Canon Patent: 35mm f/2.8, 85mm f/2.8, 130mm f/4 and 220mm f/4 Tilt-shift Lenses

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A new Canon patent for tilt-shift lenses with reduced composition shift.

A new Canon patent application discusses optical formulas and methods for tilt-shift lenses with reduced composition shift.

  • 35mm f/2.8
  • 85mm f/2.8
  • 139mm f/4
  • 220mm f/4

From the patent literature:

  • BACKGROUND ART There is a demand for an image pickup optical system capable of obtaining good focus on the entire surface of an object surface tilted in the optical axis direction of the image pickup optical system.
  • Such an imaging application is called tilt photography, and an imaging optical system provided with a tilt mechanism (tilt mechanism) is known as an optical system that satisfies this demand. The Scheimpflug principle is used as the principle of tilt photography, and this imaging optical system is also called a Scheimpflug optical system.
  • On the other hand, in an imaging optical system having a tilt mechanism, the composition shifts (hereinafter, also referred to as “composition shift”) at the time of tilting, which may impair convenience.
  • On the other hand, there is known an imaging optical system provided with a plurality of lens portions that move in a component in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction (Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 describes a lens portion A that generates a tilt effect by moving to a component in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction, and a shift effect (composition shift) by moving to a component in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction. The lens portion B is provided.
  • In Patent Document 1, the lens unit A moves in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction during tilt photographing, and the lens unit B moves with respect to the optical axis direction so as to correct the shift effect generated in the lens unit A. By moving in the vertical direction, tilt shooting with a small composition shift is possible.
  • PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve an image pickup optical system provided with a plurality of lens portions moving in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction as in Patent Document 1, in which the lens portions are perpendicular to the optical axis direction during tilt shooting. Since it is moved in the direction, aberration due to optical eccentricity occurs. This aberration due to eccentricity increases in the amount of vertical movement as the amount of tilt of the object surface to be tilted increases. Therefore, in the image pickup optical system of Patent Document 1, the amount of inclination of the object surface at which good focus can be obtained by tilt photography is small.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide an optical system capable of obtaining a large tilt photographing effect while reducing composition shift, and an image pickup apparatus having the same.

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

[via asobinet]

Canon Patent: 16-160mm f/2-4 Lens For 4/3 Imaging Systems

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Here is a somehow different Canon patent. Different, because it refers to an imaging sensor standard Canon does not implement, that’s 4/3.

Canon patent application 2020191458 (Japan) discusses optical formulas for a 16-160mm f/2-4 lens for a 4/3 imaging sensor.

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a zoom lens having high optical performance and an image pickup apparatus having the same while suppressing the increase in size of the entire optical system due to the increase in size of the image pickup element.

There is a demand for a lens having a high magnification ratio while being compact in an imaging optical system used in an imaging device such as a surveillance camera, a network camera, or a video camera using a solid-state image sensor.

In recent years, with the rapid expansion of the surveillance camera market, various demands for lenses for surveillance cameras have been raised. For example, there is a demand for miniaturization from the viewpoint of installability and inconspicuousness, and a demand for high definition and high sensitivity from the viewpoint of using surveillance video data as court evidence.

Example 1

  • Focal length: 16.47-160.13
  • F value: 2.27-4.12
  • Half angle of view: 33.30-3.87
  • Image height: 10.82
  • Overall length: 146.48
  • Back focus: 5.35

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

[via asobinet]

Canon Patent: Tilt-shift Lens With Internal Moving Elements

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A new Canon patent application for tilt-shift lenses with moving internal parts. Thanks Fred for the tip.

Canon patent application 20220155653 (USA) discusses optical formulas and methods for a tilt-shift lens with internal moving parts.

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

Canon Patent: RF 16-28mm f/2.8, RF 15-28mm f/2.8-4 and RF 15-28mm f/4-5.6 IS

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A new Canon patent, once again for RF mount lenses. Some interesting lenses, we might add.

Canon patent application 2022063727 (Japan) discusses optical formulas for three RF mount lenses:

  • RF 16-28mm f/2.8
  • RF 15-28mm f/2.8-4
  • RF 15-28mm f/4-5.6 IS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a zoom lens having a wide angle of view, easy to manufacture, and having little aberration fluctuation due to scaling.

In the zoom lenses disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, in order to satisfactorily correct distortion and curvature of field, aspherical lenses having a large uneven thickness and a large diameter are added to the first lens group and the second lens group. Is used. As a result, it is difficult to manufacture a zoom lens.

The present invention provides a zoom lens capable of satisfactorily correcting distortion and curvature of field while having a wide angle of view and being easy to manufacture.

Example 1

  • Focal length: 16.45-27.50
  • F value: 2.88
  • Half angle of view: 52.71-38.49
  • Image height: 19.00-21.64
  • Overall length: 134.57-119.35
  • Back focus: 14.07

Example 2

  • Focal length: 15.40-27.50
  • F value: 2.88-4.04
  • Half angle of view: 54.50-38.66
  • Image height: 19.00-21.64
  • Overall length: 114.50-110.87
  • Back focus: 14.15

Example 3

  • Focal length: 15.40-27.50
  • F value: 4.00-5.60
  • Half angle of view: 54.51-38.94
  • Image height: 19.00-21.64
  • Overall length: 103.50-103.50
  • Back focus: 14.20

The Canon patent was spotted by Asobinet. More Canon patent applications are listed here. Some particularly interesting patent applications we think might get into production are these:

Canon Patent: 60-600mm f/4.5-8, 70-700mm f/4.7-8 And 80-800mm f/5.2-9 For RF Mount

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A new Canon patent application for RF mount super telephoto lenses.

Canon patent application 2022-53697 (Japan) discusses optical formulas for three super telephoto lenses, all for the RF mount:

  • 60-600mm f/4.5-8
  • 70-700mm f/4.7-8
  • 80-800mm f/5.2-9

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a zoom lens capable of supporting a high-magnification telephoto zoom and having good optical performance in the entire zoom range, an image pickup device having the same, and an image pickup system.

In recent years, there has been a demand for a telephoto lens having a long focal length or a zoom lens capable of shooting up to a telephoto lens, which is different from a smartphone camera. In recent years, so-called mirrorless cameras without a quick return mirror have been proposed, but since the main body of the mirrorless camera is thin, compact and lightweight, a compact and lightweight interchangeable lens suitable for the mirrorless camera is required.

Example 1

  • Focal length: 61.50-585.00
  • F value: 4.46-8.16
  • Half angle of view: 19.38-2.12
  • Image height: 258.90-346.50
  • Overall length: 258.90-346.50
  • Back focus: 30.00-90.50

Example 2

  • Focal length: 70.00-682.00
  • F value: 4.76-8..16
  • Half angle of view: 17.18-1.82
  • Image height:
  • Overall length: 271.00-361.00
  • Back focus: 31.22-97.50

Example 3

  • Focal length: 81.60-784.00
  • F value: 5.23-9.18
  • Half angle of view: 14.85-1.58
  • Image height: 21.64
  • Overall length: 274.33-371.01
  • Back focus: 32.48-105.97

The Canon patent was spotted by Asobinet. More Canon patent applications are listed here. Some particularly interesting patent applications we think might get into production are these:

Canon Patent: Shift-compatible Mount Adapter Supporting Electronic Contacts

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Here is a new Canon patent application: shift-compatible mount adapter with support for electronic contacts.

Canon patent application P2022052536 (Japan) discusses the technology to implement a shift-compatible mount adapter with electronic contacts. This seems to be a rather interesting thing. Not the first adapter Canon makes. Assuming this adapter is for the EOS R lineup, it has ti be said that so far there are no tilt-shift lenses for the system.

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mount adapter capable of easily shifting an interchangeable lens with respect to an imaging surface for shooting.

However, the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a configuration for preventing mechanical interference between the camera body and the interchangeable lens, and has a predetermined optical axis with respect to the image pickup surface like a TS lens. It is not possible to shift the image by a variable amount and shoot. Further, if the TS lens configuration is mounted on the mount adapter, the number of parts increases and becomes complicated, which leads to an increase in cost.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the adapter 100 in this embodiment. As described above, the adapter 100 is an adapter that is arranged between the camera body 10 and the interchangeable lens 20 and can be attached (connected) to the interchangeable lens 20 and the camera body 10. The adapter 100 is also a camera accessory that electrically connects the camera body 10 and the interchangeable lens 20. A CPU may be provided in the adapter 100 to perform signal conversion and the like.

The Canon patent was spotted by Asobinet. More Canon patent applications are listed here. Some particularly interesting patent applications we think might get into production are these: