Varifocal lens system with macro-photography capabilities

Claim 2

A macrophotography varifocal lens assembly capable of being focussed for attachment to a camera body and the like to provide an image of an object at a predetermined design focal plane comprising: a first lens group; a second lens group; and mounting means for mounting for first and second lens groups, one of the lens group being movably mounted relative to the other to provide a continuously increasing focal length for the lens assembly as it moves across a predetermined range of movement between at least two focal lengths of substantial zero image plane deviation, the refracted image of the object lying in an image plane behind the second lens group relative to the object, the image plane being continuously shifted during movement of the lens group from an initial predetermined position at one end of the range of movement towards the object and then away from the object to return to the initial predetermined position at the other end of the range of movement, the relative movement of the image plane from the initial position towards the object being greater than 0.05 f at its maximum, wherein f is the focal length of the lens assembly when the relative movement of the image plane is at approximately its maximum.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 wherein the second lens group is movably mounted to provide at least a pair of different focal lengths to the lens assembly having an intermediate macro-photography range of less than one meter between the two focal length positions, the first lens group having negative refractive power and the second lens group having positive refractive power and being located on the image side of the first lens group.

Claim 4

The invention of claim 2 wherein the mounting means positions the second lens to provide a first focal length with substantially zero image plane deviation at one end of the range of movement and at least a second focal length with substantially zero image plane deviation at the other end of movement.

Claim 5

The invention of claim 3 wherein the mounting means positions the second lens at approximately a mid-point of the range of movement to provide macro-photography of an object less than one meter from the lens system with an image plane deviation of greater than 2.0 mm.

Claim 6

The invention of claim 1 further including means for adjusting the focus of the varifocal lens assembly by movement of the first lens group along the optical axis.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 1 further including operating means for adjusting the focus of the varifocal lens assembly by movement of the second lens group for shifting the image plane of the varifocal lens assembly.

Claim 8

The invention of claim 6 wherein the operating means further comprises means for indicating the distance that is in focus corresponding to the shift of the image plane.

Claim 9

The invention of claim 7 wherein the operating means includes a focus ring rotable around the varifocal lens assembly.

Claim 10

A varifocal lens assembly capable of macrophotograph comprising: a first lens group of negative refractive power; a second lens group of positive refractive power located behind the first lens group and movable along an optical axis for continuously increasing the overall focal length of the varifocal lens assembly in the course of its movement from a first predetermined position to a second predetermined position, the image plane of the varifocal lens assembly continuously shifting during the movement of the second lens group from an initial position toward the object side away from that position and in turn back to the initial position; and means for setting the back focal length of the varifocal lens assembly so that the initial position of the image plane is coincident with the position of the focal plane when the image plane is that of an object at infinite and the lens assembly is focussed to that object, the amount of the shift of the image plane from the initial position being greater than 0.05 f at its maximum, wherein f is the focal length of the lens assembly with the amount of the shift of the image plane at its maximum.

Claim 11

A varifocal lens assembly capable of macrophotograph comprising: a first lens group of negative refractive power; a second lens group of positive refractive power located behind the first lens group and movable along an optical axis for continuously increasing the overall focal length of the varifocal lens assembly in the course of its movement from a first predetermined position to a second predetermined position, the image plane of the varifocal lens assembly continuously shifting during the movement of the second lens group from an initial position toward the object side away from that position and in turn back to the initial position; and means for setting the back focal length of the varifocal lens assembly so that the initial position of the image plane is coincident with the position of the focal plane when the image plane is that of an object at infinite and the lens assembly is focussed to that object, the amount of the shift of the image plane from the initial position being greater than 0.05 f at its maximum, wherein f is the focal length of the lens assembly with the amount of the shift of the image plane at its maximum.

Claim 12

In a varifocal lens assembly with focussing means having at least two different design focal lengths providing approximately zero image plane deviation from a predetermined design focal plane for at least one position of the focussing means, the improvement of providing a macrophotography range between the two design focal lengths comprising: at least a first lens group; at least a second lens group; and mounting means for mounting the first and second lens groups, one of the lens groups being movably mounted relative to the other to provide a predetermined range of movement between at least a first and second focal length position of the lens assembly, the refracted image of the object being in an image plane capable of being coincidental with the design focal plane at both the first and second focal length positions for at least one setting of the focussing means, the image plane being shifted by the movement of the lens group to deviate away from the design focal plane, for the same setting of the focussing means, the amount of deviation of the image plane is greater than 0.05f at its maximum, wherein f is the focal length of the lens assembly with the image plane deviation at its maximum.

Claim 13

In a varifocal lens assembly with focussing means having at least two different design focal lengths providing approximately zero image plane deviation from a predetermined design focal plane for at least one position of the focussing means, the improvement of providing a macrophotography range between the two design focal lengths comprising: at least a first lens group; at least a second lens group; and mounting means for mounting the first and second lens groups, one of the lens groups being movably mounted relative to the other to provide a predetermined range of movement between at least a first and second focal length position of the lens assembly, the refracted image of the object being in an image plane capable of being coincidental with the design focal plane at both the first and second focal length positions for at least one setting of the focussing means, the image plane being shifted by the movement of the lens group to deviate away from the design focal plane, for the same setting of the focussing means, the amount of deviation of the image plane is greater than 0.05f at its maximum, wherein f is the focal length of the lens assembly with the image plane deviation at its maximum.

Claim 14

The invention of claim 10 wherein the first lens group has a negative refractive power and the second lens group has a positive refractive power., the second lens group being located at the image side of the first group.

Claim 15

The invention of claim 11 further including a third lens group of positive refractive power mounted on the image side of the second lens group.

Claim 16

The invention of claim 11 wherein the second lens group is movable to provide a variable focal length.

Claim 17

The invention of claim 13 further comprising means for controlling the movement of the second lens group having a first position for providing a first focal length at one end of a range of movement, a second position for providing a second focal length at the other end of the range of movement and a third position for positioning the second lens group approximately midway between both ends of movement to provide a shift of the image plane of the lens assembly towards the object side sufficient for the purpose of macro-photography.

Claim 18

The invention of claim 13 wherein the focusing means includes a focus ring for moving the first lens group.

Claim 19

The invention of claim 15 further comprising means for indicating the distance for focussing of the lens system when the second lens group is positioned at either of the first and second focal length positions.

Claim 20

The invention of claim 13 wherein the movable lens group provides optimum macro-photography at approximately the mid-point of its range of movement.

Claim 21

A macro-photography varifocal lens system comprising a design parameter of approximate values within the following specification: __________________________________________________________________________ Radius Refractive Abbe's of Curvature Distance Index Number __________________________________________________________________________ r.sub.1 -237.534 G.sub.1 d.sub.1 1.200 1.48749 70.15 r.sub.2 25.535 I d.sub.2 1.436 r.sub.3 -135.962 G.sub.2 d.sub.3 1.200 1.48749 70.15 r.sub.4 43.525 d.sub.4 20.787-0.787 (variable) r.sub.5 46.381 G.sub.3 d.sub.5 5.299 1.62041 60.29 r.sub.6 -34.029 G.sub.4 d.sub.6 1.000 1.80518 25.43 r.sub.7 -68.817 II d.sub.7 0.101 r.sub.8 45.126 G.sub.5 d.sub.8 2.999 1.67790 55.38 r.sub.9 -341.339 d.sub.9 1.641-21.641 (variable) r.sub.10 - 32.995 G.sub.6 d.sub.10 1.000 1.48749 70.15 r.sub.11 59.116 d.sub.11 3.921 2.446 1.475 r.sub.12 ∞ G.sub.7 d.sub.12 7.850 1.51680 64.04 r.sub.13 ∞ d.sub.13 0.895 III r.sub.14 27.698 G.sub.8 d.sub.14 1.700 1.72124 38.04 r.sub.15 -40.650 d.sub.15 4.700 r.sub.16 -16.766 G.sub.9 d.sub.16 1.000 1.74000 28.28 r.sub.17 30.682 d.sub.17 1.800 r.sub.18 G.sub.10 d.sub.18 2.400 1.69350 53.39 r.sub.19 -15.710 d.sub.total 60.929 __________________________________________________________________________ the above lens system providing both macro-photography and at least two different focal lengths.

Claim 22

A macro-photography varifocal lens system comprising a design parameter of approximate values within the following specification: __________________________________________________________________________ Radius Refractive Abbe's of Curvature Distance Index Number __________________________________________________________________________ r.sub.1 -237.534 G.sub.1 d.sub.1 1.200 1.48749 70.15 r.sub.2 25.535 I d.sub.2 1.436 r.sub.3 -135.962 G.sub.2 d.sub.3 1.200 1.48749 70.15 r.sub.4 43.525 d.sub.4 20.787-0.787 (variable) r.sub.5 46.381 G.sub.3 d.sub.5 5.299 1.62041 60.29 r.sub.6 -34.029 G.sub.4 d.sub.6 1.000 1.80518 25.43 r.sub.7 -68.817 II d.sub.7 0.101 r.sub.8 45.126 G.sub.5 d.sub.8 2.999 1.67790 55.38 r.sub.9 -341.339 d.sub.9 1.641-21.641 (variable) r.sub.10 - 32.995 G.sub.6 d.sub.10 1.000 1.48749 70.15 r.sub.11 59.116 d.sub.11 3.921 2.446 1.475 r.sub.12 ∞ G.sub.7 d.sub.12 7.850 1.51680 64.04 r.sub.13 ∞ d.sub.13 0.895 III r.sub.14 27.698 G.sub.8 d.sub.14 1.700 1.72124 38.04 r.sub.15 -40.650 d.sub.15 4.700 r.sub.16 -16.766 G.sub.9 d.sub.16 1.000 1.74000 28.28 r.sub.17 30.682 d.sub.17 1.800 r.sub.18 G.sub.10 d.sub.18 2.400 1.69350 53.39 r.sub.19 -15.710 d.sub.total 60.929 __________________________________________________________________________ the above lens system providing both macro-photography and at least two different focal lengths.