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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> Megapixels or Optical Zoom?
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 04/24/2005 04:33:22 PM · #1
What's more important when looking for a new camera? How many megapixels? Or how high the Optical Zoom is? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! :)

Thanks
Tara
 04/24/2005 04:36:32 PM · #2
This depends on your purposes. For point and shoots, there are plenty of 5 or 8 megapixel cameras with great zoom ranges. In that demographic, you get the best of both worlds. SLR's have more megapixels and more advanced sensors, but the zoom is up to you as it depends on what lenses you ger. What are you looking at?

Lee
 04/24/2005 04:37:51 PM · #3
I personally didn't like the optical zoom on my fuji 602zoom, the pics were too noisy and I hardly ever used it. Megapixels 1st in my opinion, the higher the better.
 04/24/2005 04:43:27 PM · #4
I'd say...tons of MP and good glass!

The advantage of High MP is really felt when you want to crop into a shot and still have enough pixels to work with. these next to images are the same, shot with @ 200mm, first one is FF and the second is cropped to get the bird...notice how sharp the bird still is.





I'm no nature photographer, but this illustrates one of the advantages of High MP count
 04/24/2005 04:53:47 PM · #5
Originally posted by Gil P:
I'd say...tons of MP and good glass!

The advantage of High MP is really felt when you want to crop into a shot and still have enough pixels to work with. these next to images are the same, shot with @ 200mm, first one is FF and the second is cropped to get the bird...notice how sharp the bird still is.





I'm no nature photographer, but this illustrates one of the advantages of High MP count


While this is correct it is better to try and compose the shot properly in your camera rather than thinking " I could crop that ". It will help your photography skills overall. For example the picture Gil P post that is cropped is a bit noisey and if this was zoomed it would have been clearer. IMO 4 MP is enough if it gets you a greater zoom range.

Justin
 04/24/2005 04:56:30 PM · #6
Originally posted by peecee:
I personally didn't like the optical zoom on my fuji 602zoom, the pics were too noisy and I hardly ever used it. Megapixels 1st in my opinion, the higher the better.


I believe you're referring to digital zoom. Optical is the one you use most if not all the time. (I'm sure this was just a Freudian slip)
 04/24/2005 05:00:17 PM · #7
Originally posted by cpanaioti:
Originally posted by peecee:
I personally didn't like the optical zoom on my fuji 602zoom, the pics were too noisy and I hardly ever used it. Megapixels 1st in my opinion, the higher the better.


I believe you're referring to digital zoom. Optical is the one you use most if not all the time. (I'm sure this was just a Freudian slip)


the noise you are reffering too... as nothing to do with the topic or the shot (which weighs about 30MB and was compressed so much that it created aberations). Your absolutly right that cropping should not be a replacement for Compo... but this again had nothing to do with my point that Higher MP provides more pixel when cropped.
 04/24/2005 05:03:44 PM · #8
When I got my Canon S1 IS (not a dSLR) I chose fewer MP in favor of a longer, Image-Stablized zoom lens (within the given budget, that is).
 04/24/2005 05:09:12 PM · #9
When I got my previous camera (prior to my SLR) I definately went with zoom (and image stabilizer) over megapixels. I felt that I had more flexibility that way, and with only 2 megapixels I still got plenty of awesome shots (I think most of my portfolio is from my C-2100 if you want to check that out). These days you can probably get more than the 2 megapixels I had with a comparable zoom (10X on the C-2100).
 04/24/2005 05:12:25 PM · #10
My camera that I have now is a Nikon Coolpix 3200 - which I loved when I first got it. It has 3 MP and 3x optical zoom (and 5x digital zoom, which I never use because of the noise). However, I notice when I try to zoom in, it often locks on to the wrong thing, and I get blurry pictures, or noise. The flash can be frustrating because I am focusing on something several feet away, and the flash is "flashing" on something closer. Ugh! :) So I've been looking at newer cameras, ones with 8 mp and 10x optical zoom (which are a bit pricey for me), but more in my range are ones that are 4 mp with 10x optical zoom. I just a want clear picture from a distance, but can also get a good macro out of it.
 04/24/2005 05:21:52 PM · #11
I'll vote for more megapixels even at the expense of zoom. The zoom is nice for photographing from far away, but it's the megapixels that give the image a better resolution and create a sharper image.

David

Message edited by author 2005-04-24 17:22:23.
 04/24/2005 05:35:56 PM · #12
Originally posted by tmatiska:
My camera that I have now is a Nikon Coolpix 3200 - which I loved when I first got it. It has 3 MP and 3x optical zoom (and 5x digital zoom, which I never use because of the noise). However, I notice when I try to zoom in, it often locks on to the wrong thing, and I get blurry pictures, or noise. The flash can be frustrating because I am focusing on something several feet away, and the flash is "flashing" on something closer. Ugh! :) So I've been looking at newer cameras, ones with 8 mp and 10x optical zoom (which are a bit pricey for me), but more in my range are ones that are 4 mp with 10x optical zoom. I just a want clear picture from a distance, but can also get a good macro out of it.


4 mp is a decent amount. For a non-SLR I'd definately take that with 10X zoom over more megapixels. The thing with a non-SLR is that you're locked into that lens. There's no way to get better than that 10X (unless you get one with filter seams in which case a telephoto adapter lens may be available, but most of those seem to be designed for video cameras and the one I got for my C-2100 wasn't all that great - lots of vignetting). Unless you want gigantic prints of your photos (2 megapixels looks fine printed at 8x10) I would go with the zoom. Just my opinion though...others may feel differently.
 04/24/2005 05:38:07 PM · #13
Originally posted by Gil P:
I'd say...tons of MP and good glass!

The advantage of High MP is really felt when you want to crop into a shot and still have enough pixels to work with. these next to images are the same, shot with @ 200mm, first one is FF and the second is cropped to get the bird...notice how sharp the bird still is.





I'm no nature photographer, but this illustrates one of the advantages of High MP count


Keep in mind though that a big enough zoom may have the same effect. Cropping is essentially the same as digital zoom.
 04/25/2005 02:51:12 AM · #14
Originally posted by kearock:
Keep in mind though that a big enough zoom may have the same effect. Cropping is essentially the same as digital zoom.

Digital zoom adds data to the image -- data that may or may not look 'right'. But cropping the image does not change the cropped area, it just gets rid of what is not wanted. They become the same only if the crop is then upsampled to the size of the original. But even then, the results will likely be better than if digital zoom had been used since PS offers much more control and power in upsampling than the camera can.

Regardless, the question is about optical zoom; and optical zoom wins over digital zoom hands down everytime. Digital zoom is essentially worthless.

David

Message edited by author 2005-04-25 02:52:42.
 04/25/2005 03:40:51 AM · #15
Originally posted by cpanaioti:
Originally posted by peecee:
I personally didn't like the optical zoom on my fuji 602zoom, the pics were too noisy and I hardly ever used it. Megapixels 1st in my opinion, the higher the better.


I believe you're referring to digital zoom. Optical is the one you use most if not all the time. (I'm sure this was just a Freudian slip)

Hi Colette,
I was referring to the optical zoom on my fuji, I just never liked the results and very rarely used it on zoom.Don't get me wrong, the fuji is a superb cam but I feel this was one drawback with it. Now on my 10d the zoom lense (28-105)is excellent.I know digital zoom is just the same as blowiing it up in photoshop and isn't really the way to go.
Regards,
Paul.
 04/25/2005 06:01:55 AM · #16
More zoom. It is not a good method to think that you can always fix lousy composition in post processing.


04/25/2005 06:41:22 AM · #17
Definitely go with a bigger zoom range. Megapixels are irrelevant unless you're printing very big sizes. Also compact cameras with lower megapoixel counts tend to have much less noise: my 3.2 megapixel canon is almost usable at iso 400. As for cropping, the longer your zoom the less you need to crop and the more you can concentrate on framing the picture correctly in camera.
 04/25/2005 08:19:51 AM · #18
My c750 has worked very well for me, however if you can afford it, I would highly recomend either this:
DMC-FZ15
this, which is the same thing, but 5 mp instead of 4
FZ-20
or this. lol
more expensive

but seriously, you want a big zoom, and the panasonic has a 12x stabalized zoom that uses leica glass. It can also take filters, and has a focus ring instead of just using a button pad.
 04/25/2005 08:33:10 AM · #19
I think you need to begin by determining whether you are looking for a dSLR or a digicam. Both have their pros and cons; there's not a clear cut answer unless you can specify exactly what you intend to do, and how you hope to do it.

As for megapixels, more is not always better. For example, a 4mp Nikon D100 is a 4mp dSLR which will produce better enlargements (more detail, less noise) than many 6-8 megapixel digicams. As a generalization, the smaller the photo sites, the greater the signal to noise ratio. This means that 8mp on a tiny digicam sensor will inherently be noisy, while 4mp on a larger dSLR sensor will be buttery smooth. Of course there's noise reduction algorithms to counter it, but I'm trying to be general here.

As for zoom, it again depends on what you hope to do. Nature is an entirely different thing than street, and shooting birds is entirely different than shooting bugs. This is where the dSLR gives you unmatched versatility - you can buy the right lens to do anything. On a digicam you can also buy teleconverters and adaptors to bring some additional flexibility.

I think a good statement about your favorite subject to shoot, and your observatiosn about where your current camera is failing you would make it easier to answer your question.
 04/25/2005 08:55:23 AM · #20
Sensor size + good lens + enough pixels (at least 3 million) = Good photos
 04/25/2005 09:44:06 AM · #21
Originally posted by kearock:
...Cropping is essentially the same as digital zoom.


??? Cropping does not add anything to the picture, it removes information. We just see it bigger on the screen with no loss of detail.

Digital zoom takes a smaller picture and makes it bigger by adding (non-existing) information to the picture using a nifty alogrithm (guess work), which doesn't always get it right.

In Camera Digital Zoom is a consumer marketing ploy and should be avoided. If we add bad data to a picture in the cam we are stuck with a picture with bad data. If we feel we must "Digitally" zoom a shot, do that in Editing software as they are much better at "resizing" or "Up Scaling".

Message edited by author 2005-04-25 09:46:41.
 04/25/2005 10:40:24 AM · #22
Originally posted by peecee:
Originally posted by cpanaioti:
Originally posted by peecee:
I personally didn't like the optical zoom on my fuji 602zoom, the pics were too noisy and I hardly ever used it. Megapixels 1st in my opinion, the higher the better.


I believe you're referring to digital zoom. Optical is the one you use most if not all the time. (I'm sure this was just a Freudian slip)

Hi Colette,
I was referring to the optical zoom on my fuji, I just never liked the results and very rarely used it on zoom.Don't get me wrong, the fuji is a superb cam but I feel this was one drawback with it. Now on my 10d the zoom lense (28-105)is excellent.I know digital zoom is just the same as blowiing it up in photoshop and isn't really the way to go.
Regards,
Paul.


I stand corrected. I guess that means you were almost always looking for shots that worked at wide angle, which is a good thing to learn. I know I tend to want to zoom all the time. It's much harder to compose at wide angle due to the amount of detail present within the frame unless of course you use your feet as your zoom.
 04/25/2005 11:04:45 AM · #23
Without reading the posts in this thread, all I have to say is that the lens is the most important feature of any SLR.

Consider this.

Are your eyes in you head important? if so, then the lens is important because it is the eyes to your camera.


04/25/2005 11:25:50 AM · #24
The new Canon S2 IS is out! 12x zoom, 5 mpixels. The S1 is great, the S2 sounds much better. Only downside I see is the SD rather the CF card (mainly for those of us with a CF based SLR and lots of CF cards)

Canon S2

Message edited by author 2005-04-25 11:26:14.
 04/25/2005 04:57:22 PM · #25
Wow! You guys have given me so much on this! :) Anyway, I think I would prefer more zoom. I mostly take pictures of people, some nature, and the occasional macro. My family (and my cat, by extension) are my favorite subjects. I am getting into nature, like sunsets and moon shots, and that is what made me notice that I needed (wanted) a new camera. I like the look of that new Canon ... But I can't find a price for it yet! :)
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