INBOX:When you're sunbathing during your summer holidays, the last thing you want to do is get up, leave your ice-cold drink behind and run after the kids to take pictures. How much more relaxing it would be to be able to pick up a camera, zoom in from half way up the beach, snap a shot and get back to your holiday novel.

Several new cameras on the market are capable of doing just this. The Fuji FinePix S5700 (from €290), for example, is great for those who want a super-zoom camera without the expense or overkill of a digital SLR.

The camera comes with a 7.1 megapixel sensor and a compact body. It offers a high zoom power and full manual control combined with the convenience of an ordinary camera. The model is a step up from a compact camera, but retains the convenience of a fixed lens and an LCD preview.

The stand-out feature, however, is a 10x optical zoom lens, which should provide ample range to snap sports, wildlife or the family. It also has a wide light sensitivity, or ISO/ASA, of up to 1,600, which means you can capture fast-moving objects or night scenes with ease. An intelligent flash system means the camera will balance the flash according to conditions and will automatically take one picture with flash and one without. Handily, the camera also takes the standard SD-Card format, so you can easily upgrade from the average compact camera on the market.

The Fuji FinePix S5700 is a great camera for the family photographer who wants to take better photographs with more manual control but without losing the convenience of a compact camera.

The Sony Cyber-shot H7/H9 (from €360) is an upgrade from Sony's successful H5 camera. Both the H7 and H9 carry a hefty 8.1 megapixel sensor and a massive 15x optical zoom lens. Considering compact digital cameras start at 3x optical zoom, this is quite impressive, especially as most cameras in the high-zoom category only go up to 10x. Furthermore, the digital zoom function will take magnification to 30x. This would usually lead to grainy images, but with 8.1 megapixels to spare, it is possible to zoom in really close to a subject without sacrificing too much in terms of resolution.

Finally, there is the brand new Olympus SP-550 UZ (from €440), the world's first camera with an 18x optical zoom (see below). This well- designed camera has a professional feel to it, with a rubberised grip and comfortable position for your trigger finger. The 2.5in LCD screen is accompanied by a viewfinder for extra framing accuracy. It also has 23 scene modes as well as full manual mode.

However, the 18x zoom is the big draw, pulling focus from the equivalent of 28mm through to 504mm - an amazing range for a camera half the size of the average digital SLR. The ISO range is equally impressive, reaching up to 5,000 ISO.

This means it is possible to take photographs in very low light situations, even if the picture quality does suffer. Somewhere down the line, some of this technology will filter down to the compact camera market but, for now, if you want zoom, these are among the best cameras to go for.