The difference between the two is that optical zoom is the zoom performed by the lens, and is truely a zoom. The digital zoom is simply a crop of the photo, that the cameras processor interpulates to create a full size image..



Basically, it takes a small section of a photo and stretches it.. then adds pixels to the empty spots created by the stretch, it takes a guess at what color the pixels should be, based on mathmatical principles.. You will drop some picture quality with it (how much depends on the digital zoom power, and how good the interpulation is).



The optical zoom will work when it can, but when the operator zooms beyond the reach of the lens strength, the digital zoom will kick in. (nost have an option within the camera to turn the feature off, so it will only zoom within the limitations of the glass.



It would be ok for a person looking for snap shots that may occassionally need a little extra boost.. If someone will primarily be using the camera at the far end of the zoom, they would be much better served to get one with better glass.
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