Compact Digital Cameras - Which Should You Use Optical or Digital Zoom ?
On August 19, 2009 in Arts
The best compact digital cameras are generally equipped with optical and digital zoom so how do these work and which one should you be using? We will look at these two choices and establish which one is best for the type of images you wish to take.
The optical zoom in a compact digital camera works in a similar way to that of a 35mm film camera. the lens’s focal length is changed so that the subject appears to be closer. The quality of the image is kept. But if you use a digital zoom the image quality will be lowered because the image is cropped and enlarged in the same way as computer software for editing images. The picture quality is seriously affected, more so for larger images.
When using digital zoom the photo becomes out of focus and there is a detail loss. Clearly optical zoom is considerably better and is almost always the recommended choice. You can turn off the digital zoom in the majority of cameras and it’s a good idea that you do this to prevent it automatically being used if you were to zoom close in to an object. To take the best photo endeavor to get closer to the object. Another tip is to set the camera to make use of the maximum possible file size so that you can edit the image later without loss of the detail.
While you are emailing images or using online digital zoom can be suitable nevertheless for printing you should always use optical zoom. Buy a compact digital camera with the highest possible optical zoom that you can afford and turn off the digital zoom. Nearly all Canon compact cameras for instance come with both digital and optical zoom, frequently with optical image stabilising systems for superior closeups.