Optical: systems and elements – Lens – With variable magnification
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-17
2004-02-17
Sugarman, Scott J. (Department: 2873)
Optical: systems and elements
Lens
With variable magnification
Reexamination Certificate
active
06693750
ABSTRACT:
The disclosures of the following priority applications are herein incorporated by reference:
Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-285414 filed Sep. 19, 2001; and
Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-152632 filed May 27, 2002.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zoom lens system having a vibration reduction correction mechanism suitable for single lens reflex cameras and electronic still cameras, in particular, to a large aperture internal focusing telephoto zoom lens system having the focal length in the telephoto end state of 180 mm or more, the zoom ratio of about 2.7 or more, and the f-number of about three or less.
2. Related Background Art
An optical system whose imaging position is corrected by shifting a portion of lenses or lens groups in the optical system in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis has been used in this kind of optical system as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2-234115 and 9-325269.
However, in the optical system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-234115, it is inevitable for the driving actuator to become large in order to control the master lens group of the zoom lens precisely in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis, so that it is not practical. In addition, the optical system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-234115 does not mention imaging performance. Moreover, in the optical system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-325269, although the driving actuator is able to be small and correction of aberration is preferable since vibration reduction correction is carried out by a portion of the master lens, the f-number is merely four, so that it is not suitable for sports photography.
In this kind of a large aperture telephoto zoom lens using a lens group for focusing suitable for single lens reflex cameras and electronic still cameras, the lens group used for focusing by moving along the optical axis has had a rather large diameter.
However, the above-described large aperture telephoto zoom lens has had disadvantages that because of large diameter of the focusing lens group, the weight of the focusing group is large and heavy load acts to the motor while carrying out auto focusing (AF), so that the large consumption of battery shortens the life time of the battery. Moreover, since the moving distance of the focusing lens group is large for focusing, it takes long time for carrying out auto focusing, so that it is not suitable for quick shooting.
In order to solve the problem, a focusing method has been proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-51202, in which a first lens group fixed upon zooming is divided into two portions of a front lens group having positive refractive power and a rear lens group having positive refractive power, and the rear lens group is used as a focusing lens group being moved along the optical axis. In examples disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-51202, although the weight of the focusing lens group can successfully be light by constructing the focusing lens group with a single positive lens, the closest focusing distance is very far about 8.3-8.4 m in the telephoto end state, so that it is not acceptable for general shooting. If the focusing lens group is moved up to the shooting distance of 1.5 m, which is the same distance as the present application, then the moving distance of the focusing lens group becomes very large about 16.6-18.7 mm, so that it cannot carry out quick auto focusing. Moreover, since only a single positive lens is used for the focusing lens group, spherical aberration of the focusing lens group is not corrected, so that variation in spherical aberration upon focusing in the telephoto end state becomes too large to be accepted as a general shooting lens.
In order to solve the problem described above, in examples disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 7-294816 and 2001-356381, a lens portion equivalent to the rear lens group disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-51202 is moved to the image upon zooming and is moved independently along the optical axis upon focusing. Accordingly, the effective diameter of the focusing lens group can be small, so the focusing lens group can be made light. Moreover, in examples disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-294816, the moving distance of the focusing lens group can successfully be made short about 8.3-13.4 mm. Furthermore, spherical aberration of the focusing lens group can be corrected by constructing the focusing lens group with two-group two-element of a negative meniscus lens and a positive meniscus lens, so that variation in spherical aberration upon focusing (in particular, in the telephoto end state) is reduced.
On the other hand, since the focusing lens group is moved upon zooming, the moving amount of the focusing lens group upon focusing varied in accordance with the focal length. This means that the lens is no more a zoom lens but a variable focal length lens. Therefore, in order to be able to handle the lens system just like a zoom lens, a connecting member for connecting a focusing barrel with a zooming cam barrel upon zooming had to be added. Accordingly, the connecting member for connecting with the zooming lens groups is provided in addition to the lens barrel for the focusing lens group, the load for auto focusing becomes heavy, so that it is not preferable for driving AF motor. Moreover, in terms of lens assembling, when the focusing lens group, which is the front lens group of a telephoto type lens system, is decentered, the image plane tends to tilt severely. However, since the play of the focusing lens group disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-294816 is the sum of the play of the moving part for focusing and that of the connecting member with the zooming lens groups, the play produces a large decentered amount, so that it is extremely difficult for the actual product to maintain the flatness of the image plane.
Furthermore, in examples disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2000-19398 and 2001-356381, the above-described problems are solved such that a first lens group of a four-group afocal zoom lens is divided into a front group and a rear group, and the distance between the front group and the rear group is widened. However, in order to accomplish the specification of the focal length in the wide-angle end state of about 80 mm, and the zoom ratio of about 2.4, the total lens length tends to become long because the widened distance becomes dead space.
In spite of being small in the effective diameter of the focusing lens group, the thickness along the optical axis of the positive lens in the focusing lens group is relatively thick. If the zoom ratio is made higher without changing lens type, the effective diameter of the focusing lens group is obliged to be larger. Accordingly, the thickness along the optical axis of the positive lens in the focusing lens group is obliged to be thick, so that the increase of the weight in accordance with the increase of the volume is disadvantageous to the focusing response.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was made in view of the aforementioned problems and has an object to provide a zoom lens system having a relatively small thickness along the optical axis of a positive lens in the focusing lens group, and a vibration reduction correction mechanism with keeping superior optical performance and, in particular, a large aperture internal focusing telephoto zoom lens having the focal length in the wide-angle end state of 72 mm or less, the focal length in the telephoto end state of 180 mm or more, the zoom ratio of 2.7 or more, and the f-number of 3 or less.
According to one aspect of the present invention, an afocal zoom lens system includes, in order from an object, a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having negative refractive power, a third lens group having positive refr
Collins Darryl J.
Miles & Stockbridge P.C.
Nikon Corporation
Sugarman Scott J.
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