Where did you get those values from? I modeled the scene in mm and imported the OBJ in mm too. Why meters? I did nothing else than reset the szene and the zoom in with the 3d mouse!z is at -6.5 meters, x at -5.6 meters, y at -2.7 meters, whereas your objects are about 30 centimeters in front of the camera.
But ok i checked it again. I opened the szene. Target is 0,0,0 - position is x0 y0 z10
I take the target picker the values change at target to : x0,19 - y 0,1 - z 0.11
After that i zoom in: values: x 0.13 - y 0.5 - z-8.6
I reused the picker and values are then: x 0.19 - y 0.13 - z 0.19
Position after zoom was x.0.005 - y -0.02 and z 1.26
So its obviously you move also the point of interrest!
Handling of the mouse is absolutely no difference between this method and the other. Not better and not worse. Exactly the same!
Kind regards Chris!