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Canon SX720 HS

 
Canon PowerShot SX720 HS front
 
Portability
89
Imaging
46
Features
51
Overall
48

Canon SX720 HS summary

Canon SX720 HS is Canon's Small Sensor Superzoom digital camera initially revealed on February of 2016. It comes with a 20.3 MegaPixel, BSI-CMOS 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a full resolution of 5184 x 3888.

Canon introduced this model in an effort to replace the earlier Canon SX710 HS (Read Full Comparison) and then introduced the updated Canon SX730 HS (Read Full Comparison) in order to update this model.

The SX720 HS comes in at #27 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras and over-all #453 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our database. Please try out our Advanced camera search to see camera ratings based on your customized requirements.

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Below is a chart of specific factors used in the rating system.

Canon SX720 HS history

The Canon SX720 HS is part of a family of digital cameras. You can see the full range underneath.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Canon-PowerShot-SX70-HS front thumbnailCanon SX70 HS
SX720 HS vs SX70 HS
21-1365mm
F3.4-6.5
20MP1/2.3"2018
Canon-PowerShot-SX740-HS front thumbnailCanon SX740 HS
SX720 HS vs SX740 HS
24-960mm
F3.3-6.9
21MP1/2.3"2018
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Canon-PowerShot-SX730-HS front thumbnailCanon SX730 HS
SX720 HS vs SX730 HS
24-960mm
F3.3-6.9
20.3MP1/2.3"2017
Canon-PowerShot-SX620-HS front thumbnailCanon SX620 HS
SX720 HS vs SX620 HS
25-625mm
F3.2-6.6
20MP1/2.3"2016
Canon-PowerShot-SX720-HS front thumbnailCanon SX720 HS24-960mm
F3.3-6.9
20.3MP1/2.3"2016
Canon-PowerShot-SX420-IS front thumbnailCanon SX420 IS
SX720 HS vs SX420 IS
24-1008mm
F3.5-6.6
20MP1/2.3"2016
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Canon-PowerShot-SX540-HS front thumbnailCanon SX540 HS
SX720 HS vs SX540 HS
24-1200mm
F3.4-6.5
20MP1/2.3"2016
Canon-PowerShot-SX410-IS front thumbnailCanon SX410 IS
SX720 HS vs SX410 IS
24-960mm
F3.5-5.6
20MP1/2.3"2015
Canon-PowerShot-SX710-HS front thumbnailCanon SX710 HS
SX720 HS vs SX710 HS
25-750mm
F3.2-6.9
20MP1/2.3"2015
Canon-PowerShot-SX610-HS front thumbnailCanon SX610 HS
SX720 HS vs SX610 HS
25-450mm
F3.8-6.9
20MP1/2.3"2015
Canon-PowerShot-SX530-HS front thumbnailCanon SX530 HS
SX720 HS vs SX530 HS
24-1200mm
F3.4-6.5
16MP1/2.3"2015
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Canon-PowerShot-SX60-HS front thumbnailCanon SX60 HS
SX720 HS vs SX60 HS
21-1365mm
F3.4-6.5
16MP1/2.3"2014
Canon-PowerShot-SX400-IS front thumbnailCanon SX400 IS
SX720 HS vs SX400 IS
24-720mm
F3.4-5.8
16MP1/2.3"2014
Canon-PowerShot-SX520-HS front thumbnailCanon SX520 HS
SX720 HS vs SX520 HS
24-1008mm
F3.4-6.0
16MP1/2.3"2014
Canon-PowerShot-SX700-HS front thumbnailCanon SX700 HS
SX720 HS vs SX700 HS
25-750mm
F3.2-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2014
Canon-PowerShot-SX600-HS front thumbnailCanon SX600 HS
SX720 HS vs SX600 HS
25-450mm
F3.8-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2014
Canon-PowerShot-SX170-IS front thumbnailCanon SX170 IS
SX720 HS vs SX170 IS
28-448mm
F3.5-5.9
16MP1/2.3"2013
Canon-PowerShot-SX510-HS front thumbnailCanon SX510 HS
SX720 HS vs SX510 HS
24-720mm
F3.4-5.8
12MP1/2.3"2013
Canon-PowerShot-SX160-IS front thumbnailCanon SX160 IS
SX720 HS vs SX160 IS
28-448mm
F3.5-5.9
16MP1/2.3"2013
Photography Glossary
Canon-PowerShot-SX270-HS front thumbnailCanon SX270 HS
SX720 HS vs SX270 HS
25-500mm
F3.5-6.8
12MP1/2.3"2013
Canon-PowerShot-SX280-HS front thumbnailCanon SX280 HS
SX720 HS vs SX280 HS
25-500mm
F3.5-6.8
12MP1/2.3"2013
Canon-PowerShot-SX50-HS front thumbnailCanon SX50 HS
SX720 HS vs SX50 HS
24-1200mm
F3.4-6.5
12MP1/2.3"2013
Canon-PowerShot-SX500-IS front thumbnailCanon SX500 IS
SX720 HS vs SX500 IS
24-720mm
F3.4-5.8
16MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-SX260-HS front thumbnailCanon SX260 HS
SX720 HS vs SX260 HS
25-500mm
F3.5-6.8
12MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-SX150-IS front thumbnailCanon SX150 IS
SX720 HS vs SX150 IS
28-336mm
F3.4-5.6
14MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-SX240-HS front thumbnailCanon SX240 HS
SX720 HS vs SX240 HS
25-500mm
F3.5-6.8
12MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-SX40-HS front thumbnailCanon SX40 HS
SX720 HS vs SX40 HS
24-840mm
F2.7-5.8
12MP1/2.3"2011
Canon-PowerShot-SX230-HS front thumbnailCanon SX230 HS
SX720 HS vs SX230 HS
28-392mm
F3.1-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2011
Canon-PowerShot-SD4500-IS front thumbnailCanon SD4500 IS
SX720 HS vs SD4500 IS
36-360mm
F3.4-5.6
10MP1/2.3"2011
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Canon-SX220-HS front thumbnailCanon SX220 HS
SX720 HS vs SX220 HS
28-392mm
F3.1-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2011
Canon-PowerShot-SX30-IS front thumbnailCanon SX30 IS
SX720 HS vs SX30 IS
24-840mm
F2.7-5.8
14MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SX130-IS front thumbnailCanon SX130 IS
SX720 HS vs SX130 IS
28-336mm
F3.4-5.6
12MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SD4000-IS front thumbnailCanon SD4000 IS
SX720 HS vs SD4000 IS
28-105mm
F2.0-5.3
10MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SX20-IS front thumbnailCanon SX20 IS
SX720 HS vs SX20 IS
28-560mm
F2.8-5.7
12MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SX210-IS front thumbnailCanon SX210 IS
SX720 HS vs SX210 IS
28-392mm
F3.1-5.9
14MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SD3500-IS front thumbnailCanon SD3500 IS
SX720 HS vs SD3500 IS
24-120mm
F2.8-5.9
14MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SD1300-IS front thumbnailCanon SD1300 IS
SX720 HS vs SD1300 IS
28-112mm
F2.8-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SD980-IS front thumbnailCanon SD980 IS
SX720 HS vs SD980 IS
24-120mm
F2.8-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2009
Canon-PowerShot-SX200-IS front thumbnailCanon SX200 IS
SX720 HS vs SX200 IS
28-336mm
F3.4-5.3
12MP1/2.3"2009
Canon-PowerShot-SX1-IS front thumbnailCanon SX1 IS
SX720 HS vs SX1 IS
28-560mm
F2.8-5.7
10MP1/2.3"2009
Canon-PowerShot-SD970-IS front thumbnailCanon SD970 IS
SX720 HS vs SD970 IS
37-185mm
F3.2-5.7
12MP1/2.3"2009
Canon-PowerShot-SD960-IS front thumbnailCanon SD960 IS
SX720 HS vs SD960 IS
28-112mm
F2.8-5.8
12MP1/2.3"2009
Canon-PowerShot-SD1200-IS front thumbnailCanon SD1200 IS
SX720 HS vs SD1200 IS
35-105mm
F2.8-4.9
10MP1/2.3"2009
Canon-PowerShot-SX10-IS front thumbnailCanon SX10 IS
SX720 HS vs SX10 IS
28-560mm
F2.8-5.7
10MP1/2.3"2009

Canon SX720 HS Pros and Cons

Below is a shortlist of good and bad points of the Canon SX720 HS based on factors which are usually regarded as useful in a digital camera.

built-in flash
decent MP (20.3 megapixels)
great minimum ISO (80)
great zoom range (24-960mm 40.0 x zoom)
has manual focus
high resolution screen (922 thousand dots)
image stabilization (Optical)
includes face detection focusing
includes HDMI out
includes tracking autofocus
lighter than competition (270g)
long zoom (960mm)
NFC connection
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
pretty wide (24mm)
video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
cannot swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
cannot use external flash
max zoom aperture not good (f6.9)
no external microphone support
no headphone support
no phase detect AF
no RAW format
no Timelapse recording
not so great battery life (250 CIPA)
screen is fixed
screen isn't selfie friendly
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
slow frames per second (5.9 frames per second)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
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Canon SX720 HS Sensor specifications

The Canon SX720 HS features the DIGIC 6 chip. The sensor spec in the Canon SX720 HS is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the ability to capture 5184 x 3888 pixels at aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera has got Image Stabilization (Optical). Sensor stabilization is preferable than digital stabilization as the latter may produce cropping.

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The BSI-CMOS sensor boasts 20.3 megapixels and gives a standard ISO range of 80 - 3200. Unfortunately, RAW format is not supported which means that the user has less room to maneuver in post.

The graphic underneath displays the SX720 HS's sensor dimensions compared to other popular sizes. The SX720 HS sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.8 and is pointed out in green.

Canon PowerShot SX720 HS sensor size Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

To get an understanding of different aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Canon SX720 HS dimensions

Canon SX720 HS weighs in at 0.60 lbs (270 grams / 9.52 ounces) and the sizing of the camera is 110mm x 64mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4"). The weight of average Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387 grams so the Canon SX720 HS is less heavy when compared with various rivals.

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Underneath is a picture of the Canon SX720 HS next to a soda to help you have a sense of its scale.

Canon PowerShot SX720 HS dimensions scale

The top view under will highlight the button layout on the SX720 HS.

Canon PowerShot SX720 HS topview buttons dials

Canon SX720 HS Lens specifications

The SX720 HS offers a fixed lens providing a focal range of 24-960mm giving it a 40.0 x zoom which is huge and is going to allow you to zoom all the way in.

At the widest 24mm, the lens provides an aperture of f3.3 which is somewhat slow and not great in low light occasions and you will likely find it hard to capture good bokeh. You might also need to raise the ISO which results in noisy photos. At the tele end, 960mm is fantastic zoom and comes with f6.9 which is really slow and you will need to apply slower shutter speeds.

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Canon SX720 HS Connectivity

The SX720 HS has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • NFC Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Digital cameras which have NFC and Bluetooth compatibility can be used wirelessly with smartphones. You will be able to transfer images and oftentimes alter settings with no need to connect straight to the camera.

Certain applications even allow a Liveview and release the shutter in case you are not near the camera. If the camera includes a HDMI out, it can be hooked up to an external monitor. Almost all cameras enable you to recharge the battery pack with the USB port.

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Canon SX720 HS Video specifications

The highest possible video resolution in the Canon SX720 HS is 1920 x 1080 and it can capture in MPEG-4 and H.264 file format. 1080p resolution will provide a decent balance in video quality and file sizes but 1080p is not going to leave you with much room to downsample. The camera does not offer a mic and headphone jack which means you have got no control over your audio. It is perhaps best to purchase another model in case you need better audio in your videos.

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Canon SX720 HS Weather Sealing

Canon SX720 HS does not include environment sealing so wet conditions could affect the camera.

Canon SX720 HS Screen and Viewfinder

The Canon SX720 HS comes with a 3 inch fixed screen boasting a resolution of 922 thousand dots.

Please note that the screen offers no touch support.

Canon PowerShot SX720 HS screen and viewfinder Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The View Finder specifications regarding Canon SX720 HS are as follows:

  • ViewFinder None

In those sunny outdoor situations which make the camera displays washed out and tricky to view, viewfinders can be pretty helpful.

Canon SX720 HS Shutter specifications

Canon SX720 HS has the ability to shoot continuously at 5.9 frames per second. The highest shutter speed is 1/3200s.

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Canon SX720 HS Flash and Hot shoe specifications

Canon SX720 HS has got only in-built flash with no external flash support.

Canon SX720 HS Autofocusing specifications

Canon SX720 HS has got just Contrast Detect Auto Focus and is missing Phase Detect Auto Focus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot more snappier & accurate when compared with Contrast Detect focusing. The camera comes with Face detection making it helpful for taking portraits of people.

The Sensor comes with 9 focus points to choose from. It also features Tracking Auto Focus for moving things. Canon SX720 HS comes with manual focus when needed in low light or you want more accurate control on focus.

Photography Glossary

Canon SX720 HS Battery life

The battery life (NB-13L) for the Canon SX720 HS is built to last for 250 clicks with respect to the CIPA measurements making it less compared to its rivals. The average Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR offers the best (600) battery life in this category of cameras.

Listed below is a number of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras which have the best battery life:

Canon SX720 HS for varying types of photography

The following graph displays a rundown of the Canon SX720 HS for varying types of photography. To check out more, visit the specific paragraph underneath.

Canon SX720 HS Portrait photography highlights

The Canon SX720 HS gets a rating of 47 which is average, and means the camera is relatively suited to use for portrait photography. Shooting portraits favors greatly towards sensor size, RAW support and potential to use external lighting.

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focusing manually
decent sensor resolution (20.3 megapixels)
supports face detect autofocus
can't use external flash
small sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files

Canon SX720 HS Street photography highlights

With a nice rating of 62, the Canon SX720 HS is a fine fit to use in street photography. A decent street photography camera features a perfect balance of picture quality and portability.

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built in image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competition (270 grams)
screen is fixed
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format

Canon SX720 HS as a Sports photography camera

A decent sports photography points total of 48 suggests the Canon SX720 HS is reasonably suitable for shooting sports. A camera needs to have excellent tracking plus fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

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excellent zoom range (24-960mm 40.0 x zoom)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
good resolution (20.3 megapixels)
features tracking autofocus
slow continuous shooting (5.9 frames/s)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
low battery pack (250 per charge)
doesn't have phase detect autofocus

Canon SX720 HS as a Travel photography camera

Size is extremely crucial in buying a camera for travel. All round, the Canon SX720 HS gets a very good 67 for a travel camera which makes it a very decent option to take with you on your journeys.

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lighter than average (270g)
resolution is good (20.3 megapixels)
built-in flash
quite wide (24mm)
great zoom (960mm)
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
not so great battery life (250 CIPA)
does not contain selfie friendly display
slow max aperture (f3.3)

Landscape photography with Canon SX720 HS

When you're looking to choose a camera for landscape photographs, the biggest aspect is going to be image quality. The Canon SX720 HS at it's reasonable rating of 50 for a landscape camera is relatively acceptable in the current market.

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you can focus manually
relatively wide (24mm)
good sized screen (3")
built in image stabilization (Optical)
MP count good (20.3 megapixels)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
bad battery life (250 CIPA)
missing Time Lapse recording

Vlogging with Canon SX720 HS

A camera for vlogging should really come with a moving screen, microphone port and ideally IBIS. Taking everything into account, the Canon SX720 HS is not suitable for vlogging as it comes to a subpar rating of 34.

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really wide (24mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
has face detection focusing
high res video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than others (270 grams)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
screen isn't selfie friendly
no external mic jack

Canon SX720 HS Alternatives

If you are interested in alternatives to the SX720 HS, here is a number of the highest scored cameras which fall under the category of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The line chart down below provides you a bird's eye view of the SX720 HS versus it's top ranked competitors suggested above.

Here are a handful of other cameras you might take into account as alternate options. To check out a extensive comparison, simply click the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand
Canon
Model
Canon PowerShot SX720 HS
Type
Small Sensor Superzoom
Launched
2016-02-18
Physical type
Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
BSI-CMOS
Powered by
DIGIC 6
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor measurements
6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area
28.1mm²
Sensor resolution
20.3 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio
1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution
5184 x 3888
RAW pictures
Highest native ISO
3200
Minimum native ISO
80
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Number of focus points
9
Lens
Lens mounting type
fixed lens
Lens focal range
24-960mm (40.0x)
Largest aperture
f/3.3-6.9
Macro focus distance
1cm
Crop factor
5.8
Screen
Type of screen
Fixed Type
Screen sizing
3 inch
Screen resolution
922 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
None
DXO scores
DXO Overall score
not tested
DXO Color Depth score
not tested
DXO Dynamic range score
not tested
DXO Low light score
not tested
Features
Minimum shutter speed
15 secs
Fastest shutter speed
1/3200 secs
Continuous shutter rate
5.9 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation
Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range
4.00 m
Flash modes
Auto, on, off, slow synchro
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (60p, 30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution
1920x1080
Video file format
MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless
Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
270 gr (0.60 pounds)
Physical dimensions
110 x 64 x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4")
Other
Battery life
250 photos
Style of battery
Battery Pack
Battery model
NB-13L
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom)
Time lapse shooting
Storage type
SD/SDHC/SDXC card
Card slots
One
Pricing at release
$379