Two weeks with the SX720: some questions (photo n00b)

Just use M mode as explained in the post higher up in this thread. Metering/exposure will not change at all in M mode. You set it and can see in real time on the LCD what the exposure will look like. Note: make sure auto ISO is off and uu are using single box AF point (smaller box is better than wide).

Shutter button should be for choosing autofocus point only and shutter release, not for exposure.

To simplify (for any point and shoots really), you have two options: 1) use some form of "auto" mode and then you have to try to "trick" the camera into giving you the picture you want. This is a poor option IMO. Or 2) use M mode, where you can easily choose what you want. In M mode you choose ISO (choose lowest ISO for outdoors bright light and a bit higher for lower light -generally u only have to do it once for a given lighting situation), choose aperture (in most cases when you are zoomed in there is no real "choice" as you are shooting at the fastest aperture), then choose shutter speed until the image on the LCD looks how you want it (with the slider as a visual guide as explained in above posts).

In auto mode if you point at a hard-to-expose-correctly scene like the one shown below, it might expose for the sky, causing the foreground to be almost black. Or it might expose for the foreground, causing the sky to be blown out and zero sun rays would be visible. So you have to use auto exposure lock and choose an area that is "middle grey" and hold that exposure (via AE lock) as you recompose, then choose the AF point with the shutter button (use AF lock if needed) and recompose if needed and take the shot. In the example below as I recall I had to use exactly this "trick the auto" method to get that shot with a Canon SD800 (that camera had no true M mode). And I have both overexposed and underexposed shots of the same scene as I tried to trick the camera into giving me the right exposure via trial and error.

Instead of spending all that time and energy trying to trick the AUTO to giving you what you want, with the sx730 you can simply use M mode and change the shutter speed until the perfect exposure is shown on the screen. half press shutter to lock AF point and you are done. Fast, simple, and nearly perfect every time.