IP Library Granted Patent US 12,399,345
Granted Patent B2
US 12,399,345 · App. 17/866,882 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Zoom lens, extender, and image pickup apparatus

Inventor: Masato Katayose (Tochigi, JP)
Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
G02B7/102G03B3/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,399,345
App. No.
17/866,882
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A zoom lens consists of, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, and a rear group including a plurality of lens units. A distance between adjacent lens units is changed during zooming. The rear group includes a diaphragm, an n-th lens unit disposed closest to an image plane and having a positive refractive power, and an (n−1)-th lens disposed on the object side of the n-th lens unit and having a negative refractive power. A predetermined condition is satisfied.

Claims (56)

1. A zoom lens comprising, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, and a rear group including a plurality of lens units, wherein a lens unit is a group of lenses that is moved or stands still integrally during zooming,

wherein each distance between adjacent lens units is changed during zooming,

wherein the first lens unit consists of three lenses,

wherein the second lens unit consists of four or five lenses,

wherein the rear group includes an aperture stop, an n-th lens unit disposed closest to an image plane and having a positive refractive power, and an (n−1)-th lens unit disposed adjacent to the n-th lens unit on the object side and having a negative refractive power, and

wherein the following inequalities are satisfied:

−0.7< fn− 1/ fn<− 0.1

0.3< Lnm/Lsi< 0.7

where fn−1 is a focal length of the (n−1)-th lens unit, fn is a focal length of the n-th lens unit, Lnm is a first distance on an optical axis from the most image plane side lens surface of the (n−1)-th lens unit to the most object side lens surface of the n-th lens unit at a zoom position that minimizes the first distance in an entire zoom range, and Lsi is a distance on the optical axis from the aperture stop to the image plane at the zoom position.

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

0.7< f 1/ ft< 1.1

where f1 is a focal length of the first lens unit, and ft is a focal length of the zoom lens at a telephoto end.

3. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the (n−1)-th lens unit is moved in a convex trajectory toward the image side during zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end.

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

0.88< Lnw/Lnt< 1.10

where Lnw is a distance on the optical axis from the lens surface closest to the image plane of the (n−1)-th lens unit to the lens surface closest to the object of the n-th lens unit at a wide-angle end, and Lnt is a distance on the optical axis from the lens surface of the (n−1)-th lens unit closest to the image plane to the lens surface closest to the object of the n-th lens unit at a telephoto end.

5. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the (n−1)-th lens unit is moved during focusing.

6. The zoom lens according to claim 5 , wherein the (n−1)-th lens unit includes a cemented lens consisting of a positive lens and a negative lens.

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

−0.60< fnl/fn<− 0.15

where fn1 is a focal length of a lens disposed closest to the image plane of the n-th lens unit.

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

−1.0< fnp/fnl<− 0.6

where fnp is a focal length of a lens having the largest positive refractive power in the n-th lens unit.

9. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , further comprising an extender configured to convert a magnification of the zoom lens and disposed in a space between the (n−1)-th lens unit and the n-th lens unit,

wherein in a case where the extender is inserted into an optical path, a focal length range of the zoom lens is changed to a long focal length side without changing an overall lens length.

10. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the rear group comprises, in order from the object side to the image side, the aperture stop, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens unit having a negative refractive power as the (n−1)-th lens unit, and a fifth lens unit having a positive refractive power as the n-th lens unit.

11. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the rear group comprises, in order from the object side to the image side, the aperture stop, a third lens unit having a negative refractive power, a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power, a fifth lens unit having a negative refractive power as the (n−1)-th lens unit, and a sixth lens unit having a positive refractive power as the n-th lens unit.

12. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the rear group comprises, in order from the object side to the image side, the aperture stop, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a fifth lens unit having a negative refractive power as the (n−1)-th lens unit, and a sixth lens unit having a positive refractive power as the n-th lens unit.

13. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the first lens unit consists of, in order from the object side to the image side, a cemented lens consisting of a negative lens and a positive lens, and a positive lens.

14. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the first lens unit consists of, in order from the object side to the image side, a positive lens and a cemented lens consisting of a negative lens and a positive lens.

15. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the n-th lens unit consists of, in order from the object side to the image side, a positive lens and a negative lens.

16. The zoom lens according to claim 1 , wherein the n-th lens unit consists of, in order from the object side to the image side, a positive lens, a negative lens, a positive lens, and a negative lens.

17. An extender attachable to and detachable from a zoom lens and configured to convert a magnification of the zoom lens,

wherein the extender comprises, in order from an object side to an image side, a positive lens, a first cemented lens having a negative refractive power and consisting of a negative lens, a positive lens, and a negative lens, and a second cemented lens having a negative refractive power and consisting of a negative lens, a positive lens, and a negative lens, and a third cemented lens having a positive refractive power and consisting of a positive lens and a negative lens,

wherein the zoom lens comprises, in order from the object side to the image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, and a rear group including a plurality of lens units, wherein a lens unit is a group of lenses that is moved or stands still integrally during zooming,

wherein each distance between adjacent lens units is changed during zooming,

wherein the first lens unit consists of three lenses,

wherein the second lens unit consists of four or five lenses,

wherein the rear group includes an aperture stop, an n-th lens unit disposed closest to an image plane and having a positive refractive power, and an (n−1)-th lens disposed on the object side of the n-th lens unit and having a negative refractive power, and

wherein the following inequalities are satisfied:

−0.7< fn− 1/ fn<− 0.1

0.3< Lnm/Lsi< 0.7

where fn−1 is a focal length of the (n−1)-th lens unit, fn is a focal length of the n-th lens unit, Lnm is a first distance on an optical axis from the most image plane side lens surface of the (n−1)-th lens unit to the most object side lens surface of the n-th lens unit at a zoom position that minimizes the first distance in an entire zoom range, and Lsi is a distance on the optical axis from the aperture stop to the image plane at the zoom position.

18. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a zoom lens; and

an 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 a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, and a rear group including a plurality of lens units, wherein a lens unit is a group of lenses that is moved or stands still integrally during zooming,

wherein each distance between adjacent lens units is changed during zooming,

wherein the first lens unit consists of three lenses,

wherein the second lens unit consists of four or five lenses,

wherein the rear group includes a aperture stop, an n-th lens unit disposed closest to an image plane and having a positive refractive power, and an (n−1)-th lens disposed on the object side of the n-th lens unit and having a negative refractive power, and

wherein the following inequalities are satisfied:

−0.7< fn− 1/ fn<− 0.1

0.3< Lnm/Lsi< 0.7

where fn−1 is a focal length of the (n−1)-th lens unit, fn is a focal length of the n-th lens unit, Lnm is a first distance on an optical axis from the most image plane side lens surface of the (n−1)-th lens unit to the most object side lens surface of the n-th lens unit at a zoom position that minimizes the first distance in an entire zoom range, and Lsi is a distance on the optical axis from the aperture stop to the image plane at the zoom position.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 26, 2022
From: KATAYOSE, MASATO
To: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 060918/0613 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-122560 · Jul 27, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230030784A1 · Feb 2, 2023
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