This tip was printed from the MalekTips Computer and Technology Help and Tips website at http://malektips.com.

Digital Travel Photography - Avoid Optical Zoom if Moving

If you are taking photographs from a moving bus, car, boat, or plane, consider avoiding, or lessening your use, of your digital camera's optical telephoto zoom. While telephoto zooms are quite useful in showing details of a remote location, they can cause some problems if you are shooting from a non-stationary vehicle.

A telephoto zoom (or telephoto lens if you use a digital SLR) requires more light to enter the camera to take an effective photo. For more light to enter the camera, the shutter speed must be slower to allow the digital camera to absorb light. If the shutter speed is slow and you are moving, your photos may turn out blurry. Thus, consider using a wide-angle zoom (or lens if you are using a digital SLR) whenever possible.

Note that on especially sunny days, you may not experience this problem, as your digital camera may be able to absorb enough light to take quick photos, so be sure to experiment.