Digital Compact Cameras

Digital Camera

PowerShot A720 IS

PowerShot A720 IS

PowerShot A720 IS

  • Japan
  • Americas
  • Europe, Asia, Oceania
  • Outline
  • Specifications
Marketed August 2007

The A720 IS incorporates a 6x optical zoom lens and a newly introduced 8.0-megapixel CCD sensor into a compact and stylish body design.

Camera Effective Pixels Approx. 8.0 Megapixels
Image Sensor 1/2.5-inch type CCD (Total number of pixels: Approx. 8.3 megapixels)
Imaging Processor DIGIC III
Viewfinder Real-image zoom viewfinder
Lens 6x Optical Zoom Lens with the Lens Shift Type Image Stabilization
5.8 (W)–34.8 (T) mm (35mm equiv. :  35 (W)–210 (T) mm) f/2.8 (W)–f/4.8 (T)

Digital Zoom
Approx. 4.0x (Up to approx. 24x in combination with the optical zoom)

Safety Zoom
Large: 6x   Medium 1: 7.6x   Medium 2: 9.6x   Medium 3: 12x   Small: 24x

Digital Tele-converter (35mm equiv.)
1.6x: 56 (W)–336 (T) mm   2.0x: 70 (W)–420 (T) mm

Focusing Range
・ Normal: 55 cm (1.8 ft.)–infinity
・ Macro: 1–55 cm (W) (0.4 in.–1.8 ft. (W))
・ Manual focus: 1 cm (0.4 in.) (W)/55 cm (1.8 ft.) (T)–infinity
・ Kids&Pets: 1 m (3.3 ft.)–infinity
LCD Monitor 2.5-inch type, TFT color LCD, Approx. 115,000 dots (Picture coverage 100%)
AF System ・ TTL autofocus
・ AF lock and Manual focus are available
・ Focusing frame: Face Detect/AiAF (9-point)/Center*/FlexiZone

* Size of AF frame can be selected.

Shutter Mechanical shutter + electronic shutter

Shutter speed
15-1/2000 sec.
・ The shutter speed varies depending on the shooting mode.
・ Slow shutter speeds of 1.3 sec. or slower operate with noise reduction.
Built-in Flash Auto*, On*, Off
FE Lock/Slow Synchro/2nd-curtain/Flash output/Safety FE settings are available.

Flash Range
Normal: 30 cm–3.5 m (1.0–11 ft.) (W), 55 cm–2.5 m (1.8–8.2 ft.) (T) (ISO speed :  Auto)

Flash Exposure Compensation
±2 stops in 1/3-stop increments

* Red-eye reduction is available.

Drive Modes Single Shooting, Continuous Shooting, Self-timer

Continuous Shooting
Approx. 1.3 shots/sec. (Large/Fine mode)

Self-timer
Activates shutter after an approx. 10-sec./approx. 2-sec. delay, Custom Timer
Exposure Control Exposure Compensation, Metering Methods, ISO Speed

Exposure Compensation
±2 stops in 1/3-stop increments

Metering Methods
Evaluative*, Center-weighted average or Spot (Fixed to center/AF Point)
ISO Speed (Standard Output Sensitivity, Recommended Exposure Index)
Auto**, High ISO Auto**, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600

* When [AF Frame] is set to [Face Detect], the brightness of the face is also evaluated.
** Camera automatically sets the optimal speed.

White Balance Auto, Day Light, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Underwater or Custom
Shooting Modes Auto, Creative zone, Image zone

・Auto

・Creative zone
Program, Shutter-speed Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual

・Image zone
Portrait, Landscape, Night Snapshot, Kids&Pets, Indoor, Special Scene*, Stitch Assist and Movie**

* Night Scene, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Aquarium and Underwater.
** Standard and Compact

Recording Media SD memory card/SDHC memory card/MultiMediaCard/MMCplus memory card/HC MMCplus memory card

File Format
Design rule for camera file system and DPOF compliant

Data Type
・ Still images
Exif 2.2 (JPEG)*   Sound memos: WAVE (monaural)
・ Movies
AVI (Image data: Motion JPEG; Audio data: WAVE (monaural))

* Exif Print is a standard for enhancing the communication between digital cameras and printers. By connecting to an Exif Print-compliant printer, the camera’s image data at the time of shooting is used and optimized, yielding extremely high quality prints.

Compression Superfine, Fine, Normal
Number of Recording Pixels Still Images
・ Large :  3264 x 2448 pixels
・ Medium 1 :  2592 x 1944 pixels
・ Medium 2 :  2048 x 1536 pixels
・ Medium 3/Postcard :  1600 x 1200 pixels
・ Small :  640 x 480 pixels
・ Widescreen :  3264 x 1832 pixels

Movies
・ Standard
640 x 480 pixels (30 frames/sec.)
640 x 480 pixels (30 frames/sec. LP)
320 x 240 pixels (30 frames/sec.)
Recording can continue until the memory card is full* (can record up to a maximum of 4 GB at one time)**
・ Compact (can record for 3 min.)
160 x 120 pixels (15 frames/sec.)

* Using super high-speed memory cards (SDC-512 MSH recommended).
** Even if the clip size has not reached 4 GB, recording will stop at the moment the clip length reaches 1 hour. Depending on the volume and data writing speed of the memory card, recording may stop before reaching 1 hour or before the recorded data volume has reached 4 GB.

Playback Modes Single (histogram displayable), Index (9 thumbnail images), Magnified (approx. 10x (max.) in LCD monitor, advance or reverse through magnified images possible), Jump (it is possible to jump to every tenth or hundredth image, to the first image of each shooting date, to movies or to the first image in each folder.), Auto Play, Red-Eye Correction, Sound memos (up to 1 min.), Movie (slow motion playback possible) or Resize.
Direct Print PictBridge, Canon Direct print, Bubble Jet Direct
Interface USB 2.0 Hi-Speed (mini-B) Audio/Video output (NTSC or PAL selectable, monaural audio)

Communication Settings
MTP, PTP

Software
・ ZoomBrowser EX (for Windows OS)
・ ImageBrowser (for Mac OS)
Power Source ・ 2 AA-size alkaline batteries
・ 2 AA-size NiMH batteries NB-3AH (sold separately)
・ AC Adapter Kit ACK800 (sold separately)

Battery Capacity (Fully Charged)
AA-size Alkaline Batteries
・ LCD Monitor On :  Approx. 140 images (Based on the CIPA standard)
・ LCD Monitor Off :  Approx. 500 images
・ Playback Time :  Approx. 9 hours
AA-size NiMH Batteries NB-3AH
・ LCD Monitor On :  Approx. 400 images (Based on the CIPA standard)
・ LCD Monitor Off :  Approx. 900 images
・ Playback Time :  Approx. 11 hours

Test Conditions
・ Shooting
Normal temperature (23±2°C/73°F±3.6°F), normal relative humidity (50%±20%), alternating wide angle end and telephoto end shots at 30 second intervals with the flash fired once every two shots and the camera power turned off after every tenth shot. Power is left off for a sufficient amount of time, then the power is turned back on and the testing procedure is repeated.
・ Playback
Normal temperature (23°C±2°C/73°F±3.6°F), normal relative humidity (50%±20%), continuous playback at 3 seconds per image.
Operating Temperatures ・ 0–40°C (32–104°F)
・ 0–35°C (32–95°F) when NB-3AH is used.
Operation Humidity 10–90 %
Dimensions (excluding protrusions) 97.3 x 67.0 x 41.9 mm (3.8 x 2.6 x 1.7 in.)
Weight (camera body only) Approx. 200 g (7.1 oz.)