s9 Does the 2x optical zoom work in video mode

[Android Central Question]

Does the optical zoom work in video mode also? How does the 2x optical enhance the digital zoom?

 

[Fred98TJ]

It really isn’t a “2x optical ZOOM”. It’s two separate cameras and that “2x zoom” is simply switching to the longer lensed camera. Any zoom between 1.1x and 1.9x, for example is digital zoom. When the “zoom” hits 2x the phone simply switches to the other camera. Any zoom beyond 2x is digital zoom.

This is just a clarification of the zoom.

 

[tcdude]

It really isn’t a “2x optical ZOOM”. It’s two separate cameras and that “2x zoom” is simply switching to the longer lensed camera. Any zoom between 1.1x and 1.9x, for example is digital zoom. When the “zoom” hits 2x the phone simply switches to the other camera. Any zoom beyond 2x is digital zoom.

This is just a clarification of the zoom.

So this 2x optical zoom is not the same as a 2x optical zoom on a real camera like canon or Nikon?

 

[Fred98TJ]

So this 2x optical zoom is not the same as a 2x optical zoom on a real camera like canon or Nikon?

Correct. It’s two different cameras one “wide angle” and one “tele”. The “tele” is roughly twice the focal length of the wide. And zoom between the two, say from 1x to 1.8x is not an optical zoo. But a digital zoom using the short lens camera.

 

[Fred98TJ]

This is the same on all the major phone companies with dual lenses that advertise “optical” zoom.

 

[hugh morris]

It really isn’t a “2x optical ZOOM”. It’s two separate cameras and that “2x zoom” is simply switching to the longer lensed camera. Any zoom between 1.1x and 1.9x, for example is digital zoom. When the “zoom” hits 2x the phone simply switches to the other camera. Any zoom beyond 2x is digital zoom.

This is just a clarification of the zoom.

Is that why the specs for the s9 digital zoom are x8 and the s9+ are x8 digital and then add in the x2 optical for a total of X10?
Also no appature on the 2x lens so the 2x lens works best with perfect light?
Video cameras sometimes multiply the digital zoom by optical zoom to get some large number that really seems to means nothing
Thank you for your reply and helping me eliminate the 9+ My main secondary use will be photos and videos often in low light scenarios. Trying to justify the size to benefit ratio and right now it sounds like the extra battery size is my only benefit i will notice. This will be my first phone EVER with out a consumer replaceable battery going back to bag phones with VCR camcorder batteries.
I really don't understand buying a cordless tool you have to plug the whole tool in to use.
My Lg g5 is junk though. Good riddance really

 

[hasasimo]

Is that why the specs for the s9 digital zoom are x8 and the s9+ are x8 digital and then add in the x2 optical for a total of X10?
Also no appature on the 2x lens so the 2x lens works best with perfect light?
Video cameras sometimes multiply the digital zoom by optical zoom to get some large number that really seems to means nothing
Thank you for your reply and helping me eliminate the 9+ My main secondary use will be photos and videos often in low light scenarios. Trying to justify the size to benefit ratio and right now it sounds like the extra battery size is my only benefit i will notice. This will be my first phone EVER with out a consumer replaceable battery going back to bag phones with VCR camcorder batteries.
I really don't understand buying a cordless tool you have to plug the whole tool in to use.
My Lg g5 is junk though. Good riddance really

Battery size probably isn't even a benefit over the regular S9... that extra battery on the S9+ has to power a larger display. In the end battery life will probably be even between the two S9 variants.

 

[tcdude]

Correct. It’s two different cameras one “wide angle” and one “tele”. The “tele” is roughly twice the focal length of the wide. And zoom between the two, say from 1x to 1.8x is not an optical zoo. But a digital zoom using the short lens camera.

I don't mean to harp on this my knowledge of camera technology is limited but if this is truly not an optical zoom is this not false advertising? I assume it's better than 2x digital?

I'm glad someone brought this up because the 2x optical zoom was a huge selling point for me, does any phone camera have a real optical zoom?

 

[hugh morris]

I don't mean to harp on this my knowledge of camera technology is limited but if this is truly not an optical zoom is this not false advertising? I assume it's better than 2x digital?

I'm glad someone brought this up because the 2x optical zoom was a huge selling point for me, does any phone camera have a real optical zoom?

I'm no expert but I think the bottom lens is a dedicated 2x optical zoom and only 2x zoom.
.1x to 1.9 is digital zoom and above 2x is digital. So that bottom lens has a permanent focal distance of 2X. So I don't think it is misleading but is it worth size and money compromise?

 

[CKwik240]

I don't mean to harp on this my knowledge of camera technology is limited but if this is truly not an optical zoom is this not false advertising? I assume it's better than 2x digital?

I'm glad someone brought this up because the 2x optical zoom was a huge selling point for me, does any phone camera have a real optical zoom?

I want to say I've seen some, but not with a fixed lens. To change the focal length, the lens had to move in or out. The s9+ has a 1x and a 2x camera on the rear. Every other zoom increment will use some sort of digital zoom. Not sure how flexible this would be. In auto mode, it may use some algorithm such that of lighting is good, any zoom 2x or greater would use the 2x camera. Might be more complex if lighting is not as good as it may be better to use the larger aperture of the 1x camera.

As for video (the original question), who knows. I don't see any reason it couldn't use the 2x camera to record over the right conditions. It's entirely possible they allow you to force the settings in manual mode as well. But it's all speculation until we see some published info or someone tests it and confirms how it operates.