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The main one is their ability to alter focal length without any moving mechanical parts.
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Liquid lenses offer several advantages over traditional lens technology. What are the advantages of liquid lens technology? The result is a single lens with a minimum focus distance of 3cm for macro shots and an optical zoom range of 3x – expanding to 30x with the help of some in-device digital trickery. The refractive fluid is contained in a film membrane, with a precision electric motor accurately deforming its radius to adjust focal length. Xiaomi’s liquid lens tech, seen for the first time on the Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold (see above), takes a third route. Optotune’s focus-tunable lenses, for example, seal the optical liquid in a polymer membrane sac, which is then manipulated using electrical current. Other solutions deploy alternative approaches to achieve the same result. Squashing or stretching it alters the trajectory of light passing through the optical-grade fluid – and therefore the focal length. By applying pressure to part of this pod, its shape can be manipulated. Instead, they contain a transparent fluid capsule. Most liquid lenses use no mechanical components. Just as this bead can refract natural light, so too can the fluid in a liquid lens guide light onto an imaging sensor. Imagine a water droplet on a leaf – the kind you often see captured on the pages of photography magazines. It’s rare to see genuine optical zoom on a smartphone, because it requires separation of these elements even at microscopic levels, this is difficult to achieve within the slimline confines of modern mobile design. Just like prime lenses, most standard smartphone cameras feature a fixed focal length, thanks to their static optical elements.
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And if a lens doesn’t cover the focal length appropriate for a given scene, you’ll need to switch to different glass – as long as you have some stashed in your camera bag. Some can cover fairly large zoom ranges, but they have to be sizable simply because of the space required to fit the optical elements inside. As any owner of a DSLR or mirrorless camera will know, no single lens is fit for every situation.