What Camera Should I Buy? Use Our Camera Guide To Find The Answer - I Need A Camera With Lots Of Zoom

I Need A Camera With Lots Of Zoom

Zoom Camera Positives 

Before we answer this question, we need to introduce the two main zoom camera types that are available which are Bridge/Ultra and Travel/Pocket zooms. 

Pocket zooms, or travel zooms as they're also known, have an optical zoom range sitting somewhere between 8x to 40x in a fixed lens that's found in a compact body which makes them an excellent choice for trips/holidays. Bridge cameras/ultra zooms, on the other hand, tend to be a bit bigger in size (more like a DSLR) but have fixed lenses that reach up to 125x so you can, quite literally, shoot for the moon! 

With a Travel/Pocket zoom, you get the auto/manual controls found in a compact camera but with a better zoom range so you still get a pocketable camera, it's just a bit more useful. They also take better long reach photos than a smartphone can probably capture, too. 

The sensors and lenses are better than those found in less expensive compact cameras and some even capture RAW files as well as 4K video making them a pretty good all-round travel companion. 

If you need even more reach then a Bridge/Ultra zoom will be for you but the camera body isn't as small as a travel zoom, taking on the appearance of a DSLR with a grip and control dials for shooting in manual and aperture/shutter priority as well as auto. 

Zoom Camera Negatives 

For Bridge cameras, this has to include their size as they're not as portable as a compact or travel zoom. They also tend to be more expensive and even though they might look like a DSLR, image quality won't match so don't be fooled. 

As for Travel zooms, again, cost will be more than a regular compact camera and image quality won't be as good as cameras with better sensors. Low light can be a struggle for some models, too, but this is slowly getting better. 

Zoom Camera Prices & Choice 

Travel zooms start at around £200-£250 while Bridge cameras can be priced at £500 upwards for models with plenty of reach, better sensors and electronic viewfinders. 

Click the links below to find the best zoom cameras currently available:

• I want a Bridge Camera
• I need a Travel Zoom

Our Recommendation: Panasonic Lumix FZ1000

The Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 features a large 20-megapixel 1inch sensor for improved image quality and noise performance, along with a Leica f/2.8 - f/4.0 16x optical zoom lens equivalent to 25-400mm in 35mm terms. The camera also features 4K video recording, raw shooting, manual controls and built-in Wi-Fi.

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