What kind of zoom should a good camera have?

Digital cameras and video cameras?

• What is the difference between optical and digital zoom? Which is the better one to use? If I go to a concert and manage to get my camera and video camera in with me, what kind of zoom do I need to get good footage. I mean as far as numbers, like 10X or 25X or whatever. I would probably be sitting in the lower level of the building, not the floor level. Thanks for all your help!!

• Answer:

  Optical zoom is best. It uses the lenses to bring things "closer". Since it is the lenses doing the work for the zoom, it will be clear. How much zoom will depend on where you are in relation to the stage and how close-up you want the video to capture. Digital zoom takes the information that the optical zoom gives and magnifies the information using computer chips. Lets say you get a small 1"x1" picture from the web. It looks great when it is 1"x1", but you want it to be 12"x12" and it looks terrible. That is what digital zoom does. It makes the pixels bigger and results in an image that is not so clear. I always recommend people turn OFF digital zoom on their camcorders so they are not tempted to use it. Digital zoom is useless and can result in poor video quality. Bigger optical zoom is better - but using it also comes at a price - if you are fully zoomed in on something, you - actually NO ONE) can hold the camcorder steady for any length of time... which means you should be resting the camcorder on something very steady - like a tripod or monopod, which you most likely won't be able to get into a concert, either. Neither optical nor electronic stabilization will fix this. If you don't believe me, see if you can borrow binoculars. Use them. Try to stay steady on a single far-away item for 30 seconds. Then try a minute. Remember, songs are 3 minutes or more and a concert is 1 hour or more...