Canon Patent: 30-90mm f/1.5, 18-45mm f/1.5, 70-210mm f/2.5 Cinema Lenses

Canon Patent
View Post

A new Canon patent and for once it doesn’t refer to RF mount lenses but for Cinema optics: 30-90mm f/1.5, 18-45mm f/1.5, 70-210mm f/2.5.

Canon patent application 2022119007 (Japan) discusses optical formulas for three lenses we think are Cinema or broadcasting lenses:

  • 30-90mm f/1.5
  • 18-45mm f/1.5
  • 70-210mm f/2.5

From the patent literature:

To provide a zoom lens that is advantageous in terms of, for example, a large aperture, small size and light weight, and high optical performance over the entire zoom range.

The lens diameter of the lens group closest to the object side in the first lens group is determined by the off-axis ray at the wide-angle end, and the lens diameter of the lens group closest to the image side in the first lens group is determined by the on-axis ray at the telephoto end. Therefore, if the first lens group is thickened, the size of the lens will increase if the aperture is to be further increased. In the zoom lens of Patent Literature 1, since the first lens group is thick, the zoom lens may become large if it is intended to accommodate a large-format sensor such as a Super 35 format or a full-frame format while maintaining the F-number.

Example 1

  • Focal length: 31.20-89.85
  • F-value: 1.51
  • Half angle of view: 25.38-9.35
  • Total length: 284.23
  • Back focus: 39.00

Example 2

  • Focal length: 21.00-80.57
  • F-value: 1.51
  • Half angle of view: 35.17-10.41
  • Total length: 288.03
  • Back focus: 39.00

Example 3

  • Focal length: 18.01-45.01
  • F-value: 1.51
  • Half angle of view: 39.422-18.20
  • Total length: 308.88
  • Back focus: 39.00

More Canon patent applications are listed here. Some particularly interesting patent applications we think might get into production are these:

[via asobinet]

Canon Patent: Eye Control Autofocus For Mirrorless Cameras

Canon Patent
View Post

A new Canon patent application about eye controlled autofocus. Two patent applications, to be precise.

Cannon patent application 20220247904 (US) refers to a bigger sized mirrorless camera (like the EOS R3) and Canon patent application 20220247933 (US) to a smaller one. Here is the abstract for the former patent application:

And the abstract for the latter patent application:

More Canon patent applications are listed here. Some particularly interesting patent applications we think might get into production are these:

[via NL]

Canon Patent: RF 16-28mm Lens That Might Be f/2.8 or f/2.8-4 or f/4

Canon Patent
View Post

Here is a Canon patent application for a lens that might hit the shelves, sooner or later: RF 16-28mm.

Canon patent application 2022112179 (Japan) discusses optical formulas for an RF 16-28mm lens. Three optical formulas are discussed in the patent literature:

  • RF 16-28mm f/2.8
  • RF 16-28mm f/2.8-4
  • RF 16-28mm f/4

From the patent literature:

A zoom lens that is compact and has a wide angle of view while achieving high optical performance with little variation in aberration during zooming, and an imaging device and an imaging system having the zoom lens.

A photographing lens with a half angle of view exceeding 35 degrees is called a wide-angle lens, and is suitable for photographing a vast landscape by taking advantage of the wide angle of view. A wide-angle lens needs to satisfactorily correct distortion and curvature of field, which worsen as the half angle of view increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a zoom lens which is compact and has a wide angle of view, and which can obtain high optical performance with little aberration fluctuation during zooming, and an image pickup apparatus having the zoom lens.

Example 1

  • Focal length: 16.45-27.50
  • F-value: 2.88
  • Half angle of view: 52.70-39.08
  • Image height: 19.00-21.64
  • Total length: 138.01-127.30
  • Back focus: 14.00

Example 2

  • Focal length: 16.45-27.50
  • F-value: 2.88-4.00
  • Half angle of view: 52.740-38.91
  • Image height: 19.00-21.64
  • Overall length: 121.56-117.50
  • Back focus: 14.21

Example 3

  • Focal length: 16.45-27.50
  • F-value: 4.10
  • Half angle of view: 52.69-39.09
  • Image height: 19.00-21.64
  • Overall length: 124.60-121.49
  • Back focus: 14.08

More Canon patent applications are listed here. Some particularly interesting patent applications we think might get into production are these:

[via asobinet]

Canon Patent: RF 150-600mm f/8-11 Zoom Lens For EOS R System

Canon Patent
View Post

A new Canon patent, for a RF 150-600mm f/8-11 zoom lens.

Canon patent application 2022106401 (Japan) discusses optical formulas for a 150-600mm f/8-11 zoom lens for the RF mount.

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact and lightweight zoom lens having high optical performance in the entire zoom range.

Example 1

  • Focal length: 103.00-387.89
  • F value: 5.82-8.24
  • Half angle of view: 11.86-3.19
  • Image height: 21.64
  • Overall length: 183.21-258.38
  • Back focus: 39.88-81.93

Example 2

  • Focal length: 153.00-581.90
  • F value: 8.00-11.31
  • Half angle of view: 8.05-2.13
  • Image height: 21.64
  • Overall length: 274.81-354.89
  • Back focus: 68.40-126.51

More Canon patent applications are listed here. Some particularly interesting patent applications we think might get into production are these:

[via asobinet]

Canon Patent To Improve AF In Lenses With Reflective Optics

Canon Patent
View Post

A new Canon patent was spotted. Autofocus improvement for mirror lenses, i.e. lenses with a reflective optical system.

Canon patent application 2022103610 (Japan) discusses methods and technologies to improve autofocus on mirror lenses.

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lens device capable of detecting an accurate defocus amount when a reflective optical system is used.

However, in the configurations disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, when the central portion of the light flux is shielded by the reflective telephoto lens (catadioptric system), the image signal corresponds to the change in the vignetting direction of the AF light flux. The correction and the calculation of the conversion coefficient are not performed, and a focus detection error occurs.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lens device, an image pickup device, a control method of the lens device, and a program capable of detecting an accurate defocus amount when a reflective optical system is used.

More Canon patent applications are listed here. Some particularly interesting patent applications we think might get into production are these:

[via asobinet]

Canon Patent: Super Small 28-70mm f/2.8 & 28-60mm f/2.8 Lenses For RF Mount

Canon Patent
View Post

A new and rather interesting Canon patent application. Very compact zoom lenses with large aperture.

Canon patent application 2022091621 (Japan) discusses optical formulas for two small and compact zoom lenses with large aperture:

  • 28-70mm f/2.8
  • 28-60mm f/2.8

From the patent literature:

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a zoom lens having a short total length and a small size but having high optical performance, and an image pickup apparatus having the same.

In recent years, with the increasing functionality of image pickup devices, there is a demand for a compact and lightweight zoom lens having a large aperture ratio. As a zoom lens that satisfies this requirement, a negative lead type zoom lens in which a lens group having a negative refractive power is arranged on the object side is known (see Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

In the zoom lens of Patent Document 1, the refractive power of the first lens group is strengthened, and the movement locus of the first lens group during zooming becomes a substantially reciprocating locus, so that the total length of the zoom lens at the telephoto end can be increased. become longer. In addition, the back focus is long, and it is difficult to shorten the total length of the zoom lens. Further, the thickness of the first lens group becomes large due to the aberration correction in the first lens group, which is not preferable from the viewpoint of miniaturization and weight reduction.

In the zoom lens of Patent Document 2, the refractive power of the first lens group is strong in order to obtain a zoom magnification, and the configuration of the subsequent group is a four-group configuration up to the fourth lens group. If a larger aperture ratio is aimed at, it will not be possible to suppress various aberrations and zoom fluctuations of aberrations in the telephoto region, and it will be difficult to satisfy good optical performance over the entire zoom range.

An object of the present invention is to provide a zoom lens having a short overall length, a small size, and high optical performance, and an image pickup apparatus having the same.

In the zoom lens of each embodiment, in order to ensure good optical performance even at a close object distance, two or more lens groups among the lens groups arranged on the image side of the first lens group L1 are focused. It is preferable to have a so-called floating configuration in which the lens moves at the time.

Example 1

  • Focal length: 28.84-67.90
  • F value: 2.91
  • Half angle of view: 32.68-17.67
  • Image height: 18.50-21.64
  • Overall length: 138.40-105.42
  • Back focus: 10.97-21.12

Example 2

  • Focal length: 28.84-60
  • F value: 2.91
  • Half angle of view: 32.68-19.83
  • Image height: 18.50-21.64
  • Overall length: 132.38-106.85
  • Back focus: 13.47-23.82

More Canon patent applications are listed here. Some particularly interesting patent applications we think might get into production are these:

[via asobinet]