IP Library Granted Patent US 7,158,315
Granted Patent B2
US 7,158,315 · App. 11/091,652 · Granted Jan 2, 2007

Zoom lens system

Assignee: Nikon Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,158,315
App. No.
11/091,652
Granted
Jan 2, 2007
Kind
B2
Abstract

Object is to provide an inner-focusing type zoom lens system carrying out focusing by moving a portion of a first lens group suitable for an auto-focus SLR camera. A 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, and a third lens group having positive refractive power. Upon zooming from a wide-angle end state to a telephoto end state, a distance between the first and the second lens groups increases, and a distance between the second and the third lens groups decreases. The first lens group is composed of, in order from the object, a 1 A lens group G 1 A having positive refractive power, and a 1 B lens group G 1 B having positive refractive power. Focusing from infinity to a close-range object is carried out by moving only the 1 B lens group G 1 B to the object.

Claims (67)

1. A zoom lens system comprising, in order from an object:

a first lens group having positive refractive power;

a second lens group having negative refractive power; and

a third lens group having positive refractive power,

when a state of the zoom lens system varies from a wide-angle end state to a telephoto end state, a distance between the first lens group and the second lens group increasing, and a distance between the second lens group and the third lens group decreasing,

the first lens group being composed of, in order from the object, a 1 A lens group having positive refractive power, and a 1 B lens group having positive refractive power,

focusing from infinity to a close-range object being carried out by moving only the 1 B lens group to the object, and

the following conditional expressions being satisfied:

1.55 <f 1 /fw< 2.20

−0.55 <f 2/ fw<− 0.30

2.0 <f 1 A/f 1 B< 4.0

0.16 <DAB/fw< 0.30

 where fw denotes the focal length of the zoom lens system in the wide-angle end state, f 1 denotes the focal length of the first lens group, f 2 denotes the focal length of the second lens group, f 1 A denotes the focal length of the 1 A lens group, f 1 B denotes the focal length of the 1 B lens group, and DAB denotes the distance between the 1 A lens group and the 1 B lens group when the zoom lens system is focused infinity.

2. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein when the state of lens group positions varies from the wide-angle end state to the telephoto end state, the first lens group and the third lens group move to the object.

3. The zoom lens system according to claim 2 , further comprising a fourth lens group having negative refractive power to an image side of the third lens group, wherein when the state of lens group positions varies from the wide-angle end state to the telephoto end state, a distance between the third lens group and the fourth lens group varies, and the following conditional expressions are satisfied:

0.35 <f 3/ fw< 0.70

−1.50 <f 4/ fw<− 0.70

−0.10<( D 34 w−D 34 t )/ fw< 0.10

where f 3 denotes the focal length of the third lens group, f 4 denotes the focal length of the fourth lens group, D 34 w denotes the distance between the third lens group and the fourth lens group in the wide-angle end state, and D 34 t denotes the distance between the third lens group and the fourth lens group in the telephoto end state.

4. The zoom lens system according to claim 3 , wherein the 1 A lens group is composed of only one positive lens, the 1 B lens group is composed of, in order from the object, a negative meniscus lens having a convex surface facing to the object, and a positive lens having a convex surface facing to the object, and the following conditional expressions are satisfied:

50<ν1A

35<ν1 BP−ν 1 BN

where ν 1 A denotes Abbe number of the positive lens in the 1 A lens group at d-line (λ=587.6 nm), ν 1 BP denotes Abbe number of the positive lens in the 1 B lens group G 1 B at d-line, and ν 1 BN denotes Abbe number of the negative meniscus lens in the 1 B lens group G 1 B at d-line.

5. The zoom lens system according to claim 2 , wherein the 1 A lens group is composed of only one positive lens, the 1 B lens group is composed of, in order from the object, a negative meniscus lens having a convex surface facing to the object, and a positive lens having a convex surface facing to the object, and the following conditional expressions are satisfied:

50<ν1A

35<ν1 BP−ν 1 BN

where ν 1 A denotes Abbe number of the positive lens in the 1 A lens group at d-line (λ=587.6 nm), ν 1 BP denotes Abbe number of the positive lens in the 1 B lens group G 1 B at d-line, and ν 1 BN denotes Abbe number of the negative meniscus lens in the 1 B lens group G 1 B at d-line.

6. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , further comprising a fourth lens group having negative refractive power to an image side of the third lens group, wherein when the state of lens group positions varies from the wide-angle end state to the telephoto end state, a distance between the third lens group and the fourth lens group varies, and the following conditional expressions are satisfied:

0.35 <f 3/ fw< 0.70

−1.50 <f 4/ fw<− 0.70

−0.10<( D 34 w−D 34 t )/ fw< 0.10

where f 3 denotes the focal length of the third lens group, f 4 denotes the focal length of the fourth lens group, D 34 w denotes the distance between the third lens group and the fourth lens group in the wide-angle end state, and D 34 t denotes the distance between the third lens group and the fourth lens group in the telephoto end state.

7. The zoom lens system according to claim 6 , wherein the 1 A lens group is composed of only one positive lens, the 1 B lens group is composed of, in order from the object, a negative meniscus lens having a convex surface facing to the object, and a positive lens having a convex surface facing to the object, and the following conditional expressions are satisfied:

50<ν1A

35<ν1 BP−ν 1 BN

where ν 1 A denotes Abbe number of the positive lens in the 1 A lens group at d-line (λ=587.6 nm), ν 1 BP denotes Abbe number of the positive lens in the 1 B lens group G 1 B at d-line, and ν 1 BN denotes Abbe number of the negative meniscus lens in the 1 B lens group G 1 B at d-line.

8. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein the 1 A lens group is composed of only one positive lens, the 1 B lens group is composed of, in order from the object, a negative meniscus lens having a convex surface facing to the object, and a positive lens having a convex surface facing to the object, and the following conditional expressions are satisfied:

50<ν1A

35<ν1 BP−ν 1 BN

where ν 1 A denotes Abbe number of the positive lens in the 1 A lens group at d-line (λ=587.6 nm), ν 1 BP denotes Abbe number of the positive lens in the 1 B lens group G 1 B at d-line, and ν 1 BN denotes Abbe number of the negative meniscus lens in the 1 B lens group G 1 B at d-line.

9. The zoom lens system according to claim 8 , wherein the negative meniscus lens and the positive lens in the 1 B lens group are cemented with each other.

10. A method for forming an image of an object and varying a focal length, comprising:

providing a zoom lens system that includes, in order from the object, a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having negative refractive power, and a third lens group having positive refractive power, the first lens group including, in order from the object, a 1 A lens group having positive refractive power and a 1 B lens group having positive refractive power;

varying the focal length by increasing a distance between the first lens group and the second lens group, and decreasing a distance between the second lens group and the third lens group, when the state of the zoom lens system varies from a wide-angle end state to a telephoto end state;

moving only the 1 B lens group to the object to carry out focusing from infinity to a close-range object,

wherein the following conditional expressions are satisfied:

1.55 <f 1 /fw< 2.20

−0.55 <f 2/ fw<− 0.30

2.0 <f 1 A/f 1 B< 4.0

0.16 <DAB/fw< 0.30

 where fw denotes the focal length of the zoom lens system in the wide-angle end state, f 1 denotes the focal length of the first lens group, f 2 denotes the focal length of the second lens group, f 1 A denotes the focal length of the 1 A lens group, f 1 B denotes the focal length of the 1 B lens group, and DAB denotes the distance between the 1 A lens group and the 1 B lens group when the zoom lens system is focused on infinity.

11. The method according to claim 10 ,

wherein the first lens group and the third lens group are moved to the object, when the state of the zoom lens system varies from the wide-angle end state to the telephoto end state.

12. The method according to claim 10 ,

wherein the zoom lens system further includes a fourth lens group having negative refractive power to an image side of the third lens group,

wherein when the state of the zoom lens system varies from the wide-angle end state to the telephoto end state, a distance between the third lens group and the fourth lens group varies, and

wherein the following conditional expressions are satisfied:

0.35 <f 3/ fw< 2.70

−1.50 <f 4/ fw<− 0.70

−0.10<( D 34 w−D 34 t )/ fw< 0.10

 where f 3 denotes the focal length of the third lens group, f 4 denotes the focal length of the fourth lens group, D 34 w denotes the distance between the third lens group and the fourth lens group in the wide-angle end state, and D 34 t denotes the distance between the third lens group and the fourth lens group in the telephoto end state.

13. The method according to claim 10 ,

wherein the 1 A lens group is composed only of one positive lens, and the 1 B lens group is composed of, in order from the object, a negative meniscus lens having a convex surface facing the object and a positive lens having a convex surface facing the object, and

wherein the following conditional expressions are satisfied:

50<ν1A

35<ν1 BP−ν 1 BN

 where ν 1 A denotes Abbe number of the positive lens in the 1 A lens group at d-line (λ=587.6 nm), ν 1 BP denotes Abbe number of the positive lens in the 1 B lens group G 1 B at d-line, and ν 1 BN denotes Abbe number of the negative meniscus lens in the 1 B lens group G 1 B at d-line.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 29, 2005
From: SHIBAYAMA, ATSUSHI; MIZUGUCHI, KEIKO
To: NIKON CORPOATION
Reel/Frame 016428/0632 →
Priority Claims (4)
JP 2004-099773 · Mar 30, 2004 · national
JP 2004-105319 · Mar 31, 2004 · national
JP 2005-036624 · Feb 14, 2005 · national
JP 2005-036633 · Feb 14, 2005 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20050219708A1 · Oct 6, 2005