diff --git a/packages/player-core/src/__test__/integration/Player.test.ts b/packages/player-core/src/__test__/integration/Player.test.ts
index 7cefc94..41fbf7d 100644
--- a/packages/player-core/src/__test__/integration/Player.test.ts
+++ b/packages/player-core/src/__test__/integration/Player.test.ts
@@ -231,6 +231,94 @@ describe("Player (mount.ts) integration", () => {
     expect(transforms.some((t) => /scale\(1\)/.test(t))).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  it("carries a zoomed video's framing straight into the zoomed photo step after it", async () => {
+    // no real clip to decode here: play() is stubbed and the video step is ended by hand
+    vi.spyOn(HTMLMediaElement.prototype, "play").mockResolvedValue();
+    const onStepChange = vi.fn();
+    player = new Player({
+      container,
+      onStepChange,
+      demo: {
+        id: "demo-4",
+        title: "Zoomed video then zoomed photo",
+        theme: { wrapper: "none", autoplay: false, appearance: "light" },
+        video: {
+          src: "data:video/webm;base64,",
+          width: 800,
+          height: 600,
+          durationSec: 10,
+        },
+        steps: [
+          {
+            id: "clip",
+            type: "video",
+            startTime: 0,
+            endTime: 5,
+            panZoom: { x: 0.7, y: 0.6, scale: 1.5 },
+          },
+          {
+            id: "photo",
+            type: "photo",
+            image: { src: TINY_PNG, width: 800, height: 600 },
+            hotspot: { x: 0.5, y: 0.5, label: "Click here" },
+            panZoom: { x: 0.2, y: 0.3, scale: 2 },
+          },
+        ],
+      },
+    });
+    player.mount();
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(onStepChange).toHaveBeenCalled());
+    const img = container.querySelector(
+      "img.media:last-of-type",
+    ) as HTMLImageElement;
+    const shownTransforms: string[] = [];
+    new MutationObserver(() => {
+      if (img.style.display === "block")
+        shownTransforms.push(img.style.transform);
+    }).observe(img, { attributes: true, attributeFilter: ["style"] });
+
+    player.next();
+
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(img.style.transform).toContain("scale(2)"));
+    expect(shownTransforms[0]).toContain("scale(1.5)");
+    expect(shownTransforms.some((t) => /scale\(1\)/.test(t))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("moves straight from one zoomed photo's framing to the next one's", async () => {
+    const onStepChange = vi.fn();
+    const demo = createDemo();
+    demo.steps = [
+      {
+        id: "zoom-a",
+        type: "photo",
+        image: { src: TINY_PNG, width: 800, height: 600 },
+        panZoom: { x: 0.7, y: 0.6, scale: 1.5, duration: 50 },
+      },
+      {
+        id: "zoom-b",
+        type: "photo",
+        image: { src: TINY_PNG, width: 800, height: 600 },
+        panZoom: { x: 0.2, y: 0.3, scale: 2 },
+      },
+    ];
+    player = new Player({ container, demo, onStepChange });
+    player.mount();
+    const img = container.querySelector(
+      "img.media:last-of-type",
+    ) as HTMLImageElement;
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(img.style.transform).toContain("scale(1.5)"));
+    const transforms: string[] = [];
+    new MutationObserver(() => transforms.push(img.style.transform)).observe(
+      img,
+      { attributes: true, attributeFilter: ["style"] },
+    );
+
+    player.next();
+
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(img.style.transform).toContain("scale(2)"));
+    expect(transforms.some((t) => /scale\(1\)/.test(t))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it("destroys cleanly, leaving the container empty", async () => {
     player = new Player({ container, demo: createDemo() });
     player.mount();
diff --git a/packages/player-core/src/__test__/unit/video-step.test.ts b/packages/player-core/src/__test__/unit/video-step.test.ts
index efcd6cb..4c426cd 100644
--- a/packages/player-core/src/__test__/unit/video-step.test.ts
+++ b/packages/player-core/src/__test__/unit/video-step.test.ts
@@ -167,6 +167,69 @@ describe("startVideoStep", () => {
     expect(onZoomOut).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
+  it("keeps its zoom to the end when the next step is a zoomed photo, which picks up the framing", () => {
+    const video = createVideo({ currentTime: 9.99 });
+    const onZoomOut = vi.fn();
+    startVideoStep(
+      video as never,
+      { ...baseStep, panZoom: { x: 0.5, y: 0.5, scale: 2 } },
+      true,
+      { onProgress: vi.fn(), onZoomOut, onEnded: vi.fn() },
+      {
+        id: "p",
+        type: "photo",
+        image: { src: "a.webp", width: 1, height: 1 },
+        panZoom: { x: 0.3, y: 0.3, scale: 1.5 },
+      },
+    );
+
+    raf.tick(0);
+
+    expect(onZoomOut).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("keeps its zoom to the end when the next step is a zoomed clip", () => {
+    const video = createVideo({ currentTime: 9.99 });
+    const onZoomOut = vi.fn();
+    startVideoStep(
+      video as never,
+      { ...baseStep, panZoom: { x: 0.5, y: 0.5, scale: 2 } },
+      true,
+      { onProgress: vi.fn(), onZoomOut, onEnded: vi.fn() },
+      {
+        id: "v2",
+        type: "video",
+        startTime: 10,
+        endTime: 20,
+        panZoom: { x: 0.3, y: 0.3, scale: 1.5 },
+      },
+    );
+
+    raf.tick(0);
+
+    expect(onZoomOut).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("still zooms out before the end when the next step is a photo without zoom", () => {
+    const video = createVideo({ currentTime: 9.99 });
+    const onZoomOut = vi.fn();
+    startVideoStep(
+      video as never,
+      { ...baseStep, panZoom: { x: 0.5, y: 0.5, scale: 2 } },
+      true,
+      { onProgress: vi.fn(), onZoomOut, onEnded: vi.fn() },
+      {
+        id: "p",
+        type: "photo",
+        image: { src: "a.webp", width: 1, height: 1 },
+      },
+    );
+
+    raf.tick(0);
+
+    expect(onZoomOut).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
   it("does not fire onZoomOut when the step has no panZoom", () => {
     const video = createVideo({ currentTime: 9.99 });
     const onZoomOut = vi.fn();
diff --git a/packages/player-core/src/components/Player.svelte b/packages/player-core/src/components/Player.svelte
index 65db324..9b54039 100644
--- a/packages/player-core/src/components/Player.svelte
+++ b/packages/player-core/src/components/Player.svelte
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ import {
 import { StepMachine } from "../core/step-machine";
 import type { VideoClipWatcherHandle } from "../core/video-clip-watcher";
 import {
-  continuesInto,
   isContiguousPlayback,
   startVideoStep,
   whenAtTime,
@@ -121,6 +120,7 @@ let segments = $state<NavbarSegment[]>(
 let videoObjectUrl: string | undefined;
 let videoWatchHandle: VideoClipWatcherHandle | undefined;
 let currentStepRef: Step | undefined;
+let previousStepRef: Step | undefined;
 
 const overlay = new PhotoOverlayController({
   setHotspot: (hotspot) => {
@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@ function renderStep(newIndex: number, previousIndex: number): void {
   const step = demo.steps[newIndex];
   if (!step) return;
   index = newIndex;
+  previousStepRef = demo.steps[previousIndex];
   currentStepRef = step;
   videoWatchHandle?.cancel();
   videoWatchHandle = undefined;
@@ -289,7 +290,7 @@ function renderVideoStep(step: VideoStep, previousIndex: number): void {
           next();
         },
       },
-      continuesInto(step, demo.steps[index + 1]),
+      demo.steps[index + 1],
     );
   });
 }
@@ -333,23 +334,43 @@ function handlePhotoReady(): void {
   video.transform = IDENTITY_ZOOM_TRANSFORM;
   photo.visible = true;
 
-  applyMediaZoom(
-    {
-      setTransform: (transform) => {
-        photo.transform = transform;
-      },
-      setTransformInstant: (instant) => {
-        photo.transformInstant = instant;
-      },
-      setTransitionTiming: (ms, easing) => {
-        photo.transitionMs = ms;
-        photo.transitionEasing = easing;
-      },
+  const photoTarget = {
+    setTransform: (transform: string) => {
+      photo.transform = transform;
     },
-    step.panZoom,
-    wasHidden,
-    () => currentStepRef === step,
-  );
+    setTransformInstant: (instant: boolean) => {
+      photo.transformInstant = instant;
+    },
+    setTransitionTiming: (ms: number, easing: string) => {
+      photo.transitionMs = ms;
+      photo.transitionEasing = easing;
+    },
+  };
+  const previousStep = previousStepRef;
+  // A zoomed photo right after a zoomed clip: the clip kept its zoom to the end (see
+  // handsZoomTo), so the photo picks up that framing and moves on to its own zoom from there
+  // instead of restarting from full frame.
+  if (
+    wasHidden &&
+    step.panZoom &&
+    previousStep &&
+    isVideoStep(previousStep) &&
+    previousStep.panZoom
+  ) {
+    applyInheritedZoom(
+      photoTarget,
+      previousStep.panZoom,
+      step.panZoom,
+      () => currentStepRef === step,
+    );
+  } else {
+    applyMediaZoom(
+      photoTarget,
+      step.panZoom,
+      wasHidden,
+      () => currentStepRef === step,
+    );
+  }
 
   const anchor = step.hotspot ? computeAnchor(step, step.hotspot) : undefined;
   // The hotspot/tooltip are positioned at their POST-zoom coordinates (see computeAnchorPoint)
diff --git a/packages/player-core/src/core/video-step.ts b/packages/player-core/src/core/video-step.ts
index e912b4f..8bcb2c2 100644
--- a/packages/player-core/src/core/video-step.ts
+++ b/packages/player-core/src/core/video-step.ts
@@ -48,22 +48,33 @@ export interface VideoStepCallbacks {
   onEnded: () => void;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Whether a zoomed clip hands its framing over to `next` instead of zooming out before its
+ * end: a zoomed step moves on to its own zoom straight from the clip's framing (a photo via
+ * `applyInheritedZoom`, a clip because the video layer just keeps its transform), so easing
+ * out first would only make the camera bounce.
+ */
+export function handsZoomTo(next: Step | undefined): boolean {
+  return next?.panZoom != null;
+}
+
 /** Seeks (unless contiguous), starts playback, and wires up the clip watcher for a video step. */
 export function startVideoStep(
   video: HTMLVideoElement,
   step: VideoStep,
   wasContiguous: boolean,
   callbacks: VideoStepCallbacks,
-  continuesIntoNext = false,
+  next?: Step,
 ): VideoClipWatcherHandle {
   video.playbackRate = step.playbackRate ?? 1;
   if (!wasContiguous) video.currentTime = step.startTime;
   void playVideo(video);
 
-  const zoomOutLeadSec = step.panZoom
-    ? (step.panZoom.duration ?? defaultPanZoomTiming.duration) / 1000 +
-      ZOOM_OUT_SAFETY_MARGIN_SEC
-    : undefined;
+  const zoomOutLeadSec =
+    step.panZoom && !handsZoomTo(next)
+      ? (step.panZoom.duration ?? defaultPanZoomTiming.duration) / 1000 +
+        ZOOM_OUT_SAFETY_MARGIN_SEC
+      : undefined;
 
   return watchVideoClip(
     video,
@@ -71,7 +82,7 @@ export function startVideoStep(
       startTime: step.startTime,
       endTime: step.endTime,
       zoomOutLeadSec,
-      continuesIntoNext,
+      continuesIntoNext: continuesInto(step, next),
     },
     {
       onProgress: callbacks.onProgress,