Extra Zoom Digital Cameras

As technology has advanced Super Zoom digital cameras are offering every increasing amounts of zoom. A number of cameras now offer in excess of 20x optical zoom. These cameras tend to be very large and bulky. These advances have therefore opened up a gap between the super zoom models and more basic point and shoot digital cameras offering 3x or 4x optical zoom.

To fill the void manufactures have introduced a range of cameras that sit in between these extremes. They offer around 10x to 12x zoom. This is plenty of zoom in most situations although not enough in most instances if you are serious about subjects such as sport or wildlife. This group of digital cameras offering extra zoom over and above standard point and shoot models tend to be much smaller in size than the larger super zoom digital cameras. Even so they tend to be on the large side to slip into a pocket.

There are a couple of advantages to the fact they are larger than a pocket sized digital camera. To start with it can make it easier to get a good grip of the camera when taking a shot. This can help to reduce any movement and lead to sharper photos. The larger size also means there is more room on the camera body. This is especially noticeable on the back of the camera where any buttons and dials have a bit more room around them. A third advantage is that the lens unit is usually also physically bigger. This tends to lead to a bit of extra sharpness in the shots as the lens is easier to engineer than some of the tiny lenses found on pocket cameras. When the lens is fully extended a small amount of purple fringing can creep into the shots. This is not usually an issue for smaller prints and is normally less pronounced than with a super zoom camera. Otherwise picture quality is impressive.

When it comes to features there is quite a lot of choice available. Some models opt for ease of use with a more basic set of features while others go for manual exposure controls. These models are more likely to appeal to the more serious photographer who is looking for a handy sized camera to carry around. Many of the cameras in this range offer wide angle lenses. There are also a number of cameras with extra zoom that allow you to shoot High Definition movie clips.

Cameras with extra zoom are often marketed as a good idea for anyone who is thinking of travelling or going on holiday. This is due to the relatively compact size and the flexibility the lens offers as it should be able to cope with the majority of photo opportunities.

As you would expect when it comes to price they are quite a bit cheaper than the more advanced super zoom models, but they are similarly priced to some of the more expensive stylish, pocket cameras.

Fuji Finepix F70EXR This is a very slimline camera with a 10x optical zoom lens. The lens also has wide angle capabilities. Other features include modes to increase detail in lighter and darker areas of the shot, plus settings to combat noise in lower light. There are also some interesting focusing options. Related pages Fuji Finepix F70EXR Review
Store	Price	Visit Store
	GBP 149.00
	GBP 149.99
	GBP 155
	GBP 159.99
	GBP 169
	GBP 174.95
	GBP 177.00
	GBP 183.3
	GBP 189.99
Click a flag for prices from other countries:

Canon Powershot SX120 IS The Powershot SX120 IS gives extra zoom without an extra large body size. Tucked away inside are a set of manual exposure controls and manual focusing too. Power comes from a couple of AA batteries. A 3 inch LCD screen is used for composing photos. Image stabilisation is available. Related pages Canon Powershot SX120 IS Review
Store	Price	Visit Store
	GBP 149.9
	GBP 159.99
	GBP 159.99
	GBP 165.00
	GBP 169
	GBP 173.63
	GBP 183.3
Click a flag for prices from other countries:

Panasonic DMC TZ7 The DMC TZ7 offers lots of lens power in a smaller body. In addition to the zoom capacity the lens can also produce wide angle shots that can help with your landscape shots as well as any shots involving groups of people. Related pages Panasonic DMC TZ7 Review
Store	Price	Visit Store
	GBP 209.90
	GBP 209.99
	GBP 214.90
	GBP 240.00
	GBP 255.98
	GBP 259.68
	GBP 259.99
	GBP 268.99
	GBP 269.95
	GBP 273.78
	GBP 279
	GBP 339.99
Click a flag for prices from other countries:

Extra Zoom Digital Cameras