What camera can I zoom with gphoto2 or Python?

[strantor]

I'm making a thing. Backstory is here on this forum.
I need to control the camera (including zoom) via a python script.
For that reason I decided to retire the Canon 5D I was using and go with a point-&-shoot type camera.

I bought a Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-RX10 IV today, brought it home, and found out that there is no way to control the zoom other than via the slide switch on the front of the camera. I can control every other conceivable thing on the camera with gphoto2 except zoom. Gphoto2 gives a value for the zoom but it isn't correct and doesn't change when I zoom in/out:

gphoto2 --auto-detect ... Model Port
----------------------------------------------------------
Sony Alpha-RX10M4 (Control) usb:001,018
None
gphoto2 --summary ... Camera summary:
Manufacturer: Sony Corporation
Model: DSC-RX10M4
Version: 2.0
Serial Number: 00000000000000008081753001023027
Vendor Extension ID: 0x11 (1.0)
Vendor Extension Description: Sony PTP Extensions

Capture Formats:
Display Formats: JPEG, Unknown(b301), ARW

Device Capabilities:
File Download, No File Deletion, No File Upload
No Image Capture, No Open Capture, Sony Capture

Storage Devices Summary:

Device Property Summary:
Compression Setting(0x5004)readwrite) (type=0x2) Enumeration [2,3,4,16,19] value: 3
White Balance(0x5005)read only) (type=0x4) Enumeration [1,2,4,32785,32784,6,32769,32770,32771,32772,7,32786,32800,32801,32802] value: Automatic (2)
F-Number(0x5007)read only) (type=0x4) Range [0 - 65535, step 1] value: f/3.2 (320)
Focus Mode(0x500a)read only) (type=0x4) Enumeration [1,2,32772,32773,32774] value: 32773
Exposure Metering Mode(0x500b)read only) (type=0x4) Enumeration [4,32769,1,32770,2,32772,32773,32771,32774] value: Average (1)
Flash Mode(0x500c)read only) (type=0x4) Enumeration [2,1,4,3,5,32769,32771,32772,32817,32818,32833,32834] value: Automatic flash (1)
Exposure Program Mode(0x500e)read only) (type=0x4) Enumeration [32768,32769,2,3,4,1,32848,32849,32850,32851,32896,32897,32898,32899,32833,7,32785,32789,32788,32786,32787,32790,32791,32792] value: 32768
Exposure Bias Compensation(0x5010)read only) (type=0x3) Enumeration [0,5000,4700,4500,4300,4000,3700,3500,3300,3000,2700,2500,2300,2000,1700,1500,1300,1000,700,500,300,-300,-500,-700,-1000,-1300,-1500,-1700,-2000,-2300,-2500,-2700,-3000,-3300,-3500,-3700,-4000,-4300,-4500,-4700,-5000] value: 0.0 stops (0)
Still Capture Mode(0x5013)read only) (type=0x4) Enumeration [1,2,32789,32786,32773,32771,32772,32776,32777,32780,32781,32782,32783] value: Single Shot (1)
DOC Compensation(0xd200)read only) (type=0x3) Enumeration [0,3000,2700,2500,2300,2000,1700,1500,1300,1000,700,500,300,-300,-500,-700,-1000,-1300,-1500,-1700,-2000,-2300,-2500,-2700,-3000] value: 0
DRangeOptimize(0xd201)read only) (type=0x2) Enumeration [1,31,17,18,19,20,21,32,33,34,35,36,37,38] value: 31
Image size(0xd203)readwrite) (type=0x2) Enumeration [1,2,3] value: 1
Shutter speed(0xd20d)read only) (type=0x6) Range [0 - 4294967295, step 1] value: 65556
Property 0xd20eread only) (type=0x2) Enumeration [1,2,3,11,8,9,10,4,12,5,13,6,14,7,15,16] value: 15
Color temperature(0xd20f)read only) (type=0x4) Range [2500 - 9900, step 100] value: 0
Aspect Ratio(0xd211)readwrite) (type=0x2) Enumeration [1,2,3,4] value: 1
Focus status(0xd213)read only) (type=0x2) Enumeration [1,2,3,5,6,7] value: 1
ISO(0xd21e)read only) (type=0x6) Enumeration [16777215,25,50,64,80,100,125,160,200,250,320,400,500,640,800,1000,1250,1600,2000,2500,3200,4000,5000,6400,8000,10000,12800,16000,20000,25600,32000,40000,51200,64000,80000,102400,128000,160000,204800,256000,320000,409600,33554431,16777241,16777266,16777280,16777296,16777316,16777341,16777376,16777416,16777466,16777536,16777616,16777716,16777856,16778016,16778216,16778466,16778816,16779216,16779716,16780416,16781216,16782216,16783616,16785216,16787216,16790016,16793216,16802816,16828416,16879616,16982016,17186816,50331647,33554532,33554632,33554832,33555232,33556032,33557632,33560832,33567232,33580032,33605632,33656832,33759232,33964032] value: 16777215
Picture Effect(0xd21b)read only) (type=0x4) Enumeration [32768] value: 32768
Property 0xd21dread only) (type=0x2) Range [0 - 2, step 1] value: 0
Property 0xd21fread only) (type=0x2) Enumeration [] value: 1
Property 0xd217read only) (type=0x2) Enumeration [2,1] value: 1
Battery Level(0xd218)read only) (type=0x1) Range [-1 - 100, step 1] value: 82
Sensor Crop(0xd219)read only) (type=0x2) Enumeration [2,1] value: 1
Property 0xd212readwrite) (type=0x2) Range [0 - 15, step 1] value: 0
CC Filter(0xd210)read only) (type=0x2) Range [164 - 220, step 1] value: 192
AB Filter(0xd21c)read only) (type=0x2) Range [164 - 220, step 2] value: 192
Capture Target(0xd222)readwrite) (type=0x4) Enumeration [1,17] value: 1
Property 0xd221readwrite) (type=0x2) Enumeration [0,1,2] value: 1
Zoom(0xd214)readwrite) (type=0x6) Range [0 - 4294967295, step 1] value: 32053248
Objects in memory(0xd215)readwrite) (type=0x4) Range [0 - 65535, step 1] value: 32769
Property 0xd220: error 2002 on query.
Autofocus(0xd2c1)readwrite) (type=0x4) Enumeration [1,2] value: 1
Capture(0xd2c2)readwrite) (type=0x4) Enumeration [1,2] value: 1
Property 0xd2c3readwrite) (type=0x4) Enumeration [1,2] value: 1
Movie(0xd2c8)readwrite) (type=0x4) Enumeration [1,2] value: 1
Property 0xd2c5readwrite) (type=0x4) Enumeration [1,2] value: 1
Still Image(0xd2c7)readwrite) (type=0x4) Enumeration [1,2] value: 1

When I try to set a zoom level ( ex: gphoto2 --set-config zoom=50) there is a 1 second pause and then nothing happens.

I downloaded Sony's own "Imaging Edge" software and it can't control zoom either. I don't see why not!
This is software controlled in the camera; zoom and focus rings are not even mechanically coupled to the lens. You can even reassign them so that the zoom ring controls focus and vise versa. It's a pretty baffling omission IMO.

I need to exchange the Sony tomorrow and get something else. Any recommendations?

I am asking here on this forum because there isn't a gphoto2 forum that I can find. And I did check out the gphoto2 documentation but as I've come to find, it is usually badly outdated and/or inaccurate. No criticism of the volunteers who put it together (I certainly appreciate it!), I'm just preemptively explaining why I'm here asking this.