The best compact digital cameras are typically made with both digital and optical zoom so how do they work and which one should you be using? We will look at both these options and establish which is the best one for the type of photographs you wish to take.
The optical zoom in a compact digital camera works in a similar way to a 35mm film camera’s zoom. It works by changing the focal length of the lens so that the subject appears much closer. The picture quality is preserved. On the other hand when you use a digital zoom the quality of the picture is affected because the picture is cropped and blown up in a similar way to image editing software that you may use on your computer. The quality of the image is badly affected, especially for very large images.
When using digital zoom the image can become unfocused with severe detail degradation. Undoubtedly optical zoom is considerably superior and is the recommended option. You can usually turn of the digital zoom in most cameras and it’s recommended to do this to prevent it automatically being used if you were to zoom in close to an object. So that you can take the very best photo attempt to get closer to the object. Another suggestion is to set the camera to make use of the maximum possible file size so that the images can be edited later without loss of the detail.
When you are emailing images or using online digital zoom will probably be acceptable nevertheless for printing it is important to always use optical zoom. Try to choose a compact digital camera that has the maximum available optical zoom that you can afford and turn off the digital zoom. Nearly all Canon compact cameras for instance are available with both optical and digital zoom, usually with systems to stabilise the image for improved closeups.