[Question] Zoom magnification & Focal Length

[Marcusluvsgreen]

Perhaps I overlook description but I came across this when I was comparing lenses...
Both lenses were 18-200mm in focal length but one had a 5.6x zoom and the other 11.1x zoom... so heres my question, isnt focal length zoom if it isnt then whats the difference between focal length and zoom magnification... enlighten me please

 

[spree86]

Perhaps I overlook description but I came across this when I was comparing lenses...
Both lenses were 18-200mm in focal length but one had a 5.6x zoom and the other 11.1x zoom... so heres my question, isnt focal length zoom if it isnt then whats the difference between focal length and zoom magnification... enlighten me please

18-200 is 11.1X zoom. The 5.6X is wrong. Are you sure you didn't mistake f3.5-5.6 as the zoom?

 

[miaoteh]

to get the number of optical zoom, you just need to take the longest focal length and divide it by the shortest focal length, in this case 200mm/18mm = 11.1x zoom.

12-24mm is 2x zoom, and 10-20mm is also a 2x zoom, etc.

 

[Marcusluvsgreen]

thanks guys for the clarification i misread the 2 one of which was 55-200 (3.6x) and the other 18-200 (11.1x)

 

[Rashkae]

Do note that "Zoom" means nothing to photographers. It's purely a marketing term for the totally pointless consumer. After all, a 200mm-400mm is a "2x zoom", and a 10mm-20mm is also a "2x zoom".

 

[donut88]

Do note that "Zoom" means nothing to photographers. It's purely a marketing term for the totally pointless consumer. After all, a 200mm-400mm is a "2x zoom", and a 10mm-20mm is also a "2x zoom".

I used to be at a lost of all these "zoom" gimmicks in the past. Now I'm fully understand after going into DSLR.....