Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[RED-DOG]

Ignoramus here.

What is "digital zoom" as opposed to "optical zoom"? I assume the latter is what we do with the camera, BEFORE we take the photo, zooming in our out, & the former is something we do on our computer, when we get home, yes?

It seems quite complicated until you get your head around it, and then, like most things, it's fairly straight forward.

Your camera has a sensor that is composed of a bunch of light sensitive pixels, (Lets say there are 10 million of them)  Your camera lens projects the light from the image that you are viewing onto that sensor.

Now let's assume that you are looking at a car through your lens, you can see the entire car, and the image is 10 million pixels big.

When you use optical zoom, that image is magnified (Let's say it's magnified so that now, one of the car wheels fills the screen), the image is still 10 million pixels big.

Now imagine that instead of optical zoom, you have used digital zoom to make the car wheel fill the screen. This time the camera takes a portion from the middle of the image (let's say a 1 million pixel big portion) and then stretches it to fill the whole of the sensor.


it's much like drawing a face on a deflated balloon and then inflating it. As the image stretches, you lose detail.

Your camera then uses a process called 'interpolation' where it makes up the missing pixels by guessing what they should look like. This results in poor image that has lost most of it's fine detail.

Some cameras have a 'Smart zoom' feature.  Imagine you are starting with that 10 million pixel sensor again, well using the smart zoom function is like a gentleman's agreement between you and the camera. You agree to reduce the portion of the sensor you use to say, 5 million pixels, and the camera agrees to use only the spare 5 million to enlarge the image, thereby causing no loss of detail.

So basically, if you can stick to optical zoom only, you will have the most detailed photographs at the best resolution.

If you need more zoom, you can enable 'smart zoom' (if you have it) and take photographs at a lower resolution without losing detail.

If you use basic digital zoom, all you are doing is cropping a portion from the centre of the image. This will result in a loss of detail and is better done on your computer later, at least that way you can play around with the amount you want to crop and 'undo' of necessary.

That's what I understand after spending 8 hours reading about it last night anyway.

[tikay]

Sorry to be a thicko, but my question, really, is "digital zoom" applied via the computer? We don't have a "digital zoom" button on the camera, do we?

The camera has an optical zoom.

The computer - when we have downloaded the photos - has a digital zoom.

That right?

[Karabiner]

I'm definitely a thicko in such matters too.

Does one kind of zoom double the size and halve the quality and the other maintain a similar quality in zoom mode?

[RED-DOG]

Sorry to be a thicko, but my question, really, is "digital zoom" applied via the computer? We don't have a "digital zoom" button on the camera, do we?

The camera has an optical zoom.

The computer - when we have downloaded the photos - has a digital zoom.

That right?

Yes, you will certainly have an 'Enable digital zoom' setting on your camera. and possibly a 'Smart zoom' setting too.

NB- You should set you digital zoom to the 'off' position so that you don't use it accidentally.  That being said, the 'zoom x' slider that you see on your screen whilst zooming should indicate clearly when you are entering the realms of digital zoom. (If you have it enabled)

[RED-DOG]

I'm definitely a thicko in such matters too.

Does one kind of zoom double the size and halve the quality and the other maintain a similar quality in zoom mode?

Yes.

[tikay]

More confused now than when I first asked, sorry.

I'll bring it to DTD on Saturday, & you can explain it better then, & set it up, so to speak.

It does good tree photos.

[Machka]

More confused now than when I first asked, sorry.

I'll bring it to DTD on Saturday, & you can explain it better then, & set it up, so to speak.

It does good tree photos.

In simpler terms, optical zoom is the Goodie, digital zoom is the Baddie.

Happy I could help.

[RED-DOG]

More confused now than when I first asked, sorry.

I'll bring it to DTD on Saturday, & you can explain it better then, & set it up, so to speak.

It does good tree photos.

In simpler terms, optical zoom is the Goodie, digital zoom is the Baddie.

Happy I could help.

Smart zoom is the slightly untrustworthy but strangely exciting and attractive stranger.

[Machka]

More confused now than when I first asked, sorry.

I'll bring it to DTD on Saturday, & you can explain it better then, & set it up, so to speak.

It does good tree photos.

On your camera tikay you should see the zoom indicator something like this:

_______________________
W                         I          T
                           ┴

When the zoom bar is past the ┴ then you are using digital zoom.

[Jon MW]

More confused now than when I first asked, sorry.

I'll bring it to DTD on Saturday, & you can explain it better then, & set it up, so to speak.

It does good tree photos.

On your camera tikay you should see the zoom indicator something like this:

_______________________
W                         I          T
                           ┴

When the zoom bar is past the ┴ then you are using digital zoom.

On every camera I've had which has had a digital zoom (about the last 2 then) when you're using the optical zoom the image you see gets bigger - when it switches to digital the image stays the same size in the viewfinder and a square highlights which part the digital zoom is focusing in on as well.

[tikay]

More confused now than when I first asked, sorry.

I'll bring it to DTD on Saturday, & you can explain it better then, & set it up, so to speak.

It does good tree photos.

On your camera tikay you should see the zoom indicator something like this:

_______________________
W                         I          T
                           ┴

When the zoom bar is past the ┴ then you are using digital zoom.

BINGO!

Got it.

Tom explained what that button was for last week, as I have TWO buttons for zoom, one on the left, (as you describe) & one on the right, a sort of turning thing.

He gave me the answer, & I mused on it for a whole week, then rung him again, because it would not settle properly in my mind.

I can't remember what he said, but I don't think he said that.

[RED-DOG]

More confused now than when I first asked, sorry.

I'll bring it to DTD on Saturday, & you can explain it better then, & set it up, so to speak.

It does good tree photos.

On your camera tikay you should see the zoom indicator something like this:

_______________________
W                         I          T
                           ┴

When the zoom bar is past the ┴ then you are using digital zoom.

BINGO!

Got it.

Tom explained what that button was for last week, as I have TWO buttons for zoom, one on the left, (as you describe) & one on the right, a sort of turning thing.

He gave me the answer, & I mused on it for a whole week, then rung him again, because it would not settle properly in my mind.

I can't remember what he said, but I don't think he said that.

No no no no no! FFS!

Sigh....


Both those buttons do the same thing!

[Machka]

More confused now than when I first asked, sorry.

I'll bring it to DTD on Saturday, & you can explain it better then, & set it up, so to speak.

It does good tree photos.

On your camera tikay you should see the zoom indicator something like this:

_______________________
W                         I          T
                           ┴

When the zoom bar is past the ┴ then you are using digital zoom.

BINGO!

Got it.

Tom explained what that button was for last week, as I have TWO buttons for zoom, one on the left, (as you describe) & one on the right, a sort of turning thing.

He gave me the answer, & I mused on it for a whole week, then rung him again, because it would not settle properly in my mind.

I can't remember what he said, but I don't think he said that.

No no no no no! FFS!

Sigh....


Both those buttons do the same thing!

lol, yes they do.

_______________________
W                         I          T
                           ┴

Looking at the zoom indicator again, using either zoom control, if you zoom up to the ┴ bar you will be zoomed in to 21x.  Anything further past the ┴ indicator will start using digital zoom (up to another 4x apparently).

Strangely I didn't see a way to switch off digital zoom on your model of camera.

So just avoid zooming past the ┴.

[RED-DOG]

RIP Davy Jones.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17214430


I wish people would stop dying all over the place. They're making me nervous.

[Geo the Sarge]

Ignoramus here.

What is "digital zoom" as opposed to "optical zoom"? I assume the latter is what we do with the camera, BEFORE we take the photo, zooming in our out, & the former is something we do on our computer, when we get home, yes?

It seems quite complicated until you get your head around it, and then, like most things, it's fairly straight forward.

Your camera has a sensor that is composed of a bunch of light sensitive pixels, (Lets say there are 10 million of them)  Your camera lens projects the light from the image that you are viewing onto that sensor.

Now let's assume that you are looking at a car through your lens, you can see the entire car, and the image is 10 million pixels big.

When you use optical zoom, that image is magnified (Let's say it's magnified so that now, one of the car wheels fills the screen), the image is still 10 million pixels big.

Now imagine that instead of optical zoom, you have used digital zoom to make the car wheel fill the screen. This time the camera takes a portion from the middle of the image (let's say a 1 million pixel big portion) and then stretches it to fill the whole of the sensor.


it's much like drawing a face on a deflated balloon and then inflating it. As the image stretches, you lose detail.

Your camera then uses a process called 'interpolation' where it makes up the missing pixels by guessing what they should look like. This results in poor image that has lost most of it's fine detail.

Some cameras have a 'Smart zoom' feature.  Imagine you are starting with that 10 million pixel sensor again, well using the smart zoom function is like a gentleman's agreement between you and the camera. You agree to reduce the portion of the sensor you use to say, 5 million pixels, and the camera agrees to use only the spare 5 million to enlarge the image, thereby causing no loss of detail.

So basically, if you can stick to optical zoom only, you will have the most detailed photographs at the best resolution.

If you need more zoom, you can enable 'smart zoom' (if you have it) and take photographs at a lower resolution without losing detail.

If you use basic digital zoom, all you are doing is cropping a portion from the centre of the image. This will result in a loss of detail and is better done on your computer later, at least that way you can play around with the amount you want to crop and 'undo' of necessary.

That's what I understand after spending 8 hours reading about it last night anyway.

My head hurts


Geo