Inexpensive cameras often lack a powerful optical zoom lens, but that's changing. Among the new breed of $200-range cameras are a few pocket megazooms: compact cameras with optical zoom lenses as powerful as 10x optical zoom.

If we had to choose between a point-and-shoot camera with more optical zoom and one with higher resolution, we'd take the model with the more powerful zoom lens--it means you won't have to magnify your subject and then use software to crop the image (and discard some of the resolution as a result).

If you're buying a DSLR or a compact interchangeable-lens camera, both the zoom range and the stabilization features depend on the lens you're buying. A few DSLRs and interchangeable-lens compacts have in-body image stabilization, meaning that your images will be stabilized by in-camera mechanics regardless of which lens you attach. If your camera doesn't have in-camera stabilization features, optically stabilized lenses are available, but they're often a bit more expensive.

Fixed-lens cameras now offer zoom ratings of up to 36X. These lenses are great for nature or sports photography, but unless the camera has good image stabilization (look for a camera with optical image stabilization) or a very fast shutter, you may need a steady hand or a tripod to avoid blurry pictures at extreme telephoto lengths. You should try a camera's autofocus at full zoom: We've tested some models that were slow to focus at full zoom in low light.