1. An apparatus for capturing images and barcodes, comprising: an image-sensing device; a lens having a variable-focal-length region focusing light onto a first region of said image-sensing device; said lens having a substantially fixed-focal-length region focusing light onto a second region of said image-sensing device; and wherein focal length in said variable-focal-length region varies such that different portions of said variable-focal-length region focus objects at different distances from said lens in different areas of said first region, wherein said apparatus is able to focus, in said first region, objects at varying distances from said apparatus.