Digital Camera Question...

[not2late]

What's the difference between optical zoom and digital zoom?

[Guitarman]

Hera ya go! Found on the web:

Optical Zoom vs. Digital Zoom
In general terms, a zoom lens is any lens that has an adjustable focal length. Zoom doesn't always mean a close-up. As you can see in the chart above, the "normal" view of the world for this particular camera is 7.7 mm. You can zoom out for a wide-angle view of the world, or you can zoom in for a closer view of the world. Digital cameras may have an optical zoom, a digital zoom, or both.
An optical zoom actually changes the focal length of your lens. As a result, the image is magnified by the lens (sometimes called the optics, hence "optical" zoom). With greater magnification, the light is spread across the entire CCD sensor and all of the pixels can be used. You can think of an optical zoom as a true zoom that will improve the quality of your pictures.

A digital zoom is a computer trick that magnifies a portion of the information that hits the sensor. Let's say you are shooting a picture with a 2X digital zoom. The camera will use half of the pixels at the center of the CCD sensor and ignore all the other pixels. Then it will use interpolation techniques to add detail to the photo. Although it may look like you are shooting a picture with twice the magnification, you can get the same results by shooting the photo without a zoom and blowing up the picture using your computer software.

[not2late]

Thanks.

[Elleth Faewen]

Optical zoom is the only one that matters to me. It gives you a true zoom without distorting the picture.