Wide angle zoom lens

A method of achieving a zoom ratio substantially over two, an angle of view of at least 94.degree. and well corrected optical aberrations in a compact two component lens configuration, the method comprising:

• passing light through a first group of lens elements which are movable with respect to an image plane and having an overall negative refractive power;
• passing the light through a first lens element in a second group of lens elements which are moveable with respect to the image plane, wherein the first lens element has a positive refractive power and has a shape factor X that satisfies the condition:
• 0<X<1.5;
• passing the light through a second lens element in the second group of lens elements, wherein the second lens element has a positive refractive power and has a shape factor X that satisfies the condition:
• 0<X<1.5;
• passing the light through at least one lens element in the first group of lens elements which has a negative refractive power and which has a shape factor X that satisfies the condition:
• X.ltoreq.-1.9;
• and
• passing the light through a lens element in the first group of lens elements which has a positive refractive power and which has a shape factor X that satisfies the condition:
• 1.ltoreq.X.ltoreq.2.

A zoom lens configuration comprising, in order from an object side to an image plane:

• a first group of lens elements movable with respect to the image plane and having an overall negative refractive power;
• a second group of lens elements movable with respect to the image plane and having an overall positive refractive power and comprising in order from the object side;
• a first lens element having a positive refractive power and having a shape factor X that satisfies the condition:
• 0<X<1.5;
• a second lens element having a positive refractive power, at least one lens element having a negative refractive power in the first group of lens elements;
• and
• a lens element having a positive refractive power in the first group of lens elements.

A method of achieving a zoom ratio over two and well corrected optical aberrations, the method comprising:

• passing light through a first group of lens elements which are movable with respect to an image plane and having an overall negative refractive power;
• passing the light through a first lens element in a second group of lens elements which are moveable with respect to the image plane, wherein the first lens element has a positive refractive power and has a shape factor X that satisfies the condition:
• <
• X<1.5;
• passing the light through a second lens element in the second group of lens elements, wherein the second lens element has a positive refractive power;
• passing the light through at least one lens element in the first group of lens elements which has a negative refractive power;
• and
• passing the light through a lens element in the first group of lens elements which has a positive refractive power.