Since we have a 48 megapixel sensor, and only 8.3 is required for 4K video, does the Air 3 have a lossless digital zoom when recording video?
Or, does it zoom into the 4K image, which is no different than zooming in post?


For those who may be confused, digital zoom in video does not always degrade the image quality - such is the case with many Sony cameras. Sony branded this feature "Clear Image Zoom."


Thanks!

Digital zoom always downgrade in quality. Not sure why you think Digital zoom doesn't lose quality. It's basically just cropping in. Sony and apples lossless zoom is just an advertising gimmick. Their phone/camera take high quality photo with many pixels. So when you zoom in it still looks good for the human eye, but it you are losing quality cause it is not optical zoom. If you want no lose in quality, optical zoom is the way to go.

djiuser_zKR5HFX3a2EC Posted at 8-12 08:57
Digital zoom always downgrade in quality. Not sure why you think Digital zoom doesn't lose quality. It's basically just cropping in. Sony and apples lossless zoom is just an advertising gimmick. Their phone/camera take high quality photo with many pixels. So when you zoom in it still looks good for the human eye, but it you are losing quality cause it is not optical zoom. If you want no lose in quality, optical zoom is the way to go.

Incorrect.

The question is when does the crop take place?  On the 48 megapixel sensor, or on the recorded 4K image which then requires interpellation?

This “lossless” is a feature the Mavic 2 Pro has (actually the cropped image is slightly better quality due to no interpolation). Just wondering if the Air 3 has it as well.

Hi there. Thank you for bringing this inquiry to us. We will coordinate this to our relevant team for clarification. We will keep you posted. Thank you.

Thank you for patiently waiting. The DJI Air 3 does support lossless digital zoom. Should you have other inquiries, please don't hesitate to reach us. Have a nice day ahead.

DJI Paladin Posted at 8-13 00:07
Thank you for patiently waiting. The DJI Air 3 does support lossless digital zoom. Should you have other inquiries, please don't hesitate to reach us. Have a nice day ahead.

Due to the 12 megapixel sensor, and 8 being necessary for 4K video, it would only be lossless to 1.5x, correct?  Has anyone tested this with a resolution chart?
*** EDIT ***

Although my Air 3 dies not arrive until Wednesday, I did confirm with my Mini 3 Pro that the digital zoom, up to 2x is indeed LOSSLESS!  I confirmed it with a resolution chart.  Enjoy zooming now everyone!

Darrell B. Posted at 8-14 12:05
Due to the 12 megapixel sensor, and 8 being necessary for 4K video, it would only be lossless to 1.5x, correct?  Has anyone tested this with a resolution chart?
*** EDIT ***

Thank you for the information provided. We're glad that you managed to gather the necessary information for your concern. Should you have further inquiries, please don't hesitate to reach us. Thank you for your valued support.

This is very useful information. I assume it has to be in 4K

Bigplumbs Posted at 8-17 22:36
This is very useful information. I assume it has to be in 4K

I've done more testing with this...

Yes, this has nothing to do with still images, only video, since the resolution for video is lower than the actual pixel count of the sensor.  So, if filming in 1080 you could zoom in tighter (in theory), and still be lossless, than filming in 4K.

However, in my testing, the lens is an issue with zooming in that tight.  Although it is sharper than zooming in during post production, beyond 1.5x or 2x, it starts getting too soft for me.  Still, that's equivalent to bumping in 150% in post without loss, so it can be very handy.