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Taking Pictures—Beyond Point-and-Shoot
Framing Pictures: Optical and Digital Zoom
Your Nikon digital camera offers two kinds of zoom: optical zoom, in which
the camera’s telescoping lens can be used to magnify the subject up to 3 ×,
and digital zoom, in which digital processing is used to further magnify the
image up to 4 ×.
Optical Zoom
Photos can be framed in the monitor using the zoom buttons.
Optical zoom is not available in movie mode, although digital zoom can be
used to magnify the subject up to about 3 ×.
Digital Zoom
At the maximum optical zoom position, holding the button down for two
seconds triggers digital zoom.
The camera can be zoomed in and out in the digital zoom range by pressing
the
and buttons. To restore ordinary optical zoom, press until the
zoom indicator turns white.
In digital zoom, data from the camera’s image sensor are processed digitally,
enlarging the center portion of the picture to fill the frame. Unlike optical
zoom, digital zoom does not increase the amount of detail visible in the pic-
ture. Instead, details visible at maximum optical zoom are enlarged, produc-
ing a slightly “grainy” image. While digital zoom is in effect, the camera
focuses on the subject in the center of the frame, even if objects in other
areas of the frame are closer to the camera.
Zoom out Zoom in
Indicator in monitor displays
amount of zoom while either
button is pressed
Maximum optical zoom
position
Zoom indicator turns yellow
in digital zoom range
Hold for 2 s