Question regarding Canon SX50 built in Digital Tele-converter (Page 2): Thank you very much. I changed to JPG and now digital zoom isn't grayed out any longer and all four options are...

jamesl Loc: Pennsylvania

kenbar wrote:

I have been having the same problem .I have read and digested the manual to no effect. What the manual does not tell is that
digital zoom and digital tele-converter can only be used when shooting JPEG and not RAW files.Hope this helps.

Thank you very much. I changed to JPG and now digital zoom isn't grayed out any longer and all four options are available. That was the one thing I hadn't tried in an effort to get the digital zoom options available. The problem is fixed now and once again thank you very much for the help. I was pretty sure that someone here would have the answer.

jamesl Loc: Pennsylvania

Wahawk wrote:

If you can't figure out what setting is preventing it, make note of all your menu settings and then do a RESET to factory defaults and go back thru your setting.

Thank you. About the only option I had changed when I first notised the problem was switching to RAW, and as it turned out, that caused the problem. As I was told in another reply, the manual fails to mention you have to be shooting in JPG to make the options available.

Sugar'sDaddy Loc: Hannibal, MO

Wahawk wrote:

The Digital zoom gives you closer focusing distances for the same 'magnification'. It basically allows you to get closer to 'macro' size images at the closest distances, plus it optimizes some other settings that enhance your ability to get sharp, hand-held pics. It is still using the Digic processor to essentially crop and re-sample to get the final image, but in MOST cases it is still better than using the standard digital zoom out to the 2x point.

Thanks Wahawk, I'm learning all kinds of new things today.
:)

jamesl Loc: Pennsylvania

Linda From Maine wrote:

I agree with Wahawk that sometimes it's easiest to just do a re-set and start over :)

Once you do that, just turn the knob at top to P, M, Av or Tv. And then go into the menu to digital zoom and the choices will be there.

You might consider assigning your shortcut button (back of camera, upper left) the option of toggling among the teleconverter choices. I found that handy.

(edit - two folks after me remembered one of the biggies: you can't be in raw!)

Thank you. I had tried setting the shortcut button but I found it didn't do anything when it was set to handle the tele-converter options. I turns out that was also because I was shooting in RAW format. When set to RAW the only time you have any of the Digital Zoom options available is if you are using "C1: or "C2". Which is another thing the manual failed to mention. I like the camera, but the manual leaves a lot to be desired.

jamesl Loc: Pennsylvania

jpintn wrote:

You cannot access the tele-converters if you are shooting in RAW. Select jpeg and they should then be available.

Thank you.

jamesl Loc: Pennsylvania

Bmac wrote:

Hi James. I have the camera in my hands right now.... (show quote)

Thank you, I changed the format from RAW back to JPG as several have suggested and all works now. I went through the manual and read it at least a dozen times to see what I may have missed, and now as it turns out the manual fails to to mention that you can't be in "RAW" or "RAW+JPG". I normally shoot in one of these two modes so God only knows how long I would have stumbled around before stumbling across the need to be in JPG. Thanks again.

jamesl Loc: Pennsylvania

Sugar'sDaddy wrote:

Hello James, thanks to you and the replies, I've l... (show quote)

Unfortunately reading the manual would not help at all since it failed to mention the need to be in JPG. I don't know exactly how using the tele-converters differs from the regular zoom. I had read that using the tele-converter may allow you to shoot at a faster speed than you would be able to with the standard digital zoom That is what I was trying to check out when I found I couldn't get the options available which lead me to make the post, and now all is well and I got all the answers I was looking for.

Sugar'sDaddy Loc: Hannibal, MO

jamesl wrote:

Unfortunately reading the manual would not help at... (show quote)

:thumbup: :thumbup:

Morning Star Loc: West coast, North of the 49th N.

jpintn wrote:

You cannot access the tele-converters if you are shooting in RAW. Select jpeg and they should then be available.

Because this forum is read by folks with different brands of cameras, I would like to add to this, that it also depends on your camera.
With my Oly E-M1 you evidently can use the digital zoom while shooting RAW, although I must admit, I have not tried it out.
After reading the explanation for Digital Zoom or Digital Tele-Converter, if I wish to crop a a photo I'd rather do it later on the computer, rather than in-camera.

Wahawk Loc: NE IA

jamesl wrote:

Unfortunately reading the manual would not help at... (show quote)

The "Digital Tele-Converter" essentially applies the 'digital zoom factor' at ALL lengths thru the zoom range. This results in giving you a closer minimum focus range at each effective magnification.

Try picking a subject, then shoot it at the minimum focus distance for several points in the zoom range. Try it first with Digital Zoom set to Standard or Off. Then try the same shots with the DZ set to 1.5 and another set with the DZ set to 2.0

jamesl Loc: Pennsylvania

Wahawk wrote:

The "Digital Tele-Converter" essentially applies the 'digital zoom factor' at ALL lengths thru the zoom range. This results in giving you a closer minimum focus range at each effective magnification.

Try picking a subject, then shoot it at the minimum focus distance for several points in the zoom range. Try it first with Digital Zoom set to Standard or Off. Then try the same shots with the DZ set to 1.5 and another set with the DZ set to 2.0

Thank you for the explanation. I'll definitely give your suggestion a try.