I have a question for all of you

[disneymarathoner07]

I am looking for a smaller camera. Like one that can slip in my small bag at WDW. One thing that I hated about my last trip was lugging around my larger camera. What would you recommend? Zoom is important but I have yet to find a small camera with a zoom bigger than 4 or so. Thanks

 

[jann1033]

the canon a710IS is 6x optical zoom i believe. don't know if you'd find one much smaller than that with more zoom. there is an olympus with a giant optical zoom( like 15 or 18x but i think it's a few inches bigger( model is 550 or something like that) and i never read any reviews on it. i found it on their site
http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1289

 

[Jeninpa]

Buy a Lumix.....6X opitical zoom, great outdoor shots and CHEAP,lol. If ya need any example of what it can do message me, I have this camera,lol.

Jen

 

[DVC Jen]

We had an olympus and LOVED it before I bought my XTi - I never would have gotten the XTi if I hadn't dropped the olympus during our cruise last June.

 

[ukcatfan]

Zoom is important but I have yet to find a small camera with a zoom bigger than 4 or so. Thanks

That is because what you are looking for cannot really exist with today's sensor and lens technology. A quality large zoom requires larger glass and larger support for that glass, so that means larger camera. The A710 mentioned before is a decent compromise for a little more zoom without getting huge.

This all might be relative though. If you hated lugging your large camera and it was a large DSLR, you might consider a typical super zoom small enough. the best thing to do is go out and se them in person. It is hard to tell how big something really is on a website.

Kevin