The bridge cameras are known for long zoom ranges, and it is like having a bag full of lenses. Gone are the days when getting a long zoom lens meant a bulkier and heavier camera. Today, the long zoom factor is being packed in compact-sized bridge cameras. Still, when it comes to lenses, you should pay attention to not just the degree of optical zoom but also the focal length of the lens when looking for the best bridge cameras. For example, a 16x optical zoom may carry a shorter focal length than a 14x lens. Zoom ranges are expressed in factors, and thus a 25mm-250mm lens would be a 10x zoom. Keep in mind that the long-zoom lenses would need a lot lighter even at shorter focal lengths, and when working with longer focal lengths, expect some camera shake. Look for short shutter speeds along with vibration reduction when looking at good-quality zoom lenses in bridge cameras, if looking for higher quality images with crisper details.