Canon Powershot SX40 HS review

Is it time to upgrade to the SX40?

Canon Powershot SX40
Canon's new bridge camera features a 35x zoom lens

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As part of our image quality testing for the Canon PowerShot SX40 HS, we've shot our resolution chart.

If you view our crops of the resolution chart's central section at 100% (or Actual Pixels) you will see that, for example, at ISO 100 the Canon PowerShot SX40 HS is capable of resolving up to around 22 (line widths per picture height x100) in its highest quality JPEG files.

Examining images of the chart taken at each sensitivity setting reveals the following resolution scores in line widths per picture height x100:

Canon powershot sx40 hs iso 100

Canon powershot sx40 hs iso 100

Canon powershot sx40 hs iso 100

Canon powershot sx40 hs iso 100

ISO 100, score: 22 (see full image)

Canon powershot sx40 hs iso 200

Canon powershot sx40 hs iso 200

ISO 200, score: 22 (see full image)

Canon powershot sx40 hs iso 400

Canon powershot sx40 hs iso 400

ISO 400, score: 22 (see full image)

Canon powershot sx40 hs iso 800

Canon powershot sx40 hs iso 800

ISO 800, score: 20 (see full image)

Canon powershot sx40 hs iso 1600

Canon powershot sx40 hs iso 1600

ISO 1600, score: 20 (see full image)

Canon powershot sx40 hs iso 3200

Canon powershot sx40 hs iso 3200

ISO 3200, score: 10 (see full image)

Amy Davies

Amy has been writing about cameras, photography and associated tech since 2009. Amy was once part of the photography testing team for Future Publishing working across TechRadar, Digital Camera, PhotoPlus, N Photo and Photography Week. For her photography, she has won awards and has been exhibited. She often partakes in unusual projects - including one intense year where she used a different camera every single day. Amy is currently the Features Editor at Amateur Photographer magazine, and in her increasingly little spare time works across a number of high-profile publications including Wired, Stuff, Digital Camera World, Expert Reviews, and just a little off-tangent, PetsRadar.