Aug 31 2008
Digital Zoom of Doom
When you are taking videos with the Flip – or, really, with any camera or camcorder – avoid the digital zoom.
Better cameras will be equipped with an optical zoom. This is an entirely different creature. An optical zoom extends the focal length of the lens. The number of pixels in the image will not change.
A digital zoom, however, merely enlarges the image. The pixels are scaled up by complicated mathematical calculations that approximate what “should be” in the image. This is similar to what happens when you try to enlarge a still photo beyond its native resolution. The picture becomes fuzzy and small details are lost.
As part of the Flip webinar, Cindy Shebley talked about ways to work around the Flip’s digital zoom. Generally, she recommended the old fashioned sneaker zoom: that is – walk closer to your subject.
This video offers a side by side comparison, showing the results of a digital zoom vs. just walking closer. Even though the “walk closer” shot never got as close up as the digital zoom, the details are clearer and easier to see.
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