Samsung Galaxy S5: How to Adjust the Zoom Level in the Stock Camera App in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

In some conditions, you will probably need to adjust the zoom level before taking a photo, for instance: when you can't get closer to the subject because it is not safe or in a difficult location, when you want to take a photo of a small object, etc. Fortunately, the stock Camera app lets you adjust the zoom level up to 4x so that you can still get the best shot while you're in those conditions. But, you have to remember that you can't zoom in or out your photos when you're in these shooting modes: shot&more, panorama, virtual tour shot, surround shot, animated photo and sequence shot.

How to adjust the zoom level in the stock Camera app?
You can do so by using two different methods: by using the default zoom gesture and by using the Volume key.

Method #1: By using the default zoom gesture
When you're in the stock Camera app, you can easily zoom in your photo by spreading two fingers apart together on the image in the preview screen and zoom out your photo by pinching the screen. FYI, since this gesture is a default feature in the stock Camera app, you can directly use this feature without you have to set anything first.


Method #2: By using the Volume key
When you're in the stock Camera app, you can set the Volume key as the zoom key by utilizing the Volume key option in the camera settings menu. This will let you zoom in your photo by pressing the Volume Up key and zoom out your photo by pressing the Volume Down key.