Canon Powershot SX400 IS: Full Review

The Canon Powershot SX400 IS is a compact superzoom camera that was released in 2014. It features a 16MP sensor and a powerful 30x optical zoom lens, making it a versatile choice for travel and everyday photography.

In a compact body, the SX400 IS packs an impressive zoom range starting from a wide 24mm to 720mm telephoto. This allows you to capture everything from wide landscape shots to detailed closeups of distant subjects. Its Intelligent IS image stabilization provides up to 4 stops of shake correction to enable sharp handheld shots even at full zoom.

For simplicity, the SX400 IS uses a contrast-detect AF system and lacks manual controls. But it offers a range of auto and scene modes that cover most shooting situations. Overall, the SX400 IS combines user-friendly operation with powerful zoom in a portable body, appealing to photographers seeking an all-in-one travel camera.

Design and Build Quality

The Canon Powershot SX400 IS has a compact and lightweight body made of plastic. It measures 4.3 x 2.8 x 3.1 inches and weighs 14.3 ounces, making it easy to carry around. The camera has an ergonomic grip that makes it comfortable to hold.

The layout of buttons and dials is straightforward. On the back, it has a dedicated movie record button, playback button, menu button, and 4-way controller for navigating menus. On top, there is an on/off button, mode dial, and zoom lever. The buttons have a tactile feel when pressed.

Overall, the Powershot SX400 IS has a simple, functional design geared towards ease of use. While made of plastic, the camera still feels solidly built. The compact body and light weight make it a highly portable camera.

Image Sensor and Processor

The Canon PowerShot SX400 IS features a 16.0 megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor. This is a fairly standard sensor size for compact cameras in this price range. The 16MP resolution allows for prints up to 13 x 19 inches.

For image processing, the SX400 IS uses Canon's DIGIC 4+ image processor. This provides good performance and image quality for a budget compact camera. The DIGIC 4+ helps enable the 30x optical zoom lens and full HD video capabilities. Overall, the sensor and processor combination deliver good image quality for casual photographers.

Optics

The Canon Powershot SX400 IS has a versatile 30x optical zoom lens, which provides an impressive focal range equivalent to 24-720mm in 35mm terms. This allows you to capture wide landscape shots all the way to extreme close-ups of distant subjects. The maximum aperture ranges from f/3.4 at the wide end to f/5.6 at full telephoto. This is quite fast for such a long zoom range and allows for better low light performance and shallower depth of field. The lens uses Canon's proven Power OIS stabilization to minimize blur from camera shake when shooting handheld. This is especially useful at longer focal lengths where camera shake is amplified. Overall the lens provides excellent versatility for different shooting situations while maintaining good image quality across the zoom range. The 30x optical zoom combined with Intelligent IS makes this a great choice for travel and outdoor photography where you want the flexibility to photograph a variety of subjects.

Features

The Canon Powershot SX400 IS has a robust set of features for a bridge camera in its price range. Some of the notable features include:

• 30x Optical Zoom Lens - This superzoom lens gives you tremendous flexibility for getting close to distant subjects. The 35mm equivalent range is 24-720mm, going from wide angle to super telephoto.

• Optical Image Stabilization - With such a long zoom range, image stabilization is critical for reducing blur from camera shake. The SX400 IS uses Canon's Intelligent IS system for up to 4 stops of stabilization.

• Built-in Wi-Fi Connectivity - You can wirelessly transfer images to smartphones, tablets and computers via Canon's CameraWindow app. This allows for easy sharing right from the camera.

• DIGIC 4+ Image Processor - Canon's DIGIC 4+ processor delivers excellent image quality, fast operation, and good high ISO performance. It enables full HD video and fast continuous shooting.

• 16 Megapixel CCD Sensor - The 1/2.3-inch sensor captures good detail and dynamic range. While not huge megapixels, it's very capable for a bridge camera sensor.

• Manual Exposure Controls - You get full manual controls over shutter speed and aperture, allowing you to have more creative control over exposure.

• Vari-Angle LCD - The 3" LCD can tilt and rotate, which is great for composing shots from creative angles. It's also handy for selfies.

The SX400 IS combines long zoom reach, effective stabilization, wireless sharing and manual controls in a relatively affordable package for this category. It covers a wide range of scenarios from landscapes to distant wildlife.

Performance

The PowerShot SX400 IS delivers good image quality for its class. It has a 16MP 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor paired with the DIGIC 4+ image processor, which provides decent performance.

The camera is capable of capturing good detail and color reproduction in ideal lighting conditions. However, noise starts to creep in at higher ISO settings, with details getting smudged at ISO 1600 and beyond. Keeping the ISO at 800 or below produces the best results.

The PowerShot has a decent ISO range of 100-1600, which is sufficient for most lighting scenarios. Thanks to the optical image stabilization, you can safely handhold the camera at relatively slower shutter speeds and still get sharp images. The camera offers shutter speeds from 15 seconds to 1/1600 second.

Overall, the image quality is quite good for everyday shooting and casual use. While not the best, it delivers pleasing results comparable to other cameras in its class. The optical zoom range gives you good compositional flexibility as well.

Video Quality

The Canon Powershot SX400 IS is capable of shooting 720p HD video at 25 frames per second. While it cannot record full 1080p HD, the 720p video quality is quite decent for a compact point-and-shoot camera. The optical zoom can be used while recording video which allows you to get closer to your subject without any loss in quality.

The SX400 IS records video in MP4 format with H.264 video compression. This is a widely supported and sharable format. Video clips are limited to a maximum of 29 minutes and 59 seconds.

Overall the video capabilities of the SX400 IS are good but not great. The 720p resolution is lower than many newer cameras which offer 1080p. The frame rate is also quite slow at 25fps. This can result in choppy looking video during fast motion. Low light video quality is also just average, with visible noise in dim conditions. Still, the video is very usable for casual home videos and YouTube clips. Just don't expect professional level video from the SX400 IS. It's better suited for still photography.

Connectivity

The Canon Powershot SX400 IS has a good range of connectivity options.

For ports, it has a mini-HDMI port which allows you to connect it directly to HDTVs for slideshows or reviewing your photos and videos. It also has a combined USB/AV out port which can be used to connect to computers to transfer files or to older TVs using an AV cable.

For wireless connectivity, the SX400 IS has built-in wi-fi and NFC. The wi-fi allows you to wirelessly transfer photos to smartphones, computers and printers. It also enables remote shooting from iOS or Android devices using the free Canon Camera Connect app. NFC provides a quick one-touch connection to NFC-enabled Android devices.

Overall, the connectivity options are quite good for a camera in this class. The inclusion of wi-fi and NFC make sharing photos very convenient.

Battery Life

The PowerShot SX400 IS comes with a NB-11LH rechargeable lithium-ion battery that provides enough power for around 190 shots per charge based on CIPA standards. This is slightly below average for a superzoom camera, but should still get most users through a day of casual shooting before needing to recharge.

The battery charges in-camera via USB, which is convenient as you can plug directly into a laptop or portable USB charger. However, there is no separate battery charger included, so you cannot charge a spare battery while using the camera. Overall, battery life is decent but not outstanding. Carrying a spare battery is recommended for all-day shooting or travel.

Pros and Cons

The Canon Powershot SX400 IS has some key strengths as well as a few limitations to consider.

Pros

• Impressive 30x optical zoom in a compact body. Allows you to get very close to distant subjects.

• Decent image quality and performance for its class. The 16MP sensor produces good detail in ideal lighting.

• Easy to use and handle. Intuitive controls and menus make operation straightforward.

• Optical image stabilization helps reduce blur from camera shake. Useful when zoomed in.

• Records 720p HD video. Quality is suitable for casual home videos.

• Good value for those wanting an affordable superzoom camera. More budget-friendly than higher-end models.

Cons

• Image quality suffers in low light conditions. Pictures can look soft and noisy.

• Maximum video resolution of 720p is lower than 1080p offered by some competitors.

• Lacks manual exposure controls. May be too automatic for more advanced photographers.

• Battery life is relatively short at around 190 shots per charge. Requires spare batteries for all-day outings.

• Feels plasticky and not very sturdy. Build quality leaves something to be desired.

• Dated sensor and image processing technology. Can't match newer superzoom cameras.

Overall, the SX400 IS is a reasonably priced superzoom camera for those wanting long zoom range without the high cost. But image quality and video capabilities are limited compared to pricier models. Best for casual users not needing pro-level performance.