Sony Support

Article ID : 00056252 / Last Modified : 09/21/2022Print

What are the differences between Digital Zoom, Clear Image Zoom and Smart Zoom?

    IMPORTANT: This article applies only to specific products and/or operating systems. Check Applicable Products and Categories for details.

    With standard digital zoom, pictures captured by the image sensor of the camera are enlarged using digital signal processing. Therefore, as the magnification level increases, signals to be estimated also increase and can reduce the image quality.

    When using Clear Image Zoom, however, images are captured close to the original quality when shooting a still picture. The camera first zooms to the maximum optical magnification, then uses Clear Image Zoom technology to enlarge the image an additional 2x, producing sharp clear images despite the increased zoom ratio.

    The Smart Zoom™  feature allows images to be zoomed without losing picture quality. The central part of the picture is trimmed and enlarged without image processing.

    Note:

    Depending on the camera model, Smart Zoom and Clear Image Zoom features may not operate in the following situations:

    • In Movie mode
      • If the Record setting is set to 120p
    • In Sweep Shooting mode.
    • When the Smile Shutter function is activated.
    • When Face Detection is activated.
    • Then the image quality settings are set to RAW or RAW & JPEG.
    • When ISO is set to Multi Frame Noise Reduction.

    Be sure to check your product manuals to verify the availability of the zoom features and details of usage.