Camera Lens Types

Some might like to categorize their cameras based on the lens type too. So we shall have a look at the various types of lenses available on the cameras in the market.

Fixed Lens Type: In these cameras, the lenses are fixed to the body. The range(zoom) of the lens is fixed and this cannot be changed unless adding on additional lenses to the existing lens. In contrast is the Removable Lens type of cameras which are mainly present on SLR cameras. I will cover SLR cameras in a different post. For now let us have a look at the different types of Fixed Lens cameras.

Internally Zooming: These cameras are very compact and have internally zooming lens elements. To the outsider, it is unknown if the photographer is zooming in on him or not as the lens barrel never pops out beyond the body of the camera. Of course the range of zoom is hence severely limited with cameras known to touch a maximum of 3x zoom. Obviously even external lenses cannot be attached to these cameras to increase the zoom as the lens is inside the camera.

As is obvious the next type of cameras are the Externally Zooming types. We shall have a look at the different types of externally zooming lenses available.

Medium Zoom: These are present in 75% of the cameras available in the market. They have an externally zooming lens barrel and they have zoom capacity in the range of 3x - 6x. These lenses can also be enhanced by adding add-on lenses and many manufacturers provide screw threads on top of the lens where one can attach add-on lenses.

Ultra Zoom: Many newer Pseudo-SLR cameras come with really large zooms. They offer the range and dexterity like no other. People who understand SLR cameras will realize that they don't need to carry around large and bulky lenses which they have to keep replacing depending on the subject that they are photographing. These cameras start with an unbelievable zoom of 10x. For people looking for really large zoom to capture far away objects frequently, this is absolutely the way to go.

Choice of Camera

Maybe the very very first and important question that would come into the mind of a first time camera buyer is the size factor. Budget might well be the question, but that is the limiting factor, it is not the deciding factor. So lets have a look at how the range of sizes of camera available in the market affect the decision of the buyer.

Ultra Compact: These cameras are small, and by small I really mean small. They can range from credit card sized to the business card holder sizes. They are easily pocketable and can be really handy if you want a camera that can carried around anywhere and everywhere and you want it to be as inconspicuous as possible. The interesting thing about these cameras are, they don't employ any viewfinder to compose photography. They feature large LCDs to view and compose photographs. Some of the thin models feature internally zooming lenses and hence there is no projection from the body of the camera at all - prevalent on Sony and Nikon ranges. Generally I consider the ultra compact ones as that having a maximum of around 1inch depth.

Pros: Very Very compact, inconspicuous, light and handy, good video recording
Cons: Shutter lag, proprietary batteries, no viewfinder
Popular Models: Sony T/W/G series, Nikon S/L Series, Canon IXUS series


Compact: These cameras account for the bulk of the sales of any camera manufacturer. They are little bulkier than the Ultra Compact ones. For the most part they feature viewfinders, externally zooming lenses. They also throw in some additional features and feature better response times. Although these cameras are not really as pocketable as the Ultra Compacts, they can still easily fit in the hand and into the corners of the bags.

Pros: Small and handy, viewfinder, AA batteries
Cons: Number of models makes for tough decision making
Popular Models: Canon A series, Nikon P/xx00 series

Medium/Large: These cameras are more of a niche in the market. They are usually the favorites of amateur photographers who are looking for a good camera at a not-so-expensive price so as to get started into the world of photography. The main advantages that these range of cameras offer are the range of features and great lenses. The newer cameras in this category offer huge zooms and are even offered as a replacement for and SLR.

Pros: Great sensor/lens and hence great image quality, high performance, lots of features
Cons: Large and bulky, expensive
Popular Models: Canon Powershot Pro/G series, Olympus UZ series, Sony H series

These are the various categories of cameras avialable in the market today in terms of their sizes. There are other categorizations of of cameras which I will cover in the future.