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Some more (last) questions on the SX40 HS...

Started Oct 19, 2012 | Discussions
NPPhoto Senior Member • Posts: 1,084
Some more (last) questions on the SX40 HS...

Before I open the box and incur a 15% restocking fee, I have some questions about the SX40.

How good is the AF for occasional birding or other action? I have a DSLR but as of late, I have become a bit lazy to carry bodies and lenses. How good is continuous AF and tracking?

Is the shot to shot speed good, ok or acceptable? I have a Z990 and I am hoping it is better than that.

Does installing CHDK have any negative effects on the camera?

I know there has been a lot of praise for the SX50 here but can it do birding or other action that much better than the SX40? I am mostly a landscape photog and people on occasion and maybe do some birding and wildlife, about 20% of the time.

I am not concerned about the IQ because I have seen some of your work here and it is absolutely beautiful. I am concerned about the other things as they do hinder average shooting.

Actually, I had originally purchased  this from Fry's for $260 but also found one at Target for $214 on clearance. Heck I might keep both and find use for both of them.

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Nick P

Canon PowerShot SX40 HS Kodak EasyShare Z990 (EasyShare Max)
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DonA2
DonA2 Veteran Member • Posts: 3,720
Re: Some more (last) questions on the SX40 HS...

Unless you really need raw, a little more zoom, a tiny bit better EVF / LCD and reportedly slightly faster focus I would not spend more than double on the SX50hs.  Personally I can't justify going for the 50 over my 40.  Focus problems have been overstated, using raw on this type of camera is not worth the effort, the tiny EVF/LCD upgrades are so small they are still debatable and the extra zoom is a joke.

Perhaps the 60 will get us up to where it should be.  If it were my call I would go with the best deal on a 40.  But it isn't my call. You will no doubt get many responses that differ.

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Don V. Armitage

 DonA2's gear list:DonA2's gear list
Canon PowerShot S2 IS Canon PowerShot SX10 IS Canon PowerShot S100 Canon PowerShot SX40 HS Canon PowerShot SX50 HS +2 more
BosPhotoMan Regular Member • Posts: 320
Re: Some more (last) questions on the SX40 HS...
1

I have done all kinds of photography over the last year.  It's an all around excellent camera.  The autofocus can be slow at times, so there's going to be some lost opportunities.  BIF are virtually impossible.  I use an SLR for that kind of photography. On balance, I don't think it's a deal breaker though.  I haven't used the SX50, so I cannot comment on the reported improvements.   I can say, as an SX40 owner, that the drop in lens speed is concerning to me and the main reason I would hesitate to upgrade.

I have included a couple of bird photos taken with the SX40.

Zwembroek
Zwembroek Forum Member • Posts: 52
Re: Some more (last) questions on the SX40 HS...

dona2 wrote:

the extra zoom is a joke.

Why do you call it a joke?

 Zwembroek's gear list:Zwembroek's gear list
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS
DonA2
DonA2 Veteran Member • Posts: 3,720
Re: Some more (last) questions on the SX40 HS...

Zwembroek wrote:

dona2 wrote:

the extra zoom is a joke.

Why do you call it a joke?

I perhaps should call it a "negative asset".  As you add zoom you either go with a bigger lens or accept a slower lens.  The difference between the SX40 and 50's long end in real life shooting is actually quite small.  Once full out hand holding and framing becomes difficult and cropping might be a better choice.  Not to knock progress but adding to small sensor pixel density and Zoom range can introduce other problems.  No free lunch.

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Don V. Armitage

 DonA2's gear list:DonA2's gear list
Canon PowerShot S2 IS Canon PowerShot SX10 IS Canon PowerShot S100 Canon PowerShot SX40 HS Canon PowerShot SX50 HS +2 more
RDCollins
RDCollins Senior Member • Posts: 1,194
Re: Some more (last) questions on the SX40 HS...

dona2 wrote:

Unless you really need raw, a little more zoom, a tiny bit better EVF / LCD and reportedly slightly faster focus I would not spend more than double on the SX50hs.  Personally I can't justify going for the 50 over my 40.  Focus problems have been overstated, using raw on this type of camera is not worth the effort, the tiny EVF/LCD upgrades are so small they are still debatable and the extra zoom is a joke.

Perhaps the 60 will get us up to where it should be.  If it were my call I would go with the best deal on a 40.  But it isn't my call. You will no doubt get many responses that differ.

Tell it, brother!  Halleluiah!

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Doug Collins
Hermosa Beach, California

 RDCollins's gear list:RDCollins's gear list
Sony a6400 Sony E 50mm F1.8 OSS Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS Sony E 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS +2 more
wik2kassa Junior Member • Posts: 26
Re: Some more (last) questions on the SX40 HS...
1

I've owned the SX40 for about a year. There are things that I love about it and a few things that i don't.

It's IQ is great - no questions asked.And the 10FPS 8 frame burst is useful for sports and bird shots but under good light conditions. Would recommend taking small bursts of shots because because a full 8 frame buffer takes few secs to clear up and you can't take photos during the write process. Image stabilization is great - you can take alot of hand held sports shots at full optical zoom with no blur. Low light noise performance is good. But overall low light performance is not satisfactory for me. Because the AF hunts for focus a lot. If it's low light action stuff then this camera is not suitable because under room lighting conditions at ISO1600 you get shutter speeds around 1/20 to 1/40.

For stationary subjects this camera is perfect under any lighting conditions.

For moving unpredictable stuff it performs well under good lighting conditions.

I suggest you read the PDF manual as it clearly states the limitations of the camera.

OP NPPhoto Senior Member • Posts: 1,084
Thanks all...

For all your helpful replies. However, I have to wait to use the camera as the weather is extremely dull and gloomy. I am also looking forward to loading CHDK and see what differences or advantages RAW offers over jpg if any.

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Nick P

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