IP Library Granted Patent US 8,325,423
Granted Patent B2
US 8,325,423 · App. 12/661,173 · Granted Dec 4, 2012

Zoom lens system and image pickup apparatus using the same

Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corp.
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 8,325,423
App. No.
12/661,173
Granted
Dec 4, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A zoom lens system includes in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit G 1 having a positive refracting power, a second lens unit G 2 having a negative refracting power, a third lens unit G 3 having a positive refracting power, and a fourth lens unit G 4 having a positive refracting power. At the time of zooming from a wide angle end to a telephoto end, distances between the lens units change. The third lens unit includes a first cemented lens component having a concave image-side surface on the image side, and a second cemented lens component having a concave object-side surface on the object side, which is disposed immediately after the image side of the first cemented lens component. The first cemented lens component includes a positive lens, and a negative lens having a concave image-side surface which is disposed on the image side of the positive lens. The second cemented lens component includes a negative lens having a concave object-side surface on the object side, and a positive lens which is disposed on the image side of the negative lens.

Claims (301)

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

a first lens unit having a positive refracting power;

a second lens unit having a negative refracting power;

a third lens unit having a positive refracting power; and

a fourth lens unit having a positive refracting power,

wherein at the time of zooming from a wide angle end to a telephoto end, each of distances between the first lens unit and the second lens unit, the second lens unit and the third lens unit, the third lens unit and the fourth lens unit is changed, and

the third lens unit comprises a first cemented lens component having a concave image-side surface on the image side, and a second cemented lens component having a concave object-side surface on the object side, which is disposed immediately after the image side of the first cemented lens component, and

the first cemented lens component includes a positive lens, and a negative lens having a concave image-side surface which is disposed on the image side of the positive lens, and the second cemented lens component includes a negative lens having a concave object-side surface on the object side, and a positive lens which is disposed on the image side of the negative lens.

2. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein

the first cemented lens component has a meniscus shape convex to the object side, and

the second cemented lens component has a meniscus shape convex to the image side.

3. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein

the first cemented lens component and the second cemented lens component satisfy the following conditional expression (1)

−0.9< SF 3n <−0.1   (1)

where,

SF 3n is defined by SF 3n =(32R 1r +33R 2f )/(32R 1r −33R 2f ), where

32R 1r denotes a radius of curvature on the image side of the first cemented lens component in the third lens unit, and

33R 2f denotes a radius of curvature on the object side of the second cemented lens component in the third lens unit.

4. A zoom lens system comprising in order from an object side to an image side:

first lens unit having a positive refracting power;

second lens unit having a negative refracting power;

third lens unit having a positive refracting power; and

fourth lens unit having a positive refracting power,

wherein at the time of zooming from a wide angle end to a telephoto end, each of distances between the first lens unit and the second lens unit, the second lens unit and the third lens unit, the third lens unit and the fourth lens unit is changed, and

the third lens unit comprises a first cemented lens component, and a second cemented lens component which is disposed on the image side of the first cemented lens component, and

the first cemented lens component comprises a positive lens, and a negative lens which is disposed on the image side of the positive lens, and

the second cemented lens components comprises a negative lens, and a positive lens which is disposed on the image side of the negative lens, and

the first cemented lens component and the second cemented lens component satisfy the following conditional expression (2)

50<νd 3 <120   (2)

where,

νd 3 is defined by νd 3= (νdL 32p +νdL 33p )−(νdL 32n +νdL 33p ),

where,

νdL 32p denotes Abbe constant for d-line of the positive lens of the first cemented lens component in the third lens unit,

νdL 33p denotes Abbe constant for d-line of the positive lens of the second cemented lens component in the third lens unit,

νdL 32n denotes Abbe constant for d-line of the negative lens of the first cemented lens component in the third lend unit, and

νdL 33n denotes Abbe constant for d-line of the negative lens of the second cemented lens component in the third lens unit.

5. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein

the first cemented lens component and the second cemented lens component satisfy the following conditional expression (2)

50<νd 3 <120  (2)

where,

νd 3 is defined by νd 3 =(νdL 32p +νdL 33p )−(νdL 32n +νdL 33n ),

where,

νdL 32p denotes Abbe constant for d-line of the positive lens of the first cemented lens component in the third lens unit,

νdL 33p denotes Abbe constant for d-line of the positive lens of the second cemented lens component in the third lens unit,

νdL 32n denotes Abbe constant for d-line of the negative lens of the first cemented lens component in the third lend unit, and

νdL 33n denotes Abbe constant for d-line of the negative lens of the second cemented lens component in the third lens unit.

6. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein

the first cemented lens component and the second cemented lens component are disposed side-by-side leaving a space between the first cemented lens component and the second cemented lens component, and

satisfy the following conditional expression (3)

0.08< D 3 /f 3 <0.20  (3)

where,

D 3 denotes a distance on an optical axis between the first cemented lens component and the second cemented lens component in the third lens unit, and

f 3 denotes a focal length of the third lens unit.

7. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein

the second cemented lens component is disposed nearest to the image side, in the third lens unit, and

the positive lens in the second cemented lens component has an aspheric image-side surface which is convex on the image side.

8. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein

the third lens unit comprises in order from the object side,

a positive single lens having a positive refracting power,

e first cemented lens component, and

the second cemented lens component, and

the positive single lens comprises at least one aspheric surface.

9. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expressions (4) and (5)

0.26< UY 1G /f w <0.28  (4)

0.25< UY 3G /f 3 <0.5  (5)

where,

f w denotes a focal length of the overall zoom lens system at the wide angle end,

UY 1G denotes a height from an optical axis of axial marginal light rays at a surface on the object side of the first lens unit, at the wide angle end,

UY 3G denotes a height from an optical axis of axial marginal rays at a surface on the object side of the third lens unit, at the wide angle end, and

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

10. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein

the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expressions (4) and (6)

0.26< UY 1G /f w <0.28  (4)

0.60< UY 3G /f w <1.00  (6)

where,

f w denotes the focal length of the overall zoom lens system at the wide angle end,

UY 1G denotes the height from an optical axis of axial marginal light rays at a surface on the object side of the first lens unit, at the wide angle end, and

UY 3G denotes the height from an optical axis of axial marginal rays at a surface on the object side of the third lens unit, at the wide angle end.

11. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expression (7)

7.0< f 1 /f w <10  (7)

where,

f 1 denotes a focal length of the first lens unit, and

f w denotes the focal length of the overall zoom lens system at the wide angle end.

12. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expressions (8) and (9)

1.6<| f 2 /f w |<2.1  (8)

3.5<((β 2t /β 2w )×(β 3t /β 3w )×(β 4t /β 4w )<5.0  (9)

where,

f 2 denotes a focal length of the second lens unit,

f w denotes the focal length of the overall zoom lens system at the wide angel end,

β 2w and β 2t denote a lateral magnification of the second lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively,

β 3w and β 3t denote a lateral magnification of the third lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively, and

β 4w and β 4t denote a lateral magnification of the fourth lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively.

13. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expression (10)

2.0< f 3 /f w <3.0  (10)

where,

f 3 denotes the focal length of the third lens unit, and

f w denotes the focal length of the overall zoom lens system at the wide angle end.

14. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expression (11)

3.4< f 4 /f w <5.5  (11)

where,

f 4 denotes a focal length of the fourth lens unit, and

f w denotes the focal length of the overall zoom lens system at the wide angle end.

15. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expression (12)

9.0< L w /f w <10.2  (12)

where,

L w denotes a distance along an optical axis from a surface on the object side of the first lens unit up to an image plane at the wide angle end when a back focus is let to be an air conversion distance, and

f w denotes the focal length of the overall zoom lens system at the wide angle end.

16. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein

the second lens unit comprises in order from the object side, a negative meniscus lens component, a negative lens component, and a positive lens component, and

the total number of lens components in the second lens unit is 3, and

the second lens unit satisfies the following conditional expressions (13) and (9)

0.5<(β 2t /β 2w )/(β 3t /β 3w )<1.0  (13)

3.5<(β 2t /β 2w )×(β 3t /β 3w )×(β 4t /β 4w )<5.0  (9)

where,

β 2w and β 2t denote a lateral magnification of the second lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively,

β 3w and β 3t denote a lateral magnification of the third lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively, and

β 4w and β 4t denote a lateral magnification of the fourth lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively.

17. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expression (14)

1.4<β 2t /β 2 w<2.1  (14)

where,

β 2w and β 2t denote lateral magnification of the second lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively.

18. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expression (15)

1.8<β 3t /β 3w <2.9  (15)

where,

β 3w and β 3t denote a lateral magnification of the third lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively.

19. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expression (16)

0.6<β 4t /β 4w <1.3  (16)

where,

β 4w and β 4t denote a lateral magnification of the fourth lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end.

20. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein

the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expressions (17) and (9)

2.8< D 2w /f w <4.2  (17)

3.5<(β 2t /β 2w )×(β 3t /β 3w )×(β 4t /β 4w )<5.0  (9)

where,

D 2w denotes an air distance on an optical axis between the second lens unit and the third lens unit at the wide angle end,

f w denotes the focal length of the overall zoom lens system at the wide angle end,

β 2w and β 2t denote a lateral magnification of the second lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively,

β 3w and β 3t denote a lateral magnification of the third lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively, and

β 4w and β 4t denote a lateral magnification of the fourth lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively.

21. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expression (18)

1.3<Δ3 G/f w <2.4  (18)

where,

Δ3G denotes an amount of movement of the third lens unit from the wide angle end to the telephoto end, and

f w denotes the focal length of the overall zoom lens system at the wide angle end.

22. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an aperture stop which is disposed immediate before the object side of the third lens unit, wherein the aperture stop, at the time of zooming from the wide angle end to the telephoto end, moves integrally with the third lens unit.

23. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein

the first lens unit includes one lens component, and

satisfies the following conditional expressions (19) and (20)

0.725< IH/f w <0.8  (19)

−1.0< D 2w /L 11r <1.0   (20)

where,

IH denotes the maximum light ray height of off-axis rays at an image plane,

f w denotes a focal length of the overall zoom lens system at the wide angle end,

D 2w denotes an air distance on an optical axis between the second lens unit and the third lens unit at the wide angle end, and

L 11r denotes a radius of curvature of a surface nearest to the image side of the first lens unit.

24. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein the second lens unit comprises a lens having an aspheric surface.

25. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein the fourth lens unit comprises a lens having an aspheric surface.

26. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a zoom lens system according to claim 1 ; and

an image pickup element, which is disposed on an image side of the zoom lens system, and which converts an image formed by the zoom lens system, to an electric signal.

27. A zoom lens system comprising in order from an object side to an image side:

a first lens unit having a positive refracting power;

a second lens unit having a negative refracting power;

a third lens unit having a positive refracting power; and

a fourth lens unit having a positive refracting power,

wherein at the time of zooming from a wide angle end to a telephoto end, each of distances between the first lens unit and the second lens unit, the second lens unit and the third lens unit, the third lens unit and the fourth lens unit is changed, and the first lens unit is moved,

the first lens unit comprises a negative lens element and a positive lens element,

a total number of lens elements included in the first lens unit is two,

the third lens unit comprises five lens elements,

a total number of lens elements included in the third lens unit is five, and

the zoom lens system is a four-unit zoom lens system.

28. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein

the second lens unit comprises three lens elements,

a total number of lens elements included in the second lens unit is three,

the fourth lens unit comprises a positive lens element, and

a total number of lens element included in the fourth lens unit is one.

29. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein

at the time of zooming from the wide angle end to the telephoto end, the first lens unit first moves toward the image side, and upon inverting a direction of movement, moves toward object side.

30. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein

the negative lens element in the first lens unit and the positive lens element in the first lens unit are cemented to each other.

31. The zoom lens system according to claim 30 , wherein

the negative lens element in the first lens unit is a negative meniscus lens element having a convex surface directed toward the object side.

32. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein

the second lens unit comprises, in order from the object side, a first negative lens element, a second negative lens element and a positive lens element, and

a total number of lens elements included in the second lens unit is three.

33. The zoom lens system according to claim 32 , wherein

an image side surface of the first negative lens element in the second lens unit is a concave surface,

an object side surface of the second negative lens element in the second lens unit is a concave surface, and

an object side surface of the positive lens element in the second lens unit is a convex surface.

34. The zoom lens system according to claim 33 , wherein

each of the first negative lens element in the second lens unit, the second negative lens element in the second lens unit and the positive lens element in the second lens unit is single lens component.

35. The zoom lens system according to claim 33 , wherein

the first negative lens element in the second lens unit is a negative meniscus lens element having a convex object-side surface, and

the second negative lens element in the second lens unit is a bi-concave lens element.

36. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein

the five lens elements in the third lens unit are, in order from the object side, a positive lens element, a positive lens element, a negative lens element, a negative lens element and a positive lens element.

37. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein

the five lens elements in the third lens unit comprises, in order from the object side,

a first positive lens element having a convex object-side surface directed toward the object side,

a second positive lens element having a convex object-side surface directed to toward the object side,

a negative lens element having a concave image-side surface directed toward the image side,

a negative lens element having a concave object-side surface directed toward the object side,

a positive lens element having a convex image-side surface directed to toward the image side, and

the negative lens element having the concave image-side surface directed toward the image side and the second positive lens element are cemented to each other.

38. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein

the fourth lens unit comprises a positive lens element having a convex object-side surface directed to toward the object side, and

a total number of lens element included in the fourth lens unit is one.

39. The zoom lens system according to claim 38 , wherein

the positive lens element in the fourth lens unit is a positive meniscus lens unit having a concave image-side surface.

40. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein

the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expressions (4) and (6)

0.26< UY 1G /f w <0.28  (4)

0.60< UY 3G /f w <1.00   (6)

where,

f w denotes the focal length of the overall zoom lens system at the wide angle end,

UY 1G denotes the height from an optical axis of axial marginal light rays at a surface on the object side of the first lens unit, at the wide angle end, and

UY 3G denotes the height from an optical axis of axial marginal rays at a surface on the object side of the third lens unit, at the wide angle end.

41. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expression (7)

7.0< f 1 /f w <10  (7)

where,

f 1 denotes a focal length of the first lens unit, and

f w denotes the focal length of the overall zoom lens system at the wide angle end.

42. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expressions (8) and (9)

1.6< |f 2 /f w |<2.1  (8)

3.5<(β 2t /β 2w )×(β 3t /β 3w )×(β 4t /β 4w )<5.0  (9)

where,

f 2 denotes a focal length of the second lens unit,

f w denotes the focal length of the overall zoom lens system at the wide angel end,

β 2w and β 2t denote a lateral magnification of the second lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively,

β 3w and β 3t denote a lateral magnification of the third lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively, and

β 4w and β 4t denote a lateral magnification of the fourth lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively.

43. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expression (10)

2.0< f 3 /f w <3.0  (10)

where,

f 3 denotes the focal length of the third lens unit, and

f w denotes the focal length of the overall zoom lens system at the wide angle end.

44. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expression (11)

3.4< f 4 /f w <5.5  (11)

where,

f 4 denotes a focal length of the fourth lens unit, and

f w denotes the focal length of the overall zoom lens system at the wide angle end.

45. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expression (12)

9.0< L w /f w <10.2  (12)

where,

L w denotes a distance along an optical axis from a surface on the object side of the first lens unit up to an image plane at the wide angle end when a back focus is let to be an air conversion distance, and

f w denotes the focal length of the overall zoom lens system at the wide angle end.

46. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein

the second lens unit comprises in order from the object side, a negative meniscus lens component, a negative lens component, and a positive lens component, and

the total number of lens components in the second lens unit is 3, and

the second lens unit satisfies the following conditional expressions (13) and (9)

0.5<(β 2t /β 2w )/(β 3t /β 3w )<1.0  (13)

3.5<(β 2t /β 2w )×(β 3t /β 3w )×(β 4t /β 4w )<5.0  (9)

where,

β 2w and β 2t denote a lateral magnification of the second lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively,

β 3w and β 3t denote a lateral magnification of the third lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively, and

β 4w and β 4t denote a lateral magnification of the fourth lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively.

47. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expression (14)

1.4<β 2t /β 2w <2.1  (14)

where,

β 2w and β 2t denote lateral magnification of the second lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively.

48. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expression (15)

1.8<β 3t /β 3w <2.9  (15)

where,

β 3w and β 3t denote a lateral magnification of the third lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively.

49. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expression (16)

0.6<β 4t /β 4w <1.3   (16)

where,

β 4w and β 4t denote a lateral magnification of the fourth lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end.

50. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein

the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expressions (17) and (9)

2.8< D 2w /f w <4.2   (17)

3.5<(β 2t /β 2w )×(β 3t /β 3w )×(β 4t /β 4w )<5.0   (9)

where,

D 2w denotes an air distance on an optical axis between the second lens unit and the third lens unit at the wide angle end,

f w denotes the focal length of the overall zoom lens system at the wide angle end,

β 2w and β 2t denote a lateral magnification of the second lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively,

β 3w and β 3t denote a lateral magnification of the third lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively, and

β 4w and β 4t denote a lateral magnification of the fourth lens unit, at the wide angle end and the telephoto end respectively.

51. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein the zoom lens system satisfies the following conditional expression (18)

1.3<Δ3 G/f w <2.4  (18)

where,

Δ3G denotes an amount of movement of the third lens unit from the wide angle end to the telephoto end, and

f w denotes the focal length of the overall zoom lens system at the wide angle end.

52. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , further comprising:

an aperture stop which is disposed immediate before the object side of the third lens unit, wherein the aperture stop, at the time of zooming from the wide angle end to the telephoto end, moves integrally with the third lens unit.

53. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein

the first lens unit includes one lens component, and

satisfies the following conditional expressions (9) and (20)

0.725< IH/f w <0.8  (19)

−1.0< D 2w /L 11r <1.0  (20)

where,

IH denotes the maximum light ray height of off-axis rays at an image plane,

f w denotes a focal length of the overall zoom lens system at the wide angle end,

D 2w denotes an air distance on an optical axis between the second lens unit and the third lens unit at the wide angle end, and

L 11r denotes a radius of curvature of a surface nearest to the image side of the first lens unit.

54. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein the second lens unit comprises a lens having an aspheric surface.

55. The zoom lens system according to claim 27 , wherein the fourth lens unit comprises a lens having an aspheric surface.

56. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a zoom lens system according to claim 27 ; and

an image pickup element, which is disposed on an image side of the zoom lens system, and which converts an image formed by the zoom lens system, to an electric signal.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 7, 2021
From: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
To: OM DIGITAL SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058316/0269 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Jun 27, 2016
From: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
To: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 039344/0502 →
MERGER Recorded Aug 5, 2015
From: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.
To: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 036279/0239 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2010
From: KUBOTA, YUKI; MIYATA, MASATO; KANBAYASHI, NOBUMASA
To: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.
Reel/Frame 024150/0132 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2009-063961 · Mar 17, 2009 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100238564A1 · Sep 23, 2010