Ultrazoom digital camera buying guide

Posted on 14 Dec 2009 at 14:26

Find out all you need to know about choosing the right ultrazoom digital camera.

Recommended minimum specifications

Resolution: 8 megapixels

Zoom: 10x optical (35-350mm), no stabilisation

Monitoring: 2in, 115,000-pixel LCD screen

Exposure modes: Auto

Supplied memory: 10MB internal

Batteries: 2x AA disposable

Follow the steps to find your ideal specs

An ultra-zoom camera gives you greater freedom to frame your photos in interesting ways, allowing you to shoot faraway or small subjects or zoom in on a particular area of a scene. A camera with the specifications shown above in grey is essentially a standard compact camera with a larger zoom than normal, but ultra-zoom cameras often come with other advanced features for creative photography.

Now that eight megapixels is an entry-level specification, resolution is fairly irrelevant. We've seen 8-megapixel cameras that capture more detail than 10-megapixel cameras. If you want to print enlargements, read our reviews to find out how much detail a camera is capable of providing.

A 10x zoom isn't bad, but many cameras offer 18x or even 20x. However, while higher zoom settings magnify the image, they also magnify blur caused by camera shake, so optical image stabilisation is particularly useful for steadying shots. Most zooms start at a 35mm focal length, but lower values allow for wide-angle photography

LCD screens of 2½in and larger are a treat to use, but they don't always provide more detail. Only the best screens have resolutions of 200,000 pixels or more. Many ultra-zoom cameras also include an electronic viewfinder (EVF), which is an additional LCD screen in lieu of an optical viewfinder.

Creative photographers should try to look out for aperture priority, shutter priority and manual exposure modes, and manual focus. High ISO speeds can be useful for low-light handheld photography, but only if the camera can maintain a reasonable image quality.

Bundled memory is always inadequate, so budget an extra £10 for a couple of memory cards, and another £15 if the camera doesn't include rechargeable batteries.