Optical Zoom

digitalrightnow

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What exactly is the optical zoom feature for and how do I use it? Is it much different in digital photography? I understand it has something to do with focus. Could someone please elaborate?
 
Optical zoom is the actual zoom capabilities of the lens, and maintains full resolution. Digital zoom is achieved by cropping the image with software, and reduces resolution. You can achieve almost unlimited digital zoom with graphics editing software, so as a camera feature it's not as valuable as the advertisements might suggest.
 
So basically you just use it to zoom in on an object to make it appear closer?
 
It works the same way a zoom lens works on any SLR. So yes, zoom in to get closer.
 
Pretty much. Increasing the lens focal length increases magnification, and reduces angle of view. Decreasing focal length decreases magnification, and increases angle of view.
 
So I just turn the lens and watch the object I am photographing get closer in the view finder?
 
Unless you are turning it the other way, then it would get smaller. ;)
 
How do you know when you are turning the lens the right way to make sure that the object will appear closer? Also, the vice versa?
 
I'm not sure what you are asking? Look through the viewfinder of your camera as you turn the lens. You will see things getting closer and farther away.
 
So it's pretty well obvious. You can see it in the viewfinder?
 
It's a HP Photosmart R927 Digital Camera
 
Optical zoom is just a term used to differentiate from digital zoom. Optical zoom is real; the actual functioning zoom lens. Digital zoom is just cropping the center out of the photo; it's not really zoom at all.
 
HP reports the specs on this camera as:
24x total zoom (3x optical, 8x digital).
As Matt and others have pointed out, you can ignore the digital part of the zoom as it just distorts your image and it's quality. You can just focus on the fact that it has 3x zoom.

Here's a pretty thorough review of it:
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/hp/photosmart_r927-review/index.shtml
 

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