IP Library Granted Patent US 8,964,304
Granted Patent B2
US 8,964,304 · App. 13/749,551 · Granted Feb 24, 2015

Zoom lens and image pickup apparatus equipped with the same

Inventor: Tomonori Kimura (Utsunomiya, JP)
Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
G02B15/14G02B15/173
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,964,304
App. No.
13/749,551
Granted
Feb 24, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A zoom lens includes a first lens unit having positive refractive power, a second lens unit having negative refractive power, a third lens unit having positive refractive power, and a fourth lens unit having positive refractive power. During zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, each lens unit moves so that a distance between the first lens unit and the second lens unit increases, and a distance between the second lens unit and the third lens unit decreases. Each of the first lens unit, the second lens unit, and the third lens unit consists of a single positive lens and a single negative lens, and the fourth lens unit consists of a single positive lens. Focal lengths of the entire zoom lens at the wide-angle end and the telephoto end and focal lengths of the first lens unit and the second lens unit are appropriately set.

Claims (65)

1. A zoom lens comprising, in order from an object side to an image side:

a first lens unit having positive refractive power;

a second lens unit having negative refractive power;

a third lens unit having positive refractive power; and

a fourth lens unit having positive refractive power,

wherein, during zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, each lens unit moves in such a manner that a distance between the first lens unit and the second lens unit increases, and a distance between the second lens unit and the third lens unit decreases,

wherein each of the first lens unit, the second lens unit, and the third lens unit consists of a single positive lens and a single negative lens, and the fourth lens unit consists of a single positive lens, and

wherein the following conditions are satisfied:

6.0 <f 1 /fw< 20.0

0.05 <|f 2 |/ft< 0.40

where fw and ft are focal lengths of the entire zoom lens at the wide-angle end and the telephoto end, respectively, and f 1 and f 2 are focal lengths of the first lens unit and the second lens unit, respectively.

2. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the following condition is satisfied:

20 <νd 3 p−νd 3 n< 70

where νd 3 p and νd 3 n are Abbe numbers of materials of the positive lens and the negative lens of the third lens unit, respectively.

3. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the following condition is satisfied:

0.3 <f 3 p/f 3 n< 0.9

where f 3 p and f 3 n are focal lengths of the positive lens and the negative lens of the third lens unit, respectively.

4. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the following condition is satisfied:

0.2 <f 4 /ft< 0.7

where f 4 is a focal length of the fourth lens unit.

5. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the following condition is satisfied:

0.1<(β3 t/β 3 w )/(β2 t/β 2 w )<2.5

where β 2 w and β 2 t are lateral magnifications of the second lens unit at the wide-angle end and the telephoto end, respectively, and β 3 w and β 3 t are lateral magnifications of the third lens unit at the wide-angle end and the telephoto end, respectively.

6. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the following condition is satisfied:

0.05<( m 1 ×m 2)/( f 1 ×f 2)<0.60

where m 1 and m 2 are amounts of movement of the first lens unit and the second lens unit during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, respectively.

7. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the following condition is satisfied:

1.6 <f 3 /fw< 4.0

where f 3 is a focal length of the third lens unit.

8. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the following condition is satisfied:

0.1 <D 2 /|m 2|<3.0

where m 2 is an amount of movement of the second lens unit during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, and D 2 is a thickness of the second lens unit on an optical axis.

9. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the following condition is satisfied:

0.05<( D 2 +D 3)/(| m 2 |+|m 3|)<0.90

where D 2 and D 3 are thicknesses of the second lens unit and the third lens unit on an optical axis, respectively, and m 2 and m 3 are amounts of movement of the second lens unit and the third lens unit during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, respectively.

10. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the following condition is satisfied:

1.8<β2 t/β 2 w< 7.0

where β 2 w and β 2 t are lateral magnifications of the second lens unit at the wide-angle end and the telephoto end, respectively.

11. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the following condition is satisfied:

0.35 <f 3 /f 4<0.80

where f 3 and f 4 are focal lengths of the third lens unit and the fourth lens unit, respectively.

12. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the following condition is satisfied:

1.7 <N 1 n< 2.6

where N 1 n is a refractive index of a material of the negative lens of the first lens unit.

13. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the following condition is satisfied:

0.005 <D 3 /Lt< 0.090

where D 3 is a thickness of the third lens unit on an optical axis, and Lt is a total lens length at the telephoto end.

14. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the following condition is satisfied:

1.0<(1−β3 t )/β4 t< 2.5

where β 3 t and β 4 t are lateral magnifications of the third lens unit and the fourth lens unit, respectively.

15. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the zoom lens is configured to form an image on a solid-state image sensor.

16. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a zoom lens; and

a solid-state image sensor configured to receive an image formed by the zoom lens,

wherein the zoom lens comprises, in order from an object side to an image side:

a first lens unit having positive refractive power;

a second lens unit having negative refractive power;

a third lens unit having positive refractive power; and

a fourth lens unit having positive refractive power,

wherein, during zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, each lens unit moves in such a manner that a distance between the first lens unit and the second lens unit increases, and a distance between the second lens unit and the third lens unit decreases,

wherein each of the first lens unit, the second lens unit, and the third lens unit consists of a single positive lens and a single negative lens, and the fourth lens unit consists of a single positive lens, and

wherein the following conditions are satisfied:

6.0 <f 1 /fw< 20.0

0.05 <|f 2 |/ft< 0.40

where fw and ft are focal lengths of the entire zoom lens at the wide-angle end and the telephoto end, respectively, and f 1 and f 2 are focal lengths of the first lens unit and the second lens unit, respectively.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 19, 2013
From: KIMURA, TOMONORI
To: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 030248/0710 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2012-016350 · Jan 30, 2012 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20130194465A1 · Aug 1, 2013