--- title: "How To ZOOM On Part Of A VIDEO In Davinci Resolve" author: "Sarah Williams" category: Tutorials excerpt: "Learn how to properly zoom in on specific parts of a video in DaVinci Resolve using Edit page Transform controls, Dynamic Zoom, and Adjustment Clips." --- To zoom in on a specific part of a video in DaVinci Resolve, you must use the Transform controls located in the Edit page Inspector panel. By selecting the clip, increasing the "Zoom" value, and adjusting the "Position" X and Y coordinates, you can reframe the shot to focus the viewer's attention on a crucial detail. ## What is a digital zoom in DaVinci Resolve? A digital zoom is the process of enlarging a video clip during post-production to crop out unwanted edges or highlight a specific subject within the frame. Unlike an optical zoom (which happens inside the camera lens during filming), a digital zoom stretches the existing pixels. This technique is heavily used in interviews to create "fake multi-cam" angles, in tutorials to show screen details, or in social media videos to emphasize comedic timing. It relies on manipulating the scale and position of the video layer. ## How to manually zoom and reposition a clip? The most direct and precise way to zoom into a video is by manually adjusting its scale and coordinates in the Inspector. 1. **Select the Clip:** On the Edit page, click the video clip on your timeline that you want to enlarge. 2. **Open the Inspector:** Click the "Inspector" button in the top right corner of the interface to reveal the clip properties. 3. **Locate Transform Controls:** Under the "Video" tab, find the "Transform" section. 4. **Adjust the Zoom:** Hover your mouse over the "Zoom" X or Y value (they are linked by default). Click and drag to the right to increase the scale (e.g., from 1.000 to 1.500). The image in the viewer will enlarge. 5. **Adjust Position:** Because the zoom defaults to the center of the image, your subject may now be cut off. Click and drag the "Position X" (left/right) and "Position Y" (up/down) values to re-center the specific part of the video you want to highlight. ## How to animate a smooth zoom over time? If you want the camera to slowly push in on a subject during a scene, you must animate the zoom using keyframes. 1. **Set the Starting Point:** Move the playhead to the frame where you want the zoom to begin. In the Inspector's Transform section, ensure Zoom is at 1.000. Click the small diamond icon next to the word "Transform" to set keyframes for all parameters. The diamond will turn red. 2. **Set the Ending Point:** Move the playhead forward to where the zoom should finish. Increase the "Zoom" value and adjust the "Position" X/Y to frame your subject. DaVinci Resolve automatically drops new keyframes. 3. **Smooth the Animation:** A linear zoom often feels robotic. Click the small spline icon (curve curve) on the bottom right of the clip in the timeline. Highlight the keyframes, right-click, and select "Ease In/Out" to create a cinematic, gradual start and stop to the camera move. ## How to use the Dynamic Zoom tool for faster results? For quick, automated camera moves without manually placing keyframes, DaVinci Resolve offers the Dynamic Zoom feature. 1. **Enable Dynamic Zoom:** Select the clip. In the Inspector, scroll down to the "Dynamic Zoom" section and toggle the switch to turn it on. The clip will instantly begin a slow push-in over its entire duration. 2. **View the Overlay:** To control the framing, click the dropdown menu in the bottom-left corner of the timeline viewer and select "Dynamic Zoom." 3. **Adjust the Boxes:** You will see a green box and a red box overlaying your video. The green box is the starting frame; the red box is the ending frame. Drag the corners of the red box to make it smaller and position it over the specific part of the video you want to zoom into. 4. **Change Easing:** In the Inspector under Dynamic Zoom, change the "Dynamic Zoom Ease" dropdown from Linear to "Ease In and Out" for a smoother motion. ## How to apply the same zoom to multiple clips? If you have cut an interview into 20 pieces and want to apply the same punch-in zoom to 10 of those clips, manually adjusting each one is inefficient. To apply a universal zoom effect: * **Create an Adjustment Clip:** Go to `Effects > Toolbox > Effects` and drag an "Adjustment Clip" onto the video track directly above your cuts. * **Stretch the Clip:** Drag the edges of the Adjustment Clip so it covers all the video clips you want to zoom into. * **Apply the Zoom:** Select the Adjustment Clip, open the Inspector, and increase the Zoom and Position values. Every clip underneath the Adjustment Clip will instantly inherit the exact same framing, saving you hours of repetitive work. ## How to avoid losing quality when zooming? Because digital zooming stretches existing pixels, zooming too far will result in a blurry, pixelated image. * **Shoot in 4K, Edit in 1080p:** The professional standard is to shoot your footage in 4K resolution (3840x2160) but edit your timeline in HD (1920x1080). This allows you to punch in up to 200% (Zoom 2.000) with zero loss in visual quality. * **Use Super Scale:** If you must zoom into 1080p footage on a 1080p timeline, DaVinci Resolve Studio offers an AI upscaling tool called "Super Scale." Right-click the clip in the Media Pool, select `Clip Attributes`, and enable `Super Scale (2x)`. The Neural Engine will mathematically generate new pixels to sharpen the zoomed image. ## How to speed up editing before reframing? Constantly zooming and reframing clips while you are still trying to build the story is a massive waste of time. Professional editors use AI pre-editing workflows to lock their structural edit first: * **Extract the Story:** They upload raw footage to [Cutsio](https://cutsio.com), read the transcript, and extract the exact sentences they need via XML export. * **Import to Resolve:** They import the XML into DaVinci Resolve to instantly build the narrative timeline. * **Reframe Last:** Once the story flows perfectly, they go through the timeline and apply strategic punch-ins (using the Inspector or Adjustment Clips) only on the specific cuts that require emphasis. ## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ### Can I zoom using my mouse wheel in the viewer? No. Scrolling the mouse wheel in the viewer only zooms your *view* of the canvas, not the actual video clip. To change the scale of the final exported video, you must use the Transform controls in the Inspector panel. ### Why is my clip getting cut off when I zoom in? If you are using the Edit page Transform tools and the clip is clipping at the edges, you likely have a mask applied or you are zooming a clip that has been cropped. Ensure the "Cropping" section in the Inspector is reset, and use the "Position" controls to keep the subject centered within the 16:9 frame. ### How do I instantly reset a zoom to normal? If you make a mistake and want to return the clip to its original size, open the Inspector, go to the Transform section, and click the circular arrow icon (Reset) to the right of the word "Transform." This will instantly revert all Zoom, Position, and Rotation values to default. By mastering the Transform Inspector, keyframes, and Dynamic Zoom tools, you can strategically reframe shots in DaVinci Resolve to guide the viewer's attention exactly where you want it.