Quote:
Originally Posted by rhambone
Newbie here and have a question.
How come the High Definition Camcorders only have 10x-15x on the optical zoom while my 5 year old Sony Handycam has 30x optical zoom.
I want a high Definition Camcorder but I'm concerned some about the optical zoom. I record football games from the stands and need a good zoom sometimes.
Whats the deal with High Definition Cam's having a lower zoom level?
Thanks for the help.
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With a hi-def camcorder, you will need a tripod with 10x or more zoom. So, I hope that you are recording with a tripod, or at least a monopod or some sort of support. The reason is that any movement is much more noticible on a larger screen. My new Canon HF-100 has a 12x zoom, and at maximum zoom - I cannot hand-hold it steady enough for a good video.
Worst case, you can add an auxiliary lens to multiply the focal length. With a simple lens that screws into the front of your existing lens, you can increase the effective focal length by about 30 to 50%. So a 10x lens might become 15x if needed.
-Tom