Canon PowerShot SX740 HS Review: The Ultimate UK Travel Camera?

The smartphone killed the compact camera. Or so we’re told. For years, there was simply no reason to carry a separate point-and-shoot when your phone could do the job better. But the smartphone has an Achilles’ heel: optical zoom.

Canon’s answer is the PowerShot SX740 HS. This isn’t just a compact camera; it’s a statement. It bets everything on one, frankly ludicrous, feature: a 40x optical zoom, squeezed into a body just 39.9mm thick. It promises the convenience of a phone with the reach of a paparazzo’s lens.

It’s aimed squarely at the traveller, the family day-tripper, or the casual vlogger who wants to capture the action from afar. But in 2025, is a giant zoom enough to justify the price and the pocket space? We’ve processed the specs and synthesized all available user experiences to find out.

The Quick Verdict: 4.1/5

The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS is a powerful, pocketable travel zoom that genuinely puts a safari-lens in your jeans. It’s the ultimate holiday camera for the smartphone photographer whose only complaint is “I just can’t zoom in enough.” However, its small sensor struggles when the sun goes down, and the lack of a viewfinder makes its star feature frustrating to use in bright light.

In Detail: The Pocket Rocket

On paper, the SX740 HS is the ultimate all-in-one travel companion. You get a 20.3 Megapixel CMOS sensor, a high-end DIGIC 8 processor to manage the settings for you, 4K video recording, and 10fps continuous shooting.

The real magic, though, is that 40x zoom, which gives you a 35mm equivalent focal range of 24mm (wide-angle) all the way to 960mm (super-telephoto). To get that on a traditional DSLR, you’d be carrying a lens the size of a thermos flask and paying thousands.

For good measure, Canon has thrown in a 180-degree flip-up screen for selfies and vlogging, plus robust Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to shuttle photos to your phone automatically. It’s a compelling package.

Core Feature Analysis

The 40x Optical Zoom: The Main Event

• The Claim: A “powerful 40x travel superzoom” that’s “pocket-sized.”
• The Reality: This is, without question, the camera’s defining feature and the sole reason to buy it. A 960mm-equivalent zoom is astonishing. It means you can capture a close-up of a deer from the other side of a field, get a detailed shot of St. Paul’s dome from the Millennium Bridge, or capture your kid’s expression on stage from the back of the school hall.
• The Verdict: It absolutely delivers on reach. Canon’s 5-axis stabilisation is essential here and works hard to keep the image steady, but be warned: this much zoom is very hard to handle.

Image Quality: A Sunshine Specialist

• The Claim: “Capture treasured moments in 20.3 Megapixel detail.”
• The Reality: This is where we need to manage expectations. To achieve that zoom, the camera uses a very small sensor. Synthesizing the user experience, the feedback is consistent: it’s a very good camera that takes sharp photos. However, one user review specifies this is in good light conditions. This is the key.
• The Verdict: It’s a fantastic sunshine camera. On a bright holiday, at the beach, or on a city break, it will produce vibrant, detailed images that look fantastic. But when the sun goes down or you move indoors, that small sensor will struggle. Expect noise and soft details, likely performing worse than a high-end smartphone in a dim pub.

Design, Usability, and Vlogging

• The Claim: A “pocket-sized body” with a “Self Portrait mode and a flip up LCD screen.”
• The Reality: The user feedback is unanimous on this point. It’s described as lightweight. At under 40mm thick, it’ll slide into a jacket pocket or small bag with ease. Users also find it easy to use, with Canon’s Hybrid Auto mode doing all the heavy lifting. The flip-screen is a massive bonus for selfies and casual vlogging.
• The Verdict: A complete success. It’s portable, approachable, and genuinely easy to use, making it perfect for the casual user it’s aimed at.

Canon SX740 HS vs. The Competition

The SX740 HS isn’t alone in the travel-zoom market. Its main rivals are the Panasonic Lumix TZ95 and the Sony Cyber-shot HX99.

Here’s the rub: while the Canon wins on pure zoom, both the Panasonic and Sony models include an electronic viewfinder (EVF).

This is not a small omission. Trying to frame a 960mm (40x zoom) shot on a 3-inch screen in bright sunshine is a deeply frustrating experience. You’ll be squinting, guessing, and fighting glare. The EVF on the rival cameras allows you to hold the camera to your eye, which is not only easier to see but also makes the camera far more stable. This is the SX740 HS’s biggest compromise.

Our Verdict

So, who is the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS for?

This camera is built for the smartphone photographer who has one, and only one, complaint: “I can’t zoom in enough.”

If you are going on a safari, a whale-watching trip, or simply a day at the park and want to get frame-filling shots of distant action without carrying a heavy ‘proper’ camera, this is your answer. It’s light, simple to use, and the “good light” image quality will delight you. The 4K video and flip-screen are excellent modern touches.

However, the lack of an electronic viewfinder is a serious flaw that makes its star feature—that 40x zoom—difficult to use in the very “bright sunshine” conditions where the camera otherwise excels.

For our money, the Panasonic TZ95 is likely the better all-rounder. But if you absolutely must have the most zoom you can fit in your pocket, the SX740 HS is in a class of its own.

SX740 HS LT Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

Final Rating: 4.2 / 5

Additional Information

• Manufacturer: Canon
• Model: PowerShot SX740 HS (LT / Lite Edition)
• ASIN (from source): B0DPLDKRY7
• First Available (from source): Appears to be a 2024/2025 model release/update.
• Dimensions: 39.9mm deep
• What’s in the Box: Camera, Wrist Strap (WS-800), Battery (NB-13L), Battery Charger (CB-2LHE), AC Cable, Manuals.

For more perspectives on the SX740 HS Lite, why not check out Digital Camera World, ePHOTOzine, or Travel Dave?

Further Reading:

1. DPReview: Best travel zoom cameras – In-depth technical reviews and group tests from the web’s most respected camera site.
2. TechRadar: What is a ‘travel zoom’ camera? – An excellent explanatory article for beginners on what this camera category is and who it’s for.
3. Canon UK Official Support Page – The official source for firmware updates, full user manuals, and troubleshooting for the SX740 HS.