Manufacturer 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.

PowerShot A720IS Highlights

8.0-megapixel resolution, high-power 6x optical zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer Top-notch core specifications allow the PowerShot A720 IS to produce a level of image quality thats fully competitive with that of much higher-end cameras. A full 8.0 megapixels of resolution ensure rich depth and detail, and let you enlarge and crop images freely.

1x zoom/6x zoom

The camera is equipped with a genuine Canon 6x optical zoom to get you up close when it counts. Canons sophisticated Optical Image Stabilizer Technology keeps your shots blur-free, even in low light and at the long end of the zoom range. Miniature gyroscopic sensors detect motion, then send a corrective signal, effectively reducing camera shake.

DIGIC III Image Processor with Genuine Canon Face Detection Technology With DIGIC III, your images boast superior quality, the camera operates at top efficiency and battery life is enhanced. Whats more, DIGIC III enables Canons Face Detection Technology and Red-eye Correction to give you better, more true-to-life people shots. Simply press the Shutter button halfway down, and the camera automatically pinpoints the faces in the scene and chooses the ideal focus point. The camera controls exposure settings and flash to keep every face looking bright and natural. Red eyes can be corrected during playback.

DIGIC III features Face Detection technologies, giving the you best possible results in any shooting situation. Face Detection AF/AE sets the focus point and exposure for the faces of your subjects. Face Detection FE adjusts the flash to correctly illuminate your subject to provide the best balance between your subject and the overall scene, eliminating the common problems of over- and underexposed faces.

Face Detection in action

Red-eye correction detects and corrects red-eye during playback. In unusual cases where red-eye is not automatically detected, it can easily be corrected manually during playback mode.

iSAPS technology is an entirely original scene-recognition technology developed for digital cameras by Canon. Using an internal database of thousands of different photos, iSAPS works with the fast DIGIC III Image Processor to improve focus speed and accuracy, as well as exposure and white balance.

Easy-to-use Mode Dial with a wide range of shooting modes With a simple Mode Dial, the PowerShot A720 IS makes it easy to access the features of the camera youll use most. Select a scene mode, and the camera automatically sets shooting parameters to get you the best possible shot in that situation. You can also access Stitch Assist, Auto, Movie and Manual modes from the Mode Dial. And the convenience of using AA-size batteries, no special power adapters or chargers are needed wherever you go.

With 19 Shooting Modes including 7 Special Scene Modes, youre ready for whatever shot comes your way.

Compatible with a wide range of accessories including wide-angle and telephoto lens converters The PowerShot A720 IS is compatible with many of shooting accessories such as wide and tele converter lenses, High-Power Flash designed for all of the PowerShot models. Also, a waterproof case is available for your underwater shooting.

Print/Share button for easy direct printing and downloading The PowerShot A720 IS's Print/Share button makes direct printing easier than ever. Simply connect the A720 IS to a Canon CP, Selphy or Pixma Photo Printer or any PictBridge compatible photo printer, press the lighted Print/Share button and print! Also use the Print/Share button to transfer images to a computer (Windows and Macintosh).

Print your own ID photos in 28 different sizes or use the Movie Print function to output multiple stills from a recorded movie on a single sheet with a Canon Selphy Compact Photo Printer.

Direct photo printers For desktop large-format printing, try one of the direct photo printers that allow you to print without a computer in one of two ways: plug your compatible PowerShot camera into the direct photo printer using the supplied USB interface cable, or simply insert a memory card into the supplied adapter. You can also connect the printer to your computer for more options. Print high-resolution, borderless images as postcards or 8.5 x 11-inch sheets within minutes.

Compact photo printers Compact photo printers let you produce versatile, fun 4 x 6-inch postcards, 4 x 8-inch wide greeting cards or credit card size prints in just two easy steps: connect and press/print. Control the printer right from your camera's LCD screen. You get durable, dye-sublimated prints quickly with or without borders. Assorted paper types let you create mini or credit card size labels. You can even take select compact photo printers to a party or an outdoor picnic using an optional rechargeable battery.

Product 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.

Reader Reviews
The Canon PowerShot A720IS is an interesting beast as it doesn't seem to have particularly good or bad qualities. It takes pleasant pictures with good clarity and color, and the rich feature-set will satisfy both novice and experienced photographers, but in the end, this camera feels uninspired and amorphous. It's not as small or sleek as Canon's Digital ELPH series (SD Series), nor does it have the imaging abilities of the G series or the absolute zoom capabilities of the S series. If you could take all of Canon's consumer digital cameras (minus the DSLR's) and roll them up into a single camera, it would be very similar to the A720. This camera isn't anything exceptional, but it is very functional. With that said, this is one of the better budget cameras I've used. With various scene modes and full manual controls, it can grow with you as your skills improve, assuming you spend the time to learn how to use it. This camera works as an acceptable point-and-shoot in the program mode, but when you start playing with the manual controls, great low light and macro shots become possible. Some noteworthy elements of this camera are its excellent video mode (30fps 640x480 resolution), 6x optical zoom, and use of standard AA batteries. The flash is also pretty good and in the right mode, the camera will automatically adjust the flash's brightness. Digital Noise has been getting better throughout the years and with the new A720, you can pretty much use up to ISO200 without having to worry about noise. Although the camera supports higher ISO settings, anything above 200 will start to become very noticeably grainy. At ISO80, the pictures are just beautifully smooth. This camera performs exceptionally well outdoors on a sunny day, or in places where there are generous amounts of bright light - the picture quality in these situations can rival cameras costing twice as much! Unfortunately, this performance noticeably diminishes in challenging lighting situations such as those encountered on a hike in the woods. There, the overall level of light is lower but there are now very high contrast zones (such as sunlight peeking through the tree branches). Under these circumstances, the picture's colors become muted and flat with a tinge of blue. Also, under challenging lighting conditions, it's very easy to get blurry or over/underexposed shots. (You can fix the color issue by adjusting the camera's "White Balance", and you can help the over/underexposed shots by adjusting the "Metering Mode") In my opinion, the built-in image stabilization works, but it isn't terribly effective. IS cameras can't perform miracles - they can only compensate a little bit for camera shake, so blurry pictures will remain a reality. Observing the proper shooting posture and holding your breath is much more effective - many digital camera users extend both arms to hold the camera, which is an inherently unstable position. It's much more stable to hold the camera up to your face and use the viewfinder! There are a number of things you can do to fight blur besides relying on image stabilization, including: zooming out, using a higher ISO, increasing shutter speed, and opening up the aperture (make the F number smaller). Keep in mind that to effectively use this camera's 6x zoom, you'll either need a tripod or some other stable surface to put the camera on. The camera feels lightweight but sturdy, and is small enough to fit inside a large pocket. Although it is bulkier than the Digital ELPH series, with the A720, I can grip it firmly with both hands for steadier shooting. I didn't have too many complaints about this camera except that it's sluggish at times (especially when the flash is turned on), but power-on to first shot times are respectable. Another problem is that the built-in viewfinder is off-center and only shows about 70% of the scene, making fine compositions a very challenging task. In the end, this is a great camera and you get a lot for the money. Comments (11) | Permalink | (Report this)

List Price: $199.99 Available from Amazon Price: $199.00 Updated on 6-7-2008.