Really Basic Question

I've always used a film SLR and am finally thinking of moving on to
digital. This question is really basic. I like to use long lenses. I
see many digital cameras advertizing long zooms by combining optical
and digital. I have always thought the digital zoom was pretty
worthless as all it does is enlarge the existing image, getting fuzzier
with size. With cameras now having five or six mp, does that give high
enough resolution so digital zoom becomes useful? Do I get the same
result by shooting with only the optical zoom and enlarging it on my
PC? I'm looking for shirt pocket size, otherwise I might as well drag
along one of my SLRs with a bunch of lenses.

If you've got the lenses and your happy with them, you might consider
just buying a dSLR body and using the rest of your equipment.

If you do, just be careful with using an old flash on a dSLR. The
trigger voltages are different and it could fry the electronics.

Good luck.

hvsteve wrote:
I've always used a film SLR and am finally thinking of moving on to
digital. This question is really basic. I like to use long lenses. I
see many digital cameras advertizing long zooms by combining optical
and digital. I have always thought the digital zoom was pretty
worthless as all it does is enlarge the existing image, getting
fuzzier with size. With cameras now having five or six mp, does that
give high enough resolution so digital zoom becomes useful? Do I get
the same result by shooting with only the optical zoom and enlarging
it on my PC? I'm looking for shirt pocket size, otherwise I might as
well drag along one of my SLRs with a bunch of lenses.

Digital zoom does nothing more than you could do later...by simply cropping
out the outer portion of the frame.
You're better off simply getting your best shot at the maximum optical
extension, and cropping later if necessary. Digital zoom is a sales pitch
for the ignorant masses (not stupid, mind you...just ignorant).

I thouht of that but they are, unfortunately, Canon F lenses which do
not work with their digital SLR. I have stuck with the SLR bodies this
long because, as you know, the lenses,filters,etc. are the most
expensive part of the setup.

IRISH GENE wrote:
i use to have a canon is pro 90 2.4 mp, 10x optical zoom , anytime i
went beyond the 10x into digital zoom it was terrible , i don't know if
they have made the digital zoom any better , im sure they haven't
otherwise they would be really useing it as a selling point .

gene

hvsteve wrote:
I've always used a film SLR and am finally thinking of moving on to
digital. This question is really basic. I like to use long lenses. I
see many digital cameras advertizing long zooms by combining optical
and digital. I have always thought the digital zoom was pretty
worthless as all it does is enlarge the existing image, getting fuzzier
with size. With cameras now having five or six mp, does that give high
enough resolution so digital zoom becomes useful? Do I get the same
result by shooting with only the optical zoom and enlarging it on my
PC? I'm looking for shirt pocket size, otherwise I might as well drag
along one of my SLRs with a bunch of lenses.


Most newer cameras have 'enhanced digital zoom', which simply means that
the image is processed to interpolate pixels into the expanded image to
minimize 'jaggies', and break up the 'pixelization' effect. The purists
will argue that this can't possibly really improve the picture, but it
DOES look more pleasant.
I still recommend using digital zoom only when image quality is not the
primary concern.

Mark² wrote:
hvsteve wrote:
I've always used a film SLR and am finally thinking of moving on to
digital. This question is really basic. I like to use long lenses. I
see many digital cameras advertizing long zooms by combining optical
and digital. I have always thought the digital zoom was pretty
worthless as all it does is enlarge the existing image, getting
fuzzier with size. With cameras now having five or six mp, does that
give high enough resolution so digital zoom becomes useful? Do I get
the same result by shooting with only the optical zoom and enlarging
it on my PC? I'm looking for shirt pocket size, otherwise I might as
well drag along one of my SLRs with a bunch of lenses.

Digital zoom does nothing more than you could do later...by simply
cropping out the outer portion of the frame.
You're better off simply getting your best shot at the maximum optical
extension, and cropping later if necessary. Digital zoom is a sales
pitch for the ignorant masses (not stupid, mind you...just ignorant).

A shirt-pocket size digital camera with a massive zoom range would be very
nice, but quite impractical to design!

Try a compromise. Go for a Panasonic Lumix FZ7, or better, an FZ30. Both
have fabulous Leica 12* zoom lenses and should give you everything you want
provided your shirtmaker increases the size of his breast pockets!

Dennis.

hvsteve wrote:
I've always used a film SLR and am finally thinking of moving on to
digital. This question is really basic. I like to use long lenses. I
see many digital cameras advertizing long zooms by combining optical
and digital. I have always thought the digital zoom was pretty
worthless as all it does is enlarge the existing image, getting fuzzier
with size. With cameras now having five or six mp, does that give high
enough resolution so digital zoom becomes useful? Do I get the same
result by shooting with only the optical zoom and enlarging it on my
PC? I'm looking for shirt pocket size, otherwise I might as well drag
along one of my SLRs with a bunch of lenses.

Check out the Panasonic DMC TZ1
5MP, 10X Zoom, Image Stabilization, Shirtpocket size.
See: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/spec...nic_dmctz1.asp

Bob Williams

hvsteve wrote:
I've always used a film SLR and am finally thinking of moving on to
digital. This question is really basic. I like to use long lenses. I
see many digital cameras advertizing long zooms by combining optical
and digital. I have always thought the digital zoom was pretty
worthless as all it does is enlarge the existing image, getting fuzzier
with size. With cameras now having five or six mp, does that give high
enough resolution so digital zoom becomes useful?

Not really. The only time when digital zoom may be useful is when your
subject only fills a tiny fraction of the frame even at maximum optical
zoom and you can't get any closer and you are running out of space on
the digital media. I find 2x digital zoom occassionally useful - I
would not touch fractional in camera digital zoom factors with a barge
pole.

A DSLR also gives you an implicit 1.4x magnification with a given lens
due to the intrinsic smaller size of the CCD sensor to a full 35mm
frame. This can be an advantage if you need high magnifications
routinely.

Do I get the same
result by shooting with only the optical zoom and enlarging it on my
PC?

Pretty much. Some in camera digital zoom firmware is slightly worse
than the post processing option. The digital zoomed & cropped image
requires less media space.

I'm looking for shirt pocket size, otherwise I might as well drag
along one of my SLRs with a bunch of lenses.

3x optical zoom are very compact, 10x optical zooms exist but require a
large shirt pocket.

Regards,
Martin Brown

hvsteve wrote:
I've always used a film SLR and am finally thinking of moving on to
digital. This question is really basic. I like to use long lenses. I
see many digital cameras advertizing long zooms by combining optical
and digital. I have always thought the digital zoom was pretty
worthless as all it does is enlarge the existing image, getting fuzzier
with size. With cameras now having five or six mp, does that give high
enough resolution so digital zoom becomes useful? Do I get the same
result by shooting with only the optical zoom and enlarging it on my
PC? I'm looking for shirt pocket size, otherwise I might as well drag
along one of my SLRs with a bunch of lenses.

IMHO, digital zoom is worthless.
EJ in NJ

hvsteve wrote:
I've always used a film SLR and am finally thinking of moving on to
digital. This question is really basic. I like to use long lenses. I
see many digital cameras advertizing long zooms by combining optical
and digital. I have always thought the digital zoom was pretty
worthless as all it does is enlarge the existing image, getting fuzzier
with size. With cameras now having five or six mp, does that give high
enough resolution so digital zoom becomes useful? Do I get the same
result by shooting with only the optical zoom and enlarging it on my
PC? I'm looking for shirt pocket size, otherwise I might as well drag
along one of my SLRs with a bunch of lenses.


You are right. If you use a computer to process and edit the images,
you'll do a better job than in-camera digital zoom.

BTW, my wife just bought a Nikon D50. I love it. It is a camera at least
as good as my main camera, an old AE-1. I figure I will be shooting much
less film now, assuming she continues to let me use her D50. She went
to the D50 from a N75, and I don't think she has shot a single frame of
film since, while shooting nearly a thousand digital shots.