Difference Between Digital Zoom And optical Zoom

Zooming is the feature of getting a closer view of far-away subjects. In other words, the camera enlarges that area to fit the full picture frame. Due to this feature, a photographer can take a photo from a greater distance and still get a clear, closer view image. A camera can have either optical zoom or digital zoom or can have both types. Both are used to get closer to the subject but Digital zoom and optical zoom are two very different technologies because the optical zoom is achieved by camera’s lens and digital zoom achieved by cropping and enlarging the image.

Optical zoom better than the digital zoom because it magnifies an image to fill the entire image sensor while the other one takes just the center portion of what the lens threw on the sensor. Focus on one area in the picture frame is important while taking a picture by the photographer. Camera’s may have a digital zoom of over 700x but the 25x optical zoom may turn out better results than 700x digital zoom.  

Zoom is of two types: Optical zoom and Digital zoom

Optical Zoom

It is used while taking a picture by physically adjusting the lens of the camera and changing the focal length to get a close shot of the subject. It is the true zoom. When the photographer is satisfied with the zoom position of the subject than he can shoot the photo by applying a shutter button.  Optical zoom keep the resolution and quality of the picture high. It is not Megapixel dependent. It is useful in taking a picture of a landscape. Wide angle lenses have deep depth of field and Telephoto lenses have a shallow depth of field.

Digital Zoom

It adjusts the image in the camera itself. By using the digital zoom technique, you can narrow down the apparent angle of view of an image. This is done electronically without physical adjustment of the lens. It helps to crop the image down to a centered area with the same ratio as the original. In digital zoom, resolution, and quality of the picture is reduced. It is megapixel dependent.

Advantage of an optical zoom over digital zoom is that it keeps the resolution and quality of picture high. On the other hand, the disadvantage of the optical zoom is that when zooming with less advanced lenses than errors may occur. If fine detail is important then go or optical zoom. Otherwise, if you just want a bigger closer shot than the digital zoom is fine. So optical zoom is preferred over the digital zoom.

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