Searching for a camera with 10X optical zoom

[Photo-John]

Welcome to PhotographyREVIEW.com, gali!

I'm glad you told us that the A95 is heavy for you. Because your idea of heavy and mine are very different

There are lots of cameras now with 10x zooms. Those cameras are usually called "superzooms." They're generally full-featured cameras with lots of manual control options. And unfortunately, they're also almost always bigger and heavier than your A95. The only exception I'm aware of are the Panasonic Lumix TZ cameras you mentioned. I'm not sure the TZ4 and TZ5 are actually lighter than your A95, either. The glass in that big lens has to be somewhat substantial. But if you want that kind of zoom range in a reasonably compact package, I think the Lumix TZ4 or TZ5 are the way to go. For perspective, you may want to compare to the Canon's superzoom, the PowerShot S5 IS. It's definitely bigger and heavier than the Panasonic. On the other hand, it has a longer zoom and you'll already be familiar with the controls since they'll be more or less the same as the A95 you're used to.

Panasonic Lumix TZ5 Reviews >>
Canon PowerShot S5 IS Reviews >>

If you want more in-depth hands-on information, we also have pro reviews for previous models of both cameras.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Pro Review >>
Canon PowerShot S3 IS Pro Review >>

I hope that helps you sort things out. It really does look like the Panasonic Lumix TZ4 or TZ5 are your best bet. But if you want more options, you can go to less zoom or more weight. There are also a few pocket-sized cameras with 7x zoom lenses. And if you can accept more weight, then Panasonic, Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Sony, and Fuji all have really powerful superzoom digital cameras.

[gali]

Thank you so much!
i think i'll have to compromise on a 7x zoom lenses.

Could you please recommand me 2-3 nice cameras?