Zoom features allow you to take pictures of distant objects.
Zoom represents an important feature of cameras, especially if you plan to take photos of subjects you can't get physically closer to, such as birds in a tree, or events that require discreet photography, such as a wedding ceremony. Most digital cameras display the camera's zoom capability on the packaging. However, this "total zoom" is composed of optical and digital zoom, which are not the same. Understanding the difference between optical and digital zoom is essential to choosing a camera and taking good pictures.
Optical Zoom
Optical zoom works by adjusting the length of the focal lens, much like a binocular creates a zoomed image. Optical zoom doesn't decrease the quality of your pictures; it captures the image at full resolution and produces a photograph that looks as clear as non-zoomed images. Choose the highest optical zoom you can afford when purchasing a camera.
Digital Zoom
Digital zoom works by cropping the image and then enlarging it, giving the illusion of a zoomed image. However, digital zoom decreases the resolution and quality of your images, which often results in a pixelated or fuzzy image. You can replicate the effect of digital zoom by cropping an image on your computer and then enlarging it. Turn off digital zoom to ensure high-quality pictures. Ignore digital zoom when purchasing a camera.
Zoom Claims
Camera manufacturers typically combine optical and digital zoom to a total zoom, which they display on the camera or its packaging. Find out how much optical zoom a camera has before you purchase it because digital and total zoom claims may be misleading. Zoom is usually described in terms of how much closer it makes a subject seem. For example, 2X zoom makes the subject seem twice as close, while 4X zoom makes it seem four times as close.
Considerations
Some digital cameras offer "intelligent" digital zoom, also called "smart" or "safe" digital zoom. These types of digital zoom essentially allow you to crop images, creating the illusion of a zoomed image. They don't re-enlarge the cropped image, as other digital zooms do, which causes a loss of image quality. However, they do require you to save the photos as a smaller size because they are cropped. Intelligent digital zooms may be less problematic than traditional digital zoom, but they're still no more effective than cropping an image in digital editing software.
Tags: digital zoom, digital zoom, cropping image, optical digital, total zoom
