Optical Zoom

I was telling someone a couple of days ago how I could take a photo of a poster and then zoom in so that I could read the fine print. When I first bought my compact with a x10 zoom I joked that I didn't need to buy another newspaper as I could just read someone else's. As a tourist I generally carry my compact, not an SLR and these two photos are no exception. Not only were they taken with a compact but they were also taken on a vehicle. It was a red bus tour and you can just see the rail on the left.

Alright I am not going to sell them to the Paris Opera but the outcome is not bad. I know it could have been better with a better camera and a tripod, and the tripod should be on the ground, not on a bus. The zoom makes up for a lot and the detail of the statue is not bad at all. When you are looking for a new camera make sure you consider the optical zoom because this means you are getting more detail on the sensor. Digital zoom just means you are enlarging the image without greater detail.

Happy snapping