What is "superzoom"

n. (context photography English) A very high-magnification zoom feature.

A superzoom or hyperzoom lens is a type of photographic zoom lenses with unconventionally large focal length factors, typically ranging from wide angle to extreme long lens focal lengths in one lense. There is no clear definition of a superzoom lens but the name generally covers lenses that have a range well above the a standard zoom lenses 3x or 4x range, with lenses being 10x, 12x, 18x, or above. The largest ratio for a digital SLR camera lens is held by the Tamron Di-II format ( APS-C) 16–300 mm, giving 18.8×, while some bridge digital cameras have even larger zoom ratios more than 80x and the non-detachable lens compact cameras with same sensor size 1/2.3" as the bridge camera have superzoom up to 30×. For movie and television use, Panavision holds the record with their 300X (7-2100mm, 23-7000mm 35mm equivalent) HD Lens with Compound Zoom Technology (two or more lenses mounted together).

Due to trade-offs in the optical design, superzoom lenses are noted for having poorer optical quality at the extreme focal length ranges, mostly distortion at max wide angle and long lens ranges. The long focal lengths normally have to be combined with image stabilization.