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Canon PowerShot SX730 Digital Camera Review

In the era of smartphones, you would not be mistaken for thinking that, for the most part, point and shoot cameras have become essentially obsolete. And with the quality of photos that are now being processed and produced by not just the top of the line cellphones, but also more reasonably priced units. For the most part, you would be correct.

But, there is one gaping hole in the market that cell phones are yet to crack.

Canon PowerShot SX730 Digital Camera Review


But, what is this “gaping hole”?

Long optical zoom. This is a part of the market that cell phones, in general, just have not integrated yet. Sure there are many cell phones that offer decent digital zoom options. But if you want to hone in on a subject more than a handful of yards away, optical zoom is what you are looking for!

And for that, you still need an interchangeable lens camera, such as the Canon Rebel T7, which can be heavy and cumbersome, or you need something like the fantastic little subject of this Canon PowerShot SX730 Review!

Lightweight and easy to use…

With up to 40x optical zoom, which is the same as 24-960mm in 35mm camera terms. It will have you focusing further than most DSLR/telephoto can manage. It goes without saying that there are inherent advantages of using a DSLR setup. But if you are looking for a lightweight, easy to use pocket-sized camera, that can handle any situation. Then we think that the Canon PowerShot SX730 Digital Camera could well be the one for you!

Also featuring a tilting LCD screen, Wifi, and BlueTooth connectivity (BlueTooth being a new addition from previous models). As well as 1080p video recording, 20-megapixel resolution, and easy GPS tagging, this camera has many of the bases covered that we look for in a camera this size.

So, let’s take a deeper look at this camera and why it might be what you are looking for!

In-Depth

Canon PowerShot SX730 1


The Canon PowerShot SX730 is a powerful little unit. When connected over a wifi system, you are given the ability to share photos with either your smartphone or computer, shoot remotely, and can also tap share with Andriod phones thanks to the inclusion of an NFC chip.

The introduction of BlueTooth takes connectivity to the next level, giving the option for a constant connection with your smartphone and the app that goes along with it!

Design, Build Quality And Handling

The main body of the Canon PowerShot SX730 is made of a super-strong polycarbonate, with a satin smooth finish. With dimensions of 110 x 64 x 40mm, it easily slides into any pocket. On the handgrip side, we found that the textured rubber grip was extremely comfortable in the hand.

Also, the tilting LCD screen at the back of the unit seems sturdy and well designed, unlike some of the camera’s direct competitors. Overall this camera feels well made, and weighing in at 300g, it is satisfying to hold.

Looking at the unit top-down, we see a pronounced shutter button surrounded by a swiveling zoom slider. We also have the on/off button, red movie recording button, and the rotating mode dial – modes included full manual, aperture or shutter priority, and intelligent auto, among others.

At the back…

We have a 3 inch LCD screen, which is larger than some competitors, but this does come with a trade off. Unfortunately, there is no touch sensitivity with this one, and with its top hinge and flip-up design, it can be tricky to see the screen if shooting overhead.

Canon PowerShot SX730 2


The large size also means that the rear control dial feels slightly small. On the flip side, this LCD screen is high quality and bright enough to use in any lighting situation. Located to the right of the LCD screen, we find the buttons for playback, menu, connectivity, and function settings.

The Canon PowerShot SX730 incorporates a 1/2.3 type back-illuminated CMOS sensor. Unfortunately, this does not support RAW shooting, but we did not feel this was a particularly big issue for this camera.

Autofocus

Here we have three AF modes: face detection autofocus (Face AiAF), center with a nine point system, and active tracking. The face detection mode works well, with the camera automatically finding faces to focus on quickly and accurately. It also has the option of choosing between a normal or smaller focusing area.

Also included is a macro mode that allows focusing on subjects just 1cm from the lens.

Great for all light conditions…

In testing, we found the autofocus to work admirably in all lighting conditions, with the inclusion of AF light assist proving to be a worthy one. It really shone when using the wide-angle end of the lens, focus almost instantaneously. At the other end of the lens, when zoomed right in, AF took longer. Not at all surprising for this type of camera.

The lack of touch screen capabilities could be seen as hindrance here, but we do not feel that it really impedes performance here as the camera does such a good job on its own.

Performance

 


When powered on, the Canon PowerShot SX730 takes just over a second to extend the lens and be shot ready. Powering down takes a similar amount of time. If you press the playback button when powered off, the camera will turn on and show previous photos but will not extend the lens.

Thanks to the inclusion of Canon’s DIGIC 6 processor, this is a very responsive unit. In burst or continuous shooting mode, it is capable of taking up to 5.9 shots per second, which slows to 4.6fps when in autofocus mode.

With a maximum aperture of f3.3 to 6.9 and the huge 40x optical zoom, you are able to get a nice blur effect for portraits.

A final note about the zoom…

It can prove quite tricky to keep your subject in the frame when the zoom is fully activated. Canon has come up with a great solution with the Frame Assist Seek button. Holding down this button briefly zooms the image back out to help you gather your bearings. And releasing the button zooms back to your starting point.

The inbuilt image stabilization works as well as you would expect from any Canon product. In testing, it proved itself down to speeds of 1/25, which we found very impressive. It works intuitively, and, for the most part, you won’t even notice it doing its thing.

For filming…

Full HD 1080/60p is on offer, with lower resolution options also available. Full stereo sound is recorded, and you still have full control over the optical zoom. There is a dedicated movie mode, but you are also able to start recording in any mode with a simple push of the red record button situated at the back of the camera.

Once you start filming, the exposure rate is automatically controlled unless locked by the user, and the camera does a great job of this. Fisheye, toy camera, and soft-focus live effects are also available in film mode.

On a full charge, Canon claims that you are able to take a maximum of 250 shots in normal mode or 355 when in eco mode, and it has a total playback time of 300 minutes.

Connectivity

Canon PowerShot SX730 4


As mentioned in the introduction, the Canon PowerShot SX730 has both Wifi and Bluetooth connectivity. Both of these connections are managed by the Canon Camera Connect app on your phone, available to both IOS and Andriod users.

We tested the camera with both an iPhone X and an Oppo a5s and found it very simple to connect to either device. Once connected through Bluetooth, you can use the app to set up automatic location tagging for all your photos, Although keep an eye on the battery of the camera. Once it drops below 10%, it will automatically disconnect from Bluetooth and stop geotagging to save the remaining battery.

Quick as a flash…

Remote shooting is also available through Bluetooth, and we found the camera responds instantly to commands.

Once connected through Wifi, the camera is able to do both geotagging and remote shooting, as well as being able to transfer images and add the phones time and date to the camera. The addition of an NFC chip makes transferring images to Android phones a little faster than iPhones, but either way works well.

Pros And Cons Of Canon PowerShot SX730

Pros

  • Best zoom range for body size.
  • Super responsive.
  • Wifi, or Bluetooth connectivity.
  • NFC chip.
  • Fantastic AF.
  • Top class stabilization.
  • USB charging.

Cons

  • No viewfinder.
  • No RAW image processing.
  • Lacks a touch screen.

More Great Camera Options

Looking for some other exceptional cameras? If so, do check out our reviews of the Best Point and Shoot Cameras, our Best GoPro Camera Reviews, our Best Instant Cameras Reviews, our Best Camera Drones Reviews, and our Best Compact Cameras Reviews.


Canon PowerShot SX730 Review Conclusion

It goes without saying that Canon is well versed in making top quality point and shoot cameras and the Canon PowerShot SX730 Digital Camera is certainly no exception to this rule.

The high quality, sturdy design leaves us with a feeling of confidence that we can take this camera into any situation, and it will perform. This pocket rocket is truly the perfect travel companion, producing results that are impossible to recreate with a cell phone camera alone.

Images always come out well saturated and well lit, and with the 40x optical zoom, it sits at the top of the heap when it comes to what is available in terms of zoom capacity. The inclusion of a touchscreen, viewfinder, and the option to shoot RAW images would have been well received, but we did not find the lack of these to impede us in any way.

If you are in the market for a no-nonsense, and easy to use camera, that will elevate your photography or videography to the next level; we think this may be the camera for you!

So what are you waiting for? Grab one before they disappear and get snapping!

Canon PowerShot SX730 5


About Paul S. Brunet

Known as the "Tech Lover", Paul is an expert of current and trending technology. Here at TinyGrab, he makes "tech" easy to understand for the average person.

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