Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Internal zoom lenses

Apr 11, 2005 3:04AM PDT

Some new cameras have internal zoom lenses that don't protrude. The Sony T1, the Konica Minolta X50, the Nikon Coolpix S1. It's a great concept, I'd think that it would help prevent dust from getting into the camera and possibly mitigate camera-shake a little for those of us with bad hands (by reducing the length between the lens and the camera's axis of rotation when it shakes).

So how does it work out in practice?

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
I use a Minolta Dimage X20
Apr 11, 2005 11:29AM PDT

and it works fine. The reviews typically say the images are "soft" for the Dimage pocket cameras but they look fine to me. All you have to remember is to keep your left hand fingers away from the lens.

See:

http://home.earthlink.net/~rgfitz/

- Collapse -
Snapshot?
Apr 20, 2005 6:38AM PDT

Thanks, nice pictures! Have other people had good experiences with internal zooms? Snapshot, any expert opinions?

- Collapse -
Internal Lenses
Apr 20, 2005 8:10AM PDT

To keep getting cameras thinner, they have to try new things.

This usually means - "compromise".

I have never heard any of the reviewers say that internal lenses are better that external lenses.

The word "soft" comes up occasionally.

Even with the size of some of these thin cameras, they take pretty good photos.

People who have owned low cost film cameras will tell you that they get better pictures with a digital camera. At least 50% of their problem of picture quality with film cameras was due to poor film/picture processing.

Remember those Polaroid cameras - talk about soft photos.

...
..
.