Excellent camera and best price I found with all the extras included.

This camera takes excellent photos and it easy to use. There are many settings on it that I need to learn to improve my photography skills. I found several instructional videos on youtube on this camera that I am going to view as the camera only came with a very basic instruction book, and the detailed instructions are on a CD. I prefer hands-on or visual training so my only disappointment was that the instruction book lacked a lot of information. I have received numerous compliments on photos I have taken with this camera. The video function has great sound, and I can zoom in from very far away and get clear shots, which is one of the functions my old camera lacked. I have to use the LCD screen when photographing because I wear progressive lenses and can't see well through the small view finder, so I have to charge the battery more often, but I prefer to see the image on the screen as it helps me to focus on the subject better. I love this camera and would recommend it to anyone wanting nice clear photos.

The Canon SX40hs... quality in a small package

This is the first Canon camera I have owned since a 3.2 MP digital Elph way back in the mists of time. So I am not a Canon fanboy.

The Canon Powershot SX40hs has a really wide zoom range, from 24mm to 800mm (35mm equivalent). This gives you the right zoom length for most any photographic task, from vacation vistas to group portraits. The scene modes cover most situations, but oddly, to get to "sunset" scene mode, the camera has to be in auto mode. There is also a "low light" scene mode, which takes three photos in quick succession and combines them into one photo with max light sensitivity and fairly low noise.

You get full HD movie recording, although I have used it enough yet to comment.

One small issue with this camera, which Canon assures me the camera was designed this way. That issue is long exposures in aperture priority or manual mode. The camera limits your ISO to 100, if the shutter speed is longer than 1.3 seconds. This means that if you for instance want to use a slow shutter speed for a night-time exposure, then the camera is limited to ISO 100, which totally wastes the higher sensitivity of the camera's CMOS sensor.

Overall, though, I give this camera high marks! The style mimics the Canon DSLRs, the display is fully articulated, the battery lasts long enough for a day of shooting, and the picture quality is very good for such a small sensor. I think most users would be pleased!

My first Canon SX40 HS 12.1 MGPXL Camera

I am excited and find it is easy to use when I read the manuals as my friends are telling me. The camera features a largely metal body with a few plastic elements. A deep handgrip allows you to hold the SX40 firmly, and its 230k-dot LCD is 2.7 inches in size and hinged so you can view it from any angle. It also has 230,000-dot electronic viewfinder,, but its small size makes it rather difficult to see details in your frame. It does come in handy, as you can hold the camera steadier by bracing it against your body and using the viewfinder rather than holding it at arm’s length and using the rear LCD to frame your shots. This, along with the SX40’s optical stabilization system, makes it possible to get a sharp photo at the extreme end of its zoom range. I highly recommend this camera eventhough it is large and my family also like it.

AWESOME Bang for the Buck Camera!

After looking into purchasing a DSLR to use with several old SLR lenses I had I came across this marvelous camera. For what I would have paid for a decent DSLR I now have this which will do it all. More zoom then any of my lenses WITHOUT swapping lenses. Fabulous "point & shoot" abilities, preset "scene" settings for no-fuss adjustments to varying conditions, 1080p video capability w/stereo audio, small and lightweight, HDMI output for direct viewing on HD tv's, swivel LCD display, etc...etc...etc!
My main complaint is that my hands are large and the camera is somewhat small in my grip. Not a big issue as I'm becoming more use to it. I wish the manual was a bit smaller (200+pdf pages)but I purchased a cheat-sheet to help me out there.
I compared a few "superzoom" cameras and felt this was hands-down the best choice for me. After watching several tutorial vids and examples of it's abilities on YouTube I was sold.
I'm merely a consumer photographer and this will do all I want and more. PLUS, it's making me more knowledgeable about the finer aspects of photography too. The ability to play with f-stop, shutter speed and ISO and instantly see the results is kind of fun. I'd suggest ordering a filter set (at least UV and POL) and use class 10 SDHC cards (they write faster then standard cards).
I guess the best thing about the sx40 is how it takes fantastic pictures in almost any settings without the need for a big camera bag with lots of stuff in it.....and adding in the SD/HD 720/HD 1080 video capabilities makes this camera a stunning achiever for me!

Incredible package with one flaw

The only reason I withheld an overall five star rating is due to a consistantly annoying design problem: While composing and shooting, my right thumb often activates any of the buttons just beneath on that side, including, and most annoying, the ISO setting. I guess I haven't figured out the trick to avoiding this problem, but I did not experience the same issue with the older SX10 model which has a more substancial hand grip for the fingers. I recall seeing another reviewer siting a similar issue, but forgiving this flaw in light of what I would I agree is an incredible camera in nearly every regard. I've been shooting with Canons for over 30 years, and while my primary motive for having any of the SX10-40 series was an affordable alternative to a lens with that kind of reach for my 5D (and to that end the SX40 succeeds admirably), the SX40 would be a solid and lightweight alternative in almost any case. I was initially put off by Canons' idiotic lack of RAW files with this camera, but found the CHDK firmware adequate, if not slightly awkward on the SX10 (google CHDK), so I took a chance. It works fine with the SX40, but I wish there was more detailed info on setting up the firmware since so many other functions are available. The aftermarket lens filter adaptor for half the price of Canons' works fine as well. My hands are not large, by the way, and the bottons could be relocated if Canon made the effort, but I shouldn't have to be dealing with uninvited distractions and DELAYS while trying to compose and shoot. That aside, this camera packs alotta bang for the buck.