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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-13-2010, 05:44 AM
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Probably because their only purpose is to provide a legal means of preventing other companies using the design without paying for it. Some equipment manufacturers like to list their applicable patents as a way of showing customers that their product is unique, I guess Pentax figured that their customers know their lens designes are unique. I agree though that it would be interesting to know which lenses are based on which patented designes.
Here are a few pentax lens related patent documents:
DA 50-135 f/2.8 espacenet — Bibliographic data
Pentax lens weather seal espacenet — Bibliographic data
Wide angle lens espacenet — Bibliographic data
Standard zoom (maybe 18-55?) espacenet — Bibliographic data |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-12-2010, 02:10 PM
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I cant see a reason why a lens must have a list of applicable patents with it. If there is something unique enough about the design to patent then the manufacturer can list the patents and may do so but I don't think they have to.
Lens patents are generally for a specific type of optical design, not for a specific lens. For example the Pentax fisheye zoom patent you mentioned may be applicable to the 10-17mm but maybe they could re-optimise the design for a 9-16mm which would have the same layout but different elements and would come under the same patent.
Typically the patent would be for a type of lens design like a Tessar, Biotar, Triplet etc. These are fundamentally different designes but could each be optimised for different lenses. For example the Tessar is commonly available as a 50mm f2.8 but I also have a Tessar 600mm f/6 - the layout is the same but the exact lens properties are not.
I would be interested to see your list of pentax lens patents, maybe more conclusions could then be drawn.
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