Focal length is measured in millimeters (mm), and as we mentioned, typically rated to a 35 mm equivalent.įocal length determines the angle of view for your camera. The larger the distance, the stronger the magnification factor of the lens. The non-technical definition of the focal length of a digital camera lens is the distance between the lens surface and the image sensor. Note: Most digital cameras feature Wide and Telephoto buttons to control your zoom range, although some of the newer models are moving back to the familiar zoom ring on the lens housing. Even though you might have a digital zoom on your camera, avoid it and use your photo editor to make any magnifications beyond the range of your optical zoom. This procedure is exactly the same as enlarging an image in your photo editor, but much more destructive to your image as it just enlarges the pixels on your image sensor.
Canon digital professional lens data software#
Optical uses the glass in the lens to magnify your scene, while digital zoom uses software inside the camera to enlarge the pixels. Most digital cameras have two types of zoom: optical and digital. Figure 3 shows the difference between several popular zoom ranges.įigure 3: A large zoom range gives you more opportunities to frame your shot. However, since most digital cameras can’t use interchangeable lenses as easily as a 35 mm setup, having a large zoom range gives you a great shooting range. Many of the new, higher megapixel cameras are boasting 6X, 8X, and even 10X zoom ranges, which can add considerable cost to the camera. Having a large zoom range gives you the flexibility to take a wide range of shots, from distant objects to close-ups. The amount of magnification on digital cameras is usually around 3X, or three times the size of the widest angle. This figure is the range of magnification the lens can cover from its widest angle to its greatest telephoto position. Taking a page from video camera makers, digital cameras usually have zoom ratios listed as 2X, 3X, etc. The best place to start when evaluating your lens is its zoom range.
Let’s take a more in-depth look at what’s really going on with your lens. Our recommendation is to consider the manufacturer’s lens description to be a working range for your digital camera lens, primarily when it comes to focal length. Plus, the high-tech lenses of the new breed of diminutive digital cameras makes figuring out what your lens specifications a research project. Figure 2 As you can see, the size of even the largest image sensor is only a small fraction of the size of a 35 mm frame.įor example, a typical 4-megapixel 2/3-inch image sensor is only 8.8 x 6.6 mm! And, of course, these sizes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, making this standard 35 mm “equivalent” a highly variable range.
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