Digital zoom is a feature found in many cameras and smartphones that allows users to magnify an image by cropping and enlarging it. Unlike optical zoom, which uses physical lenses to bring subjects closer, digital zoom simply enlarges the pixels of the image, which can result in a loss of quality and detail. When using digital zoom, the camera captures the full image but only displays a portion of it, effectively zooming in on the subject. This can be useful for quickly framing a shot, but it is generally recommended to use optical zoom or to get closer to the subject for better image quality.