Hi, I am a private pilot in real life and an active user of the FBW A320N in the sim and there has been some discussion about the displays in the latest experimental build.  Many of these relate to display darkness when zoomed out.  Some comments even speak about doing this on landing.  I am not a VR user (may be some day) so I don't think this effects them.  However, I have always found it odd that some folks zoom way back (like their in the jump seat with the back of their head against the circuit panel bulkhead), I believe to get a 'panorama' feel during landing.  Honestly, I am not sure how you could control the nuance of the landing doing this.  Here is what I mean, take a look at this VIDEO.  This is why I try to get my cockpit view on landing as close to what I would expect to see if actually seated in the seat.  I have even tried to (with some success) to set my zoom so the PFD on my large monitor matches the real-world display width (6.25" in this case).  Yes, periphery vision is lost (unfortunately) but speed perception is maintained looking ahead. 

I suspect that many of us are somewhere in between, but do any others here zoom in during landing to get a better real-life gauge ratio on-screen view related to the panel and runway?

I have a 27 inch monitor and my zoom is at 85 - probably more zoomed in than most, but this is the setting I perceive to be realistic.  I use TrackIR so the loss of peripheral vision isn't a big issue.  I used two methods to get the zoom level correct.  firstly I used an online FOV calculator to get the correct setting for XP11.  I then matched the view in MSFS.  Secondly I switch MSFS into VR Mode then adjust the zoom setting in 2D to match the view in VR.  For me a zoom in MSFS of 85 seems right.

I have raced a lot in iRacing where setting the correct FOV is important for speed perception.  Some people post videos where their FOV is way zoomed out, so it looks like they are travelling at 500mph!  Depth perception is also wrong when the FOV is wrong.

If the zoom in MSFS is too far out ( a low zoom number) depth and speed perception will not match real world.

54 minutes ago, Mike S KPDX said:

I have even tried to (with some success) to set my zoom so the PFD on my large monitor matches the real-world display width (6.25" in this case).

Careful though. You can move the view forwards/backwards in the cockpit (doesn't affect zoom) as well as use zoom.  Once the zoom level is correct then move the cockpit view forwards/backwards to get your seating position correct.  I see screenshots in aircraft like the C172 where the instruments look six feet away!  

Set the zoom to a realistic setting THEN move the seat forwards/backwards so the view distance to the instruments is realistic.  If you then use TrackIR to rotate the head the experience will be much more realistic.

7 hours ago, MrBitstFlyer said:

Careful though. You can move the view forwards/backwards in the cockpit (doesn't affect zoom) as well as use zoom.  Once the zoom level is correct then move the cockpit view forwards/backwards to get your seating position correct.  I see screenshots in aircraft like the C172 where the instruments look six feet away!  

Set the zoom to a realistic setting THEN move the seat forwards/backwards so the view distance to the instruments is realistic.  If you then use TrackIR to rotate the head the experience will be much more realistic.

Interesting, how do you set your 'zoom' to a specific setting? (like 85 mentioned above).  I have mine on a throttle slider, works fine but I dont know where I could find a digital readout.

8 minutes ago, Mike S KPDX said:

Interesting, how do you set your 'zoom' to a specific setting? (like 85 mentioned above).  I have mine on a throttle slider, works fine but I dont know where I could find a digital readout.

Camera window in game has a slider, or setup a custom view using whatever zoom level you want.

 

42 minutes ago, Mike S KPDX said:

Interesting, how do you set your 'zoom' to a specific setting? (like 85 mentioned above).  I have mine on a throttle slider, works fine but I dont know where I could find a digital readout.

Zoom is set under options/camera.  

I don't change zoom at all in MSFS once set correctly - there is only one correct zoom for a seating position/viewing distance/monitor.

14 hours ago, MrBitstFlyer said:

I have a 27 inch monitor and my zoom is at 85 - probably more zoomed in than most, but this is the setting I perceive to be realistic.  I use TrackIR so the loss of peripheral vision isn't a big issue.  I used two methods to get the zoom level correct.  firstly I used an online FOV calculator to get the correct setting for XP11.  I then matched the view in MSFS.  Secondly I switch MSFS into VR Mode then adjust the zoom setting in 2D to match the view in VR.  For me a zoom in MSFS of 85 seems right.

Thank you. I followed a quite similar procedure: There has been a series of legendary three YouTube videos by user Almost Aviation elaborating the correct (most close to real-world) Zoom setting for FSX. I made use of these videos for FSX and later Prepar3d.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjbCFNSofpk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikwToOzX_UA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwGT2hEiDUc

To capitalize from them for MSFS, I made a screen shot from a definite point of view (beginning of 28R at KSFO) in Prepar3d. Next, I fired up MSFS, set the plane to the same point and shifted Zoom back and forth to get the very same view. The result was a value of 0.8, quite close to yours, which is indeed high compared to the default of 0.5.

I finally settled with a slightly lower value of 0,75 despite, as high Zoom values cause a performance loss, notably over Photogrammetry cities.

Anyway, Zoom has a high impact on visuals as well as performance but is often just forgotten over TAA, LOD, and others.

Kind regards, Michael

2 hours ago, pmb said:

Thank you. I followed a quite similar procedure: There has been a series of legendary three YouTube videos by user Almost Aviation elaborating the correct (most close to real-world) Zoom setting for FSX. I made use of these videos for FSX and later Prepar3d.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjbCFNSofpk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikwToOzX_UA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwGT2hEiDUc

To capitalize from them for MSFS, I made a screen shot from a definite point of view (beginning of 28R at KSFO) in Prepar3d. Next, I fired up MSFS, set the plane to the same point and shifted Zoom back and forth to get the very same view. The result was a value of 0.8, quite close to yours, which is indeed high compared to the default of 0.5.

I finally settled with a slightly lower value of 0,75 despite, as high Zoom values cause a performance loss, notably over Photogrammetry cities.

Anyway, Zoom has a high impact on visuals as well as performance but is often just forgotten over TAA, LOD, and others.

Kind regards, Michael

Oh yes I agree, legendary videos indeed!  I hoped somehow he would find a magical formula for MSFS and create new videos!  

I didn’t realise zoom plays a role in performance too, I’ll have to try your .75 to see what the effect is.  I have my display set to 120Hz with Vsync in MSFS set to 20 for a fixed 40fps.  If 0.75 helps with a little more fps headroom it may well be worth it.