Real-image zoom finder with rotationally asymmetric surface

• US 6,041,193 A
• Filed: 07/17/1998
• Issued: 03/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Aoki, Norihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): BLANKENSHIP, HOWARD BENNETT
• Application Number:
  US09/118,383
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 396/373, 396/378, 396/379, 396/382, 396/385, 396/386, 359/431, 359/432, 359/433, 359/676, 359/678, 359/689, 359/720
• US Class Current: 396/379
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 15/143503 arranged -+-
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 15/143507 arranged -++
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/14 Viewfinders for photographic apparatus G03B13/02

Abstract

A high-performance real-image finder with a zoom objective optical system wherein a power is given to a reflecting surface of an image-inverting optical system to reduce the size in the direction of the thickness, and at the same time, a rotationally asymmetric surface is used in the image-inverting optical system to correct rotationally asymmetric decentration aberrations. The zoom objective optical system Ob has a first lens unit G1 of negative power, a second lens unit G2 of positive power, and a third lens unit G3 of positive or negative power. The real-image finder further includes an image-inverting optical system PP for erecting an intermediate image formed by the objective optical system Ob, and an ocular optical system Oc having a positive refracting power. At least one of reflecting surfaces S₈ and S₉ of the image-inverting optical system PP is a curved reflecting mirror having an optical power and has a rotationally asymmetric surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations produced by the curved reflecting mirror.

Claims

1. A real-image finder comprising, in order from an object side thereof:

an objective optical system having a positive refracting power;

an image-inverting optical system having a reflecting surface, said image-inverting optical system erecting an intermediate image formed by said objective optical system; and

an ocular optical system having a positive refracting power;

wherein said objective optical system includes, in order from an object side thereof, a first lens unit having a negative refracting power, a second lens unit having a positive refracting power, and a third lens unit having one of a positive refracting power and a negative refracting power,

wherein when zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end is performed, a spacing between each pair of lens units among said first, second and third lens units is changed, and

wherein said reflecting surface of said image-inverting optical system is arranged in a form of a curved reflecting mirror having an optical power and having a rotationally asymmetric surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations produced by said curved reflecting mirror.

2. A real-image finder according to claim 1, wherein said third lens unit has a negative refracting power.

3. A real-image finder according to claim 1, wherein said third lens unit has a positive refracting power.

4. A real-image finder according to claim 1, which satisfies at least one of the following conditions:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">-2.0<

f.sub.1 /f.sub.W <

0 (1-1)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">-2.0<

d.sub.z2 /d.sub.z1 <

1 (1-2)

where f₁ is a focal length of the first lens unit of said objective optical system;

f_W is a focal length of said objective optical system (exclusive of a focal length corresponding to the power of said image-inverting optical system) at the wide-angle end;

d_z1 is an amount of change in a spacing between the first lens unit and the second lens unit during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end; and

d_z2 is an amount of change in a spacing between the second lens unit and the third lens unit during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end.

5. A real-image finder according to claim 1, wherein a light ray passing through a center of an object point and passing through a center of a stop or aperture of said objective optical system to reach a center of an intermediate image plane and further passing through said ocular optical system to enter a center of a pupil is defined as an axial principal ray, an axis defined by a straight line along which said axial principal ray travels until it intersects said rotationally asymmetric surface is defined as a Z-axis, an axis perpendicularly intersecting said Z-axis in a decentration plane of said rotationally asymmetric surface is defined as a Y-axis, and an axis perpendicularly intersecting both said Z-axis and said Y-axis is defined as an X-axis, the following condition is satisfied:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|DY|<

0.5 (3-1)

where DY denotes a difference between a value of a tangent in a YZ-plane of a line normal to said rotationally asymmetric surface at a point where a principal ray at a maximum field angle in an X-axis direction intersects said rotationally asymmetric surface at the wide-angle end and a value of a tangent in the plane of a line normal to said rotationally asymmetric surface at a point where said axial principal ray intersects said rotationally asymmetric surface at the wide-angle end.

6. A real-image finder according to claim 1, wherein a light ray passing through a center of an object point and passing through a center of a stop or aperture of said objective optical system to reach a center of an intermediate image plane and further passing through said ocular optical system to enter a center of a pupil is defined as an axial principal ray, an axis defined by a straight line along which said axial principal ray travels until it intersects said rotationally asymmetric surface is defined as a Z-axis, an axis perpendicularly intersecting said Z-axis in a decentration plane of said rotationally asymmetric surface is defined as a Y-axis, and an axis perpendicularly intersecting both said Z-axis and said Y-axis is defined as an X-axis, the following condition is satisfied:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|Cxn|<

1 (4-1)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">1<

|Cxn|<

10 (4-2)

where Cxn denotes a ration between a curvature in an X-axis direction of a portion of said rotationally asymmetric surface at which a principal ray at a maximum field angle in a positive direction of the Y-axis impinges on said rotationally asymmetric surface at the wide-angle end and a curvature in the X-axis direction of a portion of said rotationally asymmetric surface at which a principal ray at a maximum field angle in a negative direction of the Y-axis impinges on said rotationally asymmetric surface at the wide-angle end.

7. A real-image finder according to claim 1, wherein a light ray passing through a center of an object point and passing through a center of a stop or aperture of said objective optical system to reach a center of an intermediate image plane and further passing through said ocular optical system to enter a center of a pupil is defined as an axial principal ray, an axis defined by a straight line along which said axial principal ray travels until it intersects said rotationally asymmetric surface is defined as a Z-axis, an axis perpendicularly intersecting said Z-axis in a decentration plane of said rotationally asymmetric surface is defined as a Y-axis, and an axis perpendicularly intersecting both said Z-axis and said Y-axis is defined as an X-axis, the following condition is satisfied:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0<

|PXn/PX|<

1 (5-1)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0<

|PYn/PY|<

1 (5-2)

where PX, PY, PXn and PYn are defined such that at the wide-angle end, light rays having a small height d relative to X- and Y-axis directions, respectively, are passed through a first surface of said objective optical system substantially parallel to said axial principal ray, and that a sine of a tilt angle with respect to said axial principal ray of each of said rays when emanating from a surface closest to the intermediate image among surfaces participating in formation of said intermediate image is divided by said d, and values thus obtained are denoted by PX and PY, respectively, and further that powers in the X- and Y-axis directions of said rotationally asymmetric surface near said axial principal ray are denoted by PXn and PYn, respectively.

21. A camera comprising a real-image finder according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

22. A camera comprising

a real-image finder according to any one of claims 1 to 7;

and

an objective optical system for photography.

23. A camera according to claim 22, further comprising:

an electronic image pickup device placed in an image plane formed by said objective optical system for photography; and

a liquid-crystal monitor provided on a back of said camera,

said liquid-crystal monitor displaying an image received by said electronic image pickup device as an image for observation.

8. A real-image finder comprising, in order from an object side thereof:

an objective optical system having a positive refracting power;

an image-inverting optical system having a reflecting surface, said image inverting-optical system erecting an intermediate image formed by said objective optical system; and

an ocular optical system having a positive refracting power;

wherein said objective optical system includes, in order from an object side thereof, a first lens unit having a negative refracting power, a second lens unit having a positive refracting power, and a third lens unit having a negative refracting power,

wherein zooming is performed by changing a spacing between each pair of lens units among said first, second and third lens units, and

wherein said reflecting surface of said image-inverting optical system has an optical power, and at least one surface of said image-inverting optical system has a rotationally asymmetric surface configuration.

9. A real-image finder according to claim 8, wherein said at least one surface having a rotationally asymmetric surface configuration is decentered with respect to an axial principal ray.

10. A real-image finder according to claim 9, wherein said rotationally asymmetric surface configuration has no axis of rotational symmetry.

11. A real-image finder according to claim 10, wherein said image-inverting optical system includes a Porro prism.

12. A real-image finder according to claim 8, which satisfies at least one of the following conditions:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">-2.0<

f.sub.1 /f.sub.W <

0 (2-1)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">-2.0<

d.sub.z2 /d.sub.z1 <

0 (2-2)

where f₁ is a focal length of the first lens unit of said objective optical system;

f_W is a focal length of said objective optical system (exclusive of a focal length corresponding to the power of said image-inverting optical system) at the wide-angle end;

d_z1 is an amount of change in a spacing between the first lens unit and the second lens unit during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end; and

d_z2 is an amount of change in a spacing between the second lens unit and the third lens unit during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end.

13. A real-image finder comprising, in order from an object side thereof:

an objective optical system having a positive refracting power;

an image-inverting optical system having a reflecting surface, said image-inverting optical system erecting an intermediate image formed by said objective optical system; and

an ocular optical system having a positive refracting power;

wherein said objective optical system includes, in order from an object side thereof, a first lens unit having a negative refracting power, a second lens unit having a positive refracting power, and a third lens unit having a positive refracting power,

wherein zooming is performed by changing a spacing between each pair of lens units among said first, second and third lens units, and

wherein said reflecting surface of said image-inverting optical system has an optical power, and at least one surface of said image-inverting optical system has a rotationally asymmetric surface configuration.

14. A real-image finder according to claim 13, wherein said at least one surface having a rotationally asymmetric surface configuration is decentered with respect to an axial principal ray.

15. A real-image finder according to claim 14, wherein said rotationally asymmetric surface configuration has no axis of rotational symmetry.

16. A real-image finder according to claim 15, wherein said image-inverting optical system includes a Porro prism.

17. A real-image finder according to claim 13, which satisfies at least one of the following conditions:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">-2.0<

f.sub.1 /f.sub.W <

0 (2-1)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">-2.0<

d.sub.z2 /d.sub.z1 <

0 (2-2)

where f₁ is a focal length of the first lens unit of said objective optical system;

f_W is a focal length of said objective optical system (exclusive of a focal length corresponding to the power of said image-inverting optical system) at the wide-angle end;

d_z1 is an amount of change in a spacing between the first lens unit and the second lens unit during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end; and

d_z2 is an amount of change in a spacing between the second lens unit and the third lens unit during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end.

18. A camera comprising a real-image finder according to claim 17.

19. A camera according to claim 18 further comprising an objective optical system for photography.

20. A camera according to claim 19, further comprising:

an electronic image pickup device placed in an image plane formed by said objective optical system for photography, and

a liquid-crystal monitor provided on a back of said camera,

said liquid-crystal monitor displaying an image received by said electronic image pickup device as an image for observation.