Point-and-shoot digital cameras come with a fixed lens, that often has both an optical zoom and a digital zoom. The fujifilm FinePix S3200 has a 24x optical zoom and 6.2x digital zoom. DSLR cameras such as Canon cameras with an EF mount, like the EOS and Rebel series cameras, can have different lenses attached. These lenses can have focal lengths of 600mm and beyond.
I usually see anywhere from 6x to 12x optical zoom, then most digital cameras also have digital zoom, up to about 20x
A optical zoom use the lenses to focus in on a subject, pretty much the same way binoculars work. Digital zoom magnifies the subject by enlarging in in the pic thru a digital process, this is not a true type of zoom.
canon a560, canon a720, they have 4 x optcial zoom
Nikon, Canon, Sony etc., are all very good and economical too. The differentiator should not be the price, but how it feels in your hand. Can the camera take the types of pictures that you want to take. Also, very few cameras have 8x optical zoom. Digital zoom is not very good as the picture quality will be poos and you will not like the results of digital zooms. Make sure that the camera you buy has 8x optical zoom.
You will have an image about 20% larger at x60, but there is catch. Usually magnification of that amount is a combination of the optical zoom and digital zoom. The total obtained by multiplying. With digital zoom, the quality will likely decrease faster as the magnification increases. So normally, the optical zoom will go to maximum before the digital zoom begins to operate. So if the x50 has 10x optical and then 5x digital, it could produce a better image than 6x optical with 10x digital zoom (unless the optics are not that great). It's good to know which is which. See if you can find reviews on both.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 has the best zoom capabilities.
zoom is to enlarge the image and capture in a digital camera
There is no limit for the zoom of a camera, but the The 26X Longest Zoom Digital Camera is one of the longest zoom cameras on the market. But you can always buy a longer zoom for a camera that does not have one .
The Canon S-series have great zoom and can even do digital zoom for distant objects.
The Canon SX 100 IS
i suggest canon sx100 which has 8mp and 10x optical zoom
Optical zoom is way better than digital zoom as digital only expands the picture. Optical zoom actually zooms in.
Canon makes a high quality zoom digital camera. However, these cameras are very expensive. Go to a local electronics store and ask about a reasonably priced high quality zoom digital camera.
Optical and digital. With optical zoom, the camera uses lenses to magnify objects. In digital zoom, the camera's built-in software creates a magnified image.
The Panasonic LX7 digital camera has all the usual features found on a digital camera like digital zoom and face recognition but this camera allows for full manual control of the aperture ring expanding the zoom and focus of the camera.
YOur eyes
Some newer models have 18x zoom, but 10x is typical for most extended zoom digital cameras.