Digital cameras: Why provide/buy digital zoom ?
On closer examination
by beeser - 11/11/05 5:39 AM In reply to: Smart Zoom by hamoodyjamalAt first glance (on a laptop LCD), your image appears to be acceptable. However, if you look at the sharpness and contrast of the windows and doors one can immediately see the affects of digital zoom. If you wanted to crop an area from your photo it would really become apparent. FYI, your 3x optical and 7x digital zoom actually equates to 21x.
Prime example
by jimonline - 11/11/05 5:47 AM In reply to: On closer examination by beeserPerfect example that what one believes to be true is true to that person but not always correct.
Optical zoom is clearly superior in every way. Do your self a favor and buy a good camera with good glass (lens) and lots of optical zoom then turn off the digital zoom.
very useful optical then digital zoom
by FujiC2220A - 11/11/05 6:26 AM In reply to: Prime example by jimonlineWe have a sony cybershot 5meg pixel.
We use the optical zoom to frame the picture,
then the digital zoom on camera or on printing
machine to zoom,crop,edit.
A great feature.
digital zoom - smart zoom
by kemaleksen - 11/11/05 6:33 AM In reply to: Prime example by jimonlineI haven't used a camera with smart zoom, but read the reviews of some of them. Actually smart zoom is not equal to digital zoom, but a more useful feature, which only works if you shoot at a smaller size than the capability of your camera. Such an 8 MP camera can shoot a 2 MP picture with 2x smart zoom where a quarter of the picture is cropped but not resized to 8 MP like ordinary digital zoom.
But if you have a photo editing program you don't need either smart zoom or digital zoom, and these are probably useful for those who can't use photo editing programs. But it's true that many manifacturers use this feature as a marketing trap.
There is very in your picture that would show pixelation.
by Kiddpeat - 11/11/05 7:54 AM In reply to: Smart Zoom by hamoodyjamalIt wouldn't show pixelation even if it were present in spades. The edges of objects are virtually all horizontal or vertical, the dominant color is grey to white, and very little detail can be seen. You need contrast and detail to see pixelation. It could be that the picture's detail has been lost because pixelation has made it look like blocks.
what do numbers in optical zoom mean?
by Benjamin Moskovits - 11/11/05 6:28 AM In reply to: Why provide/buy digital zoom ? by mutchkrHi,
As a camcorder newbie I don't understand what the numbers in regards to optical zoom mean. Is 10x better/worse then 24x? I need a camera that can zoom in and out easily and that can take in a wide scene well. What numbers should I pay attention to? I know that the crucial numbers are the ones for optical.
thanks
Focal Length
by snapshot2
- 11/11/05 7:32 AM
In reply to: what do numbers in optical zoom mean? by Benjamin Moskovits
The Olympus SP500 digital camera is a 10X optical zoom camera.
It has a focal length rating of 38mm to 380mm.
Divide 380 by 38 and that gives you 10X.
Here is a brief explaination of focal length:
http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/key=focal%20length
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Or the simple answer....
by CBane - 11/11/05 8:09 AM In reply to: Focal Length by snapshot2
The larger the number the closer you can get to the image!!!!! 10x I can get 10 times closer.
Thats it. But focus on optical only!
Why would you say words like focal legnth to someone who doesnt understand basic zoom.
Start slow, enjoy you new toy!
10 times closer than what?
by Kiddpeat - 11/13/05 7:18 PM In reply to: Or the simple answer.... by CBaneThat's why you want to know focal length.
A 380mm will get you about 7 times closer, not 10. The 10x is the zoom ratio from wide angle to maximum zoom.
The quality of 10x versus 24x is unknown.
by Kiddpeat - 11/11/05 8:12 AM In reply to: what do numbers in optical zoom mean? by Benjamin MoskovitsThat's because the number is simply a ratio of the shortest and longest focal length that the lens can be set to. Most folks, when they think about zoom, are thinking about how much the lens can magnify a distant object. To answer that question, you need to look at the longest focal length and divide it by 50. That will give you the degree of magnification. A 125mm lense, for example, would be a 2.5x. The focal length is stated as a 35mm equivalent.
The smallest focal length indicates how wide the lens can go in taking a picture. If you take landscapes, a wide capability is good. Focal lengths less than 50mm are wide. If the low end of the lens was 10mm, it would take a very wide picture.
The zoom ratio of the example lens is 125 divided by 10 or 12.5x. That might sound like a very large zoom, but remember that its magnifying ability is only 2.5x. If you expected to see a flea on the nose of a dog across the street with it, you would be sadly disappointed.
Digital Zoom.... (a usefull feature)
by Mark0 - Technologist - 11/11/05 7:27 AM In reply to: Why provide/buy digital zoom ? by mutchkrI can see that from your comments that you've never found a use for the feature, so let me point out a few uses I've come across.
FOCUS:
While I may be able to ''crop'' and ''zoom'' a picture in my photo editor, if the FOCUS of the origional picture is not perfect, the results are unuseable.
Being able to use digital zoom on my 7.1MP camera BEFORE taking the picture allows me to ensure that the autofocus is locking clearly on what I WANT it to.
Using the Digital Zoom with Macro focus has allowed me to take very nice photos of very small items that I would not of been able to with out the digital zoom.
RESOLUTION:
I've recently upgraded from a 2MP camera to a 7.1MP camera. While I'd agree that the digital zoom of the 2MP camera would render images with ''jaggies'' and other low resolution distortions, a HIGH MP camera (such as my 7.1MP camera) for some photos has ''resolution to spare'' and using the digital zoom renders little (if any) digital distortions in the resulting image.
Of course, you can't use both digital zoom while taking the picture and digital zoom in your image editing software.
FILE FORMAT:
Memory storage media is CHEAP. Losing resolution in the saved file format is unacceptable.
From experience, I've always taken pictures at the highest resolution available in the camera and always use the BEST QUALITY save format for those pictures.
If your NOT saving in the highest quality file format, all your photos (not just the digitally zoomed ones) might get rendered with distortions.
I can understand where losing resolution in BOTH the taken picture and saved file format could render unuseable images.
All the "zooming" and rendering available to the photographer ALWAYS has to be kept in balance with the resolution of the final image.
Keep in mind that a 2MP 1600x1200 image will render a 5.3x4" photo at 300DPI (standard thermal dye printer resolution.
Using less pixels than the printed or output image requires will almost always render less then optimum results and using more than 2X the pixels is just a needless waste of memory.
Food for thought.
Mark.
Simple Anwser!!!!!
by CBane - 11/11/05 8:05 AM In reply to: Why provide/buy digital zoom ? by mutchkrIt is true that digital zoom is useless while taking a photo. If you believe that by using digital zoom actually crops and down sizes your photo you should review the setting of your camera.
HOWEVER, digital zoom is included on a digital camera's as a uselful tool while "reviewing" your photos. It can be a little difficult to make out little Johnny's christmas present on a 1 inch screen, so the zoom tool is effective here.
Since the manafacture must make the feature, it is easily transferable as a "photo" tool for the very few who find it useful.
This technology stuff is easy people if you just think about it!!!!
You can probably disable it
by cscoder - 11/11/05 8:44 AM In reply to: Why provide/buy digital zoom ? by mutchkrThe only use I can think of is to briefly zoom in to get a closer look or to preview what will be in the shot for zooming digitally when editing.
We immediately disabled it.
Disable, Disable, Disable
by beeser - 11/11/05 10:02 AM In reply to: You can probably disable it by cscoderUsing Zoom to review a photo is entirely different than the digital zoom to actually take the photo. Digital zoom is applied to the image data as it is processed from the camera's image sensor forever dooming your image. You are better off disabling the feature and utilizing your image editing software to crop, zoom and sharpen the original image. I disabled the feature on both my camera and camcorder as I found myself ruining shots by inadvertently entering the "digital-zoom-zone" during sports related action shots.
Digital zoom does have real value
by franknemec - 11/11/05 11:33 AM In reply to: Why provide/buy digital zoom ? by mutchkrAutomatic focus and exposure are calculated for the window I want.
Vibration reduction is more effective because it also is based on the desired window, not peripheral object motion.
I'm not wasting time and memory storing what I know I'll throw away.
JPEG conversion losses are reduced, and aren't compounded because software needs to re-convert the software-cropped image.
I can hand someone my work right now, even if I never get around to hours of software image manipulation.
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