Review on 📷 Canon SX40 HS 12.1MP Digital Camera - 35x Optical Zoom, Wide Angle Stabilization, 2.7" Vari-Angle LCD by Julie Beaird

I have a DSLR with a pair of pro lenses. Yes, I can technically take better photos with it, but only in limited cases! If I want to photograph a goldfinch at the feeding ground, I grab this camera! The pictures he takes are so good and the camera is so versatile, it's just FUN! I don't worry about changing lenses, changing settings or buying tripods. I can react to almost any situation just by zooming in and pressing the shutter button. The DIGIC-V processor/HS sensor used in the camera maximizes the 35x zoom. There is noticeably little digital noise in the images - almost like my first DSLR! And the built-in anti-shake image stabilization makes that monstrous zoom range very useful! I took the shot indoors at night in room lighting - no flash - at full zoom. This is the 840mm telephoto equivalent of an old 35mm film camera. The SX40 HS used a shutter speed of 1/20 second at an equivalent film speed of 1250 and looked good. No tripod. No blur (at least not on my computer screen). I was pleased! PLUS - the camera I got was still made in Japan (which is reassuring to me). If you need RAW image files (a common criticism of Powershots for not using them), you'll have to decide whether you want to spend money on one of the competing models. If I need a RAW file, I need a dSLR to start with anyway. However, if you're one of the vast majority of people who have no idea about the difference between a "RAW" file and a JPG file, don't worry - I'm sure you'll have everything you need to need. Cameras you need to have all the fun you can imagine in this device. I strongly recommend taking the time to read the entire user manual, a few pages at a time (around 120 pages). The manual is included on the camera disc or can be downloaded from the Canon website. Print out the pages that you find most interesting or engaging, try them out with a camera to get some experience with the features - and soon you'll be taking photos you never believed in!