Stick limiter in DCS is a feature to limit your movement of stick to a certain point. In real life at this point the pilot feel rapid force increase, and can overcome this limit to full stick deflection with additional force. Position of this "limiter" depends on more parameters than simple AoA. I can't remember if it is AoA+Mach number/airspeed or more.
In DCS you can switch it off while pressing Stick Limiter button in settings-controls.
Zooming works fine to me. Maybe check your control settings, sometimes more than one axis is assigned to zoom or button is pressed for slow zooming or (quick) zooming. I have been using cockpit zooming through all time with new MiG29 and I had no issue.
Mateo's post in Secret G-Limiter? was marked as the answer