or Browse:
Type
Brand
Price
Need
Browse By Brand Find a digital camera from your favorite brand
Browse by Price Choose a max price using the slider below
Max Price
Any

$150.00

Any Price
Advertisement

Olympus Stylus 720SW

Digital Camera Review

Previous: Page 1

Testing / Performance

Next: Page 3

Components


Front (8.5)
The unique body of the Olympus Stylus 720SW looks like a cell phone because of its face plate and component placement, but more closely resembles a PDA device in size. At the front of the camera, a chrome frame surrounds a textured matte silver plate on every side but the left, where the matte wraps around the side. An Olympus logo, as well as the name of the camera and the phrase "Shock + Waterproof," are on the left side. At the top and bottom of the left side are two bolts that make the camera look especially sturdy. Three holes next to the top bolt combine to form the microphone, and above the bolt is the self-timer indicator. To the right of the indicator is the built-in flash. The 3x optical zoom lens is in the top right corner of the front, and stays within the body at all times, protected from the elements by a single silver barrier. The top of the camera flattens the otherwise-circular lens opening. Across the bottom edge, the lens flaunts its specs: "Olympus Lens AF Zoom 6.7-20.1 mm 1:3.5-5.0." In the center of the right edge is another tough-looking bolt with "7.1 Megapixel" embossed next to it.

Back (8.5)
Although the control buttons stick out slightly, the back of the camera is flat. Most of the space is taken up by the 2.5-inch LCD screen which sits at the left side, with the Olympus logo and "Shock + Waterproof" reminder at its bottom. The chrome frame surrounds the entire back, including the LCD screen, and the central panel is the same matte silver as the front. A profusion of control buttons on an inch-thick strip to the right, however, nearly obscure it from view.

At the top of the control strip are two zoom buttons; the left zooms wide and the right zooms in to a telephoto view. An LED indicator is below the center of these two buttons, and a relatively large set of holes, which acts as a speaker, rests below that. To the right of the speaker are two small, circular buttons. The top one cycles through recording modes, while the bottom accesses playback.

Below the buttons and speaker is a navigational control, a dial with a central OK/Function button. Each direction on the dial has an engraved icon to show its dual functionality: the top adjusts the exposure compensation, the right changes the flash mode, the bottom activates the self-timer, and the left calls up the macro mode. In playback, the bottom can also be used to delete photos with a trashcan icon below the dial.

At the very bottom of the control strip are two buttons. The Menu button sits at the left, and the Print button is crammed into the right corner. At the very right edge of the back is an extension of the chrome frame, with an eyelet in it to attach a wrist strap.

Left Side (8.0)
The matte silver plate from the top wraps around and extends down the center of the left side, sandwiched by the chrome framework on the front and back. The left side is otherwise featureless.

Right Side (8.0)
The right side has the same design scheme as the rest of the camera; the middle has a matte silver plate and is framed by chrome plating. At the rear edge of this side is the eyelet with three bolts holding it on, and at the top is an unlabeled door to the multi-terminal.

Top (8.0)
The central silver matte plate extends only to the middle of the 720SW’s top. It covers the left side, where "3.0x Optical Zoom" is engraved.. The right side has a shiny chrome finish and bumps to aid grip.. Two buttons are on top of the camera: a thin, oval-shaped shutter release button at right, and the power button to the left.

Bottom (8.5)
The left half of the bottom opens to reveal the nicely sealed and securely fastened battery compartment and xD card slot. To the right of the door is the tripod socket. The model number, company name, and other such required information occupy the right side.

Shop for the Olympus Stylus 720SW

Loading Recently Viewed Products
Advertisement

Latest News
& Reviews

Top Rated Point & Shoots

  • Panasonic Lumix FZ150
    Panasonic Lumix FZ150
    $459.99
    1

    Panasonic Lumix FZ150

    Excellent image quality, speedy performance, and a great design add up to the best superzoom that has ever graced our labs. That distinction seems to change hands every week, but trust us when we say that the FZ150 is a truly great camera. Read full 16-part review

    $459.99
    Types
    Any Zoom
    3,5.1
    3.1x to 5x Zoom
    5.1,10
    5.1x to 9.9x Zoom
    10,
    10x & Larger Zoom
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,
    > 10 Megapixels
  • Canon  PowerShot SX40 HS
    Canon  PowerShot SX40 HS
    $378.89
    2

    Canon PowerShot SX40 HS

    Canon's SX30 got a CMOS makeover that resulted in the SX40 HS, an impressive ultrazoom that captures beautiful shots in almost any scenario. Read full 16-part review

    $378.89
    Types
    Any Zoom
    3,5.1
    3.1x to 5x Zoom
    5.1,10
    5.1x to 9.9x Zoom
    10,
    10x & Larger Zoom
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,
    > 10 Megapixels
  • Sony  Cyber-shot HX100V
    Sony  Cyber-shot HX100V
    $427.95
    3

    Sony Cyber-shot HX100V

    This professionally-geared ultrazoom offers some of the best color accuracy we've ever seen. It's a shame the other scores weren't quite so strong. Read full 16-part review

    $427.95
    Types
    Ultra-Zoom
    Any Zoom
    3,5.1
    3.1x to 5x Zoom
    5.1,10
    5.1x to 9.9x Zoom
    10,
    10x & Larger Zoom
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,
    > 10 Megapixels
    16.8 MP
  • Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47
    Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47
    $314.95
    4

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47

    Panasonic resists the urge to cram more megapixels and more focal length into their latest ultrazoom. The FZ47 instead focuses on image quality and features, resulting in an incredibly strong camera that we loved shooting with. Read full 16-part review

    $314.95
    Types
    Any Zoom
    3,5.1
    3.1x to 5x Zoom
    5.1,10
    5.1x to 9.9x Zoom
    10,
    10x & Larger Zoom
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,
    > 10 Megapixels
  • Canon  PowerShot S100
    Canon  PowerShot S100
    $417.00
    5

    Canon PowerShot S100

    Canon's PowerShot S100 improves on the popular S95 and takes its place at the top of the point-and-shoot food chain. Read full 16-part review

    $417.00
    Types
    Any Zoom
    3,5.1
    3.1x to 5x Zoom
    5.1,10
    5.1x to 9.9x Zoom
    10,
    10x & Larger Zoom
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,
    > 10 Megapixels

Features

Shop for the Olympus Stylus 720SW

Advertisement
Olympus Stylus 720SW
Digital Camera Review

Previous: Page 1

Testing / Performance

Previous: Page 3

Components