Preview posted 02/17/2016 by William Chambers
Full review posted 07/7/2016 by Eric Butterfield

Quick Take

Pros

Lots of manual controls Powerful 40x zoom lens Wide angle view (24mm) Macro focus as close as 1 cm High image quality overall Full HD video Dial eases menu navigation Fast burst shooting Attractive digital filters In bright light, tracking AF is fairly accurate

Cons

AF can be unreliable at max. zoom No RAW mode Max. shutter speed of 15 seconds (no bulb) Tracking AF had difficulty in shadows At full zoom, AF can be unreliable Low light image quality could be better Seek assist feature is not extremely helpful LCD is fixed, does not hinge

Bottom Line

This PowerShot packs a lot of features into a compact body, and delivers high overall image quality, though low light performance could be improved. Read more in our Full Conclusion.

The PowerShot SX720 HS builds upon the SX710 from last year with a few nice improvements, namely a new updated zoom lens. Like its predecessor, the SX720 offers a 20.3MP CMOS image sensor, DIGIC 6 processor, a 3.0-inch LCD screen, and Full HD video capture at up to 1080/60p. It also features the same, proven, Intelligent IS system that we've seen used on various PowerShot models in the past.

The SX710 packed an impressive 30x optical zoom into its petite frame, which is now bested by more than 10x with the SX720's new 40x optical zoom lens. This new lens covers and equivalent zoom range of 24-960mm, which Canon claims makes the SX720 HS a good candidate for a "vacation camera".

Other key improvements noted by Canon are the ability to charge the battery in-camera via USB (they still include the AC quick charger for external charging, or for charging extra batteries), and they have improved the Wi-Fi functionality allowing you to enter Wi-Fi mode in both playback and record modes (previously, you could only do so in the former mode).


Canon PowerShot SX720 HS Features:

• 40x optical zoom lens
• 24-960mm equivalent zoom range
• Intelligent Image Stabilization
• 20.3MP CMOS image sensor
• DIGIC 6 image processor
• Full 1080p HD Video @ 60p
• Dedicated Movie Button
• 3.0" LCD screen
• Hybrid AUTO
• Creative Shot Mode
• Short Clip Mode
• Story Highlights Mode
• Fast Motion
• Slow Speed
• Active NFC
• Built-in Wi-Fi
• Dedicated Wi-Fi mode button (can be accessed in playback and record modes)
  

The Canon PowerShot SX720 HS is available now with a MSRP of $379.99. The camera only comes in one color; grey with black accents. See our best price box at the top right to see current online pricing.

What's in the box?:

• PowerShot SX720 HS
• Li-ion Battery Pack (NB-13L)
• AC Battery Charger (CB-2LH)
• Wrist Strap
• No USB Interface Cable or Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM are included