A bit back, I tried using an old camera to take some shots. It had 15x optical zoom, and turned out okay.

Then I found my Sony Handycam. It had 60x zoom.

Needless to say, I was beyond excited to try it out.

I decided that the observation deck of the New York Power Authority Niagara Power Project Power Vista was the perfect place to test it out.

Here’s 11 photos that I think show off the craziness of the zoom.

 1. The Adam Beck Plant

This isn’t really a large zoom, but this photo is perfect for setting up location. The Adam Beck plant is located across the gorge, so it’s easy to spot.

2. The top of the Adam Beck plant

Here’s where you can see the zoom at work. This is the building on top of the dam in the first photo. I must say, the picture is pretty clear: I didn’t take this with a tripod, and it was windy. Not bad!

3. Fishing on a bucket

Somebody far underneath me was fishing. I didn’t notice they were standing on a bucket until I uploaded the photo. Note the Danger sign.

4. The New York State Flag

This is another crazy use of the zoom. I was on the other side of the Power Vista when I took this shot, and the camera captured it no problem.

This is actually my favorite shot of the day. The colors are nice.

5. O, Canada

This is the shot that really shows off the zoom. The Skylon tower in the center was over 5 miles away from where I was standing. It was a tiny speck in the distance. My friend actually freaked out when I zoomed in on this!

6. Niagara University

Right next door, I just felt like including the beautiful stone buildings of my campus on the list. Moving on.

7. Bottom of the Adam Beck plant

This is the bottom of the plant seen in the first image. It still shocks me how clear the zoom was: I could watch people working. Kinda creepy.

8. Great Wolf Lodge

Great Wolf Lodge is about halfway between the Skylon Tower and where I was standing. It was behind some trees, so the angle was a bit creative. I still can’t believe you can make out the sign.

9. Ontario flag

A close-up of the Ontario flag at the Adams Plant. Note the duty free in the distance.

10. The Lewiston-Queenston Bridge

I generally use the flags on the Lewiston-Queenston as a marker to test camera zoom. They’re visible to the naked eye, but are still pretty far away.

11. Adam Beck pump plant

I found this building trying to zoom on my old camera. Even with a stronger zoom, it’s still hard to get through all the brush. This building is buried!

 

Needless to say, I love this camera. Expect more photos from this sheep!

-Sheepie ❤