IP Library Granted Patent US 8,873,160
Granted Patent B2
US 8,873,160 · App. 13/749,437 · Granted Oct 28, 2014

Taking lens system and image pickup apparatus using the same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,873,160
App. No.
13/749,437
Granted
Oct 28, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A taking lens system comprises a frontmost lens unit, a rearmost lens unit, and a plurality of lens units arranged between the frontmost lens unit and the rearmost lens unit. One of the plurality of lens units is a first focusing lens unit. During focusing from an infinite object distance to a close object distance, only the first focusing lens unit moves toward the image side in a first shooting mode, and at least two lens units in the taking lens system move in a second shooting mode. In the state in which the taking lens system is focused on an object at infinity, the positions of the first focusing lens unit and at least one lens unit in the taking lens system in the first shooting mode are different from those in the second shooting mode. The taking lens system satisfies the condition M n1 >M n2 .

Claims (70)

1. A taking lens system comprising:

a frontmost lens unit that is arranged closest to the object side;

a rearmost lens unit that is arranged closest to the image side; and

a plurality of lens units that are arranged between the frontmost lens unit and the rearmost lens unit, wherein

one of the plurality of lens units is a first focusing lens unit;

in a first shooting mode, only the first focusing lens unit moves toward the image side during focusing from an infinite object distance to a close object distance;

in a second shooting mode, at least two lens units in the taking lens system move during focusing from an infinite object distance to a close object distance;

in the state in which the taking lens system is focused on an object at infinity, the positions of the first focusing lens unit and at least one lens unit in the taking lens system in the first shooting mode are different from those in the second shooting mode, and

M n1 >M n2 is satisfied,

where M n1 is the distance between the first focusing lens unit and the image plane in the first shooting mode, and

M n2 is the distance between the first focusing lens unit and the image plane in the second shooting mode, both in the state in which the taking lens system is focused on an object at infinity.

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

the first focusing lens unit has a negative refractive power, and

the lens units arranged on the object side of the first focusing lens unit as a whole have a positive refractive power.

3. The taking lens system according to claim 1 , wherein the frontmost lens unit and the rearmost lens unit are stationary during focusing from an infinite object distance to a close object distance in the second shooting mode.

4. The taking lens system according to claim 1 , wherein

one lens unit among the at least two lens units has a negative refractive power, another lens unit among the at least two lens units has a positive refractive power, and

the at least two lens units that move during focusing from an infinite object distance to a close object distance in the second shooting mode do not include the first focusing lens unit.

5. The taking lens system according to claim 1 , wherein one lens unit among the at least two lens units that move during focusing from an infinite object distance to a close object distance in the second shooting mode is the first focusing lens unit.

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

the first focusing lens unit has a negative refractive power and consists of two or less lenses, and

the following conditional expression (1) is satisfied:

−1.2≦ f n /f inf1 ≦−0.2  (1),

where f n is the focal length of the first focusing lens unit, and

f inf1 is the focal length of the entire taking lens system in the first shooting mode in the state in which the taking lens system is focused on an object at infinity.

7. The taking lens system according to claim 6 , wherein the first focusing lens unit consists of one lens.

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

the first focusing lens unit has a negative refractive power,

the taking lens system includes a lens unit having a positive refractive power arranged immediately in front and on the object side of the first focusing lens unit,

the plurality of lens units include the lens unit having a positive refractive power,

the at least one lens unit includes the lens unit having a positive refractive power, and

the following conditional expressions (2) and (3) are satisfied:

0 <M p12 /f inf2 ≦0.45  (2) and

0.1 ≦M p12 /M n12 ≦3.0  (3),

where M p12 =M p1 −M p2 , M n12 =M n1 −M n2 ,

M p1 is the distance between the lens unit having a positive refractive power and the image plane in the first shooting mode,

M p2 is the distance between the lens unit having a positive refractive power and the image plane in the second shooting mode,

M n1 is the distance between the first focusing lens unit and the image plane in the first shooting mode,

M n2 is the distance between the first focusing lens unit and the image plane in the second shooting mode, and

f inf2 is the focal length of the entire taking lens system in the second shooting mode, where all the distances and focal lengths are those in the state in which the taking lens system is focused on an object at infinity.

9. The taking lens system according to claim 1 , wherein the frontmost lens unit and the rearmost lens unit are stationary during focusing from an infinite object distance to a close object distance both in the first shooting mode and in the second shooting mode.

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

the taking lens system includes a second focusing lens unit and a third focusing lens unit provided between the frontmost lens unit and the first focusing lens unit,

the plurality of lens units include the second focusing lens unit and the third focusing lens unit, and

during focusing from an infinite object distance to a close object distance in the second shooting mode, the second focusing lens unit and the third focusing lens unit move.

11. The taking lens system according to claim 10 , wherein

the second focusing lens unit has a negative refractive power,

the third focusing lens unit has a positive refractive power, the third focusing lens unit is located between the second focusing lens unit and the first focusing lens unit, and

during focusing from an infinite object distance to a close object distance in the second shooting mode, the second focusing lens unit moves toward the image side and the third lens unit moves toward the object side.

12. The taking lens system according to claim 11 , wherein the third focusing lens unit is arranged immediately in front and on the object side of the first focusing lens unit, and the third lens unit is located closer to the object side in the first shooting mode than in the first shooting mode.

13. The taking lens system according to claim 11 , wherein the frontmost lens unit has a positive refractive power.

14. The taking lens system according to claim 1 , wherein

the first focusing lens unit moves back and forth along the direction of the optical axis by a predetermined movement amount, and

the predetermined movement amount is smaller than the amount of movement during focusing from an infinite object distance to a close object distance in the first shooting mode.

15. The taking lens system according to claim 1 , wherein the following conditional expression (4) is satisfied:

0.3≦β inf2MAX ≦1.5  (4),

where β inf2MAX is the absolute value of the highest image magnification of the taking lens system in the second shooting mode.

16. The taking lens system according to claim 1 , wherein the following conditional expressions (5) and (6) are satisfied:

0.01 ≦M n12 /f inf2 ≦0.60  (5),

0.1 ≦M ninfMAX /f inf1 ≦0.5  (6),

where M n12 =M n1 −M n2 , M ninf1MAX =M n3 −M n4 ,

M n1 is the distance between the first focusing lens unit and the image plane in the first shooting mode in the state in which the taking lens system is focused on an object at infinity,

M n2 is the distance between the first focusing lens unit and the image plane in the second shooting mode in the state in which the taking lens system is focused on an object at infinity,

M n3 is the distance between the first focusing lens unit and the image plane in the state in which the first focusing lens unit is located farthest from the image plane in the first shooting mode,

M n4 is the distance between the first focusing lens unit and the image plane in the state in which the first focusing lens unit is located closest to the image plane in the first shooting mode,

f inf1 is the focal length of the entire taking lens system in the first shooting mode in the state in which the taking lens system is focused on an object at infinity, and

f inf2 is the focal length of the entire taking lens system in the second shooting mode in the state in which the taking lens system is focused on an object at infinity.

17. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a taking lens system according to claim 1 ; and

an image pickup element that is disposed on the image side of the taking lens system and converts an image formed by the taking lens system into an electrical signal.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 7, 2021
From: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
To: OM DIGITAL SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058329/0766 →
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 Jan 24, 2013
From: HARA, KENTO
To: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.
Reel/Frame 029689/0634 →