Patent ID: 7508595

Claim:
A taking lens apparatus comprising: a zoom lens system for forming an optical image of an object at a variable magnification, the zoom lens system including an aperture stop in an optical path; and an image sensor having a light-receiving surface on which to receive the optical image formed by the zoom lens system, the image sensor converting the optical image into an electrical image signal and outputting the electrical image signal; wherein the zoom lens system is composed of nine or less optical members having optical power, and additionally, a reflective member that has a reflective surface for reflecting a light beam in such a way that an optical axis is bent at substantially 90°, wherein the following conditions are fulfilled: 5≦ ft/fw≦ 10 3<| EPw|/BFw< 22 where fw represents a focal length of the entire zoom lens system at a wide-angle end; ft represents a focal length of the entire zoom lens system at a telephoto end; EPw represents an axial distance from an image plane to an exit pupil at the wide-angle end; and BFw represents an axial distance from an image-side surface of a most image-side lens element to the image plane at the wide-angle end, and wherein the zoom lens system comprises 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, and the following condition is fulfilled: 2<| f 2|/ fw< 5 where f 2 represents a focal length of the second lens unit: and fw represents the focal length of the entire zoom lens system at the wide-angle end.