By simply making a circular hand motion, users can control the camera's zoom functions.
Atop the controller sits an infrared sensor which activates a game's zoom in or scope function when it detects a user's looking down the barrel.
The camera's impressive zoom is accompanied by Canon's HS SYSTEM for improved low-light shooting with a 12.1-megapixel high-sensitivity CMOS sensor and DIGIC 5 image processor.
It's a zoom-zoom Ferrari, lava lamp, Sly Stone aesthetic, if you will.
Yet, despite the superior specifications of my own solid shooter, I was often quite jealous of the shots she was able to achieve, thanks in no small part to the RX100's optical zoom.
ENGADGET: IRL: Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 and the full-frame RX1
The MX-1's 4X zoom offers a versatile and highly-useable range, from a wide 28mm to telephoto 112mm (in 35mm format), its dual shake-reduction system enables sharp, blur-free images in even the most demanding circumstances.
There's also digital zoom functionality, which is likely to be more appropriate for the VG900, since that model's full-frame sensor has the pixels to spare.
ENGADGET: Sony announces NEX-VG30 and full-frame NEX-VG900 Handycams, we go hands-on
Once you flip them on, however, you'll probably notice the S9500's whopping 22x zoom lens, compared to an 18x optic on the S9400.
Exclusive to Sony, 'By Pixel Super Resolution' processing further extends the camera's 5x optical zoom range, allowing full-resolution 16.2 megapixel images with a maximum 10x zoom.
The GALAXY Camera's 21x optical zoom can be controlled by either button or touchscreen, rendering long-distance pictures in a quality that users will be proud to share, while OIS ensures that images stay clear and crisp.
"Nikon's new long zoom COOLPIX cameras provide consumers with the chance to capture a diverse range of subjects and scenes, whether near the subject or at a distance, " said Bo Kajiwara, Vice President of Marketing, Planning and Customer Experience, Nikon Inc.
ENGADGET: Nikon updates Coolpix compact lineup with S9500, sub-$200 S5200 and L28
Borrowing from Canon's optics expertise, these new models include long-reaching zoom and Canon's Intelligent Image Stabilization technology which analyzes the scene being shot and compensates for camera movement for steady images and video even while panning or walking.
ENGADGET: Canon announces PowerShot SX500 IS, SX160 IS superzoom cameras ahead of Photokina
With cash a bit tighter and industry contacts harder to come by these days, Zoom's lower-end service has come in handy.
The new and delicate challenge: Attracting small fries willing to pay a small monthly charge (or at least able to expense without approval) while not cannibalizing Zoom's high-end customer base.
Companies that have done it right, she says, include Nike, which invited Converse customers to send in video of themselves talking about their favorite experiences with its sneakers, and Ford Motor 's Mazda unit, which requested photos and video clips from people that creatively show what the company's cars and "Zoom-Zoom" slogan mean to them.
Companies that have done it right, she says, include Nike (nyse: NKE - news - people ), which invited Converse customers to send in video of themselves talking about their favorite experiences with its sneakers, and Ford Motor 's (nyse: F - news - people ) Mazda unit, which requested photos and video clips from people that creatively show what the company's cars and "Zoom-Zoom" slogan mean to them.
The Coolpix 4800 has a resolution of "only" four megapixels, but they do toss in an 8.3x optical zoom lens (it's actually the smallest digital camera with that much optical zoom), which is nice since once most consumers realize they don't need more than four or five megapixels stuff like optical zoom and lens quality is going to be become a bigger and bigger deal.
There's also a way to Zoom in on just a small area of the screen.
It's worth noting that Amazon's PDF reader lacks a zoom function which makes many PDFs entirely unreadable on the device.
ENGADGET: Kindle 2.3 software update available, generation 1 owners need not apply
The DT 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 SAM II is a light, compact 3x zoom that's an ideal partner for A-mount cameras with APS-C sensors.
ENGADGET: Sony NEX-3N and Alpha A58 unveiled, heading to Europe this spring
The film is famous for a camera trick Hitchcock invented to represent Scotty's vertigo - a simultaneous zoom-in and pull-back of the camera that creates a disorientating depth of field.
The Easyshare-One might just be the big digital camera surprise of CES. It's only a 4 megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom and full motion video capture, but it's everything else about this camera that's dropping jaws.
The camera's got a reasonably slim profile that's a bit more like an oversized point-and-shoot, slight bulk that's presently largely because of the extended soft grip and big three-inch TFT display on the rear -- and then, of course, there's that 25 mm wide-angle lens with 24x optical zoom that certainly adds a good deal to the camera's footprint when extended.
ENGADGET: Casio's Exilim EX-H50 superzooms its way to Photokina, we go hands-on (video)
Since there's no pinch-to-zoom, you're stuck using the on-screen buttons or double-tapping, which in our experience didn't work as flawlessly as we would've liked.
Unfortunately, we didn't get to test out Sony's new 16-50mm power zoom lens, but we did put the NEX-6 through its paces using the familiar 18-55mm kit glass that came with our NEX-C3.
To provide a better experience, Olympus has created the STYLUS SH-50, a new premium, compact long zoom camera that's equipped with 5-Axis Video Stabilization, 3-Axis Image Stabilization for stills and Full 1080p HD Video.
There's a reason, of course -- the current e-ink technology is simply not built for web browsing -- the page refreshes a lot during scrolling, images don't look great and in the case of the Kobo, there's no pinch-to-zoom, so you've got to rely on an ever-present slider on the bottom to make things larger.
ENGADGET: Kobo Glo review: another illuminated e-reader lights up the market
The earSmart eS515 also features Audio Zoom, the world's first selective audio capture feature to be deployed for mobile devices.
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