Camcorders: what is dynamic zoom?

Digital versus optical zoom in camcorders: How do they work side by side?

• I understand that a high optical zoom (when used) delivers a clear picture while a high digital zoom (when used) delivers an unclear picture. What I want to know is, do these 2 different features work dependantly or independantly from each other? Are there camcorders that come with both high optical zooms and low digital zooms at the same time? Or does having a high optical zoom inevitably impose the camera with a high digital zoom? And, if this is the sad but true case, can the digital zoom be deactivated during shooting, leaving active only the optical zoom, so that zooming is done optically instead of digitally, for the sake of capturing a clear and well defined picture, instead of a fuzzy, pixelated image? By the same token, just for knowledge purposes, can the optical zoom be deactivated while leaving active only the digital zoom?

• Answer:

  Typically, the optical zoom would be used 1st until it has reached the upper limit, then the digital zoom takes over at that point. Therefore, the digital zoom is more of a supplement to the optical zoom. Here's a good explanation of digital zoom: http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Glossary/Digital_Imaging/Digital_zoom_01.htm