There are a few common reasons why video mode on a smartphone camera may appear zoomed in compared to the normal photo mode:
Different Aspect Ratios
Video is typically shot in a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, while photos are often 4:3 or square. This means that when you switch to video mode, the camera zooms in slightly and crops the top and bottom edges to fit the wider 16:9 video frame.
Digital Zoom
Some smartphone cameras automatically apply a small amount of digital zoom when you switch to video mode. This crops into the image to provide a more zoomed-in look for video without physically moving the lens elements. It’s usually around 1.2-1.5x zoom.
Optical Zoom Lenses
On dual-lens or triple-lens smartphone cameras, the telephoto lens is often dedicated to video recording. This lens has a narrower field of view than the main wide-angle lens used for photos, so it appears optically zoomed when you switch to it in video mode.
Focusing Differences
Auto-focus systems on smartphones are optimized separately for photos versus video. The video focus may front-focus slightly, making objects appear larger and closer for cinematic effect.
Field of View Crop for Electronic Stabilization
To allow extra sensor area for electronic stabilization techniques, some video modes crop into the field of view slightly to provide stabilization buffer room.
Resolution and Quality Settings
Higher video resolutions like 4K use a tighter crop than lower resolutions like 1080p on some cameras. Higher quality 4K video modes may also use tighter crops or different aspect ratios.
Conclusion
In summary, the zoomed-in look in video mode results from a combination of physical lens differences, digital zooming, auto-focus adjustments, stabilization crops, and resolution/quality settings. It improves the cinematic video shooting experience by providing a tighter field of view better suited for video capture.
Detailed Explanations
How Aspect Ratios Impact Framing
One of the biggest factors causing the zoomed-in look in video mode is the difference between photo and video aspect ratios:
- Photos are typically shot in 4:3, 16:9, or 1:1 aspect ratios
- Video is usually 16:9 widescreen
This means that a rectangular 4:3 photo sensor area needs to crop top and bottom edges to fit the wider 16:9 video frame. For example, with a 4:3 sensor:
| Format | Field of View |
|---|---|
| 4:3 Photo | Uses full sensor area |
| 16:9 Video | Crops top and bottom for wider view |
Similar cropping occurs when going from a square 1:1 photo ratio to 16:9 video. Either way, this cropping creates a zoomed-in look, as you’re using just the center portion of the sensor.
Examples of 16:9 Video Cropping 4:3 Sensor
Here are some visual examples of how a 4:3 camera sensor crops down to 16:9 for video recording:
As you can see, the top and bottom edges are cropped out for video, resulting in a slightly more zoomed-in look and changed perspective.
Digital Zoom Factor
In addition to physical cropping from sensor ratios, many smartphone cameras also apply a small amount of digital zoom when you switch to video mode. This provides an extra level of zooming in.
For example, phones like the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra use a 1.2x digital zoom in video mode. This crops the 4:3 sensor down to a 17:9 ratio, then further crops to 16:9. The iPhone 13 Pro applies a 1.4x digital zoom factor in 4K video on the wide lens.
This digital zoom factor may be increased at higher video resolutions like 8K or for stabilization purposes:
| Video Mode | Digital Zoom Amount |
|---|---|
| 1080p | 1.2x |
| 4K | 1.4x |
| 8K | 1.8x |
So when you switch into these higher resolution video modes, you’ll notice an increasingly zoomed-in perspective as more digital zoom is applied.
Telephoto Lenses for Video
On recent high-end smartphones with multiple rear camera lenses, the telephoto lens is often dedicated to video recording rather than photos.
For example, on a 3-lens camera system:
| Lens | Used for Photos | Used for Video |
|---|---|---|
| Wide Angle | Yes | No |
| Telephoto 2x | Yes | No |
| Telephoto 3-5x | No | Yes |
Having a longer telephoto lens for video provides that zoomed-in look. Even though it’s optical zoom, the narrower field of view appears noticeably more zoomed than the wide angle photo lens.
Auto-Focusing Differences
Smartphone cameras use sophisticated auto-focus systems powered by algorithms and machine learning. The auto-focus is tuned and optimized separately for photos compared to video:
- Photo focus prioritizes sharpness on key subjects
- Video focus creates a more cinematic look with pleasing focus roll-off
This means the video mode focus may intentionally front-focus slightly, keeping only objects at a certain distance razor sharp. This provides the zoomed-in look by blurring out the foreground and background.
Cropping for Electronic Stabilization
To allow room for electronic stabilization techniques to work properly, video modes may crop into the sensor area:
- Provides stabilization buffer area around edges
- Results in tighter field of view
For example, 4K video may crop a full sensor area down to 90% width and 80% height. This kind of stabilization crop creates a more zoomed-in look.
Resolution and Quality Settings
Higher video resolutions require tighter crops:
| Resolution | Crop Factor |
|---|---|
| 1080p | 1.0x |
| 4K | 1.2x |
| 8K | 1.5x |
This is because higher resolution sensors typically have a wider aspect ratio to begin with. Going from lower to higher resolution filming will zoom in the view.
Higher quality video modes like 60fps 4K also use tighter crops than standard 4K 30fps to maintain image quality and stabilization performance.
Conclusion
In summary, the zoomed-in look when switching to video mode is caused by:
- Cropping sensor area to fit 16:9 aspect ratio
- Applying small digital zoom factors
- Using telephoto lenses optimized for video
- Video-centric auto-focus and stabilization
- Tighter crops for higher resolutions
These factors work together to provide a more cinematic, zoomed-in perspective that’s better suited artistically for capturing video content. The tradeoff is a slightly narrower field of view compared to photo modes. But that’s a compromise smartphone makers have made to optimize the video shooting experience for users.
So next time your smartphone video seems more zoomed in, understand it’s working as designed! The zoomed look is on purpose for producing higher quality video content with that immersive feel. Your phone isn’t broken or glitching.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my phone zoom in when I record video?
Your phone zooms in slightly for video to crop the sensor area to 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio, apply a digital zoom factor, use a dedicated telephoto lens, allow stabilization cropping, and optimize focus and resolution settings for video recording.
Is video quality worse when zoomed in?
No, the zoomed-in video perspective actually improves quality by allowing the camera to leverage optimized lenses, focus, stabilization and proper aspect ratio framing for video recording. The field of view is simply tightened to be more cinematic.
Can I turn off the video zoom on my phone?
Most smartphone cameras do not allow disabling the auto zoom when switching to video mode, as it is required for proper video function. However, 3rd party camera apps may provide manual controls to override it.
Why is my selfie camera zoomed in on video?
Front-facing selfie cameras zoom in on video to crop to 16:9 ratio from a 4:3 sensor, digitally zoom for stabilization, use optimized focus and frame for a solo vlogging perspective. The selfie video field of view is intentionally more zoomed-in.
Does a wider lens reduce zooming in video mode?
Yes, using a wider angle lens for photos and video minimizes the amount of cropping and zooming required when switching aspect ratios. But some zoom effect remains due to digital factors like stabilization and optimized focus.
Tips for Dealing with Video Zooming
Use Wider Lens Options
If available, shoot video on the widest lens on your phone to minimize the amount of zooming and cropping applied:
- Main wide camera rather than telephoto
- Ultrawide if your phone has it
Wider lenses provide the widest starting field of view for video to crop down from.
Shoot in Lower Resolution
Lower video resolutions like 1080p have less of a crop factor than higher 4K or 8K modes, resulting in a wider look:
| Resolution | Crop Amount |
|---|---|
| 720p | 1.0x |
| 1080p | 1.2x |
| 4K | 1.4x |
Just keep in mind lower res footage will have less detail.
Use Third-party Camera Apps
Some third party or manual camera apps provide controls to override auto zoom and aspect ratio settings. This lets you record video without zooming.
Get Closer to Subjects
If shooting people or objects, moving closer counters the zoomed-in effect by filling the frame how you want. Get near what you’re filming.
Use Zooming for Creativity
Learn to embrace the automatic zoom! It creates a cinematic look that pulls viewers into the center of the action. Use the effect for compelling video storytelling.
Example Scenarios
Vlogging/Selfie Video
When Amy switches to selfie mode on her phone’s front camera, the video framing looks very zoomed in and cropped compared to regular selfies. Her head and shoulders fill most of the frame.
This zoomed look is caused by the front camera cropping its 4:3 sensor down to 16:9 video aspect ratio, plus applying a small digital zoom factor around 1.5x to optimize face framing and stabilization for vlogging videos.
While the field of view is narrower than photo mode, the zoomed effect puts focus on Amy as the subject and creates a pleasing video perspective.
Group Video Call
When Bill joins a group video call with his friends, he notices the video feed looks very zoomed in on his phone. He can only see head and shoulder portions rather than full bodies like on regular selfie photos.
His phone is cropping the camera sensor from around 4:3 down to 16:9 dimensions for video calling, plus digitally zooming 1.5x to frame a tighter shot of just Bill for the one-person video feed.
So while the zoom is unexpected coming from photo mode, it optimizes the solo video perspective for video calling and puts focus on Bill as the speaker.
Action Camera Filming
Jasmine attached an action camera to her bike helmet to film some downhill mountain biking. She previewed the angle in photo mode, but once she started recording video, the framing seemed very zoomed in and didn’t show as much scenery passing by.
The action cam uses a 4:3 square sensor but crops the top and bottom to record in widescreen 16:9 video format. This narrows the vertical field of view significantly. Plus, video mode applies stabilization crops and tweaks focus for action footage.
While disappointing at first, the tighter zoomed angle ultimately creates a more engaging POV look by focusing just on the trail ahead rather than distracting periphery elements.
Key Takeaways
- Switching to video mode zooms in due to cropping for 16:9 aspect ratio from 4:3 sensors.
- Digital zoom factors around 1.2-1.5x further zoom in video mode on some phones.
- Dedicated telephoto lenses optimized for video provide an optically zoomed perspective.
- Auto-focus and stabilization needs cause additional cropping and zooming.
- Higher video resolutions use tighter crops, so 4K is more zoomed than 1080p.
- The zoomed video look creates a cinematic, engaging experience for viewers.