Camcorder - optical zoom?

[tumakie]

I have searched Google but I would still like someone to confirm that the bigger the optical zoom the better, i.e. 40x optical zoom is better than 10x optical zoom.
I was out with my parents today looking at camcorders and the Sony staff member told us that the less the better. Actually, what I think he said was the less optical zoom the better the quality. (Maybe all three of us heard him wrong and he was talking about digital zoom) Does having, say, a 25x rather than a 40x have any advantage in any way?

So, optical zoom is better... the bigger the number? The DCR-SR35E costs €399, has 30 GB, 40x optical zoom. The DCR-SR75E costs €599, has 60 GB, 25x optical zoom. The still pictures have a difference of 200,000 pixels. I'm just wondering why the more expensive one has an inferior optical zoom.