What is the difference between a "compact" and a "big zoom" digital camera?

What is the difference between a "compact" and a "big zoom" digital camera?

Mark Comon (Vice President, Paul's Photo, Torrance, CA) gives expert video advice on: What is the difference between a "compact" and a "big zoom" digital camera?; Will a DSLR or a point-and-shoot camera give me higher quality photos? and more...

What's the difference between a "compact" digital camera and a "big zoom" camera? Well, the "big zoom" camera use to be called bridge cameras or ZLR or "Zoom Lens Reflex" camera, "3-to-1 zoom" 8, 10, 12 , “16-to-1 zoom.” This is the new camera “16-to-1 zoom,” in a small, relatively small-sized camera. The differences are"3-to-1 zoom", "big zoom", pocket size, not so pocket size. Their functions, how they work, just about the same. Just the bigness of the zoom is all the difference.