JPH11174548A - Operation member - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an operation member capable of selecting the number of set steps in two ways by the use of the difference of an operating method and eliminating the need of complicated setting such as custom setting by constituting a selecting member selecting a set information value and an interval setting member setting an interval between the set information values of a single member. SOLUTION: A command dial 3 is constituted to slide to the front of a camera body (direction shown by an arrow A). By putting a thumb on the dial 3 and operating the dial 3 right and left, the dial 3 is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise and shutter speed is varied at every 1/3 step. Furthermore, by operating the dial 3 while pressing the dial 3 to the front of the camera (direction shown by the arrow A), the shutter speed is varied every step. Therefore, the number of set steps can be selected in two ways only by the use of the difference of the operation of the dial 3, so that the shutter speed is set easily and at high speed, and the complicated setting such as the custom setting is not required.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an operation member most suitable for a command dial of a camera.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When setting a shutter speed or the like with a conventional command dial, 1/30, 1/60, 1/1
25 can be set for each step. Further, there is a model that can be set in 1/3 steps by performing a custom setting. That is, the photographer may want the command dial to change by 1/3 step per click depending on the photographing situation. Therefore, there has been a model in which the amount of change per click can be selected to one step or one third step by a custom setting function.

[0003]

However, the shutter speed per click of the command dial is one.
When the shutter speed changes greatly, the operation amount of the command dial increases when the shutter speed is greatly changed.

Further, in a camera in which the amount of change per click can be selected in one step and one-third step by custom setting, the operation of custom setting is complicated, and not only can the setting be performed while referring to the instruction manual of the camera. However, there is room for improvement in that the change amount of the number of steps is semi-fixed because the change of the number of steps cannot be instantaneously changed between 1 step and 1/3 step.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and can select two types of setting steps depending on the operation method.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an operation member that does not require complicated settings such as custom settings.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a selection member (3, 3) for selecting a setting information value is provided.
15, 16, 17) and an interval setting member (3, 18, 19) for setting an interval between setting information values, and a selection member (3, 15, 16, 17) and an interval setting member (3, 18). ,
19) is constituted by a single member.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the selection member (3, 15, 16, 17) is a rotation operation member in which the interval setting member (3, 18, 19) is pressed. It is a pressing operation member.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the pressing operation direction of the pressing operation member is a horizontal direction or a vertical direction.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect, the selection member (3, 15, 16, 17) and the interval setting member (3, 18, 19) are used for setting an operation parameter of the camera. It is a command dial.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect, the operation parameter is any one of a shutter speed, an aperture value, a program shift, and an exposure correction.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are a top view, a sectional view and a block connection diagram showing a first embodiment of the operating member according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a lens 2 is disposed at a front center portion of a camera body 1, and a command dial 3 and a release button 4 are disposed at an upper right portion of the camera body 1. The command dial 3 is structured so as to be slidable in front of the camera body 1 (in the direction of arrow A), as indicated by a broken line.

In FIG. 2, a command dial 3 serving as an operation section is operably supported outside the outer case 12 (camera body 1). The printed circuit board 13 rotates together with the command dial 3. On the lower surface of the printed circuit board 13, a two-phase code pattern 13a is formed.
The brush holding member 14 is provided so as to surround the printed circuit board 13, and slides in the direction of arrow A together with the command dial 3, but does not rotate when the command dial 3 rotates. The brush holding member 14 has 3
The amount of rotation of the command dial 3 is detected by attaching the brushes 15 to 17 and sliding on the code pattern 13a. The three brushes 15 to 17 are CPU
It is connected to the circuit 10 (FIG. 3).

The brush holding member 14 is urged by a spring 20 in the direction opposite to the arrow A, so that the command dial 3 is normally urged in the direction opposite to the arrow A. The brush holding member 14 is in contact with the switch leaf spring 18 and slides the switch leaf spring 18 in the direction of arrow A. When the switch leaf spring 18 slides in the direction of arrow A, it comes into contact with the switch piece 19. Therefore, when the command dial 3 is pressed by the photographer in the direction of arrow A against the urging force of the spring 20, the switch leaf spring 18 comes into contact with the switch piece 19 and the switch is turned on. Switch leaf spring 18 and switch piece 1
9 is connected to the CPU circuit 10 (FIG. 3). Therefore, the switch on / off state by the switch leaf spring 18 and the switch piece 19 is transmitted to the CPU circuit 10.

With the above structure, when the photographer turns the command dial 3 without strongly pressing the command dial 3 forward (in the direction of arrow A), the switch leaf spring 18 is brought into contact with the switch piece 19. The switch is turned off. When the switch is pushed forward (in the direction of arrow A) with a predetermined force or more, the switch leaf spring 18 comes into contact with the switch piece 19 and the switch is turned on. In any state, when the command dial 3 is rotated, the amount of rotation is detected by the three brushes 16 to 17 and transmitted to the CPU circuit 10.

The command dial 3 is used for various purposes such as setting a shutter speed, an aperture value, exposure correction, a program shift, and an exposure mode. For example, when the command dial 3 is operated while the exposure mode is set to shutter priority auto or manual exposure, the shutter speed changes. If you operate the command dial 3 while pressing the exposure compensation button (not shown),
The exposure compensation amount changes. In the following, command dial 3
The case where the shutter speed is set will be described.

[Table 1]

When the command dial 3 is operated clockwise or counterclockwise, the shutter speed changes to a high speed side or a low speed side. This change amount is usually every stage. That is, as shown in the right column of Table 1, when the command dial is rotated clockwise while the current shutter speed is 1/125 second, one click of the command dial 3 is shifted by one step on the low speed side. / 60 seconds, 1 /
It changes to 30 seconds ... and conversely, when it is rotated counterclockwise, per click, 1/250 second, 1/50 of the one-step high speed side
0 seconds ...

In the camera shown in FIG. 1, the command dial 3 is operated by the thumb, and when the thumb is touched to the command dial 3 and operated left and right, the command dial 3 rotates clockwise or counterclockwise. The shutter speed can be changed every 1/3 step (left column in Table 1). Further, by operating the command dial 3 while pushing it in front of the camera (in the direction of arrow A), the shutter speed can be changed for each stage (right column in Table 1).

The CPU circuit 10 includes a switch leaf spring 18.
The on / off state of the switch constituted by the switch section 19 is detected. When the switch is in the off state, the shutter speed is changed by 1/3 step per click of the command dial 3. When the switch is on, the shutter speed is changed by one step per click of the command dial 3. Table 1 shows numerical values indicating one and one third steps of the shutter speed, and the reciprocal of this numerical value is the shutter speed (second).

If the command dial 3 is shifted forward (in the direction of arrow A) of the camera when the shutter speed is 1/80, the mode becomes a mode in which the shutter speed changes for each stage. When shifting to the right column of Table 1, 1
Although / 80 seconds may be displayed, it is easier for the photographer to change the value to a value near the shutter speed for each step. Therefore, in the display method of Table 1, the command dial 3
Is shifted, 1/80 in the 1 / 3-stage mode.
In the case of, as shown by the arrow B, the mode shifts to 1/60 of the one-stage mode.
As indicated by an arrow C, the mode is shifted to 1/125 of the single-stage mode.

[Table 2]

When the pressing operation of the command dial 3 is stopped after shifting to 1/60 of the one-stage mode,
As shown by the arrow D in Table 2, 1/60 of the 1/3 stage mode
It is easy for photographers to shift to. Similarly, when the command operation of the command dial 3 is stopped after the shift to 1/125 of the single-stage mode, the shift to 1/125 of the 1 / 3-stage mode is performed as shown by the arrow E in Table 2. However, it is easy for the photographer to understand.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment according to the present invention.
Shift command dial 3 below camera (press operation)
By doing so, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained. Other than that, it is the same as the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, if the command dial 3 is pressed strongly to operate it, there is a fear that the number of setting steps may change. However, the second embodiment has an advantage that such an erroneous operation can be prevented.

In the embodiment described above, the case where the shutter speed is changed by operating the command dial 3 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the aperture value, exposure correction amount, program It may be applied to shift, film sensitivity setting, and the like. Alternatively, instead of increasing the number of steps that change when the command dial 3 is shifted, the number of steps may be decreased.

[0025]

As described above, according to the operating member of the present invention, the number of setting steps can be selected only by the difference in the operation of the command dial (3), so that the shutter speed and the like can be set according to the photographer's preference. The effect that it can be performed easily and at high speed is obtained. Further, since only the operation of the command dial (3) is required, complicated settings such as custom settings are not required.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a top view showing a first embodiment of an operating member according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a first embodiment of the operating member according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block connection diagram showing a first embodiment of the operation member according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a rear view showing a second embodiment of the operating member according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Camera body 2 Lens 3 Command dial 4 Release button 10 CPU circuit 12 Outer case 13 Printed circuit board 13a Code pattern 14 Brush holding member 15 Brush 16 Brush 17 Brush 18 Switch leaf spring 19 Switch cut piece 20 Spring

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus comprising: a selection member for selecting a setting information value; and an interval setting member for setting an interval between setting information values, wherein the selection member and the interval setting member are constituted by a single member. Operating member. 2. The operating member according to claim 1, wherein the selecting member is a rotary operating member that is rotated, and the interval setting member is a pressing operating member that is pressed. 3. The operating member according to claim 2, wherein the pressing operation direction of the pressing operation member is a horizontal direction or a vertical direction. 4. The operation member according to claim 2, wherein the selection member and the interval setting member are command dials for setting operation parameters of a camera. 5. The operation member according to claim 4, wherein the operation parameter is one of a shutter speed, an aperture value, a program shift, and an exposure correction.