Patent ID: 6871017
Filing Date: 2005-03-22
Classification: G03B

Abstract:
1. A lens drive control apparatus for a camera having a zoom lens provided with a plurality of movable variable lens groups for changing a focal length thereof, at least one of said variable lens groups comprising a switching lens group having two sub lens groups, wherein one of said two sub lens groups serves as a movable sub lens group selectively moving in the optical axis direction with respect to the other sub lens group, said lens drive control apparatus comprising: a main drive device for moving said plurality of variable lens groups along an optical axis thereof in accordance with a predetermined movement path between a short focal length extremity and a long focal length extremity; and a sub lens group drive device for moving said movable sub lens group within said switching lens group so as to be positioned at one of a movement extremity on the object side and a movement extremity on the image side, with respect to said other sub lens group, in accordance with a corresponding zooming zone of a short focal length zooming zone from the short focal length extremity to an intermediate focal length position, and a long focal length zooming zone from said intermediate focal length to the long focal length extremity.