This will seem obvious when you read it but here is a tip for when you are taking a shot of a zoom-in or zoom-out of any subject.

Make your camera shot and use the zoom control on the camera as normal.

When you get into PD and are doing your editing, cut the track at the beginning and end of your zoom from points where there is no motion.

By this I mean e.g

Stattic image - Static image - CUT HERE Static image - ZOOMING - CUT HERE - ZOOMING - ZOOMING - ZOOMING -

So that the begin of the zooming is removed (and then do it for the end of the zooming too)

That way the jerky start to zooming and any camera shake are removed.

But wait - that loses part of my zoom time , you say.

NOW - go to Video (or PIP) Edit Time in PD

and for the zoom portion of the track , set the time to 0.5 speed

Now when you run the video what you will get is the static subject video followed by elegant half-speed zooming over and above whatever zoom rate you were using.

Obviously this only works for zooming in on people standing still or images of Oil Paintings or zooming in on a house. But what you will get is really smooth zoom and excellent jitter-free start and stop.

You can also try the 0.5 speed on panning across a house or other static subject and the pan is so much better than panning by hand even with fluid tripod heads.

Try it - You will like it.

Best Regards for the Holiday Season

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