If you want the most zoom range in a compact camera, it looks like you'll be buying a Panasonic
The Lumix DMC-FZ70, announced Wednesday, is fitted with a 60x f2.8-5.9 20-1200mm lens, which tops the 50x zoom lenses found on models from Sony, Fujifilm, and Canon. Not bad for a camera that measures 5.1 inches wide by 3.8 inches high by 4.7 inches deep and weighs 1.3 pounds
All of those 50x zoom cameras share the FZ70's maximum focal length of 1200mm, so you're not gaining anything at the telephoto end. (You can attach an optional 1.7x tele conversion lensto the FZ70, however, increasing magnification to 2040mm.) The Panasonic's extra zoom range comes at the wide end; the others all start at 24mm as opposed to 20mm. This gives the FZ70 a nearly 140 percent wider angle of view
