IP Library Granted Patent US 7,872,806
Granted Patent B2
US 7,872,806 · App. 12/283,106 · Granted Jan 18, 2011

Electronic image pickup system

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,872,806
App. No.
12/283,106
Granted
Jan 18, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic image pickup system whose depth dimension is extremely reduced, taking advantage of an optical system type that can overcome conditions imposed on the movement of a zooming movable lens group while high specifications and performance are kept. The electronic image pickup system comprises an optical path-bending zoom optical system comprising, in order from its object side, a 1-1st lens group G 1 - 1 comprising a negative lens group and a reflecting optical element P for bending an optical path, a 1-2nd lens group G 1 - 2 comprising one positive lens and a second lens group G 2 having positive refracting power. For zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the second lens group G 2 moves only toward the object side. The electronic image pickup system also comprises an electronic image pickup device I located on the image side of the zoom optical system.

Claims (53)

1. An electronic image pickup apparatus, comprising:

an optical path-bending zoom optical system and an electronic image pickup device, wherein:

said optical path-bending zoom optical system comprises a 1-1 st lens group having negative refracting power and said 1-1 st lens group having negative refracting power comprising a reflecting optical element for bending an optical path, a 1-2 nd lens group comprising a positive lens and a second lens group having positive refracting power,

said second lens group moves only toward an object side of said optical path-bending zoom optical system for zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end of said optical path-bending zoom optical system,

the electronic image pickup device is disposed on an image side of said optical path-bending zoom optical system,

a total number of reflecting optical elements for bending said optical path in said optical path-bending zoom optical system is one,

said reflecting optical element has fixed shape, and

during both zooming and focusing, all lens groups including said 1-2 nd lens group and located between said 1-2 nd lens group and the object side are fixed.

2. The electronic image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , which further comprises a third lens group located on an image side of said second lens group and having positive refracting power, wherein said second lens group and said third lens group move while a relative spacing there between varies for zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end.

3. The electronic image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said 1-1 st lens group has a negative lens group located between the reflecting optical element and the object side, wherein the electronic image pickup apparatus is in a collapsible lens mount and wherein said reflecting optical element is relocated while said zoom optical system is collapsed, and the negative lens group located between said reflecting optical element and the object side is received in the resulting space.

4. The electronic image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an axial length d, as calculated on an air basis, from a refracting surface located just before a reflecting surface of said reflecting optical element to a refracting surface located just after said reflecting surface satisfies the following condition (a):

0.5< d/L< 1.6  (a)

where L is a diagonal length of an effective image pickup area of said electronic image pickup device.

5. The electronic image pickup apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end upon focusing on an object point at infinity, a ratio between amounts of movement M 2 and M 3 of said second lens group and said third lens group, respectively, satisfies the following condition (c):

0.5< M 3 /M 2 <2.0  (c).

6. The electronic image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said 1-2 nd lens group consists of two lenses, negative lens and positive lens, in order from its object side or consists of one lens.

7. The electronic image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said 1-1 st lens group consists of only a negative lens convex on the object side and said reflecting optical element, and wherein said negative lens convex on the object side is located on the object side with respect to said reflecting optical element in said 1-1 st lens group.

8. The electronic image pickup apparatus according 1 , wherein a power ratio between said 1-1 st lens group and said 1-2 nd lens group satisfies the following condition (d):

−0.8< f 11 / f 12 <0.9  (d)

where f 11 is a focal length of the 1-1 st lens group, and f 12 is a focal length of the 1-2 nd lens group.

9. The electronic image pickup apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein either one of said second lens group and said third lens group comprises a single lens.

10. The electronic image pickup apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein either one of said second lens group and said third lens group comprises a single lens, and the other lens group comprises at least a negative lens.

11. The electronic image pickup apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein during zooming, said second lens group and said third lens group move in the same direction while a relative spacing therebetween varies.

12. The electronic image pickup apparatus according to claim 2 , which satisfies the following condition (e) at the telephoto end:

0.7<−β Rt <2.1  (e)

where β Rt is a combined magnification of the second lens group and subsequent lens groups upon focused on an object point at infinity.

13. An electronic image pickup apparatus, comprising:

an optical path-bending zoom optical system and an electronic image pickup device, wherein:

said optical path-bending zoom optical system comprises a 1-1 st lens group having negative refracting power and said 1-1 st lens group having negative refracting power comprising a reflecting optical element for bending an optical path, a 1-2 nd lens group comprising a positive lens and a second lens group having positive refracting power,

said second lens group moves only toward an object side of said optical path-bending zoom optical system for zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end of said optical path-bending zoom optical system,

the electronic image pickup device is disposed on an image side of said optical path-bending zoom optical system,

a total number of reflecting optical elements for bending said optical path in said optical path-bending zoom optical system is one,

said reflecting optical element has fixed shape, and

said 1-1 st lens group has a negative lens group located between the reflecting optical element and the object side, wherein the electronic image pickup apparatus is in a collapsible lens mount and wherein said reflecting optical element is relocated while said zoom optical system is collapsed, and the negative lens group located between said reflecting optical element and the object side is received in the resulting space.

14. An electronic image pickup apparatus, comprising:

an optical path-bending zoom optical system and an electronic image pickup device, wherein:

said optical path-bending zoom optical system comprises a 1-1 st lens group having negative refracting power and said 1-1 st lens group having negative refracting power comprising a reflecting optical element for bending an optical path, a 1-2 nd lens group comprising a positive lens and a second lens group having positive refracting power,

said second lens group moves only toward an object side of said optical path-bending zoom optical system for zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end of said optical path-bending zoom optical system,

the electronic image pickup device is disposed on an image side of said optical path-bending zoom optical system,

a total number of reflecting optical elements for bending said optical path in said optical path-bending zoom optical system is one,

said reflecting optical element has fixed shape, and

an axial length d, as calculated on an air basis, from a refracting surface located just before a reflecting surface of said reflecting optical element to a refracting surface located just after said reflecting surface satisfies the following condition (a):

0.5 <d/L< 1.6  (a)

where L is a diagonal length of an effective image pickup area of said electronic image pickup device.

15. An electronic image pickup apparatus, comprising:

an optical path-bending zoom optical system and an electronic image pickup device, wherein:

said optical path-bending zoom optical system comprises a 1-1 st lens group having negative refracting power and said 1-1 st lens group having negative refracting power comprising a reflecting optical element for bending an optical path, a 1-2 nd lens group comprising a positive lens and a second lens group having positive refracting power,

said second lens group moves only toward an object side of said optical path-bending zoom optical system for zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end of said optical path-bending zoom optical system,

the electronic image pickup device is disposed on an image side of said optical path-bending zoom optical system,

a total number of reflecting optical elements for bending said optical path in said optical path-bending zoom optical system is one,

said reflecting optical element has fixed shape,

a third lens group is located on an image side of said second lens group and having positive refracting power, wherein said second lens group and said third lens group move while a relative spacing therebetween varies for zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, and

during the zooming, said second lens group and said third lens group move in the same direction while a relative spacing therebetween varies.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 7, 2021
From: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
To: OM DIGITAL SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058329/0766 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Jun 27, 2016
From: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
To: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 039344/0502 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Apr 28, 2011
From: TONEN CHEMICAL CORPORATION
To: TONEN CHEMICAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 026190/0033 →