The Best Superzoom Camera

We analyzed 4,545 reviews from 29 websites to find the best superzoom camera. Sources included:
WalmartBest BuyRakutenTargetNewegg
+24 More

Top Superzoom Cameras

Best for Most People
Best Superzoom Camera Canon PowerShot SX70 HS Superzoom Camera
$389 from 11 stores
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Why Consider This:
The Canon PowerShot SX70 HS captures views ranging from ultra-wide to extreme telephoto. It's a solid camera for wildlife observers, families, and shutterbugs in search of a lightweight bridge model.
People Like:
  • 65x zoom lens.
  • Excellent EVF.
  • Raw image capture.
People Dislike:
  • Omits accessory shoe and 24fps video.
  • 4K not available in all modes.
  • Not a good choice for fast action.
82
Owner Score
152 Reviews from 8 Sites
80
Media & Critic Score
2 Media Reviews
Buy On Amazon.com
Why Consider This:
Sony's top-of-the-range travel camera misses out on a 1-inch sensor, but packs a highly versatile 30x optical zoom into a neat little body. It puts a long zoom into a pocket-friendly body, but shows ugly flare and struggles in dim light.
People Like:
  • 30x optical zoom range
  • 4K video and photo modes
  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity
People Dislike:
  • Low-resolution EVF
  • Image smoothing at high ISOs
  • Cramped controls
82
Owner Score
98 Reviews from 7 Sites
70
Media & Critic Score
2 Media Reviews
Buy On Amazon.com
Top Performance
Best Superzoom Camera Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300 Superzoom Camera
$318 from 10 stores
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Why Consider This:
The Panasonic Lumix FZ300 might not be a huge update from its predecessor, the FZ200. But it's still one of the best in its class and a fantastic option for a single camera for photos and video -- even in the rain. The excellent Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300 superzoom offers a long focal range with a fixed-aperture lens, 4K video, and instant autofocus.
People Like:
  • 24x zoom lens with f/2.8 aperture.
  • All-weather build.
  • Very fast autofocus.
People Dislike:
  • Expensive.
  • Large-sensor superzooms offer better image quality.
  • Zoom range isn't as ambitious as others.
92
Owner Score
1,420 Reviews from 7 Sites
81
Media & Critic Score
2 Media Reviews
Buy On Amazon.com

How Critic.ly Saves You Time

When it comes to reviewing the best superzoom camera, critic.ly is different than other sites. How?
Unbiased & Unsponsored: Critic.ly aggregates and analyzes reviews from real owners and industry critics. We remove spam, sponsored reviews, and other forms of bias to make sure you get the best possible sense of what people actually think about products.
Our reviews of the best superzoom cameras were based on 4,545 reviews from 29 websites.
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How to Find the Right Superzoom Camera

Superzoom cameras let you shoot both wide-angle and extreme telephoto images without having to swap lenses. A single superzoom camera can capture a sweeping mountainous landscape and also zoom in on a single bird perched atop a tree thousands of feet away. This flexibility makes such cameras well suited to stuff like capturing stick-and-ball sports or track and field, isolating details in distant architecture, or documenting wildlife. They’re especially popular choices for vacations, where bag space is at a premium. Most of these cameras mimic the design and control layout of DSLRs but are smaller, lighter, and usually less expensive. With the exception of a small subset of cameras like our upgrade pick, they also have very small sensors, as most point-and-shoots do. That means their image quality is only marginally better than what you can get out of a high-end smartphone. These photos will look great on Facebook or in an email, but view them at 100 percent screen magnification, and you’ll see excessive image noise, artifacts, and blurred details due to the cameras’ noise-reduction algorithms—even at the lowest ISO settings. Image quality degrades even further as you raise the sensitivity. Shooting in good light with these small-sensor cameras, you can usually capture enough detail to make a nice-looking 8-by-10 print.

Superzoom Cameras We Eliminated

We research and analyzed 7 superzoom cameras. Here's what we concluded about the ones that didn't make the cut.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 Superzoom Camera
Runner Up
Highly rated (92 owner score, 88 expert score), but a slight notch below the best.
Panasonic USA Lumix FZ1000 II Superzoom Camera
Runner Up
Highly rated (88 owner score, 85 expert score), but a slight notch below the best.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2500 Superzoom Camera
Runner Up
Highly rated (89 owner score, 75 expert score), but a slight notch below the best.
Nikon Coolpix P1000 Superzoom Camera
Runner Up
Highly rated (90 owner score, 70 expert score), but a slight notch below the best.

Sources & Methodology

Critic.ly uses a combination of machine learning and human editors to help you find the best products.
We start by aggregating and analyzing reviews from real owners and industry critics. We remove spam, sponsored reviews, and other forms of bias to make sure you get the best possible sense of what people actually think about products.
We convert every review to a weight average score from 0 to 100.
For this article, we analyzed 4,545 reviews from 29 sites to find the best superzoom camera.