Nov. 3, 2011 - [Please see posted photos from my first days' shootings. A picture is worth a thousand words.] I will do a complete review as the weather clears and I can take some photos in various light conditions. So far, it has performed well enough, but there is a learning curve from the SX20 which allowed greater latitude in overriding what the camera "wants to do."

It may take a month before I can review the camera adequately, so I have uploaded some photos that I took on the first day, and I must say that they're pretty good. However, there were only 8 out of 51 taken. ...And then it started to rain. Please note that I am not new to the Canon line or (nature) photography: I have had the A620, S3, S5, SX10, SX20, and now the SX40. (I returned the SX30 which was a terrible disappointment.) And I've been taking pictures for over 60 years. So, unless you really get to know the camera - and even then - you may or may not get the results that I do.

On that note,... Read more

I was going to go with a Rebel T3i but I am no pro nor do I want to play with lenses etc. Then I saw this camera just came out and decided to give it a try.
I used it for a weekend and was really impressed with it. I know it isn't a DSLR, but I am not into photography that much, I just like to take pictures. I always was frustrated with the small pocket cameras not zooming in enough for the pictures I take, NO problem here! The zoom is awesome and the pictures turn out awesome. It's very good for the price. I have since bought another as a gift.

I recently purchased the Canon SX 40 HS camera, after learning the hard way that some cameras can't swim. I compose my shots with the zoom, the SX 40 has a 35x optical zoom and it works very well. It is possible to shoot video and use the zoom, the camera slows the zoom action when on long zoom so you don't get the disorientation that too fast a zoom can give. It is great for the grandkids soccer games, I can follow the action anywhere on the field. The image stabilization works very well, even on maximum zoom, and even when shooting video. The camera also allows the user to set a lot of the settings manually, though the programmed settings will handle 95% of the shots well. The macro function works well, even with indoor lighting. Another nifty feature is the articulated screen, it seemed like a gimmick until I used it, and I really like it. You can take shots holding the camera overhead, or down low without getting on the ground, and the grandkids like being able to see themselves... Read more