Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Alpha Labo Solution, Ltd.

Mitsuru Shinohara

Masanori Ishikawa

Yuki Nagao

Jun Sugita

Shigeki Sato

Tohru Kawai

Seiichi Kashiwaba

Takashi Watanabe

Ryuji Suzuki

Katsuhiro Inoue

Masaharu Eguchi

Tatsuya Sato

Yoshimasa Haraguchi

Isamu Go

Shigeki Satoh

An image blur compensation unit and image blur compensation device that can be made smaller in size. Wedge prisms, which refract light that is guided to an imaging element after passing through a lens group, are disposed on the same plane perpendicular to a central axis, and are supported by rotatable prism support portions. In order for the wedge prisms to be spaced by a predetermined distance and face each other along the central axis in a space that is formed when being placed adjacent to each other, the prism support portion supports the wedge prism on one end side along the central axis, and the prism support portion supports the wedge prism on one end side along the central axis. In this manner, the prism support portions supporting the wedge prisms, which need to be disposed along the central axis so as to be spaced by a predetermined distance and face each other, are disposed on the same plane. Therefore, the central axis-direction thickness can be made thinner, and the device can be made smaller in size.

Image blur correction unit, image blur compensation device, and optical apparatus

An image pick-up apparatus is disclosed which allows a reduction in degradation of images associated with a changed image magnification due to movements in a focus direction during image pick-up operation. The image pick-up apparatus has an image pick-up controller which performs a plurality of image pick-up operations for producing a single image and performs focus adjustment operation before each of the image pick-up operations to produce a first plurality of images, and an information producer which produces information on an image magnification of each of the first plurality of images. The image-pickup apparatus also has an image producer which produces a second plurality of images based on the first plurality of images and the information on the image magnification, and an image combiner which combines the second plurality of images to produce a single image.

Image pick-up apparatus, image pick-up program, and image processing program

An image-taking apparatus is disclosed which allows a selection of a type of image stabilization to be used from optical image stabilization and electronic image stabilization as required to provide an excellent output image. The image-taking apparatus has an image generator which is operable in a first mode in which it performs electronic image stabilization processing based on a plurality of images sequentially taken with an image-pickup device to generate an output image and a second mode in which it generates an output image without performing the electronic image stabilization processing on an image taken with the image-pickup device. The image-taking apparatus also has a controller which causes image stabilization operation to be performed through driving of an optical system in both of the first and second modes and selects one of the first mode and the second mode.

Image-taking apparatus and image-taking method

A camera is provided which includes an image capturing element; a memory for recording images obtained from the image capturing element; and a controller for changing the number of recorded pixels of the images stored in the memory based on information about a lens apparatus that can be operatively connected to the camera.

Camera, camera system, and lens apparatus

Provided are a lens apparatus and an optical apparatus having the same, the lens apparatus including a lens holding member holding a lens, a supporting member for supporting the lens holding member movably in the direction of the optical axis of the lens, a first drive mechanism for moving the supporting member in the direction of the optical axis, and a second drive mechanism for moving the lens holding member in the direction of the optical axis, wherein a focusing lens can be moved to an in-focus position within a short time and highly accurately by an AF system.

Detachable lens apparatus, camera system and camera for accurate automatic focusing using two driving mechanisms

An optical apparatus is provided which uses image shake information generated by a shake correction unit to improve an image by reducing the amount of image shake.

Optical apparatus

A camera system has a recording portion for recording an object image, a display portion for displaying an object image, a first blur correction portion for correcting blur of the object image displayed on the display portion by signal processing, and a second blur correction portion for optically correcting blur of the object image recorded by the recording portion. The camera system includes a controller for switching between a first blur correction mode in which the first blur correction portion is operated, a second blur correction mode in which the second blur correction portion is operated and a third blur correction mode in which both the first blur correction portion and the second blur correction portion are operated.

Lens, camera body and camera system

A lens barrel holding apparatus includes a first holding member, a second holding member attached to the first holding member in an openable/closable manner for fastening a lens barrel in cooperation with the first holding member to hold the lens barrel and a fastening mechanism for applying a force for fastening the lens barrel, to the second holding member. The fastening mechanism includes an engagement surface provided on the second holding member and a fastening member provided on the first holding member, adapted to move straightly toward/away from the engagement surface, and having a contact surface that can be in contact with the engagement surface. At least one of the contact surface and the engagement surface is slanted with respect to the movement direction of the fastening member.

Lens barrel holding apparatus, lens barrel and camera system

A lens apparatus or optical instrument having a lens apparatus including a holding member that holds and moves a lens or a lens group in an optical axis direction, the holding member having a vent providing ventilation between the interior and the exterior of the lens apparatus, a water-repellent microporous member that covers the vent, and an appearance member disposed on the holding member, with a clearance provided between the appearance member and the holding member, so as to shield the water-repellent microporous member.

Lens apparatus having vapor-resistant ventilation and optical instrument using lens apparatus

A lens barrel includes a fixed lens tube of cylindrical shape and a plurality of operation parts of push type, wherein the plurality of operation parts are interconnected by a ring-shaped elastic member and are attached to the fixed lens tube. This structural arrangement of the lens barrel effectively simplifies assembly processes in the manufacture of lens barrels.

Lens barrel

An image blur correction apparatus in which, even when a driving amount of a moving member is large, deterioration of driving efficiency is minimized without enlarging a driving device comprises a driving device having driving means comprising a flat coil and magnets arranged opposite the coil to drive a moving member by supplying electricity to the coil, the the coil is integrally constituted with the moving member. A relationship of a width of a driving direction of the coil and a width of the opposite magnet is set so that the width of the magnet is set greater than the width of the coil, and smaller than a length obtained by adding a maximum driving amount of the moving member to the width of the coil.

Image blur correction apparatus

A lens barrel includes fixed tubes each arranged to hold an optical unit having an optical axis, a rotating tube arranged to rotate around the optical axis with respect to the fixed tubes, wherein the rotating tube is provided, at front and rear portions thereof as viewed along the optical axis, respectively with end surfaces of ring shape having a center thereof on the optical axis, and each of the fixed tubes is provided with an end surface opposite to the associated end surface of the rotating tube, and sheet members of ring shape having a center thereof on the optical axis, each of the sheet members being disposed on a space formed by each end surface of the rotating tube and the associated end surface of the fixed tubes, so that the torque of a rotating operation on the rotating tube is lessened and, yet, the lens barrel excels in dust-proof and drip-proof.

A lens barrel comprising a vibration motor including an annular rotor and an annular stator provided coaxially with the optical axis, a first rotary ring capable of rotation about the optical axis, a first rotary member receiving a rotational force from the first rotary ring or the rotor and adapted to rotate about a rotary shaft extending in a radial direction perpendicular to the optical axis, a second rotary ring having the first rotary member, a first pressurizing device for applying pressure for maintaining the rotor and the stator of the vibration motor in mutual pressure contact, and a second pressurizing device for applying pressure for maintaining the first rotary ring and the first rotary member in mutual pressure contact, wherein the first rotary ring, the rotor and the first rotary member constitute a differential mechanism, and the first rotary member effects revolution about the optical axis by the differential mechanism and rotates the second rotary ring about the optical axis.

Lens barrel and optical equipment

Balls are clamped between a first gear driven by an auto-focusing motor and a second gear driven by a manual focusing ring. The balls are arranged to revolve about a given axis. A projection having an elasticity and provided to the second gear itself is brought into contact with a fixing member provided at a predetermined position, so that a clamping force for clamping the balls is generated by the projection.

Vibration driven system

A first ball lace and a second ball lace, which is arranged at a position opposite to the first ball lace to sandwich a ball between itself and the first ball lace are coaxially assembled in a pencil shaped vibration driven motor or actuator, so that the second ball lace can be operated externally, and the rotational force of the ball can be output to an external device.

Growing community of inventors

Hokuto, Japan

Mitsuru Shinohara