Don Haines's comments have inspired me to test the SX50 at 200x zoom - 50x optical plus 4x digital. I am on a brief trip to Jerusalem and, as usual, slung my SX50 into my case. Today had beautiful light. Here are some shots, ranging from 24-4800mm. The quality of the digital zoom really surprised me. All the shots were taken as jpegs, with no processing - straight out of the camera. To start with, the Church of the Dormition: 24; 200; 1200; and 4800mm equivalents.