Zoom Ratings - Just What Does 15x Zoom Mean Anyway?

One of the most confusing numbers on a digital camera box is the zoom rating. Digital cameras proudly proclaim "15x" or "10x" on their boxes in large print in an attempt to look more powerful than the other cameras on the store shelf. It gets confusing though, when shoppers look over at the larger SLR cameras that usually come with lenses that say things like "28-55mm" or "35-70mm". It is often very hard to figure out just what the "15x" zoom means in relation to the SLR lenses. These numbers actually refer to the magnification power of the lens.

SLR camera lenses are marked by their magnification powers but the smaller all-in-one cameras also have lenses that fall under this same rating system. Even a camera that says "15x" has a lens with an actual zoom range just like the larger SLRs. If you look in the technical specifications of the camera, there will be a listing for the lens strength equivalent to 35mm lens. What that means is that lens magnification range is the equivalent of a specific zoom rating 35mm film lens. For example, a camera with "15x" marked on the box might actually have a 21-315mm lens. The 15x refers to the multiplication of the smallest number of the lens (widest field of view) to get the strongest magnification the lens is capable of recording. Another camera with 15x on the box might have a 35-525mm lens. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell what the 15x actually translate to until you read the technical specifications on the lens.