Nikon patent surfaces for lens with manual and motorized zoom

The video quality you can get from a DSLR that can record video in HD is very impressive giving the capability to make really good photos and video with one go. The catch that some are finding when they are trying to make pro level video with the DSLR is that it's hard to zoom smoothly in manual zoom mode that DSLR cameras support.

Nikon has filed for a patent that outlines a cool new DSLR lens that has both manual zoom and electronic zoom modes the manual mode would allow the shooter to zoom quickly when taking still shots where being smooth isn't a factor. The same lens would have an electronic zoom mode.

That electronic zoom mode would allow for smooth zooms that look professional and are easy to perform. Where this patent will come into play is unknown. The patent app was filed on June 3, 2009 and published last week.