The stitches that can be made without cams are pictured on the inside of the lid of the machine. If I remember correctly, the setting of B on one knob and L on the other will give you the zig-zag stitch. I have all of the cams and rarely use them; I find that the pre-programmed stitches are generally all I need. The additional cams are usually more for decoration. Get a free manual from the internet and it will explain how to use all the stitches and the additional cams.