Canon PowerShot A720 IS review

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

2 

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0.9 

0.5 

Samsung Digimax S850

3.2 

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Canon PowerShot A720 IS

4.3 

1.8 

1.4 

0.5