Image stabilized optical system

Claim 1

An image stabilized optical system in which a pair of telescopic optical systems each consisting of an objective, an eyepiece and an erect prism located therebetween, said erect prism being capable of having its incident light optical axis and its emanating optical axis aligned with each other, are arranged so that the main optical axes of said pair of telescopic optical systems are in parallel to each other characterized in that the objectives and the eyepieces of said pair of telescopic optical systems are fixed to a casing of the image stabilized optical system and the erect prisms of said pair of telescopic optical systems are rotatably mounted on the casing by means of gimbals provided with a rotor, the two axes of rotation of the gimbals intersecting at right angles with each other wherein one of said two axes of rotation of said gimbals intersects at a right angle with said main optical axes of the pair of telescopic optical systems, and the other axis of rotation passes through the middle point of the spacing between the main optical axes of said pair of telescopic optical systems and is perpendicular to the plane which includes the main optical axes of said pair of telescopic optical systems, an electric motor for driving said rotor, said motor being located at the intersection of the two axes of rotation and the axis of rotation of the rotor being parallel to the main optical axes, precessing means for moving said gimbals with the casing to permit an object to be followed as the casing is panned, said precessing means including a first member connected to said rotor.