Optical or digital zoom - what's the difference?

Whether optical and digital zoom - this factor plays a decisive role when buying a digital camera. But what's the difference? We clarify it.

Optical or digital zoom: the difference

• Optical zoom: Here, an image section is mechanically enlarged or "zoomed in" by changing the lens. The resolution is not affected, but remains the same.
• The digital zoom: If the maximum optical zoom is reached, you can enlarge an object even further with the digital zoom. With this technique, the missing data is then calculated by the camera. This is at the expense of image resolution and only leads to satisfactory results to a limited extent.
• The digital zoom is therefore comparable to "zooming in" on an image on your computer.
• Conclusion: The optical zoom is more suitable for taking pictures, but you should also avoid extreme magnifications. Precise recordings are then no longer possible. The digital zoom is only suitable as a small addition.

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