Optical: systems and elements – Lens – With variable magnification
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-31
2002-12-03
Lester, Evelyn A (Department: 2873)
Optical: systems and elements
Lens
With variable magnification
C359S685000, C359S688000, C359S689000, C359S786000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06490096
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-037881 filed on Feb. 16, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-ratio zoom lens mountable to a handy-type TV camera; and, in particular, to a zoom lens using a three-element achromatic lens as a variator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, four-group type zoom lenses having a high power variation have come into use as being mounted to handy-type TV cameras.
For making the TV cameras smaller, demands for reducing the size of such four-group type zoom lenses have been increasing year by year. If those having a high power variation are to be made smaller, then their various kinds of aberration become greater, against which measures are necessary.
Among them, it is not always easy to correct chromatic aberration occurring upon zooming or focusing, such as lateral chromatic aberration in particular. For correcting such chromatic aberration, so-called counter achromatization technique has been known, in which, when the variator has a negative refracting power, the dispersion of a positive lens among lenses constituting the variator is made greater, whereas the dispersion of a negative lens among these lenses is made smaller. A cemented lens of such a combination may be used so as to correct the lateral chromatic aberration.
As the achromatic lens, those comprising three elements such as one shown in
FIG. 14
in which another lens is combined with the cemented lens in order to increase the number of lens surfaces in view of the freedom of design have conventionally been known.
When such a three-element achromatic lens is used, however, the total length of lens system further increases, which contradicts the demand for compactness. This point will now be explained specifically with reference to FIG.
13
.
FIG. 13
schematically shows a principal ray of a luminous flux corresponding to a marginal portion of a picture when a second lens group, which is a variator contributing to power variation, is positioned at a wide-angle end (closest to the object). The solid line and dotted line indicate the principal ray in the case where the achromatic lens of the second lens group is constituted by two elements and by three elements, respectively. Here, “2” is a stop, which is configured such that a third lens group G
3
, i.e., a compensator, is positioned upstream thereof. According to
FIG. 13
, the lens thickness in the case of a second lens group G′
2
whose achromatic lens is constituted by three elements becomes greater than that in a second lens group G
2
whose achromatic lens is constituted by two elements, whereby the lens diameter of a first lens group G′
1
positioned upstream the second lens group G′
2
becomes greater than that of a first lens group G
1
positioned upstream the second lens group G
2
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of such circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide an achromatic lens exhibiting a counter achromatization effect, which can satisfy the demand for compactness while fully securing the freedom of design by increasing the number of lens surfaces; and a zoom lens using the same.
The zoom lens in accordance with the present invention comprises, successively from an object side, a first lens group, fixed upon zooming, having a positive refracting power; a second lens group, movable upon zooming, having a negative refracting power; a third lens group, having a negative refracting power, for correcting a fluctuation of an image surface upon zooming; and a fourth lens group, fixed upon zooming, having a positive refracting power;
wherein the second lens group comprises, successively from the object side,
two meniscus lenses each having a negative refracting power with a convex surface directed onto the object side; and
An achromatic lens comprising, successively from the object side, a cemented lens having a negative refracting power as a whole, and a lens having a positive refracting power with a convex surface directed onto the object side; the cemented lens comprising, successively from the object side, a meniscus lens or plane-convex lens having a positive refracting power with a concave surface or plane directed onto the object side, and a lens having a negative refracting power.
Preferably, the first lens group comprises, successively from the object side, a first-a lens group, fixed upon a focusing operation, having a positive refracting power; and a first-b lens group, movable to the object side upon a focusing operation from an object at infinity into an object at a shorter distance, having a positive refracting power.
Preferably, the zoom lens of the present invention satisfies both of the following conditional expressions (1) and (2):
&ngr;
23
<25.0 (1)
&ngr;
25
<25.0 (2)
where
&ngr;
23
is the Abbe number &ngr;
d
of the lens having a positive refracting power constituting the cemented lens in the second lens group; and
&ngr;
25
is the Abbe number &ngr;
d
of the lens having a positive refracting power with a convex surface directed onto the object side constituting the cemented lens in the second lens group.
Preferably, the zoom lens of the present invention satisfies the following conditional expression (3):
0.30
<f
2
/f
2a
<0.60 (3)
where
f
2
is the focal length of the second lens group; and
f
2a
is the focal length of the cemented lens in the second lens group.
Preferably, the zoom lens of the present invention satisfies the following conditional expression (4):
|
N
23
−N
24
|<0.02 (4)
where
N
23
is the refractive index N
e
of the lens having a positive refracting power constituting the cemented lens in the second lens group; and
N
24
is the refractive index N
e
of the lens having a negative refracting power constituting the cemented lens in the second lens group.
The achromatic lens in accordance with the present invention comprises, successively from the object side, a cemented lens having a negative refracting power as a whole, and a lens having a positive refracting power with a convex surface directed onto the object side; the cemented lens comprising, successively from the object side, a meniscus lens or a plane-convex lens having a positive refracting power with a concave surface or plane directed onto the object side, and a lens having a negative refracting power.
In this case, a lens group including the achromatic lens may be movable upon zooming.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4634237 (1987-01-01), Aono et al.
patent: 4765722 (1988-08-01), Aono
patent: 5579172 (1996-11-01), Aoki et al.
patent: 5978150 (1999-11-01), Hamanishi et al.
patent: 5995297 (1999-11-01), Usui
patent: 6002528 (1999-12-01), Tomita
patent: 6084721 (2000-07-01), Terasawa
Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.
Lester Evelyn A
Snider Ronald R.
Snider & Associates
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