IP Library Granted Patent US 9,274,324
Granted Patent B2
US 9,274,324 · App. 13/798,115 · Granted Mar 1, 2016

Zoom lens system, imaging device and camera

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,274,324
App. No.
13/798,115
Granted
Mar 1, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A zoom lens system, in order from an object side to an image side, comprising: a first lens unit having positive optical power; a second lens unit having negative optical power; a third lens unit having positive optical power; a fourth lens unit; and at least one subsequent lens unit, wherein the subsequent lens unit(s) includes a lens unit having negative optical power, the first lens unit is composed of two or less lens elements, the third lens unit is composed of four or more lens elements, the first lens unit and the second lens unit move along an optical axis in zooming, and the condition: 0<|f W /f e <2 (f e : a focal length of a lens unit having negative optical power and located closest to the image side in the entire system, f W : a focal length of the entire system at a wide-angle limit) is satisfied.

Claims (51)

1. A zoom lens system having a plurality of lens units, the zoom lens system, in order from an object side to an image side, comprising:

a first lens unit having, as a unit, positive optical power, the first lens unit being constituted by either one or two lens elements;

a second lens unit having, as a unit, negative optical power, the second lens unit being composed of at least one lens element;

a third lens unit having, as a unit, positive optical power, the third lens unit being constituted by four or more lens elements, with an adjacent two of the third-lens-unit constituting lens elements each having negative optical power;

a fourth lens unit, composed of at least one lens element; and

at least one subsequent lens unit;

an aperture diaphragm that adjusts amount of light into the zoom lens system, the aperture diaphragm being located between the adjacent two of the lens elements constituting the third lens unit and each having negative optical power; wherein

the subsequent lens unit(s) includes a lens unit having negative optical power,

in zooming from a wide-angle limit to a telephoto limit at the time of image taking, the first lens unit and the second lens unit move along an optical axis, and

the following condition (1) is satisfied:

0 <|f W /f e |<2  (1)

where,

f e is a focal length of a lens unit having negative optical power and located closest to the image side in the zoom lens system, and

f W is a focal length of the zoom lens system at a wide-angle limit.

2. The zoom lens system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in zooming from a wide-angle limit to a telephoto limit at the time of image taking, the first lens unit moves with locus of a convex to the image side.

3. The zoom lens system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the second lens unit includes at least one lens element having positive optical power, and

the following conditions (2) and (3) are satisfied:

2.0027≦ n 2p >1.8  (2)

v 2p <24  (3)

where,

n 2p is an average of refractive indices to the d-line of the lens element(s) having positive optical power and constituting the second lens unit, and

v 2p is an average of Abbe numbers to the d-line of the lens element(s) having positive optical power and constituting the second lens unit.

4. The zoom lens system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the following condition (4) is satisfied:

0.5< L G3 /( f T ×tan(ω T ))<10  (4)

where,

L G3 is an optical axial thickness of the third lens unit,

f T is a focal length of the zoom lens system at a telephoto limit, and

ω T is a half view angle (°) at the telephoto limit.

5. The zoom lens system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lens unit located closest to the image side in the zoom lens system is composed of one, two, or three lens elements.

6. The zoom lens system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a lens unit located second closest to the image side in the zoom lens system is composed of one, two, or three lens elements.

7. The zoom lens system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in zooming from a wide-angle limit to a telephoto limit at the time of image taking, at least one of the subsequent lens unit(s) is fixed with respect to an image surface.

8. The zoom lens system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the following condition (5) is satisfied:

0.05<Δ F /( f T ×tan(ω T ))<4  (5)

where,

ΔF is a minimum value of an axial interval between the lens unit fixed with respect to the image surface, and a lens unit adjacent to the lens unit fixed with respect to the image surface,

f T is a focal length of the zoom lens system at a telephoto limit, and

ω T is a half view angle (°) at the telephoto limit.

9. The zoom lens system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the fourth lens unit has positive optical power, and

a fifth lens unit having negative optical power is provided as the subsequent lens unit on the image side of the fourth lens unit.

10. The zoom lens system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the fourth lens unit has negative optical power, and

a fifth lens unit having positive optical power and a sixth lens unit having negative optical power are provided in this order, as the subsequent lens units on the image side of the fourth lens unit.

11. An imaging device capable of outputting an optical image of an object as an electric image signal, comprising:

a zoom lens system that forms the optical image of the object; and

an image sensor that converts the optical image formed by the zoom lens system into the electric image signal, wherein

the zoom lens system is a zoom lens system as claimed in claim 1 .

12. A camera for converting an optical image of an object into an electric image signal, and then performing at least one of displaying and storing of the converted image signal, comprising:

an imaging device including a zoom lens system that forms the optical image of the object, and an image sensor that converts the optical image formed by the zoom lens system into the electric image signal, wherein

the zoom lens system is a zoom lens system as claimed in claim 1 .

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ERRONEOUSLY FILED APPLICATION NUMBERS 13/384239, 13/498734, 14/116681 AND 14/301144 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 034194 FRAME 0143. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Dec 24, 2020
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 056788/0362 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 10, 2014
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 034194/0143 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 23, 2014
From: KURIOKA, YOSHIAKI; NISHIOKA, TAKEHIRO
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 032033/0784 →