Q&A: Getting to the Bottom of Zoom
I have the Epson 3000Z Photo PC camera. The camera has a 3X optical zoom. I purchased a 2X telephoto lens. Does that give me a true 6x zoom? Will I ever be able to buy a bigger telephoto lens for this camera?
--Larry E. Jacobson, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Yes, Larry, you can combine zooms in this way and the effective magnification is just what the math would suggest. If you zoom all the way out to 3X, you'll have a true 6X zoom. Of course, you can throttle back on the camera's built-in zoom to reduce the overall magnification as well.
If you're looking for add-on telephoto or wide-angle lenses for your camera, your first stop should generally be the camera maker's Web site. Often, you can find lenses and filters that are custom-made for your camera. After that, though, be sure to check out my favorite digital camera accessory company, Tiffen. The folks at Tiffen make a wide variety of add-ons for digital cameras. To use them, all you need is a standard adapter that acts as a bridge between your camera's built-in lens and the accessory lens. Indeed, Tiffen sells adapters that let dozens of digital cameras use the company's add-on zooms.
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