I have recently acquired a 400D....i am on a steep learning curve and wonder whether someone can give me a little advice....when taking a shot i am unable to use the zoom..i do not mean the lens but the button on the right of the lcd display....any ideas on how to bring the zoom into operation when taking a shot?? any help much appreciated.....jackie
eos 400d....zoom query....
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Hi Jackie,
There isn't actually a zoom feature on a digital SLR in the sense that you're talking about. You zoom on the actual lens - there is no "digital zoom".
The zoom button is used for zooming in on shots once you've taken them to check for focus and things.
I presume you got the kit lens with the 400d? 18-55m - it "zooms" from 18mm to 55mm in focal length. If you want to zoom in closer you either need to crop the photo on the pc (losing quality after so much) or buy a lens with a longer focal length - the higher the number, the further the zoom.
Hope that helps.
Matt
There isn't actually a zoom feature on a digital SLR in the sense that you're talking about. You zoom on the actual lens - there is no "digital zoom".
The zoom button is used for zooming in on shots once you've taken them to check for focus and things.
I presume you got the kit lens with the 400d? 18-55m - it "zooms" from 18mm to 55mm in focal length. If you want to zoom in closer you either need to crop the photo on the pc (losing quality after so much) or buy a lens with a longer focal length - the higher the number, the further the zoom.
Hope that helps.
Matt
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No problem.
your old camera was a point and shoot - your 400d is a digital SLR, it works completely different in that with your point and shoot you saw a digital image on the LCD screen that you could zoom and manipulate to zoom to a certain point with the inbuilt lens and then zoom in /crop the picture in camera using digital zoom. With an SLR you look through the viewfinder and what you see is what you get in terms of an image - when you press the shutter button the mirror that was showing you the picture through the viewfinder folds away and the sensor is exposed to the same thing you were looking at.
A point and shoot camera has a single lens with a zoom range that you can't change. So it might have a focal length from 20mm-100mm for example.
What you're getting with a DSLR/SLR system is basically a modular system that you build up and customise depending on what you're wanting to take pictures of.
So the 400d is a camera body. You've got an 18-55mm kit lens which covers a small focal length. You can get wide angle lenses such as the Sigma 10-20mm that are good for landscapes, you can buy lenses called telephoto lenses such as the Canon 100-400mm which you would use for zooming in - handy for taking photos of animals and such.
It all depends on what you want to shoot pictures of and what you want to do. The problem is that its not a cheap hobby in the slightest and its not unusual for people to spend thousands of pounds on good quality lenses that cover a wide range of focal lengths.
your old camera was a point and shoot - your 400d is a digital SLR, it works completely different in that with your point and shoot you saw a digital image on the LCD screen that you could zoom and manipulate to zoom to a certain point with the inbuilt lens and then zoom in /crop the picture in camera using digital zoom. With an SLR you look through the viewfinder and what you see is what you get in terms of an image - when you press the shutter button the mirror that was showing you the picture through the viewfinder folds away and the sensor is exposed to the same thing you were looking at.
A point and shoot camera has a single lens with a zoom range that you can't change. So it might have a focal length from 20mm-100mm for example.
What you're getting with a DSLR/SLR system is basically a modular system that you build up and customise depending on what you're wanting to take pictures of.
So the 400d is a camera body. You've got an 18-55mm kit lens which covers a small focal length. You can get wide angle lenses such as the Sigma 10-20mm that are good for landscapes, you can buy lenses called telephoto lenses such as the Canon 100-400mm which you would use for zooming in - handy for taking photos of animals and such.
It all depends on what you want to shoot pictures of and what you want to do. The problem is that its not a cheap hobby in the slightest and its not unusual for people to spend thousands of pounds on good quality lenses that cover a wide range of focal lengths.
mmcp42
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on the 400d the "zoom" buttons are by default, only effective when you are looking at pics that you've already taken (reviewing)
you can set the camera so you can also zoom immediately after taking a picture
but you can't use them to zoom in before taking the shot as there is no "live mode" on the 400
allegedly the 40D does, but you have to take one 0 off the model number - and add it to the price!
you can set the camera so you can also zoom immediately after taking a picture
but you can't use them to zoom in before taking the shot as there is no "live mode" on the 400
allegedly the 40D does, but you have to take one 0 off the model number - and add it to the price!
there's various lenses with different zoom lengths, so I guess it depends on how far of a reach you wanted?
The Sigma 70-300mm APO macro seems quite popular and is well priced. About £75 second hand and £140 new I think. 300mm on a 400D would go really far!
The Sigma 70-300mm APO macro seems quite popular and is well priced. About £75 second hand and £140 new I think. 300mm on a 400D would go really far!
