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Expert Recommendation
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Overview
Equipped with a 6x super-zoom lens and fast image capture times, the Canon A720 IS will freeze action at the press of a button, and you won’t miss the winner’s moment of glory at the finish line. With its good low light performance, you can keep on freezing the natural expressions of babies without startling them with a flash.
My Best In Class Pick
Canon PowerShot A720 IS
All three cameras have an Auto Mode with lots of Scene Modes for novice users.
The Canon A720 & A570 are better choices over the Panasonic DMC-LZ7 because of their optical viewfinders (helpful for real-time subject tracking), good high ISO performance (retain enough details for mid-sized prints), manual modes, and good battery life.
While costing more, the Canon A720 IS provides more value over the Canon A570 IS with its higher zoom (6x), more resolution and better performance. Surprisingly, it has a brighter lens (wider maximum aperture at tele-end of zoom) than the Canon A570 IS, while packing in more zoom. For the price, it is bang for the bucks.
Canon PowerShot A720 IS is my Top Pick.
Where to buy
Canon PowerShot A720 IS
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Best Price:
$379
See It »
- $379 - $629 Compare Prices »
Specifications
- Zoom: 6.0x
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Resolution: 8.0MP
- AF Shutter Lag: 0.5 - 1.2s
- Burst Speed: 1.4 fps
- Max ISO: 1600
- Easy to Use: Yes
Comparing My Best In Class Pick with Other Good Choices
| Product |
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| Customer Rating |
 
(from 326 reviews)
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(from 566 reviews)
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(from 175 reviews)
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| Price | $379 - $629 | $288 - $399 | $149 - $299 |
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Effective Sensor Resolution
The Effective Sensor Resolution tells you the total number of pixels that are recorded when you take a picture. The units are MP, which stands for megapixels or millions of pixels. For outstanding fine compression prints, 3MP is required for 5x7's, 7.1MP for 8x10's, and 10.9MP for 11x14's. The effective sensor resolution is only one of many important factors that will determine the quality of the photograph when displayed or printed at different sizes.
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8.0 megapixels | 7.1 megapixels | 7.2 megapixels |
| Shutter Lag Time (pre-focused) | 0.10 sec | 0.08 sec | 0.005 sec |
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Shutter Lag Time (including auto-focus time)
This is the time from fully pressing the shutter button until the image is captured. Longer shutter lag times make it more difficult to capture the desired moment.
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0.5 sec | 0.6 sec | 0.5 sec |
| Power to First Shot Time | 1.4 sec | 1.5 sec | - |
| Continuous Shooting Speed (single shot mode) | - | - | 0.6 frames/sec |
| Max Shooting Speed (continuous) | 1.4 frames/sec | 1.3 frames/sec | 4.6 frames/sec |
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Min Focal Length (35 mm equivalent)
The 35 mm equivalent focal length is a measure that indicates the angle of view of a particular combination of a camera lens and the sensor size. The term originates from the time when the vast majority of photography was done with 35 mm film. On any 35 mm film camera, a 30 mm or less lens is considered a wide-angle lens.
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35 mm | 35 mm | 37 mm |
| Optical Zoom | 6.0x | 4.0x | 6.0x |
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Image Stabilization Available
Image stabilization features are designed to reduce the blur that results from normal, minute shaking of a lens due to hand-held shooting. However, image stabilization does not prevent motion blur caused by the movement of the subject or by extreme movements of the camera.
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Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Manual Focus Available | Yes | Yes | No |
| Auto Focus Assist Light Available | Yes | Yes | Yes |
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Max Aperture (wide-angle)
The aperture refers to the size of the opening in the lens that determines the amount of light falling onto the sensor. The maximum aperture (wide-angle) is the largest possible size at the wide-angle limit of the zoom lens. The lens aperture is usually specified as an f-number, the ratio of focal length to effective aperture diameter. A lower f-number denotes a greater aperture opening, which allows more light to reach the image sensor.
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f/2.8 | f/2.6 | f/2.8 |
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Max Aperture (tele-photo)
The aperture refers to the size of the opening in the lens that determines the amount of light falling onto the sensor. The maximum aperture (tele-photo) is the largest possible size at the tele-photo limit of the zoom lens. The lens aperture is usually specified as an f-number, the ratio of focal length to effective aperture diameter. A lower f-number denotes a greater aperture opening, which allows more light to reach the image sensor.
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f/4.8 | f/5.5 | f/4.5 |
| Max ISO Setting | 1600 | 1600 | 3200 |
| Aperture Priority Mode Available | Yes | Yes | No |
| Shutter Priority Mode Available | Yes | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder Type | Optical | Optical | - (Only rear LCD) |
| Battery Type | AA-size (x2) | AA-size (x2) | AA-size (x2) |
| Battery Life | 400 shots | 400 shots | 250 shots |
| High ISO Performance | Good | Good | Average |
Canon PowerShot A570 IS
This is the most affordable camera with an image stabilization feature in the Canon lineup. The Canon PowerShot A570 IS has a 7 megapixel sensor resolution, 4x optical zoom lens (equivalent to 35-140mm on a 35mm camera), and has good high ISO performance. It also has an optical viewfinder, full manual modes and runs on two AA Batteries. It can support wide-angle and tele-photo conversion lenses, which are available separately as accessories. It has a face detection feature.
Where to buy
Canon PowerShot A570 IS
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Best Price:
$288
See It »
- $288 - $399 Compare Prices »
Specifications
- Zoom: 4.0x
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Resolution: 7.1MP
- AF Shutter Lag: 0.5 - 0.7s
- Burst Speed: 1.3 fps
- Max ISO: 1600
- Easy to Use: Yes
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ7
The Lumix DMC-LZ7 is the latest big zoom budget offering (1.3” thick) from Panasonic. This camera has a 7 megapixel resolution sensor and a 6x optical zoom lens (equivalent to 37-222mm on a 35mm camera). The camera has an Image Stabilization feature to help avoid blurry pictures because of camera shake. The camera is powered by 2 AA Batteries.
Where to buy
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ7
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Best Price:
$149
See It »
- $149 - $299 Compare Prices »
Specifications
- Zoom: 6.0x
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Resolution: 7.2MP
- AF Shutter Lag: 0.5 sec
- Burst Speed: 4.6 fps
- Max ISO: 3200
- Easy to Use: Yes
How It Works
You tell us your budget, intended uses, and desired features. We show you personalized recommendations from unbiased experts to quickly identify the best digital camera for you.
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How to Pick Digital Cameras
- For Travel Photos
- For Photos of Children or Pets
- For Action or Sports Photos
- For Photos in Low Light
