Immerse yourself in nature with the Canon PowerShot ZOOM

Any wildlife lover knows that distance is everything. Too far away, and you'll miss the action; too close, and you risk frightening an animal away. But, unless you're a professional with a hefty telephoto lens, you'll find yourself hard pressed to bring those breathtaking sights home with you. This is where the Canon PowerShot ZOOM comes in handy. This monocular camera has everything you need; quiet and discreet, with extraordinary zoom capacity, it lets you see more as well as photographing and filming wildlife. Small enough to hold with one hand and fully automatic, it takes care of the photography, letting you immerse yourself in the experience.

Young conservationist, blogger and photojournalist Tolga Aktas took the Canon PowerShot ZOOM out for a spin around the River Severn in his home area of Gloucestershire, UK. Originally from south London and now studying for a Master of Science degree in Applied Ecology at the University of Gloucestershire, Tolga, 28, has done research projects with conservation groups including Wildlife ACT and The Mammal Society. He shares his passion for nature with the world through writing and photography via his blog, Ways of the Natural World. "The natural world has inspired me in more ways than I can tell you," he says. "We are inextricably linked to nature, and this is something we forget sometimes."

Out in the field, Tolga prefers to travel light. "I tend to stick to a minimalist kit that allows me to focus on my surroundings and not what's in my bag," he says. His essentials are sturdy footwear, waterproofs, a notebook and pen, trail mix, water, coffee, and a multi tool. Of course, he usually also packs a set of binoculars and his photography equipment.

Exploring the canals, fields and nature reserves of Gloucestershire with the Canon PowerShot ZOOM, Tolga could reduce his kitbag, thanks to the kit's flexibility. "The PowerShot ZOOM was both my camera and my binoculars, which saved me a ton of weight."

Once charged up via USB cable, the PowerShot ZOOM can take and store up to 150 shots or 60 minutes of video footage (captured 10 minutes at a time) before recharging. You can shoot and store more images depending on whether you use a microSD card, a microSDHC or a microSDXCon.

You can also charge your PowerShot ZOOM with a powerbank and can even charge while on the go in your car with the USB cable*. You can transfer your images to your smartphone by using the Canon Camera Connect App.

For Tolga, observing wildlife is about slowing down and being mindful. "I think it's important to spend the majority of your time just observing the natural world around you," Tolga explains, "listening to the sounds, smelling the different scents from the environment or touching different biological structures, which each have a unique feel."

This really hit home on a trip to South Africa in 2018 to research endangered species. "I was so stoked to be there; I was photographing literally everything! Doing that, you can miss a lot of other beautiful moments," he says.

When Tolga returned to South Africa a year later, for a project on wild dog and lion conservation, he was more present. "I wasn't lugging too much kit around, and I was able to just connect to the natural world, and witness all of the beauty that South Africa had to offer me."

The PowerShot ZOOM is simple to use and allows for a more immersive experience for observing wildlife.

Whether in a far-flung location or in his local area, Tolga treats wild creatures with the same degree of dignity. This means avoiding sudden sounds or movements that could frighten them, never disturbing their habitats, and always giving them space. "There is never a need to touch animals or negatively impact a species' safety just for our own benefit," he stresses. "It's best to admire things from a distance rather than getting too close."

Tolga was impressed that the Canon PowerShot ZOOM, despite its compact size, boasts powerful zoom capabilities, equivalent to a 400mm telephoto lens, with the option to use digital zoom up to 800mm. "It was lightweight and ready to use within an instant of turning it on, without disturbing any wildlife. And, with the opportunity to zoom between 100mm, 400mm and 800mm, which you can jump to by pressing one button, the freedom is unbelievable!"

The handheld size and intuitive functionality of the PowerShot ZOOM has great potential for viewing and capturing images, with an electronic viewfinder to match Canon's mirrorless cameras. This meant Tolga could take high resolution images of creatures perched up high, or of intricate tree patterns. "If I wanted to capture a gull on a roof at 400 or 800mm zoom – no problem at all. Or if I wanted to capture the details of a pinecone on a pine tree, this little camera didn't fail," he says. "What I loved most was the optical image stabilisation, which allowed me to capture super sharp stills and video footage. I usually have shaky hands, so I was glad to know Canon had me covered."

You can carry the monocular-shaped Canon PowerShot ZOOM hands-free thanks to its nifty wrist strap and, at just 145g, it weighs less than many smartphones. Designed for ease of use, it's fully automatic, with an autofocus tracking that will help you take clear, sharp shots of even the most skittish wildlife.

Unlike a smartphone, the Canon PowerShot ZOOM doesn't have any distracting apps that might take you out of the moment. However, should you choose to take your phone along with you, you can use the live view on the Canon Camera Connect app to share your experience with another observer, whilst the person operating the camera sees everything via the viewfinder.

You can also view your images in the PowerShot ZOOM's electronic viewfinder, and, thanks to its built-in Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, when you're ready to reconnect, you can share those moments with the world via social media in an instant.

You don't need to be a professional conservationist or a seasoned photographer to find the Canon PowerShot ZOOM useful. "From a nature lover and birdwatcher's perspective, this is a great tool to enhance your experience, alongside whatever other gear you usually bring with you," says Tolga. "But it's not exclusive by any means: it's a versatile piece of kit that I'd recommend to anybody that loves the great outdoors."


Written by Rachel Segal Hamilton


^{*Can be charged/powered with USB Type-C. No charger supplied with the camera. Minimum charging requirement is a USB PD compliant power source providing a minimum of 5V, 1.5A with a USB Type-C output and using the provided USB Type-C to Type-C cable.}