The answer to this question is not simple. I shot several pictures the day I received the camera to explore this. The camera was set to automatic and I used exposure compensation as appropriate.
All the files were imported into Lumen, and then exported as full-sized JPGs. I then used Adobe Bridge to visualize the pictures and obtain data on focal length, dimensions in pixels, and file size (MB). A total of 94 pictures were used in the analysis. Some of these pictures appear elsewhere on the site. The pictures appearing on the website were resized to 1333 x 1000 pixels and saved as JPGs (quality 8).
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As the graphs show, the largest image and file sizes are seen at 28mm and the smallest at 150mm. However, the relationship is not linear! The size drops in a near-linear fashion by approximately 85% as focal length increases from 28mm to about 70mm. Just above 70mm, there is an almost 5-fold increase in size. This drops by approximately 75% as the focal length increases to 150mm.
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Without detracting from the technology and the incredible image quality of the L16, effectively, the sensor size reduces as the focal length increases in a bimodal fashion. I would call it "cropping in style"! See here for Light's own explanation: support.light.co/l16-photography/l16-tech-part-3.
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My guess is that the 28mm photos are a composite of pictures shot by 6 modules of 150mm (or a combination of 150mm and 70mm). At the other extreme, a 150mm photo is shot by a single 150mm module. The 70mm photo must be a single picture taken by a 70mm module. It should be possible to change that to a composite of 150mm modules - and increase the resolution.
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On a DSLR, zooming does not change the resolution in pixel terms. With the L16 it does. In that sense, the L16 cannot replace a DSLR!
How many megapixels does the L16 really have?
