Smackdown

A sleek and slim compact off ering the biggest zoom currently on the market

We put two compact superzoom cameras head-to-head.

Design

With sleek curved edges, it’s impressive how slim the SX730 is considering the size of the zoom lens inside it. It’s just about dainty enough to slip into your jeans pocket, but don’t expect there to be room for your phone, too.

Features

As well as having the longest zoom on the market (40x), you also get full manual control and a range of useful automatic options. Video is limited to 1080p Full HD though, and there’s no raw format shooting or electronic viewfinder.

Performance

The SX730 produces warm and crisp images, but does its best work in brighter conditions where the light is favourable. The zoom lens does a good job overall, but pictures can be a little soft at the extreme 40x end of things.

Usability

All of the buttons are grouped together, making it easy to use one-handed. The super-handy Zoom Frame Assist function is great when using the far reach of the telephoto zoom, while the tilting screen is great for selfies.