Help me understand the zoom on this camera

[Misterb]

There are 3 settings: 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 (of course you can do digital zoom to get even closer). The 0.5 is when it is zoomed all the way out. Why doesn't it say 0.0? Also, 0.5 almost seems distorted to me. 1.0 seems less distorted and more natural looking, but is it 1X closer than no zoom at all?

The Note 9 didn't confuse me like this, and it wasn't distorted looking.

 

[toenail_flicker]

it wasn't distorted looking.

if you're talking about wide shots, there's a setting to remove distortion.

 

[Misterb]

if you're talking about wide shots, there's a setting to remove distortion.

Where's it at?

 

[toenail_flicker]

Where's it at?

top left of camera, settings icon, camera settings, save options, ultra wide shape correction

 

[Misterb]

top left of camera, settings icon, camera settings, save options, ultra wide shape correction

OK, thanks. I see it now. What about my other questions though? I still don't understand why they have zoom set up they way they do. Zooming all the way out appears to be some sort of artificial wide angle, that is still zoomed in 0.5

 

[7h3d34f0n3]

There are 3 settings: 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 (of course you can do digital zoom to get even closer). The 0.5 is when it is zoomed all the way out. Why doesn't it say 0.0? Also, 0.5 almost seems distorted to me. 1.0 seems less distorted and more natural looking, but is it 1X closer than no zoom at all?

The Note 9 didn't confuse me like this, and it wasn't distorted looking.

User manual pages 103 & 104. Hope this helps you out. On page 104 there is an option there ULTRA WIDE SHAPE CORRECTION you can turn on.

 

[bbgpsuser]

There are 3 settings: 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 (of course you can do digital zoom to get even closer). The 0.5 is when it is zoomed all the way out. Why doesn't it say 0.0? Also, 0.5 almost seems distorted to me. 1.0 seems less distorted and more natural looking, but is it 1X closer than no zoom at all?

The Note 9 didn't confuse me like this, and it wasn't distorted looking.

0.5 is using the wide angle lens and is effectively 1/2 the zoom of the "normal" lens

1 is using the "normal" 1x lens

2 is using the 2x zoom lens

Hope this helps.

 

[anon(7901790)]

0.5 is using the wide angle lens and is effectively 1/2 the zoom of the "normal" lens

1 is using the "normal" 1x lens

2 is using the 2x zoom lens

Hope this helps.

To clarify what "normal" is. A "normal" zoom means that it closely matches the human eye and the range runs from 40-70mm equivalency.

Wide angle is anything less that 40mm equivalency and telephoto is anything greater than 70mm equivalency.

I used the term, "equivalency" because most equivalency measurements are based on a 35mm film/sensor size.

 

[Misterb]

User manual pages 103 & 104. Hope this helps you out. On page 104 there is an option there ULTRA WIDE SHAPE CORRECTION you can turn on.

View attachment 309067

View attachment 309068

Thanks! Makes sense now. I feel like they should have made wide angle a different option you select, vs zooming all the way out and thinking that you are using the regular lense.

 

[strikeIII]

Just a side not, if you have taken photos with the wide angle lens and don't like the distortion there is also an option to fix it afterwards in the native photo editor. For me personally, I mostly like the distortion effect so I keep the Ultra Wide Shape Correction turned off and for photos that I don't like it on I just fix it in post.

 

[Gary02468]

There are 3 settings: 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 (of course you can do digital zoom to get even closer). The 0.5 is when it is zoomed all the way out. Why doesn't it say 0.0?

The zoom factor is the ratio of the actual distance to the apparent distance. So a zoom factor of zero would mean everything looks infinitely far away (which would mean everything would be invisibly small).

Also, 0.5 almost seems distorted to me.

Projecting a sphere onto a flat surface can't be done without distortion. It's similar to the problem of representing the earth on a flat map. When the field of view is smaller, the distortion is also smaller, because a small enough portion of a sphere is close to flat. (An introductory article on photography would have a fuller explanation.)

 

[Misterb]

The zoom factor is the ratio of the actual distance to the apparent distance. So a zoom factor of zero would mean everything looks infinitely far away (which would mean everything would be invisibly small).


Projecting a sphere onto a flat surface can't be done without distortion. It's similar to the problem of representing the earth on a flat map. When the field of view is smaller, the distortion is also smaller, because a small enough portion of a sphere is close to flat. (An introductory article on photography would have a fuller explanation.)

In layman's terms, the guy in the edge of picture is gonna look fatter lol.

 

[toenail_flicker]

Well, I've certainly learned something. So much to merely taking a photo

very true