Electric Zoom

[Alexia]

NOT DIGITAL ZOOM!

Am I missing something, but why doesn't the Canon 300D have electric zoom? I'm used to pressing the jog dial on my old Kodak to zoom in and out.

[aikidoforever]

NOT DIGITAL ZOOM!

Am I missing something, but why doesn't the Canon 300D have electric zoom? I'm used to pressing the jog dial on my old Kodak to zoom in and out.

Woah, I'm thinking that I'M the one that's missing something. To answer you question, if I understand it correctly, it's because it's not a P&S (point and shoot)... It's a digital SLR, which means interchangeble lenses and hense no motorized zooming. Get use to it, you will quickly see it's faster and more accurate doing it manually.

Good luck! ;-)

Ivan

[Alexia]

Woah, I'm thinking that I'M the one that's missing something. To answer you question, if I understand it correctly, it's because it's not a P&S (point and shoot)... It's a digital SLR, which means interchangeble lenses and hense no motorized zooming. Get use to it, you will quickly see it's faster and more accurate doing it manually.

Good luck! ;-)

Ivan

I was just hoping something as easy as motorized could be had in an expensive lens. *drools* While I realize it is more acurate, when I'm running around at conventions, the motorized zoom comes in very handy!

[ssim]

A manually operated zoom is going to be faster and more accurate than any zoom you will find that runs off of the camera electronic systems.

[DocFrankenstein]

when I'm running around at conventions, the motorized zoom comes in very handy!
What are the advantages of the motorized zoom when you're running around at conventions?

[CyberDyneSystems]

Motorized zooms are a sad little neccesity in compact cameras.

The simple fact is there is not enough lens there to grab and do it as it should be done.. so they have to motorixe the whole affair. Same reason there is no manual focus ring.

[picture-this]

I;m guessing you like it because you can keep both hands on the camera at all times. A motorized zoom is alright on a lil point and shoot because it's got such a small distance to travel 10mm-30mm for example, but even then it takes double the time it would to do it by hand. Now just think about if you had to move from 70-200 or something like that it would probably take about a whole dam minute. It would also ad cost, weight, drain batteries and be just be another dumb thing that could break.

[Alexia]

Yes, I love keeping both hands on the camera changing settings with both hands at the same time because I'm a speed demon.

It really doesn't take that long to go through the zoom range. 38-115 on my Kodak takes about one second. This is GREAT when you are all the way across a convention hall and see a great shot setting itself up. Slam the jog dial and it zooms in all the way to grab the shot before it dies!

I keep fumbling trying to zoom the 18-55mm kit lens all the way out and rotating my hand a couple times to get it there. Then I have to get back to the viewfinder to set up the shot, but it is too late, I would have missed it. :p I can't hold my hand in the funky position to effectively turn the zoom ring while holding camera to my eye.

Motorized zoom has its advantages. If you are worried about not getting the perfect crop, that isn't what it is for. Of course, if you comfortable with motorized zoom then stopping it exactly where you want isn't a problem at all. Letting go of the zoom ring is the same as letting go of the jog dial.

I guess it is personal opinion on the matter. My 18-55mm kit lens makes a nice loud SQUEEEEEEEK when turning the zoom ring fast.

[Penguin_101_1]

You are suppost to zoom while looking though the viewfinder and then hit the shutter.

[PacAce]

Proper camera holding technique helps a lot, too.

[dhbailey]

I never have both hands on the camera body -- always one on the camera body (the right hand so I can take the picture) and the left hand on the lens for better stabilization, just as I used to do with my old Canon AE1.

And since my hand is on the lens, it's very easy and fast to get the zoom exactly where I want it, without draining the battery further. I can't begin to imagine the curtailment in battery life if it had to power a mechanism strong enough to zoom my Tamron 28-75 in and out or my Canon 75-300. I'd probably only get 20 or 30 shots before needing to recharge, especially if I were particularly fussy (as I am) about getting just the framing I want.

[Mark Kemp]

I agree with some previous posts, one hand on the lens and one on the camera body is pretty much the universal way of using an SLR. Zoom while looking through the viewfinder. Hand turning is much quicker and more accurate than a motor. Minolta (I think) used to make one or two power zoom lenses for their SLRs and they were rubbish. Everyone zoomed too far and then had to come back a bit. They were too slow and very unpopular.

[Cash--]

I have an old minolta maxxum, it was a gift to me. The guy bought a zoom lens for it, but it was not a maxxum lens, so the electric zoom on it has never worked with this camera. To use it ya have to set it to manual zoom, and stretch it out by hand --then focus, Very much a pain in the neck to use.
What I really never understood, is that the zoom ring is still there, it just operates more like a switch...you still twist it one direction or the other. Maybe this was an important feature for people with carpal tunnel, or arthritis.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/Cash--/IMG_0186.jpg

[Citizensmith]

Actualy there are electronic zoom EF lenses. Canon released an EF-a 35-80 and an EF-a 80-200 which where aurofocus only, push button zoom lenses. Of course they are long discontinued as manual zooms are so much faster and more responsive that nobody wanted anything as weak as an electronic zoom on an SLR.

Anyway the EF-a 35-80 really sucks. I saw one a few years back and picked it up just for the novelty. :)

[Jim_T]

If there was some sort of demand for this, then I'm sure it would be included. But why add the expense of motorization when simply twisting a ring will work ?

I know when I want to use full zoom, I just snap the ring over and shoot.. No waiting for a motor to grind away getting the lens to fully extend or retract. (This motor would take a toll on batteries too in the form of shorter life)....

On the other hand, a motorized zoom would be ** very ** handy if one was shooting in tethered mode using Canon's remote capture software. I had an old Canon Pro90IS with 10X zoom and could zoom the camera in and out remotely from my computer's keyboard....

[Medic1]

If you ever look at most motorized zooms, you cannot accurately stop at certain focal lengths. Even depressing the zoom button on a P&S camera will take you a certain amount further and it may be more or less that you want. Do you ever notice that with your point and shoot you are doing more "step forward, step back" to get the right composition in your frame? I know I did....alot! This is one of the reasons (among many) that I jumped to SLR's.

[FlyingPete]

One of the main reasons I had to go back to the world of SLR's after my G3 was the 'manual' zoom ring, it goes where I want it as fast as I want it too, you can even zoom with the shutter open (can produce cool effects, esspecially when used with a flash at night).

Same goes for focus!

[blackviolet]

i may be a bit naive, but i just don't get the benefit?? just twist and shoot - instantly and precisely. i guess it's one of the reasons i never liked the 100-400L - it just wasnt as quick and precise (for me).


where would you want the 'zoom button'? it would still involve a finger to operate.

[FlyingPete]

i guess it's one of the reasons i never liked the 100-400L - it just wasnt as quick and precise (for me).

Yep, that is the one thing I don't like about that lens.

Still catch myself going for the zoom ring on my 50mm from time to time though :rolleyes:

[digibeet]

There was even a motor zoom possibility for the good old F-1...

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/canonf1/html/motordrive/tvmonitor.jpg



see for more information:

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/canonf1/html/motordrive/tv.htm (http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/canonf1/html/motordrive/tv.htm)

[kawter2]

If you have both hands onthe body you are going to get a lot of camera shake.

actually though I've never seen a camera that has a zoom feature dedicated to the left hand, maybe they exist but I've not seen them. I am really confused on how this would be faster... even in the video world, the higher end you get you start to get the manual zoom rings because with out a jog zoom (such as on broadcast & film cameras) electric pushbutton zoom is horribly inaccurate