shooting, including: Smooth Skin, Grainy B/W, Soft Focus, Fisheye Effect, Art Bold Effect, Water Painting Effect, Toy Camera, and Miniature Effect.
- Movies: Record movies in 4K or High Definition.
Metering Modes: You can select from the following metering modes:
- Evaluative Light Metering: used for standard conditions. The area within the frame is divided into several zones and light is measured based on subject position, brightness, direct light and backlighting.
- Center-Weighted Averaging: averages the exposure from the entire image, but places more weight on the subject at the center
- Spot: meters the area within the spot AE point at the center of the LCD monitor or viewfinder.
Exposure Compensation: If you are shooting against a bright background or strong backlight, you may need to correct the exposure so that the subject doesn't come out too dark. You can set the adjustments from -3 to +3 in 1/3-step increments.
White Balance: You can choose from the following white balance settings: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten Light, White Fluorescent Light, WB Correction, and Custom.
Flash Modes: The PowerShot SX740 HS has a built-in pop-up flash. You can select Auto (flash fires in low light), Slow-synchro, On (flash always fires), or Off (flash doesn't fire). The built-in flash has a range of 1.6' to 16.4' in Wide Angle and 6.6' to 8.2' in Telephoto. In the menu, you can turn on the Red-Eye Reduction lamp for the flash, and apply Red-Eye Correction to the images that have been taken.
ISO Speed: The ISO speed can be set Automatically (ISO Auto), or manually ISO 100 to ISO 3200 in 1 EV steps. Lowering the ISO speed results in sharper images but there's a greater chance of subject or image blurring in certain shooting conditions. Raising the ISO speed results in a faster shutter speed, reducing blurred images. The images, however, will appear more coarse.
Self-Timer: The SX740 HS utilizes a 10-second, 2-second, and a custom self-timer to allow the photographer to be included in the shot, or to avoid camera shake when using a tripod. The custom self-timer allows you to set the time delay between 2 and 10 seconds in 1-second increments.
Playback, Editing and Print Functions
Index Display: This feature allows you to view 6, 12, 36, or 100 images at once on the LCD monitor so that you can search for an image quickly. Movies cannot be played in the index playback mode. You can view the index display by rotating the zoom lever toward wide angle while the camera is in playback mode.
Filtered Playback: When there are many images on the memory card, you can filter and display them by a specified filter. You can also protect or delete all images at once while filtered. Available filters include: Rating, Shot Date, Folder, Protect, and File Type (Still Image/Movie).
Shooting Display Options: You can choose to display your photos on the LCD monitor and the viewfinder with and without shooting information. Display options include Simple Information, Detailed Information, Detailed Information 2, or no Information.
Red-Eye Correction: You can correct red eyes in already recorded images. However, red eyes may not be automatically detected in some images such as faces near the screen edge, faces that appear extremely small, larger dark or bright in relation to the overall image and faces turned to the side or at a diagonal and faces with a portion hidden which prevents the Red-Eye Correction from working. You can choose to overwrite the file with the corrected image, or store the image as a new file, retaining the original image.
PictBridge: Using a Micro USB cable (not included), you can connect this camera directly to a PictBridge-compatible printer of any brand. In this way, you can make prints directly from the camera without having to connect to a computer.
Wireless Functions
Wireless Features: You can send and receive images and control the camera remotely by connecting the camera to another device via Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n, 2.4GHz):
- Smartphones/Tablets: With the free Camera Connect app installed on the device, you can send images to smartphones or tablets via Wi-Fi. You can also control the camera from your smart device. If your device has GPS, you can add location information (geotag) to your photos.
- Computer: Computers running Windows 10, 8.1, 7 (SP1), Mac OS X v10.10, 10.11, macOS 10.12, and 10.13, can connect to the camera via Wi-Fi. Using Image Transfer Utility software, you can save camera images to the computer wirelessly.
- Printers: You can wirelessly send images to a PictBridge-compatible printer (that supports DPS over IP) for printing.
- Web Services: After establishing an account for the Canon iMage Gateway on-line photography service, you can wirelessly send images automatically from the camera to another computer or to a web service.
Bluetooth 4.1 Features: You can pair the camera with a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone or tablet through the Canon Camera Connect application. Using the GPS information (latitude, longitude, elevation) from the smartphone, you can geotag your images and movies. You can view the shooting location of your photos on a map using the Map Utility program. Map Utility is compatible with Windows 10, 8, and 7 (SP1) and Mac OS X v10.10, 10.11, macOS 10.12 and 10.13.
Battery Information
Power Requirements: The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS powered by the NB-13L Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery. The camera includes the CB-2LH battery charger, which can charge the NB-13L battery in approximately 2 hours 10 minutes. For long periods of continuous use, or when connected to a computer, it is recommended that the camera be connected to the optional CA-DC30 Compact Power Adapter. The estimated battery life of the NB-13L in the SX740 HS is as follows:
Number of Shots | Normal | 265 shots |
Eco Mode | 370 shots | |
Movie Recording Time | 60 mins | |
Movie Continuous Shooting | 1 hour 40 mins | |
Playback Time | 4 hours |
Power Saving Functions: The camera is equipped with the following power saving functions:
- Auto Power Down for Shooting Mode: The screen will turn off approximately 1 minute after the camera is last operated. You can "wake" the camera at this point by pressing the shutter button halfway to turn on the screen and continue shooting. After about 2 more minutes, if no buttons are pressed, the lens will retract and the power will turn off.
- Auto Power Down for Playback Mode and Connection to a Printer: The camera power down approximately 5 minutes after the last control is accessed on the camera.
Note: The Power Saving Function will not activate during a Slide-Show or while the camera is connected to a computer.
Inputs and Outputs Notes
HDMI Output: The PowerShot SX740 HS is equipped with a micro-HDMI (Type D) for connecting the camera to your HDTV. An optional micro-HDMI-to-HDMI cable is required.
Digital Terminal: The camera has a Micro-USB terminal to allow you to connect the camera to a compatible computer or compatible printer. No USB cable is included. An optional USB cable must be obtained in order to load images to your computer or printer.
Software
Software: The PowerShot SX740 HS does not include software. Instead, the software is available for download from the Canon website. The following programs are available:
- Image Transfer Utility: You can automatically transfer images from your camera to your computer.
- Map Utility: Lets you display GPS information recorded in images on a map.
- Camera User Guide: The 130-page Camera User Guide is available for download.
- Camera Connect: The Camera Connect app is a free application for Android and Apple smart devices which enables users to transfer images shot with the camera to the device via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The app is compatible with Android devices running Android (version varies with device), and with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch running iOS 9.0 or later.
Compatible Operating Systems: The above-listed software is compatible with computers running the following operating systems:
- Windows 10
- Windows 8/8.1
- Windows 7 (SP1)
- Mac OS X (v10.10, v10.11, macOS v10.12, v10.13)
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Hard to beat this camera at this price point. Zoom is hands down the best at this price. Wireless image transfer is a nice feature, as well as the 4K video. My wife uses the camera mainly for wildlife pictures and she's happy with it
John from Colorado Spgs, CO