How is it possible for ultra compact cameras to have 3x zoom?

[bearsun]

Ultra compact cameras have no moving parts, like the other cameras. Many of the compact cameras have moving lenses and have the same zoom - 3x.

For example this one ultra compact camera:
Olympus Stylus 770 SW
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0701/07012505olympusstylus770sw.asp

I am curious how can they do the 3x zoom without moving parts.

thanks

 

[table1349]

Ultra compact cameras have no moving parts, like the other cameras. Many of the compact cameras have moving lenses and have the same zoom - 3x.

For example this one ultra compact camera:
Olympus Stylus 770 SW
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0701/07012505olympusstylus770sw.asp

I am curious how can they do the 3x zoom without moving parts.

thanks

What makes you think that there are not moving parts? The shutter button moves when depressed. So do the menu and function buttons. There is a battery/media door that opens and closes. The list of moving parts goes on and on. The lens is an internal zoom/internal focus lens similar to any top quality zoom lens on a DSLR. The lens it just housed entirely in the camera body instead of expanding outward when turned on like some cameras.

 

[lockwood81]

Hmm its 3x optical zoom, so it most likely moves within the body of the camera. Pretty neat camera...

 

[ksmattfish]

Tiny, tiny format. The focal length of the lens is approx 8-20mm. From it's widest to most telephoto the most it would possibly have to move is about 1 cm, or about 1/2 the depth of the body.

By the way, although "telephoto" is often used to describe longer focal length lenses, it actually means a lens that has a longer effective focal length than it's actual focal length. Depending on the lens design it may be able to achieve 8 to 20mm without even moving a full 12 mm.

 

[thomson]

It comes with the usual set of accessories and should fill most needs quite nicely. These nice little cameras are nice to take on vacations or other places where you don’t want to carry around a big camera big. This is small enough to just fit in your pocket or your wife’s purse.
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james

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[bearsun]

Is the image quality lower with this kind of lenses? I guess it is, otherwise the camera makers would implement this type of zoom to other compact cameras that have 3x zoom and their lenses are moving. Lower battery consumption and lower chances to damage the lens.