Best Fun Zoom Cameras

"Fun zoom," isn't an official, industry-recognized term. It's just what we like to call the range of point-and-shoots with good picture quality, ease of use, portability, and big zooms. They're kind of like the Toyota Camry or Honda Accord of digital cameras--solid, mid-range products that are built to perform well, even if they aren't the most glamorous or luxurious out on the market. See how we rate four of them below.

Fun-Zoom King Panasonic ZS3 from $277.00	[Read our full Panasonic ZS3 review] Panasonic used to be the only company that could pack a big zoom into a small body, and they're still better at it than anyone else. The Panasonic ZS3 (released overseas as the TZ7) combines style, power, and functionality into one great little camera and for our money, the best in the fun zoom category. This is the perfect travel companion and a camera that photographers at any level can appreciate.
A Stylish Long-Zoom Ultracompact Canon SX200 IS from $289.00	[Read our full Canon SX200 review] As usual, the SX200 is another quality Canon product. It's one of the company's first attempts at a fun zoom and came pretty close to putting out the best one on the market. The features are almost identical to the Panasonic ZS3, though it's slightly bigger and more expensive. For this reason, we've chosen the ZS3 over the SX200, but if you're more comfortable with the Canon brand name, this is a good option as well.
The Little Camera That Could Casio H10 from $219.15	[Read our full Casio EX-H10 review] A Casio camera, eh? Well, put your initial hesitations aside, because the EX-H10 is actually a solid little camera. The zoom isn't quite as long as the Canon or the Panasonic and the nighttime shots are pretty useless, but it's about $50 cheaper than either for a comparable experience. Again, the brand name is a reason to pause, but you can feel confident choosing this one, especially if you can find a sweet deal.
Good Fun Zoom, But Better Ones Out There Olympus Stylus 9000 from $234.00	While it's not a bad camera by any means, the Olympus Stylus 9000 doesn't quite stack up against the competition. It's a little bigger than the Casio, a little lighter on specs than the Panasonic or Canon, and the price difference isn't great enough to justify a purchase. Users who do have it seem to like it, but we'd recommend buying one of the other models on this page.