Egami (translated) spotted a Canon patent concerning an image stabilized lens for astro-photography. The lens is able to automatically track objects (stars etc). Canon has a DSLR suited for astro-photography, the EOS 60Da (price & specs). Such a lens obviously needs a camera that supports it. That means GPS, levelling, and a powerful CPU.

• Patent Publication No. 2013-77910
  • Publication date 2013.4.25
  • Filing date 2011.9.29
• Canon patent
  • In the lens anti-vibration mechanism from etc., let me change the direction of the optical axis
  • From the GPS, etc., I ask the coordinates and altitude
  • Detects the inclination of the posture from the electronic level, etc., to determine the direction of the optical axis
  • Calculate the speed and direction of movement of celestial angle of view, and controls the lens according to the calculation result

Egami (translated) spotted a patent filed by Canon that appears to be for high resolution pictures that are obtained by combining different shots. Basically a continuous shooting situation where you build a final image based on the images that have been shot. Motion could obviously be a big problem.

• Patent Publication No. 2013-74337
  • Publication date 2013.4.22
  • Filing date 2011.9.26
• If there is misalignment of the sub-pixels, it can obtain a high resolution image from a low resolution image
• Canon patent
  • By continuous shooting and combining pixel shift, I get a high-resolution image
  • Method of pixel shift, lens and image sensor shift of
  • By setting appropriately the displacement amount corresponding to the super-resolution magnification optimization

 

Egami (translated) spotted an interesting patent filed by Canon. When mounting a lens on a camera body, and holding the lens, the rotating focus or zoom ring can make the operation more difficult. Imagine you have to switch lenses fast, the rotating elements of the lens can slow down the mounting of the lens. The Canon patent is for a new lens mount type that blocks all rotating elements of a lens when the lens is not mounted on a body, hence making mounting the lens easier (and faster). This is achieved by pins on the lens mount that block the rotating members inside the lens barrel. The new mount type is compatible with existing EOS mounts. That means lenses that will feature this new kind of mount can be used with existing EOS bodies.

Patent description (machine translated)

• Patent Publication No. 2013-37090
  • 2013.2.21 Release Date
  • 2011.8.5 filing date
• Rotatable operation unit: a rotating member
  • Ring, other zoom ring, focus ring, aperture
• Canon patent
  • If you remove the lens from the camera, the rotation is restricted
    • Pins are provided on the surface of the lens mount
    • The boss is attached to (inside the lens barrel) end of the pin
    • Inside the lens barrel, the boss is brought into contact with the rotating member
    • Because of the boss, the rotating member is rotated never
  • When mounted on the camera lens, rotatable
    • Pin is provided on the mounting side of the body
      • Etc. F or mount EOS mount, mount a lot of this method
    • Body side pin, and push the pin on the lens, the position of boss will move
    • To the rotating member does not contact the boss, can be rotated

Egami (translated) spotted a patent referring to two new lenses, a 14mm f/2.8 and a 17-35mm f/2.8-4, both with fluorite treatment. According to WIkipedia…:

Fluorite (also called fluorspar) is a halide mineral composed of calcium fluoride, CaF₂. It is an isometric mineral with a cubic habit, though octahedral and more complex isometric forms are not uncommon. Crystal twinning is common and adds complexity to the observed crystal habits.

[…]

Optically clear transparent fluorite lenses have low dispersion, so lenses made from it exhibit less chromatic aberration, making them valuable in microscopes and telescopes. Fluorite optics are also usable in the far-ultraviolet range where conventional glasses are too absorbent for use.

Click here to see a Canon video about fluorite and lenses.

The patent:

• Patent Publication No. 2013-37339
  • 2013.2.21 Release Date
  • Filing date 2011.7.12
• Example 1
  • Zoom ratio 1.00
  • Focal length f = 1.00mm
  • Fno. 2.90
  • Half angle of view ω = 56.66 °
  • Image height Y = 1.52mm
  • 9.51mm length lens
  • BF 2.82mm
  • 6 aspherical surfaces, the first surface 25
  • Punctually
• Example 3
  • Zoom ratio 2.06
  • 2.06mm – f = 1.00 focal length
  • Fno 2.79 -. 4.00
  • Half angle of view ω = 51.27 – 32.82 °
  • 1.33mm – Y = 1.25 image height
  • 8.55mm – 8.79 length lens
  • BF 2.41 – 3.46mm
  • Aspheric first surface, the fifth surface, the first surface 26
  • Positive and negative positive negative
• Example 6
  • Zoom ratio 1.00
  • Focal length f = 1.00mm
  • Fno. 2.90
  • Half angle of view ω = 87.35 °
  • Image height Y = 21.60mm
  • 9.51mm length lens
  • BF 2.82mm
  • 6 aspherical surfaces, the first surface 25
  • Punctually

New Canon patent spotted by Egami (translated). This time the patent is about a 17-85mm f/4-5.6 lens with image stabilization. According to the patent, chromatic aberrations are reduced by anomalous partial dispersion, which, in turn, is obtained using synthetic resin and the inorganic oxide fine particles.

• Patent Publication No. 2013-25085
  • 2013.2.4 Release Date
  • Filing date 2011.7.21
• Example 1
  • Zoom ratio 4.70
  • 37.33 – – 82.48mm f = 17.55 focal length
  • Fno 3.98 -. 5.06 – 5.64
  • Half angle of view ω = 37.89 – 20.10 – 9.40 °
  • Image height 13.66mm
  • 134.85 – – 156.62mm 119.65 overall length of the lens
  • BF 37.59 – 52.48 – 62.64mm
  • 18 images in 11 groups lens configuration
  • 2 UD glass sheets
  • One two-sided aspherical
  • 5-group zoom negative positive negative
  • Inner Focus (Group 2)

[via Egami]