Is Canon Developing A Mirror Lens With Auto-Focus?

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That’s what a Canon patent application seems to suggest, a 300mm f/2.3 mirror lens. Read on.

Canon patent application 2023013456 (Japan, published 1/26/2023) discusses optical formulas for a 300mm f/2.3 mirror lens with autofocus. From the patent literature:

An optical system capable of sufficiently correcting curvature of field while being compact, lightweight, and having a large aperture ratio is provided.

Description of the Related Art

As a telephoto imaging optical system having a long focal length, there is a catadioptric imaging optical system having a reflective system and a refracting system. In such a catadioptric imaging optical system, Patent Literatures 1 and 2 disclose an inner focus type imaging optical system that is compact, lightweight, has a large aperture ratio, and has an autofocus function. ing. [0004]However, in the imaging optical systems disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the configuration of the reflection system cannot sufficiently correct the curvature of field.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an optical system capable of sufficiently correcting curvature of field while having a small size, light weight, and large aperture ratio.

An optical system as one aspect of the present invention has a first group that does not move during focusing and a second group that moves during focusing.

Example 1

  • Focal length: 298.89
  • F-value: 2.28
  • Half angle of view: 4.14
  • Image height: 21.64
  • Overall length: 177.20
  • Back focus: 65.95

Example 2

  • Focal length: 408.04
  • F-value: 5.00
  • Half angle of view: 3.04
  • Image height: 21.64
  • Total length: 189.17
  • Back focus: 47.69

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

[via asobinet]

Canon Patent: Adding Functionality To The Rear Dial By Making It Clickable

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This Canon patent shows once more that ergonomics and user interfaces are constantly researched and further deveolped.

Canon patent application 2023009898 (Japan, published 1/20/2023) discusses methods to make the rear dial clickable, e.g. to add functionality. From the patent literature:

An object of the present invention is to provide a rotary operation member capable of a compound operation that prevents an erroneous operation during a rotary operation.

Description of the Related Art

Conventionally, in an electronic device having a rotating/swiveling operation member such as a dial, there has been proposed a structure capable of performing a combined operation of a rotating operation and a swinging operation of the rotating operation member.

However, the prior art disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document requires a plurality of means for producing a rotating operation and a swinging motion, and there is a concern that the swinging operation may be erroneously performed during the rotating operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rotating and swinging operating member that performs rotating and swinging operations with a common member while preventing erroneous operation during rotating operation.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a composite operating member that is capable of rotating and swinging operations and that is excellent in immediacy while preventing erroneous operations.

Canon patent

More Canon patent applications are listed here.

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Canon Patent: Shutter Button Vibrates When Focus Is Acquired

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And here is the third Canon patent application of today (see here and here), and this is a rather cool one in our opinion.

Canon patent application 2023009356 (Japan, published 1/20/2023) discusses methods to make a shutter button that vibrates when autofocus is locked. Pretty cool, isn’t it? Think of situations where silence is important, but getting to know when AF locks is too.

From the patent literature:

An optical device capable of increasing vibration transmitted to a release button with an inexpensive and compact configuration is provided.

Description of the Related Art

Conventional single-lens reflex cameras generate camera shooting sounds such as shutter sounds and mirror drive sounds when a release button is operated to take a picture. Thereby, the user can recognize by the sound that the camera has performed the photographing operation. However, in recent years, when photographing athletes, the sound of the camera being shot distracts them from their concentration. becoming a problem. As a countermeasure for this problem, mirrorless cameras have become popular and the driving sound of the mirror has been eliminated. For this reason, among mirrorless cameras, there is a silent shutter camera that significantly suppresses the camera shooting sound even when shooting in a quiet place by reducing the shutter sound.

However, since the silent shutter camera is almost silent, when the user operates the release button to take a picture, it is difficult to determine whether or not the image has been reliably recorded. In order to address this problem, a configuration has been disclosed in which the release button is vibrated so that only the user can perceive the shooting operation while suppressing the camera shooting sound.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical apparatus capable of increasing the vibration transmitted to the release button with an inexpensive and compact configuration.

More Canon patent applications are listed here.

[via asobinet]

Canon Patent: 18-55mm F4-6.5 & 20-60mm F4-6.5 For Full Frame Mirrorless

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Two Canon patents today, this one and the one featured here.

Canon patent application 2023010106 (Japan, published 1/20/2023) discusses optical formulas for what seem to be two possible kit lenses, both for full frame mirrorless cameras, i.e. the RF mount:

  • 18-55mm f4-6.5
  • 20-50mm f4-5.6

From the patent literature:

A compact zoom lens that achieves high optical performance while widening the angle of view is provided.

In recent years, there has been a strong demand for a lens system used in an imaging apparatus to have high optical performance while the entire lens system is compact. In order to achieve good optical performance while miniaturizing the entire lens system, it is important to appropriately set the refractive power of each lens group, the moving conditions for zooming, and the like of each lens group. In particular, in a camera with a large image pickup element, when a desired magnification is secured while widening the angle, the front lens tends to become large, and it is necessary to appropriately configure each lens group.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a compact zoom lens that achieves high optical performance while widening the angle of view.

Example 1

  • Focal length: 18.50-53.01
  • F-value: 4.11-6.48
  • Half angle of view: 49.17-22.02
  • Image height: 18.50-21.64
  • Overall length: 117.88-150.43
  • Back focus: 19.52-24.90

Example 2

  • Focal length: 19.72-53.16
  • F-value: 4.12-6.07
  • Half angle of view: 48.13-22.43
  • Image height: 18.50-21.64
  • Total length: 126.89-162.14
  • Back focus: 21.40-51.52

Example 3

  • Focal Length: 18.50-58.92
  • F-value: 4.12-6.48
  • Half angle of view: 49.09-19.95
  • Image height: 18.50-21.64
  • Total length: 132.01-160.73
  • Back focus: 24.47-37.26

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

[via asobinet]

Canon Patent: 100mm F1.8 IS & 150mm F1.8 IS Lenses

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Here we have a new Canon patent, two fast primes for the EOS R system.

Canon patent application 2023009759 (Japan, published 1/20/2023) discusses optical formulas for two fast prime lenses, both for the full frame RF mount:

  • 100mm f1.8 IS
  • 150mm f1.8 IS

From the patent literature:

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical system and an imaging apparatus having the optical system that can reduce the weight of a focusing group.

Description of the Related Art

Conventionally, a telephoto type imaging optical system (telephoto lens) having a long focal length is known. A long focal length is, for example, a focal length that is longer than the size of the effective imaging range. In general, telephoto lenses become larger and heavier as their focal lengths become longer. In addition, among various types of aberration, variations in axial chromatic aberration and chromatic aberration of magnification occur particularly during focusing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an image pickup optical system and an image pickup apparatus having the same, which can reduce the weight of the focusing group.

Example 1

  • Focal length: 85.40
  • F-value: 1.85
  • Half angle of view: 14.22
  • Image height: 21.64
  • Overall length: 109.49
  • Back focus: 13.39

Example 2

  • Focal Length: 101.78
  • F-value: 1.85
  • Half angle of view: 12.00
  • Image height: 21.64
  • Overall length: 123.44
  • Back focus: 13.39

Example 3

  • Focal length: 131.00
  • F-value: 1.85
  • Half angle of view: 9.38
  • Image height: 21.64
  • Total length: 146.99
  • Back focus: 13.64

Example 4

  • Focal length: 148.00
  • F-value: 1.85
  • Half angle of view: 8.32
  • Image height: 21.64
  • Overall length: 159.49
  • Back focus: 14.69

Canon Patent: 10-20mm f/4, 9-18mm f/4, And 11-22mm f/4 For RF mount

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A new Canon patent, and as almost all Canon patents of the last two or three years it is for RF mount lenses.

Canon patent 2023005851 (Japan, published 1/18/2023) discusses optical formulas for three wide angle lenses for the RF mount:

  • 10-20mm f/4
  • 9-18mm f/4
  • 11-22mm f/4

The 11-22mm in the list above could well be the already rumored 11-22mm lens. From the patent literature:

An object of the present invention is to realize a negative lead zoom lens that is compact and has a wide angle of view and yet has high optical performance in a wide zoom range.

Example 1

  • Focal length: 10.30-19.40
  • F-value: 4.12
  • Half angle of view: 62.03-48.12
  • Image height: 19.40-21.64
  • Overall length: 129.14-132.69
  • Back focus: 15.09

Example 2

  • Focal length: 9.27-17.46
  • F-value: 4.12
  • Half angle of view: 64.34-51.10
  • Image height: 19.30-21.64
  • Total length: 124.52-125.00
  • Back focus: 15.37

Example 3

  • Focal length: 11.33-23.28
  • F-value: 4.12
  • Half angle of view: 59.58-42.90
  • Image height: 19.30-21.64
  • Total length: 130.00-131.90
  • Back focus: 16.34

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

[via asobinet]