Why don’t compact cameras with large sensors also offer 10x zoom?
Asked 12/22/2013
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I’m looking at large-sensor compact cameras for low-light shooting at moderate distances, such as the Sony RX100 or Canon G-series. Why are there so few truly compact models with both a relatively large sensor and something like a 10x optical zoom range? Do products like this exist, or is there a technical or market reason they’re uncommon?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
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Simple, because the lens is proportional to the sensor. The larger, the sensor, the bigger the area it needs to project. This means that longer lenses would be, well, bigger and therefore the camera too would get bigger.
The cameras you mention is a great example but take a look at the Sony RX10. It uses the sensor of the RX100 II and puts it behind a 24-200mm F/2.8 lens. It is no longer compact but is probably, in my opinion, the camera a lot of people are looking for, maybe not at that price.
As you zoom exists in a relatively compact factor but they get long roughly in proportion to sensor size. Even look at Micro Four-Thirds lenses, all the ones less than 3cm in length have 42mm or less focal-length. To reach 200mm at least, they are all 10cm long or more.
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
12y ago
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They’re uncommon mainly because the design goals conflict: large sensor, compact body, wide aperture, and long zoom range are hard to combine in one camera.
A larger sensor needs a larger lens image circle, so the lens has to be physically bigger. As zoom range increases—especially toward telephoto—the lens gets longer and more complex. If you also want good low-light performance and strong image quality, the lens must be better corrected, which adds even more size.
So manufacturers usually trade one thing for another:
- superzoom compacts use smaller sensors
- large-sensor compacts keep zoom ranges modest
- large-sensor cameras with long zooms become much less compact
An example mentioned is the Sony RX10: it combines a larger compact-style sensor with a 24–200mm f/2.8 lens, but it’s no longer pocketable. Interchangeable-lens systems like Micro Four Thirds can also cover longer focal lengths, but not in RX100-sized packages.
So yes, such cameras exist in a broader sense, but once you add a large sensor and 10x-class zoom, they stop being truly compact.
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