The Canon Powershot SX40HS also known as the Canon SX40 HS is a 12.1 mega pixel, 24mm wide 35x optical zoom, with 2.7 inch vari angle LCD screen, full high definition video recording with optical image stabilization.

The Canon SX40 HS has full automatic and manual controls similar to a digital SLR. The Canon Powershot SX40HS also has an electronic viewfinder and a hotshoe for an external flash. The Canon SX40 HS also has a built in flash.

The new Canon HS system allows better low light performance in conjunction with the Canon DIGIC 5 processor and CMOS sensor will deliver stunning image quality with reduced noise and blur.

Features of the Canon Powershot SX40 HS:

• 12.1 mega pixel CMOS sensor with new Canon DIGIC 5 image processor and Canon's HS system for improved low light performance.
• 24mm wide angle, 35x optical zoom. (in 35mm equivalent: 24mm - 840mm)
• ISO from 100 - 3200
• 2.7 inch vari angle LCD screen. Makes taking photos / video easier in difficult angles. You can also reverse it to take photos yourself.
• Full High Definition 1080p video recording in stereo sound with a dedicated movie button. You can also zoom whilst recording video. Also new super Slow Motion Movie mode records video at high speeds to allow playback in slow motion.
• Intelligent Image Stabilization Mode (IS). You can choose from six different modes to optimize image stabilization for the situation.
• Shoot up to 8 frames in High Speed Burst HQ for continuous image capture. 
• The New Zoom Framing Assist button aids in tracking and capturing subjects in super telephoto photography.
• Improved Smart Auto modes which selects the correct scene for you from 32 predefined shooting modes. You won't have to worry about the settings to create a great shot. The camera does all the work for you.
• Additional features to make taking photographs easier includes; face detection, smart shutter (smile self timer, wink timer, face detection self timer), best image selection. Finally the best image selector takes a number of photos consecutively and the camera selects the best photo by eliminating the photos that have the least camera shake, motion blur and facial movements. 
• The Canon SX40HS is compatible with SD, SDHC, SDXC memory cards. 

What is Included inside the box:

• Canon Powershot SX40 HS digital camera
• Canon NB-10L Battery
• Canon Battery Charger CB-2LC
• Canon Lens Cap
• Case for the Hot Shoe Cap
• Canon Neck Strap NS-DC11
• USB cable to the computer
• User Manual and Installation CD
• Canon Australia Warranty Card

Here are some sample images from the Canon Powershot SX40 HS showing it's features:

• 24mm Wide angle lens: From the below photo, the white outline box will the standard 35mm format. The Canon 24mm wide angle is most useful for landscape shots, group photos and tall buildings.

• 35x Optical Zoom (24mm - 840mm) lens. With the powerful 35x optical zoom, you can be on the sidelines of a cricket match and still be able to zoom in on the players. Great for kids sporting events, nature photography with extreme zoom in a compact body.

• Zoom Framing Assist Feature. This new feature helps in extreme zoom situations whereby lets you easily locate the moving target on the LCD screen or through the electronic viewfinder. When you press and hold the zoom framing assist function, the camera will automatically  zoom out to include a wider angle of view and once you have locked on the subject, the camera will go back to the original telephoto zoom position. The camera will intelligently remember and keep the subject in focus so you can take the photo anytime. This feature is really handy in using the long end of the zoom.

Specifications of the Canon Powershot SX40 HS digital camera:

Type
Compact digital camera with built-in flash, 35x Optical & 4x Digital & 140x Combined Zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer System

Image Capture Device

Type
12.1 Megapixels 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor

Total Pixels
Approx. 12.8 Megapixels

Effective Pixels
Approx. 12.1 Megapixels

Lens

Focal Length
4.3 (W) - 150.5mm (T) (35mm film equivalent: 24 (W) - 840mm (T))

Digital Zoom
Approx. 4.0x, up to 140x in combination with optical zoom

Focusing Range
Auto: 0 in. (0 cm) - infinity (W), 4.6 ft. - infinity (T)

Normal: 2 in. (5 cm) - infinity (W), 4.6 ft. (1.4 m) - infinity (T)

Macro: 0 in. (0 cm) -1.6 ft. (50 cm) (W)

Autofocus System
TTL Autofocus, Manual focus*

* Shooting standby only in movie mode

Viewfinders

Optical Viewfinder
Optical N/A.

Electronic Viewfinder available (Effective dots: Approx. 202,000 (67,000 x3))

LCD Monitor
2.7-inch TFT color Vari-angle LCD with wide viewing angle

LCD Pixels
Approx. 230,000 dots

LCD Coverage
Approx. 100%

Aperture and Shutter

Maximum Aperture
f/2.7 (W), f/5.8 (T)

Shutter Speed
1-1/3200 sec.

15-1/3200 sec. (Total shutter speed range)

Exposure Control

Sensitivity
AUTO, ISO 100/200/400/800/1600/3200

Light Metering Method
Evaluative*, Center-weighted average, Spot**

* Control to incorporate facial brightness in Face Detection AF

** Metering frame is fixed to the center

Exposure Control Method
AE Lock

Exposure Compensation
+/-2 stops in 1/3-stop increments

White Balance

White Balance Control
Auto*, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash, Custom

*Facial color is evaluated in Face AiAF.

Flash

Built-in Flash
Auto, Red-eye Reduction, Auto Red-eye Correction, Flash On, Flash Off; FE lock, Slow Synchro, Smart Flash

Flash Range
1.6 - 23 ft. (W), 4.6 - 9.8 ft. (T), (50 cm - 7.0 m (W), 1.4 - 3.0 m (T))

Recycling Time
10 seconds or less (battery voltage: 7.4V)

Flash Exposure Compensation
+/-2 stops in 1/3-stop increments

Shooting Specifications

Shooting Modes
C2, C1, M, Av, Tv, P Auto^*1, Sports, SCN^*2, Creative Filters^*3, Movie<sup>*4

*1</sup> Smart AUTO also available for videos

^*2 Movie Digest, Portrait, Landscape, Smart Shutter^*5, High-Speed Burst HQ, Handheld Night Scene, Low Light, Beach, Foliage, Snow, Fireworks, Stitch Assist

^*3 Fish-eye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, Color Accent, Color Swap

^*4 Standard, iFrame Movie, Super Slow Motion Movie

^*5 Smile, Wink Self-timer, Face Self-timer

Photo Effects
My Colors Off, Vivid, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Custom

Self Timer
Custom*, Approx. 2-sec. delay, Approx. 10-sec. delay

* Delay time (0-15 sec. (in one-second increments), 20/25/30 sec.) and number of shots (1-10 shots (in one-shot increments)) can be specified.

Wireless Control
N/A

Continuous Shooting
Approx. 2.4 shots/sec. (in P mode)

Approx. 10.3 shots/sec. (in High-speed Burst HQ mode)*

* Maximum of 8 continuous shots per burst

Image Storage

Storage Media
SD memory card, SDHC memory card, SDXC memory card, Eye-Fi

File Format
Design rule for camera file system, DPOF Version 1.1 compliant

Image Recording Format
Normal, Fine

JPEG Compression Mode
Still Image: Exif. 2.3 (JPEG)

Videos: MOV (Image data: H.264 data: Linear PCM (stereo))

Number of Recording Pixels
[16:9]

Large: 4000 x 2248

Medium 1: 2816 x 1584

Medium 2: 1920 x 1080

Small: 640 x 360

[3:2] Large: 4000 x 2664

Medium 1: 2816 x 1880

Medium 2: 1600 x 1064

Small: 640 x 424 [4:3] Large: 4000 x 3000

Medium 1: 2816 x 2112

Medium 2: 1600 x 1200

Small: 640 x 480 [1:1] Large: 2992 x 2992

Medium 1: 2112 x 2112

Medium 2: 1200 x 1200

Small: 480 x 480

Number of Recordable Images

Image data

* When shooting in Low Light
• The approximate number of images recordable on memory cards other than the above can be calculated by using the above figures as a reference and extrapolating accordingly.

Time of Recordable Movies

Playback Specifications

Playback Modes File
Still Images: Single, Index (4-100 thumbnails*), Magnification (Approx. 2x-10x), Easy, Auto Rotate, Scroll Display, Rotate, Favorites, My Category, Jump, Smart Shuffle, Filtered Playback, Information Display, Resume Playback, Red-Eye Correction, i-Contrast, Trimming, Resize, My Colors, Focus Check, Histogram, Overexposure Warning

Videos: Normal Playback, Special Playback, Auto Rotate, Resume, Easy *As viewed in LCD monitor

Erasing Specifications

Erase Modes
Select Image, single image, select all images

Interfaces

Video Out
NTSC/PAL

Audio Out
Stereo

Other
Memory card slot; direct connection to Canon and SELPHY Compact Photo Printers, PIXMA Photo Printers and PictBridge-compatible printers via camera's USB 2.0 Hi-Speed cable

Power Source
Battery Pack NB-10L, Compact Power Adapter CA-PS700 (when used with AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC80)

Shooting Capacity
Approx. 400 shots (Viewfinder)

Approx. 380 shots (LCD)

Playback Time
Approx. 9 hours

Physical Specifications

Operating Temperature
32-104°F/0-40°C

Operating Humidity
10-90%

Dimensions (W x H x D)
4.84 x 3.64 x 4.24 in. / 122.9 x 92.4 x 107.7mm

Weight
Approx. 21.2 oz (600g) (including the battery and memory card)

Approx. 19.6 oz. (557g) (camera body only)

27 display languages provided (English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Simplified/Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese, Korean, Greek, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Thai, Arabic, Romanian, Ukrainian, Farsi, and Hindi) All data are based on Canon's Standard Test Method. Subject to change without notice. Canon, DIGIC, ELPH, PIXMA, and PowerShot and SELPHY are registered trademarks of Canon Inc. in the United States and may also be registered trademarks or trademarks in other countries. Microsoft, Windows and Windows Vista are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Mac is a trademark of Apple, Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. All other products and brand names are registered trademarks, trademarks or service marks of their respective owners in the United States and/or other countries.