The optical design of a 3X zoom lens suitable for incorporation into a modern smartphone is described in detail. Particular emphasis is applied to techniques for achieving the required small size, extremely high image quality and the need to maintain at least an f/2.8 speed throughout the zoom range so as to minimize image quality loss due to diffraction. Because modern camera software allows for the correction of certain types of off-axis chromatic and distortion aberrations, optical designs offering both full and partial correction of these aberrations are presented. With such correction being obtained within the camera, optical designs containing fewer than ten lens elements are attainable, making the optical complexity comparable to that of current two-lens non zoom solutions. The presentation will include complete optical designs together with full prescriptions and illustrations of image quality.

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Mel Kreitzer and Jacob Moskovich, "Optical design of a smartphone zoom lens," Proc. SPIE 11106, Zoom Lenses VI, 111060D (Presented at SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications: August 14, 2019; Published: 9 September 2019); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2528341.