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Understanding zoom on your digital video camera

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There are two different types of zoom available on digital video cameras.These two kinds of zoom are digital zoom and optical zoom and although both will make the image appear larger on your screen or monitor, they are totally different creatures and should definitely not be used interchangeably.Similarly, the value of digital zoom and the value of optical zoom when you are looking to buy a camera are not the same at all.

Digital Zoom

Do not be impressed with the amount of digital zoom available on a camera.Digital zoom does not allow you to take a better picture, or a "zoomed in" picture.What digital zoom does is exactly what you do when you make a PDF file, a JPG file, or any other file bigger; it enlarges the existing picture.When you use digital zoom you are essentially cropping the picture and then making that bit that you cropped the original size of the picture.As you zoom in with digital zoom, you will loose clarity because you are making the pixels take up a bigger proportion of the frame.If you zoom in enough with digital zoom, the picture will become an unrecognizable mass of colored squares.

Way more important than the power number associated with the digital zoom (for example, 10X digital zoom) is the number of mega pixels that the cameral allows you to capture.When you are using digital zoom you are increasing the ratio of pixels to each square inch.The more pixels you capture per inch, the less the less you disrupt the image when you use digital zoom.If you have experimented with editing digital photographs, you will be familiar with this concept.

Optical Zoom

Do be impressed with the optical zoom available on a camera.When you use optical zoom it is like you actually move closer to the subject.A 10X optical zoom is like taking the video from a location 10 times closer to your subject.For example, if you are filming wildlife from 100 feet away, zooming to 10X (optical) will produce the same exact image as if you were filming from 10 feet away.

When filming wildlife, sporting events, and even weddings, it is advantageous but not easy to get as close to the subject as possible.Using optical zoom is every bit as good as walking up to your subject, only you stay in your seat.

When to use which zoom

If your camera offers both optical zoom and digital zoom be careful to use the optical zoom when filming.Some camera models have alarms that let you know when you are zooming with the digital zoom.The experience of taking the video with optical zoom and digital zoom will be the same but the finished product will be quite different.The time to use digital zoom is when editing the video or when getting an idea for what the video will look like when you do edit it. It is also to use digital zoom in low light conditions.

When buying a camera, you can completely disregard the digital zoom.Any editing program will be able to do exactly what digital zoom does.In fact, you can type in any ratio you want when you are editing the video.Your camera might have a 10X digital zoom but if you want to digitally zoom in 1000X when you edit it, it won't matter.What matters is the number of mega pixels available.

Optical zoom should be a big selling point when buying your camera.You will not be able to replicate the effect of optical zoom, no matter how great of an editing program you buy.

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