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#1
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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. |
#2
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Really Basic Question
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. |
#3
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Really Basic Question
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). |
#4
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Really Basic Question
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. |
#5
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Really Basic Question
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. |
#6
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Really Basic Question
MarkČ 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. |
#7
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Really Basic Question
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 |
#8
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Really Basic Question
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 |
#9
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Really Basic Question
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 |
#10
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Really Basic Question
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. |
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