Compact single-camera system emulating multi-camera system

An indicia reader comprising:

• an imaging assembly comprising an optical variable focus lens assembly, an optical variable aperture, and an imager configured to capture images of a field of view of the indicia reader;
• a controller in communication with the optical variable focus lens assembly and with the optical variable aperture, the controller configured to control a focus of the lens assembly and an entrance pupil defined by the optical variable aperture;
• and
• a processor and computer-readable media storage having machine readable instructions stored thereon that, when the machine readable instructions are executed, cause the imaging assembly to:
• operate the indicia reader in at least one of two modes for capturing image data, a first mode having a first entrance pupil and a second mode having a second entrance pupil larger than the first entrance pupil, wherein the first mode is a fixed focus position mode and the second mode is an autofocus mode;
• and
• communicate the image data to a first image processing process in response to the indicia reader being in the first mode and to a second imaging processing process in response to the indicia reader being in the second mode.