Samsung Galaxy S4: How to Zoom In or Zoom Out in the Camera App in Android 4.4 Kitkat

A useful feature that has been available in the Samsung Galaxy S4 since this phone got update to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean is the ability to change the Volume key function in the Camera app. If in the previous version you're only allowed to use the Volume key to zoom in or zoom out, now you can assign the Volume key as the camera key or the record key.

See also: How to Change the Volume Key Function in the Camera App in the Samsung Galaxy S4 with Android 4.4 Kitkat

The zoom function can be used when you want to enlarge the size of the object you'll take, for instance when you want to take a picture from a distance (e.g: taking a picture of a small bird or something far away) or when you want to take a picture of a small object more focus and detail.

How to zoom in or zoom out in the Camera app?
There are two methods available that you can use to zoom in or out in the Camera app, by using the Volume key and using the gesture.

Method #1: By using the Volume key
Unless you've assigned the Volume key to another function, by default you can use this key to zoom in or out in the Camera app.

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Tap the Volume up key to zoom in up to 4x.
3. Tap the Volume down key to zoom out.
4. Tap on any part of the screen to change the focus manually. When the focus point shows green means the focus has been locked and you're ready to take a picture by tapping the camera key.

Method #2: By using gesture
If you don't want to zoom in or out by using the Volume key or if you've already set the Volume key as the camera key or the record key, then you still can zoom in or out in the Camera app by using gesture.

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Spread two fingers apart on the screen to zoom in up to 4x.
3. Pinch the screen using two fingers to zoom out.
4. Tap on any part of the screen to change the focus manually. When the focus point shows green means the focus has been locked and you're ready to take a picture by tapping the camera key.

For the record, if you use the zoom feature while taking a picture then only the object in the focus point will be focused and the others will be blurry(see the picture above). So, how about you? Do you often use the zoom feature while taking pictures? Which method do you like best to use?