Online Glossary

Zoom

Zoom lens

A 'zoom' involves adjusting the position of a camera's lenses in order to enlarge or shrink the image. This can be useful if you are unable to get close to the subject but still need it to be large in the frame - during wildlife photography, for example. Zooming during a shot is generally considered bad practice or old-fashioned in dramatic filmmaking, although it is sometimes used for stylistic effect. Zooming in causes the image to be somewhat 'flattened', so adjusting the zoom and the distance between the subject and the camera can result in dramatically different shots.

Optical zoom is far superior to digital zoom. Optical zoom achieves the effect by actively moving the lenses, meaning the resultant image remains crisp and clear. A digital zoom, however, enlarges the image artificially, resulting in an unpleasant lack of clarity and often severe pixellation. When buying a camcorder, ignore the digital zoom and focus instead on the optical zoom capabilities.