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Why do new camcorders have such a low optical zoom? |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Stockport, Cheshire
Posts: 3,416
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Why do new camcorders have such a low optical zoom?
A friend has just bought a new HD camcorder and he says it has 12x optical zoom, I've also looked at other new camcorders on the internet and they all seem to be around 10-15x optical zoom.
My camcorder is 6 years old now yet has a massive 25x optical zoom and 700x digital zoom. What has happened with the technology, usually it improves not go backwards. I would have thought camcorders should have 30x or even 40x optical zoom nowadays if my 6 year old camcorder could do 25x. |
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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Scotland
Posts: 10,720
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I've always assumed (willing to be corrected) that it's because the whole body of camcorder has shrunk (with the transition from 8mm/VHSC to MiniDV et al) that there's less space for a lens. I guess a bigger zoom = bigger lens (focal lengths must come into play).
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Stockport, Cheshire
Posts: 3,416
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Quote:
I've always assumed (willing to be corrected) that it's because the whole body of camcorder has shrunk (with the transition from 8mm/VHSC to MiniDV et al) that there's less space for a lens. I guess a bigger zoom = bigger lens (focal lengths must come into play).
EDIT: My camcorder uses Digital8 tapes, my friend's new camcorder (with 12x optical zoom) uses an internal Hard Drive). |
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