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Canon PowerShot A720 IS

Manufacturer: Canon USA Part number: 2092B001

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$179.95 - $308.38 at 3 online stores

CNET Editor rating:
3.5 stars Very good
Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 21 reviews

More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Specifications; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: Unless you plan to shoot primarily in low light, the Canon PowerShot A720 IS makes a solid, affordable camera that produces great-looking pictures.
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CNET editors' review

Canon PowerShot A720 IS

price range: $179.95 - $308.38

Reviewed by: Will Greenwald
Edited by: Philip Ryan
Reviewed on: 09/12/2007

The good: Great image quality at lower ISOs; manual exposure controls; quick nonflash performance.

The bad: Long flash recycle time; highest ISO settings very noisy.

The bottom line: Unless you plan to shoot primarily in low light, the Canon PowerShot A720 IS makes a solid, affordable camera that produces great-looking pictures.

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Canon knows not to fix what isn't broken. Last year's PowerShot A710 IS impressed us with its broad suite of features, solid design, and good value. The 8-megapixel PowerShot A720 IS does little to change that formula, sticking very close to the path traveled by the A710 IS.

Save for a few internal upgrades, the A720 IS stands nearly identical to its predecessor. Both cameras share the same 35-210mm equivalent, f/2.8-4.8 lens, the same optical image stabilization, and the same 2.5-inch LCD screen. The A720 IS even shares its predecessor's physical design, right down to the placement of the buttons. The A710 IS' grip featured a rubberized texture that this new version lacks, but otherwise you would be hard-pressed to distinguish between these two cameras at a glance.

Fundamentally, the only changes the A720 IS offers over the A710 IS are its new sensor and image processor. The camera's 8-megapixel CCD can reach ISO 1600, beating its older brother's limit of ISO 800. The camera uses Canon's Digic III image processor, an upgrade over the older Digic II processor that offers face-detecting autofocus and autoexposure, an increasingly common feature that helps when framing portraits and family photos. Besides those upgrades, it might as well be the same camera as the A710 IS.

Fortunately the A710 IS worked so well that the A720 IS really doesn't need to change that much. Like its predecessor, this chunky new camera puts function over form, with large, accessible buttons and a solid, grippable body design. The A720 IS weighs a hefty 8.6 ounces with batteries and SD card--just 0.4 ounce less than the A710 IS. Like its older brother, the A720 IS features a full selection of manual exposure controls, including program/aperture/shutter/manual modes readily accessible through the camera's mode dial.

Like most Canon PowerShot A-series cameras, the A720 IS performs quite fast when not using the flash. After a scant 1.4-second wait from power-on to capturing its first shot, the camera could take a new photo every 1.8 seconds thereafter with the onboard flash disabled. With the flash turned on, that wait balloons to 4.3 seconds. The shutter feels responsive, lagging only 0.5 second with our high-contrast target and 1.2 seconds with our low-contrast target. In burst mode, the camera captured 15 pictures in 10.8 seconds for an average rate of 1.4 frames per second.

The A720 IS's photos look exceptional, particularly at low sensitivity levels. Shots taken at ISO 200 or lower appear remarkably crisp and show impressive fine detail. At ISO 400, you can start to make out distinct noise on a computer monitor, though prints will still come out clean. ISO 800 shots produce noise that shows up on large prints, but they remain at least somewhat useable. Noise significantly jumps at ISO 1600, rendering shots nearly unusable. Very few compact cameras successfully pull off ISO 1600 or higher shots, so I can't judge the A720 IS too harshly for it.

Surprisingly broad depth-of-field and solid white balance contribute to the camera's excellent picture quality. Both small text and fine textures appear crisp and full of detail, even when stretching across multiple planes. Slight fringing appeared on off-white and yellow edges, though not to the point that the photos suffered. In general, if you stick to ISO 400 or lower, the A720 IS will produce great pictures.

It takes too long for its flash to recycle and you should only use ISO 800 as a last resort, but otherwise the Canon PowerShot A720 IS presents an excellent value for its price range. Its lower-sensitivity pictures look remarkably clean and crisp, it shoots quickly when the flash isn't in use, and it's filled with manual exposure controls that experienced photographers, and those learning the ropes, will appreciate. Whether you want a solid, flexible main camera, or a secondary camera to use alongside your digital SLR, the A720 IS makes a great choice.

Shooting speed (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

Flash shot-to-shot time

Typical shot-to-shot time

Time to first shot

Shutter lag (typical)

Kodak EasyShare Z712

1.9

0.9

0.5

Samsung Digimax S850

3.2

2.1

0.5

Canon PowerShot A710 IS

3.5

1.9

1.6

0.4

Canon PowerShot A720 IS

4.3

1.8

1.4

0.5

Typical continuous-shooting speed (frames per second)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)

Kodak EasyShare Z712

2.5

Canon PowerShot A710 IS

1.5

Canon PowerShot A720 IS

1.4

Samsung Digimax S850

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User reviews

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Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 21 reviews
My rating: 0 stars

Showing opinion 1 to 10 out of 21

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9 stars

Just a great deal for the money

by shootngo on October 9, 2007

Pros: great budget camera

Cons: hard to get used to plastic

Summary: I'm a film guy from way back. I use Nikons, Hasselblads, and Sinar 4x5...so I know and appreciate quality.

I'm new to digital. Just wanted a simple

...

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Summary: I'm a film guy from way back. I use Nikons, Hasselblads, and Sinar 4x5...so I know and appreciate quality.

I'm new to digital. Just wanted a simple inexpensive camera to use for eBay sales. I'm pretty much blown away by the A720. Its point and shoot I had down in 2 minutes after getting the camera, and the photos look great. I love the manual control option ( I photograph paintings ) and that works great. The software is also outstanding. Withing 15 minutes of buying the camera I took photos, tweaked them to my satisfaction, and posted terrific looking photographs of my paintings for sale on eBay.

The only complaints I have heard anywhere are the slow flash recycle time and noisy at high asp. I use hot lights so the slow flash recycle time does not affect me. And any noise it makes at high ASA to me is simply a non-issue to me.

I am just amazed at how good this little camera is for the price.

Anyway that's my .02 worth

LB

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17 out of 18 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Great camera, great pics!

by richsal1969 on September 21, 2007

Pros: Color reproduction and build quality very good

Cons: 150 shots from AA batteries.

Summary: This is a very good camera. Prints come out sharp and vivid. Remember this is a point and shoot so if you need high ISO buy a Digital SLR.

Summary: This is a very good camera. Prints come out sharp and vivid. Remember this is a point and shoot so if you need high ISO buy a Digital SLR.

9 out of 11 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Great Deal!

by bubbleshrek on December 27, 2007

Pros: Great : Resolution, Color, Zoom (Optical 6X), Stabilizer, Manual Controls, Onboard Photo Optimizers, Video Quality and Price!

Cons: Improvement: Slow Flash Charging Time (3-4 seconds), Slow Burst Mode (1-1.3/sec)

Summary: This unit rocks! I just had one for Christmas and the Photo and Video Quality is amazing. New tech releases: Latest Canon Digic III Chip, Face Detection, Image Stabilizer, High ...

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Summary: This unit rocks! I just had one for Christmas and the Photo and Video Quality is amazing. New tech releases: Latest Canon Digic III Chip, Face Detection, Image Stabilizer, High Optical Zoom, etc.. (much more like a high-end cam for the prize of entry to mid level). I got Sanyo Rechargeable Battery with 2500 mAh and it still runs after a full 1GB of Photo and Video. Great buy!

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7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

An excellent choice for a daily shooter

by divrnr on December 27, 2007

Pros: Large screen, lots of shooting options

Cons: No swivel screen

Summary: Very well balanced with price and features. I would highly recommend this to anyone who needs a daily shooter. I have 4 kids and with sports or plays it performs ...

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Summary: Very well balanced with price and features. I would highly recommend this to anyone who needs a daily shooter. I have 4 kids and with sports or plays it performs well. More sturdy than a mini but much better photo quality, especially in fast shots or low light.

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5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 stars

Great Value

by Surjnarine on January 25, 2008

Pros: 8 Megapixels Performs Like Most a 12 Megapixels

Cons: Light and plasticy, makes it feel cheap

Summary: After looking at the actual sample pictures at dpreview.com and seeing pictures looking almost as good as Sony's $1300 A700 SLR at 100 ISO I went out and ...

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Summary: After looking at the actual sample pictures at dpreview.com and seeing pictures looking almost as good as Sony's $1300 A700 SLR at 100 ISO I went out and bought it. So far the only complain I have is flash can be little slow, but still faster than my aging Canon s400. I guess I can't really compare the speed to a $1300 SLR.

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3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 stars

Very good camera, but unless you really need the extra zoom, the A570 IS is a better buy, IMO.

by digicamdude on January 7, 2008

Pros: Very good image quality, fast non-flash performance, nice grip

Cons: Slow flash recycle time, small viewfinder, high ISOs have lots of noise (this is typical)

Summary: I bought this camera around Christmas. Unfortunately, due to dust in the viewfinder, I had to send it back. I believe it was defective.
Non-flash performance was good. However, when
...

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Summary: I bought this camera around Christmas. Unfortunately, due to dust in the viewfinder, I had to send it back. I believe it was defective.
Non-flash performance was good. However, when the flash is on, you can expect to wait up to 6 seconds between shots with the flash (although this is typical of cameras that take 2 AA batteries). The LCD screen, while only 115,000 pixels, actually looks surprisingly good. The optical viewfinder, however, is small. Oddly enough, the viewfinder on the older Canon A530 is larger (I believe the viewfinder on the A570 IS is also larger).
The image quality is also excellent at lower ISOs. But, like most compact cameras, at ISO 400 and up, there is some noise.
So, bottom line, it is a very good camera. But, if you don't need the extra zoom, the A570 IS is definitely a better buy in my opinion. Actually, if you need the extra zoom, I would be inclined to say to bypass this model altogether and go with the SX100 IS, which has an even longer zoom (while it doesn't have a viewfinder, the screen is nicer).

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3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

great portraits

by ojad10 on November 1, 2007

Pros: great sharpness, good for posed pictures

Cons: gets blurry sometimes, though easy to fix

Summary: i used this camera in my media class at school.
for haloween we had to go out and take photos of people with costumes.
i got some great posed pictures

...

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Summary: i used this camera in my media class at school.
for haloween we had to go out and take photos of people with costumes.
i got some great posed pictures of people, and some great candids too.

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3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Canon has produced a gem!

by photoflash638 on February 24, 2008

Pros: Excellent photo quality,easy to use and sturdy body construction

Cons: irritating playback function

Summary: I have been interested in photography for a long time, but it wasn't until last month that I got this Canon A720 IS. It has worked great since then ...

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Summary: I have been interested in photography for a long time, but it wasn't until last month that I got this Canon A720 IS. It has worked great since then and my pictures are terrific. The Canon quality is clear to see in the sturdy body. Even in dim light the pictures turn out well; the only annoying thing is the playback function you have to click on to view shots.

The camera for all its high-tech features is easy to use-I could get it snapping shots right after I popped in batteries and a memory card (1-2 GB is best for this camera.)

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2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

new DIGIC III processor plus key features -- 2nd-curtain-sync flash, 6x optical zoom, ...

by clchen711 on February 19, 2008

Pros: 6x optical zoom, 2nd-curtain-sync flash, using economical and readily available AA batteries (or LSD AAs)

Cons: not slim enough for pants pocket, not 3-inch LCD as SD870 has

Summary: Canon A720 has the 2nd-Curtain Sync Flash feature that SD870 lacks, which is critical for taking slow shutter speed pictures with flash. Most people take camera flashing as the indicator ...

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Summary: Canon A720 has the 2nd-Curtain Sync Flash feature that SD870 lacks, which is critical for taking slow shutter speed pictures with flash. Most people take camera flashing as the indicator of a shot done, stop posing (start moving) after the camera flashes, but it is not true/done if the flash is set off at beginning of the slow speed shutter picture taking, a.k.a. 1st-curtain sync flash, people start moving while camera still needs a couple more seconds to catch the low light scenes/background, the result with 1st-Curtain Sync flash is the blurring people/faces on picture.

Without the 2nd-Curtain Sync Flash function, it is almost impossible to take good pictures with the slow shutter speed flash, such as kids with dim birthday cake candle lights, people with night/low-light scenic scenes/background, etc.

The 2nd-Curtain Sync flash feature is one of the advantages that Canon cameras have but not other popular brands. Not sure why only some of the Canon models have the 2nd-Curtain Sync. Canon's camera chart/site http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ProductCatIndexAct&fcategoryid=113 does not even list/compare the flash functions between Canon models for some reason(s).

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
7 stars

Great features and images but very fragile and not solid

by camera crazy! on December 31, 2007

Pros: Wide feature range, great image quality, Easy to use but also many manual features that you can use

Cons: The Camera is not built well. It makes cracking sounds when you put light preasure on it as you use it. It sounds like the plastic is not secure and is shifting. Pieces are loose that shouldnt be.

Summary: Canon is the best choice for modern digital camera offering the most for you money but also offering the best reliability and quality. However, this camera has an all plastic ...

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Summary: Canon is the best choice for modern digital camera offering the most for you money but also offering the best reliability and quality. However, this camera has an all plastic body and doesn't feel solid. for this reason I bought a 3 year warranty because it feels as if it is bound to break. The zoom and image stabilization quality is out standing as well as the pictures it produces. It is also easy to sink with your PC with the hardware that is included. The camera also doesn't lack features and options. The grip on the camera isn't the best.

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3 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.

Showing opinion 1 to 10 out of 21

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Specifications

Manufacturer: Canon USA
Part number: 2092B001
Description: The PowerShot A720 IS is the quintessential A Series camera in a popular line that matches high-end image quality with fun, easy-to-use features that deliver excellent cost performance. Top-notch specifications include 8.0 megapixel resolution and a long 6x optical zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer technology for sharp images throughout the zoom range. Canon's DIGIC III Image Processor offers advanced Face Detection technology and Red-eye Correction for fantastic images. Even expand your creative possibilities with wide-angle and telephoto converter lenses.

General
Product Type Digital camera - Compact
Weight 7.1 oz
Width 3.8 in
Depth 1.7 in
Height 2.6 in
Main Features
Resolution 8 megapixels
Image stabilizer feature Optical stabilization helps prevent blurry pictures, especially for handheld cameras at slow shutter speeds or when using high optical zoom.
Sensor resolution 8 megapixels
Optical Sensor Type CCD
Effective Sensor Resolution 8,000,000 pixels
Total Pixels 8,300,000 pixels
Optical Sensor Size 1/2.5 in
Light Sensitivity ISO 200, ISO 800, ISO auto, ISO 400, ISO 80, ISO 1600, ISO 100
Digital Zoom 4 x
Shooting Modes Frame movie mode
Shooting Programs Landscape, Aquarium, Foliage, Snow, Fireworks, Beach, Portrait mode, Night snapshot, Kids & pets, Underwater, Night scene, Stitch assist, Indoor
Special effects Vivid, Black & White, Sepia, Custom Effect, Neutral
Max Shutter Speed 1/2000 sec
Min Shutter Speed 15 sec
Exposure Metering Center-weighted, Evaluative, Spot
Exposure Modes Aperture-priority, Automatic, Program, Shutter-priority, Manual
Exposure Compensation ?2 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps
White Balance Custom, Automatic, Presets
White Balance Presets Tungsten light, Fluorescent, Cloudy, Fluorescent light (daylight), Underwater, Daylight
Digital video format AVI
Still Image Format JPEG
Continuous Shooting Speed 1.3 frames per second
Color support Color
Image Stabilizer Optical
AE/AF Control FlexiZone
TV Tuner None
Video Capture AVI - 320 x 240, AVI - 640 x 480, AVI - 160 x 120
Memory / Storage
Flash Memory 16 MB Flash
Floppy Drive None
Image Storage JPEG 3264 x 1832, JPEG 640 x 480, JPEG 3264 x 2448, JPEG 2592 x 1944, JPEG 1600 x 1200, JPEG 2048 x 1536
Flash memory 16 MB
Supported Flash Memory MultiMediaCard, SD Memory Card
Lens System
Type Zoom lens - 5.8 mm - 34.8 mm - F/2.8-4.8
Focal Length 5.8 mm - 34.8 mm
Lens Construction 7 group(s) / 9 element(s)
Additional Features
Self Timer Yes
Self Timer Delay 10 sec, 2 sec
Additional Features USB 2.0 compatibility, Display brightness control, DPOF support, Face detection, Audio recording, Safety zoom, PictBridge support, AE lock, Digital tele-converter, RGB primary color filter, Digital noise reduction, FE lock, AF lock, Resizing an image, Direct print, Digital image rotation, Camera orientation detection, In-camera red-eye fix, Auto power save, Histogram display
Camera Flash
Effective Flash Range 1 ft - 11.5 ft
Type Built-in flash
Flash Modes Flash OFF mode, Fill-in mode, Slow synchro, Auto mode, Red-eye reduction, Rear curtain sync
Red Eye Reduction Yes
Effective flash range 1 ft - 11.5 ft
Features AF illuminator, Flash +/- compensation
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Type Optical - Real-image zoom
Display
Type LCD display - TFT active matrix - 2.5 in - Color
Mounting Built-in
Resolution 115,000 pixels
Digital Player (Recorder)
Type None

Microphone
Type Microphone - Built-in
Technology Electret cond

Canon PowerShot A720 IS

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Additional Features

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