Performance - How well does it take pictures?
Image quality is the most important aspect of camera performance and the A720 does very little to disappoint in that area. Its 8 megapixel sensor produces images with below average image noise. Below ISO 400, images are quite clean. Noise starts appearing at ISO 400 but is not significant until ISO 800 for bright subjects and ISO 400 for dark subjects. Compared to most non-Fuji compact cameras, the Canon A720 produces very clean ISO 400 results in good light. Higher ISO settings are quite noisy though and ISO 1600 should generally be avoided.
The compact 6X optical zoom lens with stabilization is superb. It produces sharp images throughout its zoom range with nearly undetectable softness at wide-angle. This lens also shows very little optical distortion which normally occurs in compact lenses with long zoom ratios. Chromatic aberrations are well below average too. Happily there was no hint of vignetting either from this lens.
Metering is excellent and extremely consistent. Not only does it nail exposure under typical conditions, the Canon A720 also requires less compensation than most digital cameras for high-key and low-key subjects. Even with snow-covered landscape, the A720 rarely under-exposes. For reference, a typical camera requires exposure compensation of +1 EV. Although dynamic range is unfortunately a little tight, implications are minimal considering that metering is so good on this camera.
The A720 generally produces nicely saturated colors with good hue accuracy. The white-balance system is excellent, leaving only a slight cast under artificial light, thus being more accurate than most digital cameras, even far more expensive ones. This is a significant improvement compared to previous Canon models which makes photography simpler because AWB can handle most situations.
Speed of operation is impressive. Shutter lag is low and so is focusing. Even in low-light, the A720 manages to focus well. Focusing is quite fast in bright light and a bit slower in low-light, but still better than average. Shot-to-shot speed is just over 1 second, which is excellent compared to other compact cameras. Playback is also extremely fast for changing images and zooming. The slower functions of this camera are startup speed and the continuous drive which runs at 1.3 FPS until the memory is full. This is the only area where the A720 is outperformed by its predecessors.
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Conclusion
The Canon Powershot A720 IS is an excellent digital camera. Without compromising on image quality, the A720 packs a rich feature set at an affordable price. Its 6X stabilized zoom gives users more reach that most compact cameras. Although there is no area where this camera is considered the best, it performs well in all areas with remarkable consistency.
Image noise is well controlled with a good balance between details and noise-reduction. This makes ISO 400 more usable than on most compact cameras. Expsoure and white-balance are among the best we have seen from a consumer-oriented camera. The A720 is a relatively fast performer too. It has a short shutter-lag, focus reasonably fast and has a good shot-to-shot speed. Battery-life is excellent at 400 shots-per-charge using 2 AA batteries.
Although some things could be better, the A720 has no serious limitation. Add to that a large feature-set which covers plenty more than the basics and you have an excellent camera to recommend.
Overall Score: Excellent
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