eli5: Why do cameras and other devices use more lenses and not just one more versatile lens?
In: 19
Because making a product for a specific job is usually better than trying to make something that ends up doing multiple jobs poorly.
There used to be a woodworking/shop tool called the Shopmate. It was a tablesaw, drill press, sander, lathe, and various other tools all in one. It was insanely expensive and all it ended up doing was 5 jobs poorly. And if the motor ever broke then all your tools didn’t work.
With lenses you have to choose the lens that’s best for the job you are doing. There are standard lenses for casual everyday pictures. But you can’t use a telephoto lens to take pictures of ants, and you can’t take pictures of mountains with a macro lens. And there is really no way to combine them.
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