Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprises a taking optical system including a zoom lens element capable of changing a focal length, an imaging part for acquiring an image of a subject transmitted from the taking optical system, as a captured image, a driving part for driving the zoom lens element to change the focal length, and a limiting part for limiting a driving range of the zoom lens element such that a distortion aberration of the zoom lens element falls within a predetermined range.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprises: a body; a display part movable relative to the body, the display part having a display screen capable of being changed in orientation according to a movement relative to the body; a detector for detecting an orientation of the display screen; and a display controller for determining an assistant index to be employed in capturing an image for face recognition according to the orientation of the display screen detected by the detector, and displaying the assistant index on the display screen.

Abstract: A variable magnification optical system for forming an optical image of an object on a light-receiving surface of an image sensor with variable magnification includes: from the object side, at least a first lens unit having a positive optical power, a second lens unit having a negative optical power, a third lens unit having a positive optical power, and a fourth lens unit having a positive optical power. In magnification variation from the wide angle end to the telephoto end, at least the first lens unit moves. Conditional formulae (1) and (2) below are fulfilled: (1) 6.0<fl/fw<20.0 and (2) 1.83<Ndave, where fl represents the focal length of the first lens unit, fw represents the focal length of the entire system at the wide angle end, and Ndave represents the average refractive index for a d-line among all lens elements included in the second lens unit.

Abstract: A zoom lens system for forming an optical image of a subject on the image-sensing surface of an image sensor includes at least, from the object side thereof, a first lens unit having a negative optical power and a second lens unit having a positive optical power, and achieves zooming by varying the distances between the individual lens units in such a way that, during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the distance between the first and second lens units decreases. The first lens unit consists of two plastic lens elements.

Abstract: A taking lens system is provided with, from the side of the object to be photographed, a first lens unit (G1) having positive optical power, a second lens unit (G2) having negative optical power, a third lens unit (G3) having positive optical power and a fourth lens unit (G4) having positive optical power. Zooming is performed by moving the first to fourth lens units (G1) to (G4), and focusing is performed by moving the fourth lens unit (G4). When the distance from the most object-to-be-photographed side surface (r1) of the first lens unit (G1) to the imaging surface at the wide angle end is TLw, the overall focal length of the taking lens system at the telephoto end is ft, the overall focal length of the taking lens system at the wide angle end is fw, and the focal length of the first lens unit (G5) is fl, relationships 0.5?TLw/ft?1.0 and 6.0?fl/fw?20.0 are satisfied.

Abstract: The present invention provides a variable magnification optical system for forming an optical image of an object on the light-receiving surface of an image sensor with a variable magnification. The variable magnification optical system includes an optical construction comprising, from an object side, a first reflective surface, a first movable unit, a second reflective surface, and a second movable unit. The optical axis is bent at substantially ninety degrees by the first reflective surface and is further bent by the second reflective surface, and, during magnification variation from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the first and second reflective surfaces are kept in fixed positions with respect to the image surface, and the first and second movable units move along the optical axis. The variable magnification optical system fulfills a prescribed conditional formula.

Abstract: The present invention provides a compact, high-performance, and easy-to-manufacture taking optical system that offers an extremely high zoom ratio. The taking optical system includes, from the subject side, a first lens group having a positive optical power, a second lens group having a negative optical power, a third lens group having a positive optical power, and a fourth lens group having a positive optical power. The taking optical system achieves zooming by the movements of the first to fourth lens groups and focusing by the movement of the fourth lens group. The taking optical system fulfills the following conditions: 0.05?f3/f4?0.95 and 7.0?f1/fw?20.0, where f1, f3, and f4 represent the focal lengths of the first, third, and fourth lens groups, respectively, and fw represents the focal length of the entire taking optical system at the wide-angle end thereof.

Abstract: A zoom lens system for forming an optical image of a subject on the image-sensing surface of an image sensor has three lens units, namely, from the object side thereof, a first lens unit having a negative optical power, a second lens unit having a positive optical power, and a third lens unit having a positive optical power, and achieves zooming by varying the distances between the individual lens units in such a way that, during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the distance between the first and second lens units decreases. The first lens unit is composed of two or more lens elements, and the first lens element, i.e., the lens element disposed at the object-side end of the first lens unit, and the last lens element, i.e., the lens element disposed at the image-side end of the third lens unit, are plastic lens elements. Moreover, a prescribed conditional formula is fulfilled.

Abstract: An image forming device is provided with: a zoom lens system TL that performs magnification varying by changing the distance between the lens units; and an image sensor SR that converts an optical image formed by the zoom lens system TL into an electric signal. The zoom lens system TL includes at least a negative first lens unit GR1 and a positive second lens unit GR2, and at least the first lens unit GR1 and the second lens unit GR2 move in zooming from the wide angle end (W) to the telephoto end (T). The second lens unit GR2 includes three lens elements of, from the object side, a positive meniscus lens element L21 convex to the object side, a negative lens element L22 and a positive lens element L23, and the following condition is satisfied: ?1.0<(CR1?CR2)/(CR1+CR2)<0.0 (CR1 is the front radius of curvature of the most object side lens element L21 in the second lens unit GR2, and CR2 is the rear radius of curvature of the most object side lens element L21 in the second lens unit GR2).

Abstract: An image forming device is provided with: a zoom lens system TL that performs magnification varying by changing the distance between the lens units; and an image sensor SR that converts an optical image formed by the zoom lens system TL into an electric signal. The zoom lens system TL comprises three lens units of negative, positive, positive configuration. The second lens unit Gr2 comprises three single lens elements of, from the object side, a positive lens element L21, a negative meniscus lens element L22 convex to the object side and a positive lens element L23. A condition 1.0<|P22/P21|<2.0 (P21 is the optical power of the object side positive lens element L21 in the second lens unit GR2, and P22 is the optical power of the negative meniscus lens element L22 in the second lens unit GR2) is satisfied.

Abstract: A zoom lens system for forming an optical image of a subject on the image-sensing surface of an image sensor has three lens units, namely, from the object side thereof, a first lens unit having a negative optical power, a second lens unit having a positive optical power, and a third lens unit having a positive optical power, and achieves zooming by varying the distances between the individual lens units in such a way that, during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the distance between the first and second lens units decreases. The first lens unit is composed of two or more lens elements, and the first lens element, i.e., the lens element disposed at the object-side end of the first lens unit, is a plastic lens element. Moreover, a prescribed conditional formula is fulfilled.

Abstract: A zoom lens system for forming an optical image of a subject on the image-sensing surface of an image sensor has three lens units, namely, from the object side thereof, a first lens unit having a negative optical power, a second lens unit having a positive optical power, and a third lens unit having a positive optical power. The lens units each include at least one plastic lens element. The zoom lens system as a whole includes at least one glass lens element that fulfills a prescribed conditional formula.

Abstract: A zoom lens system for forming an optical image of a subject on the image-sensing surface of an image sensor has three lens units, namely, from the object side thereof, a first lens unit having a negative optical power, a second lens unit having a positive optical power, and a third lens unit having a positive optical power, and achieves zooming by varying the distances between the individual lens units in such a way that, during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the distance between the first and second lens units decreases. The first lens unit is composed of two or more lens elements, and the first lens element, i.e., the lens element disposed at the object-side end of the first lens unit, and the last lens element, i.e., the lens element disposed at the image-side end of the third lens unit, are plastic lens elements. Moreover, a prescribed conditional formula is fulfilled.

Abstract: A zoom lens system for forming an optical image of a subject on the image-sensing surface of an image sensor has three lens units, namely, from the object side thereof, a first lens unit having a negative optical power, a second lens unit having a positive optical power, and a third lens unit having a positive optical power, and achieves zooming by varying the distances between the individual lens units in such a way that, during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the distance between the first and second lens units decreases. The first lens unit is composed of two or more lens elements, and the first lens element, i.e., the lens element disposed at the object-side end of the first lens unit, is a plastic lens element. Moreover, a prescribed conditional formula is fulfilled.

Abstract: A zoom lens system for forming an optical image of a subject on the image-sensing surface of an image sensor includes at least, from the object side thereof, a first lens unit having a negative optical power and a second lens unit having a positive optical power, and achieves zooming by varying the distances between the individual lens units in such a way that, during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the distance between the first and second lens units decreases. The first lens unit consists of two plastic lens elements.

Abstract: A zoom lens system for forming an image of an object on a solid state imaging device includes a first lens unit having a positive optical power and being movable in a zooming operation; a second lens unit having a negative optical power; and a third lens unit having a positive optical power. The system satisfies at least one the following conditions: 0.8<M1WM/M1MT<2.5; 0.2<&Dgr;&bgr;3/&Dgr;&bgr;2<1.0; 0.7<m1/Z<3.0; 1.0<img*R<15.0; 1.0<max(T1, T2, T3)<4; and 4.

Abstract: A zoom lens system has, from the object side, a first lens unit having a optical power, a second lens unit having a negative optical power a third lens unit having a positive optical power, and a succeeding lens unit. The first and the third lens units monotonically move toward the object side during zooming from the shortest focal length condition to the longest focal length condition. A number of predetermined conditions are disclosed which can be satisfied to ensure a high quality, compact zoom lens for a digital camera.

Abstract: A zoom lens system has, from the object side, a first lens unit having a positive optical power, a second lens unit having a positive optical power and provided at the image side of the first lens unit with a first variable air space between the first and second lens units, and a third lens unit having a negative optical power and provided at the image side of the second lens unit with a second variable air space between the second and third lens units, wherein a zooming operation is performed by varying the first and second air spaces, and wherein the zooming fulfills the predetermined condition with respect to a lateral magnification of the third lens unit in a shortest focal length condition.

Abstract: A zoom lens system has four or five lens units with the optical powers being +/-/+/- or +/-/+/+/-, respectively, from the object side. The image side lens unit has a negative optical power and is movable, along with at least one other lens unit, in a zooming operation. The zoom lens system satisfies the following conditions: 0.6<LBw/fw<1.7 and 0.6<.vertline.fN/fw.vertline.<1.7, where LBw represents a back focus length at the shortest focal length condition; fw represents a focal length of the zoom lens system at the shortest focal length condition; and fN represents a focal length of the image side lens unit. The lens system can be employed with a solid state imaging device, and an optical low-pass filter and an infrared blocking filter can be positioned between the lens system and the imaging unit.

Abstract: A zoom lens system has at least three lens units of, from the most object side, a first lens unit having a negative optical power, a second lens unit having a positive optical power and a third lens unit, wherein the distances between the lens units are varied by moving all of the lens units during zooming. The zoom lens system satisfies the predetermined mathematical condition.