Most camcorders have a handy zoom feature. A zoom lens is basically a lens with an adjustable focal length. A longer lens — also called a telephoto lens —makes far-away subjects appear closer. A shorter lens — also called a wide angle lens — allows more of a scene to fit in the shot. Zoom lenses allow you to adjust between wide-angle and telephoto.
Because the zoom feature is easy to use and fun to play with, amateur videographers tend to zoom in and out a lot. I recommend that you avoid zooming during a shot as much as possible. Overuse of the zoom lens not only disorients the viewer, it also creates focal and light problems whether you’re focusing the camera manually or using autofocus. Some zoom lens tips include
- Avoid zooming whenever possible. I know how tempting it is to zoom in on something cool or interesting in a video shot, but you should exercise restraint whenever possible.
- If you must zoom while recording, zoom slowly. You may need to practice a bit to get a feel for your camera’s zoom control.
- Consider repositioning the camera instead of using the zoom lens to compose the shot. Wide-angle lenses (remember, when you zoom out you make the camcorder’s lens more of a wide-angle lens) have greater depth of field. This means more of the shot is in focus if you’re zoomed out. If you shoot subjects by zooming in on them from across a room, they may move in and out of focus. But if you move the camera in and zoom the lens out, focus will be less of a problem.
