your nikon digital camera offers two kinds of zoom: optical zoom, in which the camera's telescoping lens can be used to magnify the subject up to 3 ×, and digital zoom, in which digital processing is used to further magnify the image up to 2.5 ×.

    optical zoom

    photos can be framed in the monitor using the zoom buttons.

   

    digital zoom

    at the maximum optical zoom position, holding the button down triggers digital zoom.

   

    the camera can be zoomed in and out in the digital zoom range by pressing the and buttons. to restore ordinary optical zoom, press until the zoom indicator turns white.

    in digital zoom, data from the camera's image sensor are processed digitally, enlarging the center portion of the picture to fill the frame. unlike optical zoom, digital zoom does not increase the amount of detail visible in the picture. instead, details visible at maximum optical zoom are enlarged, producing a slightly "grainy" image. while digital zoom is in effect, the camera focuses on the subject in the center of the frame, even if objects in other areas of the frame are closer to the camera.

    digital zoom is not available in movie mode ( 26), at continuous settings other than single ( 61), or when bss ( 62) is on.