A zoom lens is a special lens that can change its magnification, which means it can get things closer or farther away by moving parts inside the lens. It is like having different pairs of binoculars that you can adjust to see far things close up and close things farther away. So instead of changing your position, you can just turn a ring on the lens and voila! You can zoom in or out to capture distant or nearby objects. It's very helpful for taking pictures or making videos where you need to be flexible about what you want to focus on.