As we know, Cameras have been a core function of mobile phones since the first mobile phone with a camera came out.

In the early days, mobile phone manufacturers mainly improved their competitiveness by increasing the pixels of the camera. However, In recent years, with the intensification of smartphone competition, most mobile phone manufacturers have innovated in-camera functions. Among them, the periscope zoom technology is becoming more and more popular. It supports 5x or 10x optical zoom, which is convenient for quickly and easily zooming in on distant objects.

Next, we will introduce the purpose, advantages, and application prospects of periscope zoom lenses in a  phone camera.

What is a periscope？

The periscope is an optical instrument that uses a prism, optical lens, or reflector system to reflect an image through a tube. A periscope Lens lets you look around walls, corners, and other obstacles.

The periscope is a setup of a couple of lenses along with two 45-degree angled lenses at each end of a long tube that reflects the image from the first 45-degree lens through all the other lenses in between to the second 45-degree lens that is located on viewers end in the straight line.

Generally, Periscope is a term associated with submarines. In submarines, these lenses or Periscope cameras are used to see what is going on the surface from within the water. Periscopes are often used in submarines to observe enemy situations on the sea surface. But, In recent years, it is widely used in mobile phones camera.

What is the mobile phone periscope produced?

The first was the addition of cameras. When a camera could not fulfill several functions at the same time, mobile phone manufacturers added a camera to the rear camera. For example, Apple introduced a telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom on the iPhone 7 Plus in 2016. (In addition to optical zoom, this camera is also used to capture background depth data for better portrait photos.)

At the time, the concept of a stealth zoom lens on a smartphone was still fairly new. At MWC 2017, OPPO showed off the optical zoom feature for the first time, but it wasn't immediately mass-produced. In 2019, Huawei launched the P30 Pro, popularizing the concept of the submersible zoom lens, and Huawei became the first brand to mass-produce the technology. As seen in the review, the Huawei P30 Pro can shoot at 50x digital zoom.

 The working principle of phone camera periscope

Purpose of the periscope zoom lens 

It's not clear how Apple plans to implement a periscope lens, but in general, the technology uses a prism or mirror to refract light onto the lens sensor for magnification purposes, with the mechanics of the lens built into the inside of the smartphone instead of the outside like a traditional zoom lens for a DSLR.

Compared to ordinary telephoto cameras that provide 2x or 3x optical zoom, periscope zoom cameras usually provide 5x or 10x optical zoom by using multiple single lenses together with the camera sensor. The role of the periscope is to help accommodate a series of lenses without drastically increasing the thickness of the smartphone. In addition, It can increase the zoom ability without increasing the thickness of the mobile phone and can see farther. Its original design intention is also for this purpose.

The Advantages of the periscope zoom lens  

Advantages: Compared with ordinary telephoto camera lens, periscope zoom camera lens has many advantages. Its most prominent advantage is that it allows you to shoot distant objects or scenery with almost the same effect as an SLR camera without moving the lens at all. At the same time, the vertical orientation of the periscope allows smartphone manufacturers to fit the camera sensor and necessary periscope zoom lens inside the phone without the cost of adding thickness to the phone.

The challenges and limitations of using digital zoom on smartphones, the stealth zoom module on smartphones also allows users to peer into the microscopic world. It can be used to take macro photos without getting too close to objects. This is especially useful if you're passionate about photographing insects or tiny reptiles.

And The advantages of the periscope lens are obvious. The refractive index of the optical path is high, and it can achieve a longer focal length shooting effect under the same volume.

So. In terms of current technology, the periscope lens is indeed the best solution for a phone camera.

Application prospects of the periscope zoom lens 

The concept of the periscope telephoto lens is an improvement over the telephoto camera, but the limitations listed above show that there is still a lot of space for development and a better solution is needed.

As periscope telephoto lens technology becomes more and more mature, most mobile phone camera manufacturers will adopt periscope lenses, which may make the periscope telephoto camera technology more widely popularized.

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