[michaelt]

It might be like that - but there are other options as well.

There are companies that make stereo lenses, capturing two images side-by-side on a single sensor, for people who want to take 3D photos on their interchangeable-lens cameras. And there are "anamorphic" lenses that squeeze things horizontally but not vertically - in digital terms, producing non-square pixels. Very popular in films in the 70s and 80s. And when it comes to corrective glasses, bifocal and varifocal/progressive lenses are another common type of lens providing variable optical properties.

Self-driving cars need to deal with both "stopped at a crosswalk, are there pedestrians?" (which needs a wide view) and "driving at 70mph, stopping distance about 300 feet, what's that thing 300 feet away?" (which needs a zoomed in view)

If you look at https://www.pexels.com/photo/city-street-in-fisheye-16209078... for example - it's wide (which is good) but the details at 300 feet ahead aren't winning any prizes. Far more pixels are wasted on useless sky than are used on the road ahead.

[dan-robertson]

Side by side seems unlikely in this as they claim both lenses have the same optical axis. But good to mention in the overview you give here.