| The digital camera is but a technological advancement | | | | image after the image has been captured. The fact |
| of the conventional analog camera. And thus every | | | | remains that the same number of pixels are collected |
| component of the analog camera must have been | | | | when the photograph is magnified. The only thing |
| upgraded or changed to bring in some improvisations. | | | | that alters is the light rays that are projected over |
| This discussion is an effort to unravel alteration and | | | | the optical sensors to figure out those pixels. |
| make one comparison between what was and what | | | | It is a common intuition that optical lenses are far |
| is! This discussion is thereby focused upon a very | | | | better than the digital zooms. The reason is that the |
| critical component of a camera (analog as well as | | | | digital camera zooms are more prone towards |
| digital), the zoom! | | | | computer applications in them rather than mostly |
| Before making a comparison it is important to discuss | | | | human interactions and expertise. Yet, it also remains |
| the significance of the subject matter, in this case | | | | a fact that beginner photographers find it more |
| the zoom. Well a zoom lens has more than a few | | | | useful to handle a digital zoom and also its computer |
| portable glass components inside it. By adjusting | | | | friendly nature. There the computer does the |
| these components, the focal length of the lens can | | | | intricate tasks of finding some levelheaded |
| be altered. Modifying the focal length alters the view | | | | approximation of colors that pixel might take up as it |
| distance as well as reduces the field of view, thereby | | | | had captured the images or photographs. Many |
| making the projected image to appear larger. | | | | algorithms are existent in this area, but perhaps the |
| It must me noted that both the optical zoom and | | | | most abundantly used algorithm involves looking at |
| the digital zoom are components that are used to | | | | the pixels that are quite nearly like neighbors and |
| magnify an image, but they work in fundamentally | | | | come up with a kind of an average. Anyways the |
| different principles and acquiesces drastically different | | | | process remains too complicated and its end result is |
| results. In general, optical zooms always produce a | | | | what the digital zoom users are interested in. |
| far finer and advanced image than digital zoom. | | | | Thus the ultimate truth remains that it is useless to |
| Looking at the functions of these zooms, in digital | | | | compare digital zooms with optical zooms. Perhaps it |
| cameras that offer optical zooms function the same | | | | is more logical to compare optical zoom with optical |
| way similar to a zoom lens of a conventional analog | | | | zoom and digital zoom with digital zoom. Both these |
| camera. A conventional lens works by accumulating | | | | two types of zooms, the optical as well as the digital, |
| light rays that are projected over a portion of a film, | | | | have some good and bad qualities. Both of them |
| and in this case of a digital camera optical sensor. The | | | | have some extra features and preferences over the |
| distance of the lens from the focus point where all | | | | other. And thus it is not wise to compare them, even |
| of the light rays converge is known as the focal | | | | though a comparison may exist. The efforts would |
| length of the lens. Unlike the optical zoom, the digital | | | | then perhaps look like comparing oranges with apples! |
| zoom works by ranging the pixels in the ultimate | | | | |