I have a pretty extensive set of equipment, and have built all of it by buying used on eBay and elsewhere. I shoot with an Olympus E-M1 mk1, and have eight lenses (some of them top-of-the-line pro models) ranging from 18mm to 1200mm in 35mm equivalence, three flashes, and other accessories, that all work perfectly, and that cost me between a third and half of what the equipment cost new. I crave Olympus’ current top camera, and anxiously await the release of its successor. :) Used models are typically 2/3 to 3/4 the cost of a new one these days.

I looked at the SP-720UZ for you. It does not come with a viewfinder, and you need to look at the large LCD on the back of the camera to compose your shot. The camera has a very wide zoom range. The "26" you asked about is an indicator of the magnification possible with the lens. It enables you to get 26 times closer to the subject when you are fully zoomed in. If you are familiar with 35mm cameras, they usually have a measurement in millimeters to indicate their focal length. A 'normal' lens in this way of measurement is 50mm. Anything smaller than this number, and you have a wide-angle field of view, and anything greater than this number is telephoto. This camera has the equivalent of a zoom range from 26mm to 676mm, or a reasonable wide angle to a very powerful telephoto view, all by making a simple adjustment on the camera.

I have never handled this particular camera, so I can't comment on its quality. I use Olympus DSLRs, and am very impressed with the quality of the company's lenses.