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Canon PowerShot A720IS 8MP Digital Camera with 6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom | List Price: $199.99
Discount Price: $210.00
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Brand: Canon
Binding: Electronics
Release Date: 2007-09-11
Features: - 8-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 16 x 22-inch prints
- 6x image-stabilized optical zoom; 2.5-inch wide-viewing-angle LCD display
- Face Detection technology and in-camera red-eye fix
- 19 shooting modes, including 7 special scene modes; Print/Share button
- Powered by 2 AA-size batteries (2 alkaline batteries included); stores images on SD memory cards (16MB memory card included)
Firmware Flaw: Can't use cheap or rechargeable batteries, Duracell only!!!! [Posted on 2008-07-30]
This camera has a firmware flaw: The firmware that interprets the batteries voltage is preset for high quality batteries only, if you use rechargeable or cheap off brand batteries, the camera is useless. They need to fix it so you can select the type of battery you are going to use and not shut the camera down in low voltage conditions.
Sensor Quality: I found that my PowerShot S50 takes much sharper photos at the same speed, and is higher quality. I generally use the S50 for indoor pictures as the A720IS has very poor performance (lots of image noise).
THIS IS A GOOD CAMERA FOR OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY WHEN USING DURACELL BATTERIES!!
Great Camera [Posted on 2008-08-01]
This Camera is amazing. The only bug i had with it was that it took around five seconds to turn on. i fixed that by turning the start up volume off. now it takes around half a second to tun on. it is really amazing, and i love how much zoom it has. The image stabilization has really come in handy, because some times i have a shaky hand.
A great casual camera for a pro [Posted on 2008-08-02]
I've had mine for about six months and really like it. I usually shoot with a Nikon D70 DLSR and have a bunch of lenses for that, but this little Canon is great for casual shooting. I use it for 'snap shots' of the family when it is more important to get a candid shot of the people then to have the best technical shot. It is so much smaller then a DSLR so it is much easier to travel with. The manual controls are very good, they are easy to access and cover pretty much everything you need. I often shoot in either aperture priority (Av) or shutter priority (Tv), but also sometimes shoot in either full manual or full auto.
The eight megapixels is more then I need for this kind of camera and ends up just adding noise to the images that causes anything over ISO 400 to be unusable. I keep the ISO at or below 200 when possible and get the best results at ISO 80, but ISO 400 is still usable.
There are other Canon cameras that are much smaller like the SD850 IS, but I prefer the A720 IS because of the manual features and it has a nice grip that makes hanging onto the camera easy. But the SD850 IS is a better camera for novice shooters where simplicity and small size are more important.
Another important difference between the SD850 and the A720 is that the A720 uses two AA batteries, the SD850 uses a rechargeable lithium-ion. The lithium-ion battery is much better, it takes more shots on a charge and cycles the flash much faster. The AAs cause the length of time between shots with flash to be very long. Rechargeable AA batteries work better for this then non-rechargeables, but are still not as good as lithium-ion. The best way to use either camera is to have backup batteries with you so you never run out of power.
The things that keep this camera from being five stars:
- Noisy at ISO 400 and above (this is aggravated by the excessive 8MP count)
- The manual focus does not work in macro mode, where you need it most
- Uses AA instead of Lithium-Ion (for some, this is a plus)
If you are taking snap shots and want a little extra control, this is a great camera an a better choice then a DLSR.
Canon Powershot A720 [Posted on 2008-08-04]
I did a lot of research before buying this camera. I decided to get this particular camera because of the 6X optical zoom which has been a plus. The image is clear and it is easy to use. The camera is small and has all the basic features. I am very happy with the purchase.
A great little camera and a Consumer Reports "best buy"! [Posted on 2008-08-05]
I got this camera for Christmas. It is great for most types of photos. Consumer Reports recently listed this camera as a "best buy". Its predecessor, the A710, had also been a best buy. Canon seems to update their cameras every year, so my guess is that this camera's successor is due to be released within the next few months.
If you just want a point-and-shoot that does all the work for you, then keep this camera in "auto" mode and forget about all the other settings. If you are an experienced SLR photographer, go ahead and put it in manual mode for a near-SLR experience.
I have noticed that the lens does tend to slightly, but noticeably, curve straight vertical lines. Also, as with most point-and-shoot cameras, while the LCD screen is WYSIWYG, the viewfinder is not--especially when zoomed in.
Remember that for ALL auto-focus cameras, you should press the shutter button down half way so the camera can focus on the subject. Then press the shutter button down all the way to take the shot. This is no different than other point-and-shoot digital cameras.
One reviewer complained about getting blurry photos with this camera. I have not had any problems with blurry photos. If you have a broadband Internet connection, I have posted 433 photos online that I took with this camera during a recent vacation to Japan. As you will see, there are no blurry photos. To see the quality of the pictures that this camera takes, go to http://picasaweb.google.com/jparsons.net/
Recommended supplies: I bought the Tamrac 5290 Camera Bag for it, which holds the camera snugly and does a good job of protecting it from rain. If you would like to improve your photography skills, I recommend the book Understanding Exposure.
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