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Product Review: Page (1) of 1 - 01/18/08

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Canon PowerShot A720 IS

Good things come in small packages

By Robert Jensen

When I first heard that Canon was introducing a compact point and shoot camera with a whopping 35~210 equivalent zoom, 8 megapixel sensor, optical image stabilizer, 2.5" LCD monitor as well as an optical viewfinder, all for less than $230 MSRP, well, it just sounded too good to be true so I wanted to check it out for myself.

Since I've been wanting a new compact digital camera off to the store I went. After looking at a few dozen different cameras on display, just to be sure, I chose the A720 mostly because of the long zoom and it having an optical viewfinder as well as a large LCD screen.

The good news is that the Canon A720 IS is capable of taking pictures of surprisingly high quality. There are cameras made for snap-shooters and cameras made for those serious about their photography; This camera has its feet standing solidly in both camps. Left on Auto mode, the camera will produce very good results with just the push of a button. For those who want more control over their images, the camera has a wealth of settings to adjust things to your tastes. Add to that a high quality lens and the huge range of the zoom available, and you end up with a real winner of a camera. My hat comes off to Canon engineers for designing what I'm sure will become a legendary camera. They seem to be doing that a lot this year, maybe it has something to do with it being Canon?s 70th anniversary?

The Canon A720 is about the size of two decks of playing cards stacked on top of each other. It is very pocketable and easy to carry around, plus its size and hand grip make it easier to hold than smaller compact cameras. Some of the current digital cameras can be too small, especially for a guy's hands.

Side view of the Canon A720 IS

Because of all its features, especially the long zoom lens, the A720 would make the ideal camera to take with on vacation. I'd strongly recommend you bring along a few extra SD memory cards as well as extra sets of batteries and/or a charger because you'll be shooting a lot of pictures with this camera. If you are shooting in wet or sandy conditions it?s also a good idea to keep the camera dry and away from dust by putting it in a plastic bag or waterproof case.

Stand-out features:

• Fast f2.8~4.8 lens
• high quality 35~210 equivalent zoom lens
• 15 ? 1/2000 sec. shutter (depending on shooting mode)
• Optical viewfinder for shooting in bright daylight.
• Program, Aperture preferred, Shutter preferred, full manual, Portrait, Landscape, Night Snapshot,
  Kids&Pets, Indoor, Special Scene*1, Stitch Assist (for panorama shots) and Movie modes.
• Evaluative, Center or Spot metering

Image sizes:  

• Large:    3264 x 2448 pixels
• Medium 1:  2592 x 1944 pixels
• Medium 2:  2048 x 1536 pixels
• Medium 3:  1600 x 1200 pixels 
•  Small:     640 x 480 pixels
• Postcard:  1600 x 1200 pixels
• Widescreen:  3264 x 1832 pixels

Movies: Standard:

• 640 x 480 pixels (30 frames/sec.)
• 640 x 480 pixels (30 frames/sec. LP)
• 320 x 240 pixels (30 frames/sec.)
  (can record up to a maximum of 4 GB at one time)

Positives:
Excellent optics, an amazing achievement considering the compact size. Wide range of controls and settings (this could be a negative to some people). Optical viewfinder for shooting in daylight. Optical image stabilizer, a must have in any modern camera but especially important in a camera with a long telephoto zoom. Macro down to .38 inches. Price= a LOT of bang for the buck!

By hitting the Display button in Playback mode you can cycle to a screen that displays a Histogram of the image.

Pushing the button in the center of the 4-way switch on the back of the camera instantly lets you change ISO, color balance, Drive Mode, Color modes like Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, B&w and Custom, Flash compensation +/-, Metering, JPEG Compression, Image Size.

Optional accessories like external flash, 368mm equivalent telephoto and 24.5mm equivalent wide angle lens adapters (you'll need the LA-DC58G lens adapter to use them) a Close-up lens 250D, a waterproof case WP-DC16 (useful up to 130'), and lots of others accessories as well. Again, a wealth of options for such an affordable compact camera. The hobbyist to even professional photographer will enjoy keeping this little guy always on hand.

Click for full resolution view

Click for full resolution

Negatives:
No clear indication of the orientation of the AA batteries. Just check the pictures in the instruction manual.

This camera soaks up battery power so always carry at least two sets of good batteries, preferably high capacity rechargeables. I found it helps save energy to set the Image Stabilizer to only operate when actually taking the picture or turn it off when not needed. Continuous IS mode seems to need a lot of juice.

You still have to switch to Playback mode to view pictures. My old Canon G1 that I bought in 2001 was the same way and I hated having to constantly switch modes back and forth. Note: You can display a just shot picture for longer than the standard 2 seconds by continuing to hold down the shutter release and pressing the Func. Set button on the back of the camera. A little tricky to do at first but it?s workable.

Final thoughts:
All cameras have their shortcomings and everyone has their own preferences on features they find important, I found the A720 to more than fit my needs. The quality of its output is very good/excellent for a camera in this category. Images are sharp and saturation very good. There is a wealth of control over what the camera records. If there were a wish list it would include a RAW mode or maybe an uncompressed/unsharpened JPEG mode and an easier to use picture review mode. The final big plus are the many useful accessories available so that the system can grow to fill future needs.