Photography n00b here. Will this camera work well for FTS and/or macro shots?

[LivinTheSwreefLife]

Hello. I have inherited a free (yay!) camera from my in laws. It is a point and shoot Canon Powershot SX40 HS. Here are the specs (please tell me if I am exluding important info):
-35 mm lens
-max aperture f/5.8
-max aperture range f2.7-f5.8
-max focal length 840 mm
The lens says 4.3-150.5 mm on it, not sure why that doesn't agree with either the 35 or the 840...

Yeah so I know nothing about reef tank photography but would like to learn. Will I be able to take decent photos or even macros with this camera, or should I invest in a dslr?

Thanks

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Go ahead and try the camera out. You may have a macro mode too.

A lot of point and shoots have a very good close focus (macro)

The bigger question becomes will it give you a good white balance. But you won't know till you try it. Use the auto white balance first.

The 840 mm is because it likey has a digital zoom and the lens is marked in the total optical zoom amount.