Compare the Best Wildlife Photography CamerasJanuary 2021

Optical Zoom

The optical zoom of a camera is a measure of how much the camera can zoom in to the subject using the camera's lens system. An optical zoom is superior to a digital zoom because the zoom is achieved using the optics of lens which means that the full extent of the digital sensor is always used to capture the image.

Image Stabiliser

Image stabiliser technology detects and corrects slight camera shakes in order to make the final image sharper. There are 2 types of image stabiliser: optical and digital. Optical stabilisers stabilise the image with a moving lens inside the camera that counteracts the camera shake. Optical stabilisers are traditionally considered the best type. Digital stabilisers use a computer algorithm to remove camera shake from the image.

Auto Focus (AF) Points

Camera Shutter Speed

The minimum time which the camera shutter is open when taking a photo.

Maximum ISO Sensitivity

ISO sensitivity denotes the sensitivity of your camera to available light. Modifying the sensitivity causes the camera to gather more or less light when forming an image. Higher sensitivity gathers more light, which means can lead to a sharper image in low-light conditions. However it may also lead to increased 'noise', meaning the ISO level must be carefully modified to get the best shot.