Believe me! You DO want Image Stabilization! If you've never used it, you don't know what you're missing. If I had known what I know now when I bought my wife's camera, I would have gotten a different one. I don't think I would worry about the A720 not taking good pictures. Even the smaller A540 does a terrific job when there is enough light, or when using a flash, or if using a tripod in lower light. The A720 has to be better. To see some of my wife's pictures with the A540, visit http://rsvp.smugmug.com/CSB/328761.

Oh, yeah... and here are two more recent shots...
http://gallery.photographyreview.com...3-42-12-C2.jpg
http://gallery.photographyreview.com...4-44-42-C2.jpg