Canon Powershot A720 IS Review

The screen display in the Automatic record mode. Icons indicate that metering is Evaluative, single frame drive, auto flash, Auto exposure mode. The image size is Large, quality is SuperFine and there's space left on the SD card to take 278 more pictures. The Hand icon indicates that Image Stabilization is set to operate continuously; its other modes are Shoot Only and Panning.

When the color LCD is turned on and you half-press the shutter you will see which of the nine AF points (green rectangles) where used for the focus lock. The orange glow is the AF-assist lamp operating.

Program AE exposure mode is like Auto in that the camera selects both the shutter speed and aperture for a correct exposure but you now have access to a multitude of Function and Menu options and color effects. Icons on the left here indicate ISO speed is 800, flash is disabled, single drive mode and metering is set to evaluative.

In Tv (Shutter-speed priority AE) mode you select the shutter speed (from 1/2000 to 15 seconds) using the left and right buttons of the 4-way controller, and the camera automatically selects the proper aperture value. Faster shutter speeds will "freeze" fast-moving subjects, slower speeds will let you pan with a fast-moving object and blur the background, or hold the camera steady and give moving objects that "motion blur" look. When the shutter button is half-depressed, the live image on the LCD indicates the resulting exposure, and turns the aperture value red if under or over exposed, prompting you to choose a different shutter speed.

In Av (Aperture priority AE) mode you select the aperture value (from F2.8 to F8.0) using the left and right buttons of the 4-way controller, and the camera will automatically select the proper shutter speed. Selecting the aperture allows you to control depth of field (focus range), smaller numbers yield less depth of field, larger numbers yield more. When the shutter button is half-depressed the shutter speed is calculated; if it is slow, the Camera Shake indicator blinks orange, warning you to use IS, flash, higher ISO or a tripod.

Program AE, Tv, Av and Manual mode Function options:

ISO Sensitivity Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800
White Balance - Auto, Day Light, Cloudy, Tungsten, , Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Underwater and Custom one-push WB set
Drive Mode - Single, Continuous, 2 or 10 sec selftimer, or Custom timer (set delay 0 - 30 secs., number of shots 1 - 10)
My Colors - Off, Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, Black and White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red and Custom
Flash Compensation - ±2 EV in 1/3 EV steps
Metering - Evaluative, Center Weighted Avg. and Spot
Image resolution - 3264x2448, 2592x1944, 2048x1536, 1600x1200, 640x480, Postcard (1600x1200), and Widescreen (3264x1832)
Image Compression - Normal, Fine, Superfine

When you half-press the shutter to lock auto focus, the exposure value will be calculated from the current shutter speed and aperture settings, the EV (Exposure Value) is displayed at the bottom right (-2/3.) The Camera Shake warning will blink orange when a low shutter speed is selected.

Program AE, Tv, Av and Manual mode MENU options:

AF Frame - AiAF, Center or FlexiZone
AF Frame Size - Normal, Small
Digital Zoom - Off (35-210mm), Standard (35-840mm), 1.5X (52.5-315mm) or 1.9X(66.5-399mm)
Flash Sync - 1st (flash when shutter opens) or 2nd curtain (flash just before shutter closes)
Red-eye - Red-eye reduction lamp: On or Off
Spot AE point - Center or AF point (can only be used with FlexiZone AF Frame)
MF-Point Zoom - On = Enlarge focus point during manual focus
Safety MF - On, Off
AF Assist Illuminator - On or Off
Review Time - Off, Hold or 2 - 10 secs
Disp. Overlay - Off, Grid Lines, 3:2 guide or both - can help in framing
IS Mode - Image Stabilization operates Continuous, Shoot only, Panning or Off
Converter - Specify if WC-DC58N, TC-DC58N or 250D lens converters are in use
Date Stamp - Off, date, or date&time (only works in 4:3 Postcard mode)
Set Button - Set the print button

When in manual focus mode you'll see this onscreen distance gauge and if selected in the menu, the active focus point is enlarged for critical focusing.

The camera has a very respectable macro focusing mode with coverage from 0.39 in. (1cm) to 1.8 ft. (55cm) in wide angle.

On the Mode Dial are positions for Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Special Scene and Stitch Assist (panorama.)

The StitchAssist Panorama mode aids you via on-screen prompts to achieve the proper overlap of sequential photos for later "stitching" with the PhotoStitch program. You can capture up to 26 images in either left-to-right or right-to-left orientation. After the first picture is taken the white balance and exposure is locked until you exit the StitchAssist mode.   Use of a tripod is required.

When using the Standard Movie mode, you can capture video clips at either 640x480 or 320x240. Audio is recorded and you may choose a frame rate of 30fps. File sizes can not exceed 1GB. Movie clips are recorded in Motion JPEG format and saved as AVI files. The 720's IS mode can be set only to Continuous or Off; Shooting Only and Panning modes are not available. Digital Zoom can be turned on, but its use degrades image quality.

Both the video and audio portion of movies can be replayed on the camera thanks to the built-in speaker. Full audio-video playback is also possible when connected to a TV monitor or a compatible PC after downloading.

Movie mode recording options:
Rec menu

Digital Zoom - On or Off
AF-assist Beam - On or Off
Disp. Overlay - Grid Lines or Off
IS Mode - Continuous or Off
Converter - Specify the installed Lens Converter

FUNC. Menu

White Balance - Auto, Day Light, Cloudy, Tungsten, , Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Underwater and Custom one-push WB set
Drive Mode - Self-timer 2 or 10 sec.
My Colors - Off, Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, Black and White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red and Custom
Frame Rate - 30fps or 15fps
Movie Size: 640x480 or 320x240