zoom lens


noun

(in a camera or motion-picture projector) a lens assembly whose focal length can be continuously adjusted to provide various degrees of magnification without any loss of focus, thus combining the features of wide-angle, normal, and telephoto lenses.

Origin of zoom lens

First recorded in 1935–40

British Dictionary definitions for zoom lens

zoom lens

noun

a lens system that allows the focal length of a camera lens to be varied continuously without altering the sharpness of the image See also telephoto lens