[ GLOSSARY DEFINITION ]
Camera
Periscope Lens
A folded telephoto module that fits long-focal-length optics in a thin phone.
Also known as:
Periscope Zoom
Periscope camera
Full Definition & Technical Explanation
Periscope lens bends light 90° so a long telephoto tube fits inside the phone, enabling 5x/10x optical zoom. It is a hallmark of premium camera phones.
See Lenses on flagship specs. Quality varies with sensor size and aperture.
Related Technical Terms
Camera Zoom
How much a camera magnifies a scene; optical zoom keeps detail, digital zoom crops it.
Camera
Sensor Size
The physical size of the camera sensor (1/1.56", 1/2.55"); larger sensors capture more light.
Camera
Telephoto Lens
A long-focal-length lens for close-up zoom shots without digital cropping.
Camera