Why do the +/- buttons only zoom the Live View display and not the photo on my DSLR?
Asked 5/25/2013
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2 answers
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On cameras like the Nikon D5200 or Canon T3i with an 18-55mm kit lens, pressing the + or - buttons in Live View makes the LCD image look zoomed in, but the saved photo still shows the full scene. Is this a camera problem, or am I misunderstanding how zoom works on a DSLR?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
9
The zoom-in and zoom-out buttons activate the manual-focus assist function. This lets you see pixels closer so that you can see better when focusing.
This only applies because you are using Live-View which should be the exception when using a DSLR. In normal operation, through the viewfinder, these buttons will not do anything.
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This is normal behavior, not a defect. On DSLRs such as the Nikon D5200 and Canon T3i, the + and - buttons in Live View do not change the lens zoom or crop the photo being recorded. They only magnify the preview on the rear screen, mainly to help with manual focus.
To actually zoom in for the photo, you must rotate the zoom ring on the lens itself (for example, from 18mm toward 55mm, or farther if using a longer lens). The camera then records whatever focal length the lens is physically set to.
So:
- lens zoom ring = changes the composition in the final photo
- +/- buttons in Live View = magnifies the display only
Many point-and-shoot cameras offer digital zoom, but most DSLRs do not use in-camera digital zoom for still photos. If you want a tighter framing than your lens can provide, you would typically crop the image afterward or use a longer focal length lens.
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