Camera lenses.

On an iPhone with several cameras, Compass 55 opens on the automatic camera (AUTO) at 1x: the whole zoom range from the ultra-wide to the longest lens, with iOS choosing the lens as you zoom. To take every photo through the same optics instead, pick a single focal length in the lens selector at the bottom of the lens strip — the strip opens from the zoom chip on the left edge of the viewfinder, or from the camera button at the top of the screen.

Opening the camera. In Compass 55 the camera is the Action Cam, opened from MENU. It starts in video mode, because that is what it is mostly used for here; the Photo/Video switch changes to stills and the choice is remembered. Everything on this page applies to both modes — the lenses, focus and the shutter timer belong to the camera, not to one mode.

Where to find it

• Lenses and zoom — the zoom chip, the lens strip and its stops, AUTO against one fixed lens, how far each one zooms, and remembering the lens you used last.
• Focus — the AF button, locking focus, a saved focus you can return to, and setting focus by hand.
• Shutter timer — the camera sheet, the countdown, and why a remote release never waits.
• Viewfinder controls — the settings behind all of it, plus the viewfinder gestures, the black screen and the video light.

Historical note: versions before 5.9 offered a camera device list in the navigation bar (Single camera: Ultra Wide, Wide-Angle, Telephoto; Combined: Dual, Dual Wide, Triple). That list is gone — the lens selector on the strip and the flip-camera button replace it, and every lens is available in the free app.