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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

SX40 Super Zoom (1 Viewer)

I have to be honest and say i have just not had the time to get out with this camera properly. BUT I think for record shots it seems OK.

I took this photo this morning in crap light and I reckon well over over 200 metres at least :smoke: on full zoom with the 2x extender on as well hand held. Plus I was wobling all over the place trying to get it to focus as it was right at the top of the tree. Big crop needed.

OK its a very poor photo, but for record shots I think this camera is going to be great, as its light and small take anywhere sort of thingy :t:
I would be happy of I could get that from 200 metres at 1680mm Paul - I have not tried any of the digital zoom yet but must give it a go sometime.
BTW does anyone know the difference between say, using digital zoom at 1260mm and using the 1.5x tc at full zoom (also 1260mm) they both must be digital and not optical.
 
Not sure I can tell you the answer to that Roy, but digital zoom is like any other camera you lose detail rapidly also it goes up above 100x!!! I think the TC options happen to retain detail better and are probally better described as intelligent zoom. Neil's photos using the TC are very good, no doubt he could clarify better the point you have raised.
 
Purely guessing: it might be that the TC is similar to what exists on say pana cameras, where a smaller part of the sensor is used and shown magnified in the evf. That would make it similar to an in camera crop, but the focus should be more accurate.

Niels
 
Purely guessing: it might be that the TC is similar to what exists on say pana cameras, where a smaller part of the sensor is used and shown magnified in the evf. That would make it similar to an in camera crop, but the focus should be more accurate.

Niels

I have read somewhere that the 1.5x & 2.0x tele-zoom is something to do with in-camera cropping as opposed to digital zoom as you say.

Andy.
 
I have read somewhere that the 1.5x & 2.0x tele-zoom is something to do with in-camera cropping as opposed to digital zoom as you say.

Andy.
That makes sense Andy , similar to cropping yourself I suppose - mind you if you are still getting all the pixels on the cropped area that could well be an advantage to do it in Camera.
 
That makes sense Andy , similar to cropping yourself I suppose - mind you if you are still getting all the pixels on the cropped area that could well be an advantage to do it in Camera.

I have tried it a few times but avoid it if I can. Whilst there is some quality loss, it is fairly minimal and thankfully quite far removed from digital zooming.

Thinking about it, quality loss may not actually be all that is happening. Increased camera shake with increased zoom is probably the larger part of the problem. Possibly needs a good trying out with a tripod...

Andy.
 
Thinking about it, quality loss may not actually be all that is happening. Increased camera shake with increased zoom is probably the larger part of the problem. Possibly needs a good trying out with a tripod...

Andy.
Yep camera shake must be a problem - if handholding then you would have to make sure that you have an adequate shutter speed to compensate for the extra 'focal length'.
 
Yep camera shake must be a problem - if handholding then you would have to make sure that you have an adequate shutter speed to compensate for the extra 'focal length'.

This is about the best I've managed with 2.0x zoom handheld....
 

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A few I took today of the spotted Flycatcher - have to say i am struggling with this camera at the mo to get decent pictures. The AF is very slow and I had to take the servo off as it just kept wandering out of focus. Most were taken with the 2x zoom, as I could not get that close, plus it helped to get a fix focus wise on the bird.

Took about 100 pictures. 3 are all I have left, got a lot of exposures wrong as well. I THINK I am learning mind you :-O
 

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Nice pics indeed, I have recently bought the same camera, what's meant by 2x?
If you go to the digital zoom section of the menu there is an option for using ether a 1.5x or 2x digital zoom which increases a focal length by the chosen factor, Canon call it a digital teleconverter, it is supposedly different from normal digital zoom although I am not sure how - at the end of the day it is digital and not optical so IQ is bound to suffer. I do not use it myself but could be handy for distant record shots.
 
If you go to the digital zoom section of the menu there is an option for using ether a 1.5x or 2x digital zoom which increases a focal length by the chosen factor, Canon call it a digital teleconverter, it is supposedly different from normal digital zoom although I am not sure how - at the end of the day it is digital and not optical so IQ is bound to suffer. I do not use it myself but could be handy for distant record shots.

As Roy says, it could come in handy. You can make it even handier and far easier to access by assigning the teleconverter to the 'S' (Short cut) button. You can then cycle through 1.5x, 2.0x and off again with just a quick finger jab instead of having to wade through the menu's.

Andy.
 
I have it set on the 's' button. I took three photos of a rabbit the other day @ max zoom +1.5 and 2x and to be honest there was not a lot of difference, maybe a little softer.

I seem to be using it all the time as i can never close enough.
 
As Roy says, it could come in handy. You can make it even handier and far easier to access by assigning the teleconverter to the 'S' (Short cut) button. You can then cycle through 1.5x, 2.0x and off again with just a quick finger jab instead of having to wade through the menu's.

Andy.
Can you still use the 'S' in the same manner if you are running CHDK Andy?
 
If you go to the digital zoom section of the menu there is an option for using ether a 1.5x or 2x digital zoom which increases a focal length by the chosen factor, Canon call it a digital teleconverter, it is supposedly different from normal digital zoom although I am not sure how - at the end of the day it is digital and not optical so IQ is bound to suffer. I do not use it myself but could be handy for distant record shots.

Thanks Roy, I suspected this is what was meant. Cheers
 
As Roy says, it could come in handy. You can make it even handier and far easier to access by assigning the teleconverter to the 'S' (Short cut) button. You can then cycle through 1.5x, 2.0x and off again with just a quick finger jab instead of having to wade through the menu's.

Andy.

Sounds like a sensible idea, cheers
 
No you cant I am afraid. Thats why I have decided not to put CHDK onto my SX40

You can but it does require a double press to cycle the teleconverter options. Alternatively, what I did was assign the 'Flash' button for the CHDK 'Alt' menu (from within CHDK) which then frees up the 'S' button which then works as normal.

HTH,

Andy.
 
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You can but it does require a double press to cycle the teleconverter options. Alternatively, what I did was assign the 'Flash' button for the CHDK 'Alt' menu (from within CHDK) which then frees up the 'S' button which then works as normal.

HTH,

Andy.

You are a little star, thanks for that :t: Is it worth doing the CHDK upgrade, I would like raw but have been told its very slow.

Regards Paul
 
You are a little star, thanks for that :t: Is it worth doing the CHDK upgrade, I would like raw but have been told its very slow.

Regards Paul
I found RAW too slow for action stuff like birds where you want to shoot in burst but it is fine for things like landscapes. I now shoot in superfine jpeg (which is another CHDK option) it just gives you a little more to play with in post processing I have found.
 
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