# Can these lens be 'twisted' to 'zoom'?



## King Mustard (Apr 15, 2020)

In 2016, I bought a Nikon D3300 + Nikon AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens (£275) (sold in 2019 for £180).

I don't know much about cameras, but I know that when I 'twisted' the lens, the lens, for all intents and purposes, 'zoomed'.

I was considering buying a mirrorless camera to replace it - mainly because of their smaller footprint (DSLRs are too bulky to take abroad with me).

Some example mirrorless camera kits I'd end up getting are:

Panasonic Lumix DC-GX880K + Lumix G Vario 12-32 mm f/3.5-5.6 Asph. Mega O.I.S. lens (£350)

Panasonic Lumix DMX-GX80K + 12-32 mm f/3.5-5.6 lens (£370)
Sony a5100 + 16-50 mm f/3.5-5.6 lens (£400)

Olympus PEN E-PL9 + M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-42 mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ lens (£420)
1. Can each of these lens be 'zoomed' (I'm fully aware it's the incorrect term) like my previous D3300 one could?
2. If not, what should I look out for to make sure they can? Do I just make sure they don't have 'prime' in the title/description?
3. If they can, do you think the 'zoom' amount is roughly the same? (I think the lens on my D3300 was roughly equivalent to 3x)


----------



## 480sparky (Apr 15, 2020)

If you're not sure what 'zoomed' means, how do you know the lens zoomed?

If you turn the zoom ring, you will change the focal length.  That's what zoom lenses are supposed to do.

Any time a range of focal lenths are listed on a lens, it's a zoom (18-55, 12-32, 16-50....).


----------



## King Mustard (Apr 15, 2020)

480sparky said:


> If you're not sure what 'zoomed' means, how do you know the lens zoomed?
> 
> If you turn the zoom ring, you will change the focal length.  That's what zoom lenses are supposed to do.
> 
> Any time a range of focal lenths are listed on a lens, it's a zoom (18-55, 12-32, 16-50....).


Focal length, that's the one. I know it's frowned upon to call it 'zoom'. However, to me, if twisting the lens ring 'gets me closer' in the viewfinder, it has zoomed 

Thank you for your help


----------



## 480sparky (Apr 15, 2020)

King Mustard said:


> ...... I know it's frowned upon to call it 'zoom'. .......



It's a very common term.


----------



## King Mustard (Apr 15, 2020)

It appears that my D3300 came with a 18-55mm lens.

The example mirrorless cameras I listed above come with either a 12-32mm, 14-42mm or 16-50mm lenses.

I don't really understand what they mean but if I was happy with my 18-55mm lens, I presume I should aim to get the 16-50mm lens (as it's the closest)?


----------



## 480sparky (Apr 15, 2020)

Focal length is only one variable in the equation.  The other is the size of the sensor.  Three of the cameras you listed are micro 4/3, the Sony is a APS-C.


----------



## King Mustard (Apr 15, 2020)

480sparky said:


> Focal length is only one variable in the equation.  The other is the size of the sensor.  Three of the cameras you listed are micro 4/3, the Sony is a APS-C.


How does it affect the "zoom"?


----------



## 480sparky (Apr 15, 2020)

King Mustard said:


> 480sparky said:
> 
> 
> > Focal length is only one variable in the equation.  The other is the size of the sensor.  Three of the cameras you listed are micro 4/3, the Sony is a APS-C.
> ...



"Zoom" simply means the focal length of the lens is adjustable.  You can 'zoom out' for a wide field of view, or 'zoom in' for a narrower on.  All 4 camera you list will have roughly the same field of view since they have different sensor sizes.


----------



## VidThreeNorth (Apr 15, 2020)

All the lenses that you mentioned have a zoom ring on the lens that can be twisted to zoom.  The Sony 16-50 lens is a "power zoom" lens.  For that camera and lens combination you can manually "twist" the zoom ring, but it also has electronically controlled zoom switches on the lens and also on the body which can control the lens.  I have that same lens on my Sony a5000 (a slightly older and cheaper model than the a5100).  Because I don't have any other "power zoom" lenses, I have to "twist" the zoom ring on all my other zoom lenses.  And because of this, I mainly use the "zoom ring" when I use that lens -- as a matter of habit.


----------



## Designer (Apr 15, 2020)

King Mustard said:


> I know it's frowned upon to call it 'zoom'.


Not around here, it isn't.  That is the normal term for a zoom lens, and we use it all the time.


----------



## Derrel (Apr 15, 2020)

The ones you listed all zoom.


----------



## ac12 (Apr 15, 2020)

Simple math.

For zoom ratio.
Divide the large number by the small number to get the zoom ratio.
Example 18-55.   55/18=3.1x

Magnification or lens viewing angle depends on the sensor size. 
The easy method is magnification.
m4/3 has a 25mm normal lens, APS-C has a 35mm normal lens.
You have to know the sensor size to make this work.  But that is usually easy to fing.
Divide the lens focal length by the normal lens for that sensor, to get the magnification.
APSC = 35; 18-55 = 18/35 and 55/35 = 0.5 - 1.6x
m4/3 = 25, 12-32 = 12/25 and 32/25 = 0.5 - 1.3x


----------



## 480sparky (Apr 16, 2020)

ac12 said:


> Simple math.
> 
> For zoom ratio.
> Divide the large number by the small number to get the zoom ratio.
> ...



The diagonal measurement of the sensor will give you the 'normal' focal length.

Full frame 36x24: √(36² + 24²) = 43.267
APS-C 24x18 : √(24² + 18²) = 32.863.
µ4/3 = √(17.3² + 13²) = 21.64.


----------



## Derrel (Apr 16, 2020)

Go read some online reviews of the  cameras you are considering buying. The reviews will tell you what it is like to use them. Cameras these days are so good that they are typically better than users.


----------



## King Mustard (Apr 17, 2020)

I appreciate all of your responses!


----------



## Timppa (May 17, 2020)

King Mustard said:


> I appreciate all of your responses!



I think it is best if you tell us what you are exactly looking for in a camera.
We know you want it to zoom, but how much? How far do you want to zoom in?
 it needs to be small to travel. Isn't a decent high end compact camera better then? There are some great ones out there.
What is the main purpose of the camera? Landscapes, people, general traveling?
And budget?


----------



## beagle100 (May 28, 2020)

King Mustard said:


> I appreciate all of your responses!



U R welcome !
*www.flickr.com/photos/mmirrorless*


----------

