JPH11218817A - Electronic camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize miniaturization of an electronic camera and to improve the operability. SOLUTION: A group part 18 is formed at the right side part of a main body in the case of viewing the camera from the back surface side, and a liquid crystal monitor 50 for displaying an image picked up by an image pickup means is provided on the left aide of the grip part 18. Then, a mode dial 54 turning on a plane orthogonal to an image optical axis is arranged at a position, where operation can be performed with the thumb of a hand grasping the grip part 18, above the grip part 18. By such arrangement form, the display screen of the monitor 50 is prevented from being covered by the hand of a photographer at the time of operating the dial the photographer executes sure operation while viewing the screen. Especially, by using a double structure thin type multifunctional dial/button where the dial 54 is arranged on the outside of a cross key 56, an operation part excellent in the operability with small space is realized, and the shape of outside appearance where raggedness is little is obtained and the portability is improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic camera,
In particular, the present invention relates to an arrangement structure of operation members in an electronic camera having an image display unit for displaying an image captured via an image sensor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A general electronic camera includes an image pickup device including a photographing lens and an image pickup device, a signal processing section for processing an image signal read from the image pickup device, and a storage device for recording and storing image data. And an image display means such as a liquid crystal monitor for displaying a photographed image, and an operation unit for various operations such as switching of a photographing mode and switching of a display. The size and operability (ease of use) of the entire electronic camera greatly depends on the arrangement (layout) of these components.

[0003]

In particular, in recent years, there has been an increasing demand for miniaturization of electronic cameras, and the development of more compact electronic cameras has been desired. On the other hand, miniaturization of an electronic camera generally tends to cause deterioration of the operability of the camera, and it is an important task in developing an electronic camera how to achieve the two requirements of miniaturization and operability.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9-230438 discloses that a dial for switching the field of view is provided substantially at the center of the rear surface of the camera. Such a dial is arranged by holding the camera with one hand. The operability when doing it is bad,
No consideration is given to the relationship with the image display means. The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic camera capable of realizing further downsizing while improving operability.

[0005]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, an image display means for displaying an image obtained through an image pickup means comprising a photographing lens and an image pickup device is provided on a rear surface of a camera body. In an electronic camera, a dial rotatable on a back surface of the camera main body at a position operable by a thumb holding a grip formed on a side of the camera main body in a plane orthogonal to an imaging optical axis of the imaging means. An operating means is provided.

According to the present invention, the dial operating means is arranged on the rear surface of the camera at a position where the grip can be operated by the thumb while the user grips the grip formed on the side of the camera body. Can be easily operated with one hand, and the operability of the camera is improved. In particular, as described in claim 2, it is preferable that the dial operating means is arranged at the upper right part on the back of the camera, and the image display means is arranged at the lower left direction of the dial operating means. By adopting such an arrangement, when operating the dial operating means with the thumb of the hand holding the grip, the possibility that the display screen of the image display means is covered with the photographer's own right hand is reduced, and the screen is viewed. It can be operated reliably.

Further, it is preferable that the dial operation means has a function of instructing switching or change of the display contents of the image display means. This makes it possible to easily switch / change the display contents with one hand while watching the display on the image display means. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the electronic camera described above, an operation key for switching ON / OFF of the image display means is added to the back of the camera body at a position operable by the thumb of the hand holding the grip. It is characterized by things. ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, a photographer can switch ON / OFF of a display easily only by moving the position of a thumb, holding a grip part, and operability improves.

In the electronic camera according to the present invention, the thumb is placed on the back of the camera body at a position where the thumb of the hand holding the grip portion can reach, when the dial operating means is not operated. It is desirable to form a finger rest to be kept. As another form of the finger rest part, as described in claim 6, a recess is formed in the center of the dial operating means, and the thumb is placed in the recess when the dial operating means is not operated. It is also possible to adopt a form in which a function as a finger rest is added to the dial operation means so that the dial operation means can be set. In this case, a concave portion may be formed in the center of the same member constituting the dial operating means, or a concave portion may be formed in another member different from the member of the rotating portion, and this separate member may be formed at the center of the member of the rotating portion. To form a finger rest. According to this aspect, there is no need to secure a space as a finger rest part, and there is an advantage that a stable feeling when the thumb is put and an excellent hold feeling are provided.

Further, as described in claim 7, it is preferable that the dial operating means is formed into a substantially truncated conical shape, and a non-slip means for rotating operation is provided on the slope thereof. By employing such a dial operating means, an appearance shape with less irregularities on the back portion can be obtained, which further improves portability and gives a good impression in terms of design. Further, as a form of the dial operation means, as a form of the dial operation means, a ring-shaped outer peripheral dial member, and concentrically arranged inside the outer peripheral dial member, can be tilted in a plurality of directions corresponding to a plurality of functions. It is preferable to use a dial operating means having a double structure including a simple button operating member. With such a configuration, it is possible to obtain a multifunctional switching operation unit with good operability in a small space.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of an electronic camera according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an electronic camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. The outer case 12 of the electronic camera 10 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped appearance shape, the dimension in the width direction is shorter than the dimension in the vertical direction of the camera, and the front-rear direction (thickness direction) of the camera.
Is a thin shape that is even shorter than its width.

A photographing lens 14 is disposed in the upper right portion of the front of the outer case 12, and a finder window 16 is provided above the photographing lens 14. Although a detailed configuration of the photographing lens 14 is not shown, for example, a single focus lens of about F = 35 mm is used, and a CCD (imaging element) (not shown) is arranged behind the photographing lens 14. It is necessary to select an appropriate number of pixels for the CCD in relation to the desired image quality. For example, by using a 1.5 million pixel CCD,
High image quality and high resolution (1280 × 1024 pixels) are realized, and the video output during reproduction has a horizontal resolution of 480 or more.

In FIG. 1, a grip 18 is formed in the vertical direction on the left side of the outer case 12, so that a photographer can hold the camera by holding the grip 48 with his right hand. The strobe 20 is provided above the grip 18, that is, at the upper left corner of the front of the outer case 12.
The strobe 20 is arranged at a position where the strobe 20 is not hidden by the hand of the photographer holding the camera 8. Further, the grip portion 18
In order to prevent the index finger of the hand holding the strobe from touching the strobe window, a projection 22 is formed on the left edge of the strobe 20 in FIG. Reference numeral 24 provided on the left side of the photographing lens 14 denotes a strobe light control sensor,
Is a self-timer lamp.

A shutter button 28 for instructing start of photographing and a liquid crystal display panel 30 are provided on the upper surface of the outer case 12, and a strobe key 3 is provided beside the liquid crystal display panel 30.
2 and a macro key 34 are arranged. The shutter button 28 is of a two-stage type, and when the shutter button 28 is lightly pressed and stopped, the automatic focusing (AF) and the automatic exposure control (AE) are activated in the state of "AF and A".
Lock E and push further from "half-press""full-press"
The shooting is performed in the state of.

The liquid crystal display panel 30 displays information relating to the state of the camera, the shooting mode, and the like. For example, a battery check display, the display of the number of frames that can be shot and the number of playback frames, the presence / absence of strobe light emission, and the macro mode display And information such as recording image quality (quality) display and pixel number display. The strobe key 32 is a setting key that causes the strobe to emit light or inhibits the light emission in accordance with the shooting situation. Each time the strobe key 32 is pressed, the strobe setting changes from “automatic emission” to “red-eye reduction” to “red-eye reduction”. Forced flash '' →
The mode is switched to a recirculation type with four types of “light emission inhibition”. The setting contents of the strobe selected by the strobe key 32 are clearly displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 30.

The macro key 34 is a key for setting a short-distance (macro) photographing mode. By pressing the macro key 34, a short-distance photographing of about 9 to 50 cm can be performed. A smart media holder 36 for inserting a smart media (not shown in FIG. 1) corresponding to a recording medium is provided on the right side of the camera in FIG.
Is provided. The electronic camera 1 according to the present embodiment
0, a smart media (image memory card) is used as a medium for recording image data, but the form of the recording medium is not limited to this, and a PC card, flash memory card, IC card, floppy disk, magneto-optical disk Various forms having a card shape such as (MO) are possible.

The smart media holder 36 of the electronic camera 10 has a longitudinal direction of the insertion slot 36A oriented vertically so that the smart media can be inserted and removed along a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the photographing lens 14. It is arranged.
In addition, the insertion opening 36 of this smart media holder 36
A is provided with a smart media cover 38 for covering the insertion opening 36A, which can be opened and closed via a hinge mechanism. When the smart media cover 38 is closed, the smart media cover 38 is held in a closed state by the engagement means 39, and when the smart media knob 40 is slid downward in FIG. The media cover 38 is opened.

As shown in FIG. 1, a power input (DC IN) is provided on the left side of the smart media holder 36 from above.
5V) terminal 42, an image output (VIDEO OUT) terminal 44, and a digital input / output (RS232C) terminal 46 are provided in order in the vertical direction. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the electronic camera 10 shown in FIG. On the rear side of the camera, a liquid crystal monitor 50, a power switch 52, a mode dial 54, a cross key (up / down key and left / right key) 56, a finder 58, and the like are provided.

The liquid crystal monitor 50 displays an image photographed through a CCD, a reproduced image read from a smart media (card-shaped recording medium), and the like. For example, a 2-inch low-temperature polysilicon liquid crystal monitor is used. . The LCD monitor 50 is disposed at the lower left of the back of the camera, avoiding the grip section 18 as shown in FIG.
Along the upper side of the liquid crystal monitor 50, a custom key 60, a display key 62, a power switch 52, and a menu / execute key 64 are sequentially arranged in a horizontal line from the left.

The mode dial 54 and the cross key 56 are
It is provided at the upper right corner of the back of the camera, that is, at the place where the thumb of the right hand holding the grip portion 18 on the right side of the camera in FIG. 2 is naturally located. A dial operation unit including the mode dial 54 and the cross key 56 is provided with a ring member (peripheral dial member) 68 corresponding to the mode dial 54 on the outer periphery of a button member (button operation member) 66 corresponding to the cross key 56.
Are arranged, and the mode dial 5 on the outer periphery has
4 is rotatable in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions in FIG.

The mode dial 54 is an operating means for changing the function (mode) of the camera according to the setting position of the dial. For example, the mode dial 54 is located within a range corresponding to about a half circumference (left half side in FIG. 2) of the upper surface of the mode dial 54. From the top at every click stop position along the circumferential direction, “SETUP”, “Self-timer”, “Manual shooting”, “Auto shooting”, “Playback”, “Erase (ERASE)”, “Image protection (Protect)”, Symbols or characters indicating the eight modes of “personal computer (PC) connection” are sequentially formed.

By turning the mode dial 54 clockwise or counterclockwise in FIG. 2, a symbol or a character representing a desired function is set to the index 70 in the eight-step mode. The mode is set. On the upper surface of the mode dial 54, a small row of protrusions is formed as a non-slip (fingerhold) 71 when the mode dial 54 is turned on the remaining half circumference (the right half side in FIG. 2). ing.

The button member 66 of the cross key 56 disposed inside the mode dial 54 is
A triangular mark 72 indicating the operation direction is formed in the direction. By pressing the vicinity of any one of the upper, lower, left, and right triangular marks 72, the button member 66 is tilted, so that the corresponding four directions (up, down, right, left) can be input. ing. This cross key 56
Is used as an operation key for instructing selection of various setting items in setting of a mode and the like, change of setting contents, magnification adjustment of electronic zoom, movement instruction of zoom center,
It is used as a means for instructing the playback frame to be sent / returned. The detailed structure of the dial section will be further described later (FIGS. 4 to 6).

In the area between the mode dial 54 and the power switch 52 on the rear surface of the outer case 12, small rows of projections corresponding to finger rests (finger rests) 73 are formed in an embossed manner. The finger rest 73 is provided substantially at the center of the range in which the thumb moves when operating each operation unit such as the cross key 56, the mode dial 54, and the power switch 52. It is a suitable position and a position where the camera can be stably held.

Reference numeral 74 shown on the right side of the finder 58
Is a finder lamp, and this finder lamp 74 lights in three colors of green, orange and red according to the state of the camera.
It blinks or turns off. 2, a strap mounting portion 75 is provided at the uppermost portion on the right side of the camera. The hand strap is attached by pulling the hand strap (not shown) through the loop portion of the tip of the hand strap (not shown) and then pulling the hand strap through the loop. By passing the wrist through the attached hand strap and grasping the grip portion 18 for photographing, it is possible to prevent the camera from being inadvertently dropped.

A battery cover 76 is provided on the bottom of the camera below the grip 18 so as to be freely opened and closed. When the battery cover 76 is slid rightward in FIG. 2, the locking mechanism (not shown) of the battery cover 76 is released, and the battery cover 76 is opened downward in FIG. Then, a substantially cylindrical battery (not shown in FIG. 2) is inserted vertically from the bottom side of the camera along the grip portion 18, and the battery is loaded by closing the battery cover 76 in the reverse order of opening. Is done.

Although not shown, an adjustment dial and a tripod screw hole for adjusting the brightness of the liquid crystal monitor 50 are provided on the bottom surface of the camera. In FIG.
FIG. 2 shows a state in which the inside of the electronic camera 10 shown in FIG. 1 is viewed from the rear side. As shown in the figure, when the inside of the camera is viewed from the back side, the battery 78 is disposed at a portion corresponding to the grip portion 18 on the right side so that the longitudinal direction thereof is oriented vertically, and a photographing lens is provided at the upper left. 14 and finder 5
8 is mounted. Although not shown in FIG.
The substrate on which D is mounted is assembled integrally with the optical unit 80.

A liquid crystal monitor 50 is arranged below the optical unit 80 and on the left side of the vertical battery 78 so as not to overlap with the battery 78, along the back surface of the outer case 12. The smart media holder 36 is arranged behind the monitor 50 (on the front side of the camera) in parallel with the liquid crystal monitor 50. At this time, the smart media holder 36 is installed such that the smart media insertion opening 36A faces the side of the camera.

Then, the smart media holder 3
An electronic circuit board 82 on which a signal processing circuit is mounted is disposed further forward of 6, that is, in a space between the smart media holder 36 and the front surface of the outer case 12. At this time, the electronic circuit board 82 is arranged in parallel with the surface of the liquid crystal monitor 50 or the smart media holder 36. In FIG. 3, a strobe 20 is located on the right side of the optical unit 80 and above the battery 78.
Is arranged. In the space between the strobe 20 and the battery 78, there is provided a terminal portion which is in contact with the electrode of the battery 78. In the space between the terminal portion and the optical unit 80, a sensor circuit of the strobe light control sensor 24 and the like are provided. Is stored.

As described above, the vertical dimension of the electronic camera 10 is substantially determined by the height dimension of the battery 78 arranged vertically along the grip portion 18. And
The strobe 20 is disposed above the battery 78, and the optical unit 80 and the liquid crystal monitor 5 are located beside the battery 78.
0 are arranged side by side up and down, and furthermore, the smart media holder 36 and the electronic circuit board 82 are arranged side by side in parallel with the liquid crystal monitor 50 at the back of the liquid crystal monitor 50 so that the whole forms a substantially rectangular outline. Each component (ie, optical unit 80, strobe 20, battery 78,
The liquid crystal monitor 50 and the electronic circuit board 82) can be arranged compactly, and each component can be efficiently stored in the outer case 12 having a substantially rectangular shape. Thus, the connection between the members can be minimized, and the camera can be downsized.

In particular, in the present embodiment, since the insertion slot 36A for the smart media is formed on the side of the camera opposite to the grip portion 18, it is easy to insert and remove the smart media. Even when the camera is fixed with a tripod or the like, the smart media can be inserted. There is an advantage that media can be removed and inserted. In this example, as a form of the battery 78, one dedicated rechargeable battery having a flat portion 78A in which a part of a cylinder is cut in parallel along a longitudinal axis is used, but the form of the battery is as follows. The invention is not limited to this, and may be of a substantially cylindrical shape or a substantially rectangular parallelepiped.
Further, a form in which a plurality of dry batteries are arranged in parallel may be used.

Next, the mode dial 54 and the cross key 5
The structure of No. 6 will be described. 4 to 6 show the structure of the mode dial 54 and the cross key 56. FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the dial operating unit, and FIG.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A, FIG.
5, the substrate indicated by reference numeral 96 in FIG. 5 is omitted.

As shown in these figures, the electronic camera 1
The dial operation unit attached to the main unit 0 mainly includes an inner button member 66 constituting the cross key 56, a ring member 68 provided on the outer periphery of the button member 66 and corresponding to the mode dial 54, and holds both. And a holding member 84. The button member 66 has a so-called dish-like shape in which the central portion is depressed, and a triangular mark 72 indicating an operation direction in four directions, up, down, left, and right, on a slope 66C from the outer peripheral edge 66A toward the central flat portion 66B. Are formed. Each triangle mark 72 is an up key, a down key,
Corresponds to the left and right keys. The portion of the triangular mark 72 is formed of a transparent body, and a lamp (not shown) is arranged below each mark. Then, a lamp corresponding to the pressed key is turned on.

As shown in FIG. 5, a shaft 88 is integrally formed substantially at the center of the lower surface of the button member 66. The shaft 86 is inserted into a hole 84A formed substantially at the center of the holding member 84. It is inserted, and its lower end is connected to the holding member 84 via the C-ring 90. The diameter of the hole 84A of the holding member 84 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft portion 88 of the button member 66, and the shaft portion 88 of the button member 66 slightly extends in any direction around the center line. It can be tilted.

The lower surface of the button member 66 and the holding member 8
4, a leaf spring 92 is provided. The leaf spring 92 urges the button member 66 upward in FIG. 5, and the shaft portion 88 so that the upper surface of the button member 22 is horizontal. Are held vertically along the centerline. The lower part of the button member 66 has pins 9 at four positions, up, down, left, and right corresponding to the pressing points of the up / down key and the left / right key, respectively.
4 are projected, and these pins 94 are exposed from the opening 84 </ b> B of the holding member 84.

On the other hand, on a substrate 96 disposed below the holding member 84, a switch means 98 is disposed at a position facing each of the pins 94. When any one of the pressing points corresponding to the keys and the left / right keys is pressed, the shaft 88 of the button member 66 is tilted, the pressed portion sinks, and the lower end of the pin 94 at the corresponding position is switched by the switch means. 92. Then, when the finger is released from the button member 66 (when the pressing is released), the button member 66 returns to the original horizontal state by the urging force of the leaf spring 92, and all the pins 9
4 withdraws from the switch means 92. By employing such a mechanism, a single button member 66 can be used to configure a four-way instruction switch (multi-function switch) of up, down, left, and right with a simple mechanism.

On the other hand, the ring member 68 disposed outside the button member 66 is rotatably supported on the holding member 84 independently of the button member 66 about the center line of the button member 66 as the center of rotation. . From the height of the outermost peripheral portion 66A of the button member 66, the ring member 68
The second dial operating portion is formed so as to have a substantially frustoconical appearance as a whole.

This is because it is necessary to provide a certain thickness (height) at the portion where the cross key 56 is pressed, and the required thickness portion (ie, the cross key 56)
Is arranged inside, and a ring member 68 having a truncated conical surface that gradually becomes thinner from the same thickness as the thickness of the cross key 56 toward the outside is arranged outside. With such an external shape, unevenness on the surface is eliminated, the portability of the camera is improved, and the thickness of the dial operation unit is not impressed in terms of design.

Below the ring member 68, a metal plate 100 is arranged in parallel with the surface of the substrate 96 with the holding member 84 interposed therebetween.
The metal plate 100 is connected to the ring member 68 via the connecting portion 102.
And the metal plate 100 is rotated with the rotation of the ring member 68. Metal plate 1
00 denotes a plurality of (in this example, four) brushes 1 on the lower surface thereof.
The brush 104 moves so as to slide on the contact of the substrate 96 with the rotation of the ring member 68 and detects the rotational position of the mode dial 66 by switching the contact pattern of the contact. Has become.

The metal plate 100 has a mode dial 6
The number of click holes 106 corresponding to the stop positions (mode setting positions) of No. 6 is formed, and a click leaf spring 108 which can be locked in these click holes 106 is provided on the holding member 84 side.
Is provided. Next, the operation of the electronic camera configured as described above will be described. First, in order to charge the battery 78, the battery cover 76 is opened by sliding the battery cover 76 rightward in FIG. 2, and the battery 78 is inserted from the bottom of the camera. At this time, the flat portion 78A of the battery 78
To the inside of the camera until the electrode at the upper end of the battery 78 contacts a terminal portion (not shown) inside the camera.
To close the battery cover 76.

Then, after plugging the AC power adapter (not shown) into the power input terminal 42 of the camera,
C Plug the power adapter into a power outlet. Thus, charging of the battery 78 is automatically started. While charging,
The finder lamp 74 of the camera lights up in orange, and when charging is completed, the finder lamp 74 turns off. The camera can be used with the AC power adapter connected even when charging is not completed. However, after charging is completed, the camera can be used with only the battery 78 by removing the AC power adapter.

Next, a procedure for attaching and detaching the smart media will be described. When the smart media knob 40 is slid downward in FIG. 1, the smart media cover 38 opens,
The insertion opening 36A of the smart media holder 36 is exposed. Next, the smart media is inserted into the smart media holder 36. At this time, the smart media is slowly pushed into the smart media holder 36 along the plane perpendicular to the photographing optical axis so that the electrode portion of the smart media faces the front of the camera. After the smart media is inserted, when the smart media cover 38 is closed, the claws formed on the cover are engaged with the engaging means 39, and the smart media cover 38 is held in the closed state.

When removing the smart media from the camera, the smart media knob 40 is inserted in the same manner as when the smart media is inserted.
Is slid downward, the smart media cover 38 is opened, and the edge of the smart media exposed from the smart media holder 36 is pushed slowly and deeply once, and then the end portion is pinched and pulled out. In the present embodiment, the insertion / removal opening 36A of the smart media is provided on the side surface of the camera, that is, on the side opposite to the grip portion 18, so that the photographer can use the grip portion 1 of the camera as shown in FIG.
8 can be inserted and removed while holding the grip 8. In this respect, there is an advantage that the operability is better than that of a type in which a recording medium such as a smart media is inserted into and removed from the top and bottom surfaces of the camera or the same side surface as the grip portion.

Next, the photographing operation will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, when the photographer grips the grip portion 18 of the camera with the right hand, slides the power switch 52 rightward in FIG. 7 and then releases the finger, an opening screen is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 50. . When the finger is released from the power switch 52, the power switch 52 returns to the original position by the urging force of the urging means (not shown).

Subsequently, the user turns the mode dial 54 to the desired mode. The setup mode is a mode for setting quality (image quality), pixels (image quality), sharpness, color / black and white, frame number memory, buzzer volume, date and time, custom key settings, and the like. When the mode dial 54 is set to “SETUP”, a setup screen is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 50. The photographer operates the up / down key of the cross key 56 to select an item to be changed from the setup screen, changes the setting contents with the left / right keys, and inputs a desired setting.

That is, each time the left / right key of the cross key 56 is pressed, the setting is switched, and when the desired setting is displayed, the pressing of the left / right key is stopped. Then, to determine the setting, the menu / execute key 64 is pressed or the mode dial 54 is switched to another mode. For example,
In the quality setting items, according to the purpose of shooting,
Three types of image quality (recording compression ratio) can be selected: fine, normal, and basic. Fine is 1/4 (J
PEG) compression, normal is 1/8 (JPEG) compression, and basic is 1/16 (JPEG) compression. Note that the number of frames that can be shot varies depending on the selected image quality, and the liquid crystal display panel 30 clearly indicates whether the frame is fine, normal, or basic.

In the self-timer shooting mode, self-timer shooting for about 10 seconds is possible. Mode dial 54
To the position of the self-timer, the LCD monitor 5
At "0" a "self-timer" display appears. When the composition is determined and the shutter button 28 is half-pressed, the AE and AF are activated. When the focus and the exposure are completed, the finder lamp 74 lights up in green and the "standby" display appears on the liquid crystal monitor 50. Then, the shutter button 28
When you press fully, the self-timer lamp 2
The photographing is performed about 10 seconds after 6 blinks.

The manual shooting mode is a mode in which an image captured by the camera can be checked on the liquid crystal monitor 50 (or a television or the like connected to a video output terminal), and whether the image is to be recorded on the smart media or not can be selected. is there.
In this mode, white balance setting, brightness setting (exposure correction), strobe brightness setting, and continuous shooting (multi-REC) setting can be further performed.

When the mode dial 54 is set to the manual shooting mode and the menu / execute key 64 is pressed, various setting items are displayed. The items are selected with the left / right key of the cross key 56 and set with the up / down keys. After changing the content, the setting is confirmed with the left / right keys. When the menu / execute key 64 is pressed during the setting input, the screen returns to the original screen.

When the display key 62 is pressed in the manual photographing mode, photographing (recording) is performed on the liquid crystal monitor 50.
The previous moving image (so-called through moving image) is displayed. When the photographer determines the composition while watching the display, obtains the desired composition, and half-presses the shutter button 28, the camera automatically performs the focusing and the exposure. When the shooting preparation is completed (AF and AE completed), the finder lamp 74 lights up in green and the liquid crystal monitor 50
Shows a "standby" display.

Thereafter, when the shutter button 28 is fully pressed, a buzzer sounds and a preview image (a photographed still image) is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 50. If the image data of the preview image is not recorded on the smart media, the display returns to the through moving image by pressing the down key of the cross key 56. On the other hand, when recording the image data displayed on the preview image on the smart media, the menu / execute key 64 is pressed.

While image data is being recorded on the smart media, the finder lamp 74 lights in orange,
Shooting is prohibited while the lamp is on. When the recording is completed, a buzzer sounds, and the number of photographable frames on the liquid crystal display panel 30 decreases by one. In the auto shooting mode, the camera automatically controls the exposure (combination of the electronic shutter value and the aperture value) and the focus according to the shooting conditions, and automatically transfers the image data to the smart media according to the full press of the shutter button 28. This is the mode to save the data. This auto shooting mode is a simple and easy-to-use shooting mode. When general shooting (normal shooting) is performed except for special shooting, this mode is mainly set.

In the automatic photographing mode, one of photographing using the optical viewfinder without using the liquid crystal monitor 50 and photographing using the liquid crystal monitor 50 can be selected. It is desirable to use an optical viewfinder to reduce battery consumption, and it is more preferable to use the liquid crystal monitor 50 to accurately determine the composition of an image to be shot, such as a close-up shot.

When the optical viewfinder is used, the composition is determined by matching the AF frame mark, which appears at the approximate center of the field of view, to the subject while looking through the viewfinder 58, and when the shutter button 28 is half-pressed, the AE and AF functions operate.
When the shooting preparation is completed, the finder lamp 74 is set.
Lights green. After that, when the shutter button 28 is fully pressed, a buzzer sounds to notify the completion of the photographing and to start recording the image data on the smart media.
During recording, the finder lamp 74 lights in orange, and photographing is prohibited during this lighting. When the recording is completed, a buzzer sounds and the number of photographable frames on the liquid crystal display panel 30 decreases by one.

On the other hand, when taking a picture using the liquid crystal monitor 50, the display key 62 is pressed after the mode dial 54 is set to the automatic photography mode. This display key 62
This is a switch for switching on / off (OFF) of the liquid crystal monitor 50. Each time the display key 62 is pressed once, ON / OFF of the liquid crystal monitor 50 is switched.

When the display key 62 is pressed, the liquid crystal monitor 50 is pressed.
Is displayed on the monitor, and the photographer can determine the structure while watching the monitor display. If the display on the liquid crystal monitor 50 is difficult to see, the brightness can be adjusted with a monitor brightness adjustment dial on the bottom of the camera. The operation of taking a picture by pressing the shutter button 28 halfway and fully pressing after the composition is determined is as described above.

In photographing using the liquid crystal monitor 50, a digital zoom (electronic zoom) photographing function can be used. That is, when the up key of the cross key 56 is pressed while the through moving image is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 50, “× 2” is displayed at the upper left corner of the screen of the liquid crystal monitor 50, and the center point of the screen is set as the enlargement center. , The central portion of the screen is doubled. When the composition is determined while looking at the liquid crystal monitor 50, the shutter button 28 is operated, and shooting is performed, the data of the enlarged image is recorded on the smart media.

The playback mode is a mode that is set when a captured image is played back on the liquid crystal monitor 50, a television, or the like. The playback mode is one-frame playback or multi-playback (simultaneous playback of a plurality of frames of images at once on the screen. Form), and automatic play (auto play) in which the designated frame and subsequent frames are automatically and continuously played back at regular time intervals. Further, it is also possible to perform a reproduction zoom for enlarging a reproduced image with an electronic zoom, an image copy for copying image data to another medium, a change in color tone (beautifying skin and sepia) of a captured image, and a change in the number of pixels (resize). When operating such functions, the cross key 54, the display key 62, the menu / execute key 64, and the custom key 60
A predetermined input is made in combination with the above.

When the mode dial 54 is set to the reproduction mode, the last frame recorded on the smart media is reproduced and displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 50 or the like. To play another frame, the frame is advanced by operating the left / right keys of the cross key 56. Pressing the right key once will advance one frame at a time, and pressing the left key once will reverse the frame. During this one-frame playback, the playback zoom function can be used. That is, when the up / down key of the cross key 56 is operated during one-frame playback, the image being played is enlarged at an arbitrary magnification of 1 to 4 times with the center of the screen being the enlargement center point in response to the pressing operation. Can be displayed. In this case, the up key corresponds to an enlargement key, and the down key corresponds to a reduction key. Also,
If you press the four-way controller 56 while holding down the custom key 60,
The zoom position can be moved. To stop the reproduction zoom function, the frame is advanced by pressing the left / right key of the cross key 56.

The erasing mode is a mode for erasing an image recorded on the smart media. In accordance with a menu selection screen, one-frame erasing, all-frame erasing, and smart media initialization can be performed. The protect mode is a mode in which image data is read-only (read-only) data so as to prevent a shot image from being accidentally erased. The protect mode (protection of image) or release of protect for each frame, and The protection of all frames can be released all at once.

The PC mode is a mode in which an electronic camera and a personal computer are connected by a dedicated cable and image data is transmitted and received between the two. This mode is used when taking a captured image to a personal computer, recording an image on smart media using a personal computer, or deleting an image. According to the electronic camera of the present embodiment, the mode dial 5 can be operated only with the right thumb gripping the grip portion 18.
4, cross key 56, power switch 52, display key 62,
Each operation unit such as the menu / execution key 64 can be easily operated. In particular, when operating the operation unit (mode dial 54 or cross key 56) related to switching / change of the display content of the liquid crystal monitor 50, the liquid crystal monitor 50 is not hidden by hand, and reliable operation is performed while watching the monitor display. There is an advantage that can be performed.

Further, in the electronic camera according to the present embodiment, use of the internal arrangement structure described with reference to FIG. 3 minimizes useless space inside and realizes miniaturization of the camera. In addition, the smart media as a recording medium can be inserted into and removed from the side of the camera opposite to the grip portion 18 to improve operability. In addition, as described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, the mode dial 54 and the cross key 56 are configured in a double structure, thereby realizing a thin, multi-functional dial / button with little unevenness, and with a small number of superiors. An operation unit with good operability is obtained. Further, the arrangement position of the multi-function dial / button is considered in relation to the liquid crystal monitor 50, and the multi-function dial / button can be operated while looking at the screen of the liquid crystal monitor 50.

Thus, the electronic camera according to the present embodiment is reduced in size and thickness, and further improved in operability. In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the finger rest portion 73 is formed on the back surface of the camera has been described. However, it is also possible to use the concave portion of the button member of the cross key 56 as a finger rest. The button member 66 of the cross key 56 is
When a pressing force is applied to the vicinity of the triangular mark 72 of C, the pressed position sinks and tilts.
6B) does not sink even when a pressing force is applied, and the button member 66 is held horizontally. Therefore, it is possible to place the thumb at the center of the cross key 56, and the concave shape of the thumb also provides a sense of stability of the thumb.

[0063]

As described above, according to the electronic camera of the present invention, the dial operating means is provided on the rear surface of the camera at a position where it can be operated with the thumb while the grip portion is gripped by hand. The dial operating means can be easily operated, the operability is improved, and the operating means capable of multifunction switching in a small space can be formed.

In particular, the dial operating means is arranged at the upper right portion of the back of the camera, and the image display means is arranged at the lower left direction of the dial operating means, so that the dial operating means can be operated with the thumb of the hand holding the grip portion. In this case, the display screen of the image display means is not hidden by the photographer's own hands, and the operation can be reliably performed while looking at the screen. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an external shape with little unevenness, and to realize an electronic camera excellent in portability.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an electronic camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the electronic camera shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the electronic camera.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a dial operation unit including a mode dial and a cross key shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the dial operating unit shown in FIG. 4 taken along line AA.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the dial operation unit shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which the electronic camera according to the present embodiment is gripped.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Electronic camera 12 ... Outer case 14 ... Shooting lens 16 ... Finder window 18 ... Grip part 20 ... Strobe 28 ... Shutter button 36 ... Smart media holder 50 ... LCD monitor 58 ... Finder 54 ... Mode dial 56 ... Cross key 62 ... Display Key 71: Non-slip 73: Finger rest 78: Battery

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An electronic camera in which an image display means for displaying an image obtained through an image pickup means comprising a photographing lens and an image pickup element is provided on a back surface of a camera body, wherein a grip formed on a side of the camera body is provided. An electronic camera, comprising: dial operation means rotatable in a plane orthogonal to an imaging optical axis of the imaging means on a rear surface of the camera body at a position operable by a thumb of a grasped hand. 2. An electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein said dial operating means is arranged at an upper right corner of the back of the camera body, and said image display means is arranged at a lower left position of said dial operating means. . 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dial operation means is an operation means having a function of instructing switching or change of contents displayed on the image display means.
Electronic camera as described. 4. An operation key for switching ON / OFF of the image display means is provided on a rear surface of the camera body at a position operable by a thumb of a hand holding the grip portion. 4. The electronic camera according to 1, 2, or 3. 5. A finger rest portion for holding a thumb when the dial operating means is not operated is formed on a rear surface of the camera body at a position where a thumb of a hand holding the grip portion can reach. The electronic camera according to claim 1. 6. A recess is formed at the center of the dial operating means using the same member or another member, and a thumb can be stably placed in the recess when the dial operating means is not operated. A function as a finger rest is added to the dial operating means as described above.
Electronic camera according to any one of the above. 7. The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein said dial operating means has a substantially frusto-conical external shape, and a non-slip means is provided on a slope portion thereof. 8. The dial operating means comprises a ring-shaped outer peripheral dial member, and a button operating member disposed concentrically inside the outer peripheral dial member and tiltable in a plurality of directions corresponding to a plurality of functions. 2. The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the electronic camera has a double structure.