1-inch type / Nikon CX Lenses
13.2 x 8.8 mm image area · 13 interactive lens diagrams
Nikon 1 / CX, premium compact cameras, bridge cameras, and compact video-oriented systems | 13.2 x 8.8 mm sensor with a 15.86 mm diagonal
The 1-inch type format is another legacy inch-type sensor name, but its actual imaging area is 13.2 x 8.8 mm in this taxonomy. That makes it much larger than classic compact-camera sensors while still notably smaller than Four Thirds. Nikon used this size for the CX-format Nikon 1 system, where the format carries an approximately 2.7x full-frame angle-of-view crop factor. Similar sensors also became common in premium fixed-lens compacts and bridge cameras.
The format gives designers a useful middle ground. Lenses can stay compact and use relatively short focal lengths, but the larger image area provides more headroom for image quality, subject isolation, and high-resolution sensors than 1/2.3-inch or 1/1.7-inch type designs. The crop factor makes telephoto coverage efficient, while the modest image circle keeps collapsible zooms and compact video-oriented optics practical. Catalog entries in this class help compare small-system interchangeable optics with high-end integrated-camera lens designs.