Optical zoom/Digital zoom

[mike.hounsome]

Optical zoom-Yes OK understood.
Digital zoom- have you heard such a load of waffle that everyone seems to utter about this one.
Is it in fact carried out in camera??
Or is it carried out by the computer software to a preselected amount??
How much zoom is carried out, if it is done automatically??

Can anyone give a concise yet understandable explanation about digital zoom??

Thanks.

[chris-p]

Digital zoom is carried out in camera. It is expansion, interpolation and enlargement of the centre of the image. Thats it.

[malc1]

Panasonic also have an "intelligent" zoom. It is probably supposed to be superior to digital zoom but is it really just another name for it?

[chris-p]

Originally Posted by malc1

Panasonic also have an "intelligent" zoom. It is probably supposed to be superior to digital zoom but is it really just another name for it?

Yes. It's a digital zoom but with some slightly fancy interpolation routines.

[ianpinion]

Panasonic say it's done by moving the sensor either away from or closer to the lens inside the camera, I forget which.

I had a customer throw a right strop at me the other week when I tried to tell him that it's basically an advanced digital zoom. He wouldn't have it and swore blind it worked on a completely different principle! I still think it's a form of digital zoom, as his argument didn't hold much weight.

[Treehugga]

Only use use digital zoom if really necessary, like you have just spotted a UFO in the far distance! I imagine it is no better than increasing the image size in photoshop.

[donoreo]

Originally Posted by Treehugga

Only use use digital zoom if really necessary, like you have just spotted a UFO in the far distance! I imagine it is no better than increasing the image size in photoshop.

For a UFO shot you would also have to jump and down while taking the pic to make sure it is even more blurry!

[Treehugga]

Very true indeed! I do believe in them but you would think in this day and age with the cameras we have at our disposal there would be some crystal clear shots!