JP2001290208A - Camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent photographing from being performed in unintended composition caused by the deviation of the parallax of a finder. SOLUTION: In a 2nd mode in which the minimum photographing distance is the shortest under a condition that a focal distance is fixed, the confirmation of the composition by the finder is restricted by making a light shielding plate 61 appear in a finder optical system. In other operation modes, the light shielding plate 61 is made to retreat. The light shielding plate 61 is made to appear/retreat by interlocking a finder cam 59 wish the zoom mechanism of a photographing lens or a focusing mechanism. The light shielding plate 61 is rotated centering a light shielding plate guide shaft 62 in accordance with the rotation of the finder cam 59, whereby it appears on/retreats from an optical path.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera which eliminates the possibility of an erroneous operation and a photographing error and ensures photographing in an intended composition.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional camera with an optical viewfinder, the optical viewfinder is TTL (Through).
Unless the lens system is used, parallax occurs between the taking lens and the finder lens. This parallax is caused by the fact that the optical axis of the photographic lens does not match the optical axis of the finder lens. If the position of the subject is far enough, the effect is so small that it can be neglected, but the amount cannot be ignored in close-up shooting. When the parallax increases, the range that can be seen through the viewfinder and the photographing range photographed by the photographing lens are specifically shifted. Generally, by providing a notch or the like in a visual field mask or the like,
When photographing at a short distance, the photographer recognizes the difference between the range of the field of view in the finder and the range of the photographing lens, and performs photographing.

[0003] In recent years, many digital cameras, which are rapidly spreading in recent years, are equipped with a liquid crystal display for displaying a photographed image and the like in addition to an optical finder. That is, the liquid crystal display can be used as a finder. For this reason, in general, an instruction manual or the like recommends the use of a liquid crystal monitor for short-distance shooting. For example, the photographer is warned with a sentence such as “Please output the image on the liquid crystal monitor or the TV monitor and determine the composition without using the optical viewfinder”.

[0004] In some cases, the optical finder and the liquid crystal display are more positively used depending on the shooting mode. For example, in one shooting mode, the liquid crystal display is turned on and the use of the optical viewfinder is prevented, and in another shooting mode, the liquid crystal display is turned off. In addition, as an example of such a technique, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-336495
JP-A-2005-115, “Imaging apparatus and control method thereof”.

[0005]

However, the above prior art has the following problems.

[0006] That is, it is not sufficient to simply describe the precautionary statement in an instruction manual or the like. The user does not always read the manual carefully. Further, even if the user has read the instruction manual, the user may forget the precautions at the time of shooting. For this reason, it was sometimes impossible to shoot with the intended composition.

In the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-336495, the liquid crystal monitor is turned on or off in accordance with the shooting mode. For this reason, the user has been restricted from using the liquid crystal monitor.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a camera which eliminates the possibility of erroneous operation and erroneous photographing.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera, comprising: a photographing optical mechanism including a plurality of lenses for capturing light of a subject image; An optical path for confirming an image being a target (hereinafter referred to as a “confirmation optical path”) is formed separately from the photographing optical mechanism, and a light of a subject image incident through the photographing optical mechanism is A photographing unit that captures only a desired amount of time; a confirmation mechanism restricting unit that restricts confirmation of an image through the confirmation optical path; and a plurality of operation modes. And control means for restricting the confirmation of the image through the confirmation light path by the confirmation mechanism restricting means in the shortest operation mode.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the photographing means performs photographing by capturing light of the subject image incident through the photographing optical mechanism for a desired time.
In this case, in the operation mode in which the shortest shooting distance is the shortest under the condition that the focal length is constant, the control unit limits the confirmation of the image through the confirmation optical path by the confirmation mechanism restricting unit.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the confirmation mechanism restricting means restricts image confirmation by dimming or blocking light passing through the confirmation optical path. It is characterized by that.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the confirmation mechanism restricting means restricts the confirmation of the image by dimming or blocking the light passing through the confirmation optical path.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the second aspect, the confirmation mechanism restricting means includes a restriction member for dimming or blocking light, and a restriction member that appears on the confirmation optical path. And a restricting member operating mechanism for retreating from the optical path.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the restriction member operating mechanism causes the restriction member to appear on the confirmation optical path.
Also, the restricting member is retracted from the optical path.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera, comprising: a photographing optical mechanism including a plurality of lenses for capturing light of a subject image; and an optical path for confirming an image to be photographed. A confirmation optical path) is separately formed from the photographing optical mechanism, a photographing unit that captures the light of the subject image incident through the photographing optical mechanism for a desired time, A light blocking restriction member;
A driving force generation unit that generates a driving force, and a driving force generated by the driving force generation unit moves a part of the lens of the imaging optical mechanism so that the focal length of the imaging optical mechanism is within a predetermined range. And a drive mechanism for causing the restriction member to appear on the confirmation light path and to be retracted from the confirmation light path.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the photographing means captures light of the subject image incident through the photographing optical mechanism for a desired time, thereby performing photographing.
In this case, the driving force generator generates a driving force. The driving mechanism changes a focal length of the photographing optical mechanism within a predetermined range by moving a part of the lens of the photographing optical mechanism by the driving force. In addition, the driving mechanism causes the restricting member to appear on the confirmation optical path by the driving force. Also, it is retracted from the confirmation optical path.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the fourth aspect, the driving mechanism retracts the restricting member from the optical path when the focal length is at an upper limit or a lower limit of the range. And when the driving force is input in a direction exceeding the upper limit or the lower limit while the focal length is at the upper limit or the lower limit of the range, the restricting member is caused to appear on the confirmation light path. , Is characterized.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the driving mechanism retracts the restricting member from the optical path when the focal length is at the upper limit or the lower limit. Further, when the driving force is input in a direction exceeding the upper limit or the lower limit while the focal length is at the upper limit or the lower limit, the driving mechanism causes the restricting member to appear on the confirmation optical path.

A camera according to a sixth aspect of the present invention includes a photographing optical mechanism including a plurality of lenses for capturing light of a subject image, and an optical path (hereinafter, referred to as a “photograph object”) for confirming an image to be photographed. A checking optical path, which is formed separately from the photographing optical mechanism; and a photographing unit that captures light of a subject image incident through the photographing optical mechanism at a predetermined imaging position for a desired time. And, a limiting member that diminishes or blocks light, a driving force generating unit that generates a driving force, and a driving force generated by the driving force generating unit.
A drive mechanism that changes a relative positional relationship between a lens included in the photographing optical mechanism and the imaging position, causes the restriction member to appear on the confirmation optical path, and retracts from the confirmation optical path. It is characterized by the following.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the photographing means captures the light of the subject image incident through the photographing optical mechanism at a predetermined photographing position for a desired time. . In this case, the driving mechanism changes the relative positional relationship between the lens included in the photographing optical mechanism and the imaging position by the driving force generated by the driving force generation unit. Further, the driving mechanism causes the restricting member to appear on the confirmation optical path by the driving force. It is also retracted from the confirmation optical path.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects, the driving mechanism includes a regulating member for regulating a position and / or a posture of the limiting member at a predetermined position; When a driving force is input in a state where the driving member is regulated by the regulating member, the members are connected in a state where their relative positional relationship can be changed,
And a plurality of driving force transmitting members for changing the position and / or the posture of the limiting member by the driving force.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the driving force transmitting member changes the position and / or posture of the limiting member according to the input driving force. At this time, the restricting member restricts the position and / or posture of the restricting member at a predetermined position. When a driving force is input in a state where the restricting member is regulated by the regulating member, the driving force transmitting members absorb this force by changing their relative positional relationship.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects, the driving mechanism comprises a regulating member for regulating a position and / or a posture of the limiting member at a predetermined position; And an operation deforming member that absorbs the driving force by being deformed when the driving force is input in a state where the driving force is regulated by the regulating member. .

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the regulating member regulates the position and / or posture of the restricting member at a predetermined position. When a driving force is input in a state where the restricting member is regulated by the regulating member,
The working deformation member absorbs this force by being deformed.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to the third to eighth aspects, the limiting member is an ND filter.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the ND filter constituting the limiting member reduces the light.

The camera according to claim 10 is the camera according to claims 3 to 8
In the invention described in (1), a plurality of through holes for passing light are formed in the restriction member.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the restricting member allows light to pass through the through hole. In other parts, the light is dimmed or blocked.

The camera according to claim 11 is the camera according to claims 1 to 1
0. The invention according to claim 0, wherein the photographing means converts the image into an electric signal and captures the image, and has a display device for displaying the image captured by the photographing means.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the photographing means converts an image into an electric signal and takes it in. The display device displays an image captured by the photographing unit.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the eleventh aspect, the display device is configured to be always ON / OFF irrespective of the operation state of the camera. Things.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, the display device can be always turned on / off regardless of the operation state.

[0033]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited by the embodiment.

In the digital camera of this embodiment, a light-shielding plate, which will be described later, is used in an operation mode in which there is a high possibility that an image confirmed by the optical viewfinder and an image actually photographed are photographed in a composition having a large parallax. The use of an optical viewfinder is limited by the above.

First, the appearance of this digital camera is shown in FIGS.
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a front view of the digital camera. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the digital camera. As shown in FIG. 1, a photographing lens 1 for photographing is attached to the front center of the digital camera. The photographic lens 1 is held by a lens barrel 2 and is moved to a predetermined position. In this embodiment, a lens that can change (zoom) the focal length is used as the taking lens 1. An obliquely upper part of the taking lens 1 is provided with an objective lens 3 constituting a part of an optical finder for determining a composition. In addition, near the upper right corner of the front, a strobe 4 used at the time of low luminance is arranged.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, an eyepiece 7 of an optical viewfinder is provided at the center upper portion on the rear surface. The light incident through the objective lens 3 (FIG. 1)
The light is guided by an optical system constituting an optical finder, and is emitted from the eyepiece 7. Although not clear in this figure, in the optical viewfinder according to the present embodiment, in a specific use state (second mode described later) in which there is a high possibility that shooting is performed in a composition with a large parallax with the shooting lens 1. , A light shielding plate 6 described later
1 appears and its use is restricted. This embodiment is characterized by this point. This feature will be described later in detail with reference to FIG.

A power switch 5 for activating / pausing the digital camera is provided below the eyepiece 7, and a zoom button 6 for performing a zoom operation is provided on the right side. Further, a mode selection button 9 for switching the operation mode is provided above the zoom button 6 and on the upper side of the digital camera. As will be described later, the digital camera has a plurality of types of operation modes, and is configured to set any one of the operation modes by operating the mode selection button 9. In the center of the mode selection button 9, a shutter button 9a is provided.
Is provided.

On the back left side, a liquid crystal display 8 is provided.
Is provided, where an image incident through the photographing lens 1, a message indicating an operation mode, and the like are displayed. In addition, images that have already been photographed and stored in a memory built into the camera can be reproduced and displayed.

Operation buttons 10 for performing operations such as setting and selection of various conditions are provided below the liquid crystal display 8.
a, 10b, and 10c are provided.

Next, an outline of the internal configuration of the digital camera will be described with reference to FIG. This digital camera has a mode selection switch 1 linked to a mode selection button 9.
1 and an operation selection switch 12 linked to the operation button 10. The operation contents of the mode selection button 9 and the operation button 10 are transmitted as electric signals to the control unit 14 by the mode selection switch 11 and the operation selection switch 12, and the operation mode and the like are set. The operation modes are roughly classified into a shooting mode, a reproduction mode, and an erasing mode.

In this embodiment, the shooting mode is further divided into a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode. The first mode and the second mode are both modes for shooting in color, but have different settable focal lengths, shortest shooting distances, and the like. In the first mode, the focal length can be changed. The third mode is an operation mode for performing black-and-white shooting. Also in the third mode, the focal length can be changed. In the second mode, the focal length is constant and cannot be changed. However, when comparing the three types of shooting modes with the same focal length, the second mode has the shortest shortest shooting distance. The shortest photographing distance is determined according to the configuration of the photographing lens 1, the focus matching mechanism, the capability of the strobe, and the like.

Similarly, the reproduction mode is further divided into a normal reproduction mode, a divided reproduction mode, and a zoom reproduction mode. The erasing mode is further divided into a batch erasing mode and a one-frame erasing mode.

Hereinafter, the configuration of zoom and focus adjustment and the configuration of photographing (image capture) will be described separately.

(1) Configuration of zoom and focus adjustment The zoom and focus adjustment are configured as follows. Here, a case where the first mode is selected as the photographing mode will be described as an example. In the first mode, a zoom operation (a change operation of a focal length) is enabled. For this reason, the operation content of the zoom button 6 (specifically, an instruction to change the zoom position) is detected by the zoom selection switch 13 linked to the zoom button 6, and is output as a signal indicating the zoom position (zoom position signal). It is sent to the control unit 14. The zoom position means the focal length of the photographing lens 1, and corresponds to an angular position of a rotating cam 37 described later in a specific configuration of the camera (particularly, a configuration for changing the focal length).

The control unit 14 having received the zoom position signal sends a predetermined amount of signal to the motor driver 15 to move the lens to the selected zoom position. Thereby, the focus motor 18 for focus drive and the zoom motor 16 for zoom drive rotate.

The focus motor 18 is provided with a focus drive unit 19, and the zoom motor 16 is provided with a zoom drive unit 17.
And, they are linked. The photographing lens of the photographing optical system 20 (corresponding to the photographing lens 1 and the lens barrel 2 in FIG. 1) is moved by the focus motor 18 and the zoom motor 16 and set at the selected zoom position. The photographing optical system 20 will be described later with reference to FIGS.
This will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

The zoom driving section 17 is also linked with the finder optical system 66. Viewfinder optical system 66
Is operated by the zoom drive unit 17 so that the angle of view is equal to the angle of view of the photographing optical system 20. The finder optical system 66 will be described later in more detail with reference to FIG.

(2) Configuration of Photographing (Image Capture) The image capture (image capture) is configured as follows. Photographing is performed when the shutter button 9a is depressed and the image sensor 22 detects light incident through the photographing optical system 20 for an optimal time according to the photographing environment at that time, and converts this into an electric signal. Done.

In this embodiment, a CCD is used as the image sensor 22. This electric signal is transmitted to the signal processing circuit 2
3 is output. While the incident light reaches the image sensor 22, the filter 21 cuts high-frequency components, which are sources of infrared light, false colors, and moire, from the incident light. As the filter 21, an infrared cut filter and an OLPF (optical low-pass filter) are employed.

The signal processing circuit 23 removes low-frequency noise (CD) from the electric signal input from the image sensor 22.
S), amplifies the video signal (AGC), performs A / D conversion, and outputs it to the image processing unit 24 as a digital signal.

The image processing section 24 performs various processes on the input digital signal. Then, the processed data is sent to the memory 29. The processing performed by the image processing unit 24 includes, for example, color information interpolation processing, white balance gain processing, contour enhancement processing, γ processing,
Conversion processing for separating into two color difference signals.

The image signal stored in the memory 29 is thereafter subjected to processing according to the operation mode, purpose, and the like at that time.

When recording an image on the recording medium 28,
After the image processing unit 24 performs compression processing on the signal data stored in the memory 29, the signal data is written to the recording medium 28.

When displaying a through image for determining the composition, the signals subjected to the thinning processing are stored in the memory 29.
Once. This thinning processing is performed by the image sensor 22 and the image processing unit 24. Thereafter, the image processing unit 24
This signal is read out again, subjected to video conversion processing, and output to the video amplifier 25. This allows
If a television monitor 26 is connected to the video amplifier 25, a through image is output to the television monitor 26.

Similarly, when the image is to be displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 27 (note: corresponds to the liquid crystal display 8 in FIG. 2), the image processing unit 24 performs a conversion process for displaying on the liquid crystal monitor, Output. This allows
The through image is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 27. The liquid crystal monitor 27 is configured such that its display can be always turned on / off by the operation button 10 regardless of the operation mode.

Next, the structure of the taking lens 1 and the like will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 shows that the zoom position is WI
3 schematically shows the state inside the photographing lens 1 in the state of DE. FIG. 5 schematically shows the state inside the photographing lens 1 when the zoom position is in the TELE state.

Here, the components related to the change of the focal length (zoom) and the components related to the focusing (focusing) will be described separately. In addition,
In this embodiment, the focal length is changed by the photographing lens 1, while focusing is performed by a component supporting the CCD 43 and the like described later.

(1) Configuration of Changing Focal Length FIGS. 4 and 5 show components related to changing the focal length.
This will be described with reference to FIG. The taking lens 1 includes a first group lens 3
0, a second group lens 31, and a third group lens 32. The first group lens 30 is a first group frame 33
, The second group lens 31 is mounted on the second group frame 34, and the third group lens 32 is mounted on the third group frame 35. Further, the first group frame 33, the second group frame 34, and a rotating cam 37 described later are attached to a fixed frame 36.

The outer diameters of the first group frame 33 and the second group frame 34 have an intaglio structure so as to be coaxial with the inner diameter of the fixed frame 36. A rotary cam 37 is arranged on the outer periphery of the fixed frame 36. The fixed frame 36 has a rectilinear groove 36 a for the first group frame 33.
And three rectilinear grooves 36b for the second group frame 34 are respectively provided (only one position is shown in each figure). The rotating cam 37 has a first group cam groove 37 a for the first group frame 33 and a second group cam groove 3 a for the second group frame 34.
7b are provided at three places (only one place is shown in each figure).

The first group frame 33 includes a straight groove 36a and a first
The first group pin 38 passed through the group cam groove 37a is held by being fixed by the first group screw 39. Similarly, the second group frame 34 is held by fixing the second group pins 40 passed through the rectilinear grooves 36b and the second group cam grooves 37b with the second group screws 41.

With such a configuration, the rotary cam 37
By rotating the first group frame 33 and the second group frame 34
Can be moved by a desired amount in the optical axis direction (left-right direction in the figure). In this case, the first group frame 33 and the second group frame 34
Since they are regulated by the cam grooves 37a and 37b, they do not rotate.

The rotating cam 37 is provided with a gear, which is linked to a gear train (not shown) connected to the zoom motor 16 (FIG. 3). Thereby, the zoom motor 16
Is rotated, the first group frame 33 and the second group frame 34
Each is to move.

The fixed frame 36 is attached to the shutter base plate 42. The third group frame 35 is also attached to the shutter base plate 42, and the third group lens 32 is fixed regardless of the zoom position.

The first group frame 33 is provided with a barrier cover 64 covering a barrier mechanism. Lens barrel 2
A lens barrel cover 65 as an exterior component attached to a front cover or the like is arranged on the outer peripheral side of the lens barrel.

FIG. 6 shows the relationship between the zoom position and the state of the taking lens 1. As described above, the zoom position means the focal length of the photographing lens 1. The specific configuration of the camera corresponds to the angular position of the rotary cam 37. This zoom position (angle position of the rotating cam 37)
And the relationship between the photographing lens 1 and the lens barrel 2
7 is defined by the shapes of the cam grooves 37a and 37b formed in the groove 7.

When the operation mode is the first mode or the third mode, the angular position (zoom position) of the rotary cam 37
Is changed only in the range of WIDE to TELE in FIG. In this range (WIDE to TELE), the state of the photographing lens 1, that is, the focal length is changed according to the change of the zoom position.

In the second mode, as shown in FIG. 6, the angular position (zoom position) of the rotary cam 37 is set to "TELE".
Is set to the second mode position beyond the position. But TE
When shifting from LE to the second mode position, the state (focal length) of the taking lens 1 is not changed. As will be described later, the appearance of the light-shielding plate 61 is performed in the process of this transition. Also, as described later, when shifting to the second mode, in order to shorten the shortest shooting distance,
The position (extending amount) of the CCD 43 is lowered backward (to the right in FIG. 4).

In another operation mode in which photographing is not performed, FIG.
As shown in (1), the photographing lens 1 and the lens barrel 2 are in a housed state in which the overall length is short.

(2) Configuration of Focus Drive The components related to focusing (focus drive) will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, the focus is adjusted by moving the CCD 43. The CCD 43 corresponds to the image sensor 22 in FIG.

The CCD 43 and its peripheral members are integrated with each other to form a unit structure. That is, C
The CD 43, together with the filter 44 and the compression rubber 45,
It is placed in a CD frame 46. These are holding plates 47
And is fixed to the CCD frame 46 to constitute one unit. The filter 44 (note: corresponds to the filter 21 in FIG. 3) is an optical low-pass filter and an IR
It is configured by attaching a cut filter.

The movement of the unit in the direction of the optical axis (the left-right direction in FIG. 2) is performed by the focus cam 48. The focus cam 48 is connected to the shutter base plate 4.
2 so as to be rotatable. The cam surface 48a of the focus cam 48 is in contact with the cam follower 46a of the CCD frame 46. Also, to prevent coaxial runout,
The CCD frame 46 and the shutter base plate 42 have an intaglio structure. The focus cam 48 is provided with a gear, and is linked to a gear train connected to the focus motor 18 (FIG. 3). With such a configuration, the focus motor 1
8, the CCD frame 46 (that is, CC frame) is rotated.
D43) can be moved by a desired amount.

As described above, the first mode and the third mode
In the mode, the angular position (zoom position) of the rotary cam 37
Is changed only in the range of WIDE to TELE in FIG. The CCD 43 adjusts this range (WI) according to the zoom position (focal length) in order to respond to the change in the focal length.
DE to TELE), the position (focusing feed amount) is changed.

In the second mode, as described above with reference to FIG. 6, the angular position (zoom position) of the rotating cam 37 is
The second mode position is set beyond the position of “TELE”.
When shifting to the second mode, the position (extending amount) of the CCD 43 is lowered backward (to the right in FIG. 4) in order to reduce the shortest photographing distance.

Next, the configuration of the optical finder will be described in detail with reference to FIG. This optical finder (note: corresponds to the finder optical system 66 in FIG. 3) is configured such that its magnification is changed in accordance with the angle of view of the photographing lens 1. Further, in the second mode, in order to prevent erroneous photographing such as composition shift due to parallax, the light is shielded and its use is restricted. Here, (1) a configuration for changing the magnification and (2) a configuration for shading will be described separately.

(1) Configuration for Changing Magnification of Optical Viewfinder A configuration for changing the magnification of the optical finder will be described. This optical finder includes five finder lenses and two prisms. First finder lens (hereinafter referred to as “first FL”) 5
0, a fourth finder lens (hereinafter, referred to as “fourth FL”) 53, a fifth finder lens (hereinafter, “fifth FL”)
), The first prism 55, and the second prism 56 are attached to and fixed to the finder base 49. The first FL 50 corresponds to the objective lens 3 in FIG. The fifth FL 54 corresponds to the eyepiece 7 in FIG.

On the other hand, a second finder lens (hereinafter referred to as “second FL”) 51 and a third finder lens (hereinafter referred to as “third FL”) 52 are supported so as to be movable in the optical axis direction. ing. The specific support configuration is as follows. That is, the second FL 51 is the second FL
The third FL 52 is attached to the L frame 57, while the third FL 52 is attached to the third FL frame 58. Second FL frame 57 and third FL frame 58
Are supported by guide shafts so as to be movable in the front-rear direction (vertical direction in FIG. 7). Further, a cam follower is provided on the second FL frame 57 and the third FL frame 58, and this is configured to be linked with the finder cam 59. Finder cam 59
Are supported at both ends so as to be sandwiched between the finder base 49 and the holding plate 60. This support is performed in a state where the finder cam 59 is rotatable about this support point. Further, a gear is provided on the finder cam 59, and this gear is interlocked with the gear of the rotary cam 37 of the lens barrel 2 (see FIG. 4). Further, the second FL frame 57 and the third FL frame 58 are restricted from rotating. With such a configuration, when the rotary cam 37 rotates, the finder cam 59 also rotates in conjunction therewith, and further,
The second FL 51 and the third FL 52 are moved in the optical axis direction. By this movement, the magnification of the optical finder is changed in accordance with the angle of view of the photographing lens 1.

(2) Structure for Light-Shielding the Optical Finder The structure for shielding the optical finder will be described with reference to FIG. The light blocking of this optical finder is located between the third FL 52 and the fourth FL 53 in FIG.
This is performed by the light shielding plate 61. The light shielding plate 61 is provided with a light shielding plate guide shaft 62. The light-shielding plate guide shaft 62 is sandwiched between the finder base 49 and the holding plate 60 and is rotatably supported. The light-shielding plate 61 rotates around the light-shielding plate guide shaft 62 so as to appear / retreat on the optical path of the optical viewfinder.

Further, the finder cam 59 is provided with a light shielding plate driving boss 59a, and the light shielding plate 61 is operated by the light shielding plate driving boss 59a. As described above, the finder cam 59 is linked to the gear of the rotating cam 37 of the lens barrel 2 (see FIG. 4). Therefore, the appearance / retreat of the light shielding plate 61 is also performed in conjunction with the rotation of the rotary cam 37.

The appearance / retreat of the light shielding plate 61 is shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. FIG. 8 shows a state in which the light shielding plate 61 is retracted from the optical path when viewed from the front side of the camera. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the light shielding plate 61 appears on the optical path when viewed from the front side of the camera.

The “photographing optical mechanism” in the claims corresponds to the photographing lens 1 (photographing optical system 66) in this embodiment. The “confirmation mechanism” corresponds to an optical finder, and the “confirmation optical path” corresponds to the optical path. The “imaging means” is realized by the CCD 43 and the like. The “confirmation mechanism restricting means” is realized by the light shielding plate 61 and the like. The “operation mode in which the shortest shooting distance is the shortest under the condition that the focal length is constant” corresponds to the second mode. “Control means” is realized by the control unit 14 or the like. The “display device” corresponds to the liquid crystal monitor 27. The “restriction member” corresponds to the light shielding plate 61 in this embodiment, and to the dimming plates 76 and 77 in a modified example (FIG. 13) described later. The “restriction member operating mechanism” corresponds to the finder cam 59 and the like. The “driving force generating section” in claim 4 corresponds to the zoom motor 16 in this embodiment. The “drive mechanism” in claim 4 is constituted by the lens barrel 2 having the rotary cam 37 and the like, the finder cam 59 and the like. However, the above components operate in close cooperation with each other, and the correspondence described here is not strict.

Next, the operation of the digital camera will be described. Here, in particular, the light blocking operation in the optical viewfinder will be described with reference to FIGS. 6, 7, 8, and 9. FIG.

The user operates the mode selection button 9 to specify a desired operation mode. Then, the control unit 14 operates each unit to operate in the designated operation mode.

In the first mode and the third mode, the state (zoom position) of the photographing lens 1 is changed to WIDE in FIG.
It is changed only in the range of ~ TELE. In this state, as shown in FIG. 8, the light shielding plate 61 is in a state of being retracted from the optical path. In another operation mode in which no photographing is performed, the photographing lens 1 and the lens barrel 2 are in a housed state where the overall length is short. Even in this stored state, the light shielding plate 61 is in the state of FIG.

On the other hand, in the second mode, first, the taking lens 1 and the lens barrel 2 are set to the TELE state. That is, the focal length of the photographing lens 1 is set to a predetermined upper limit (in this embodiment, the TELE state). Thereafter, the cam is further rotated in the TELE direction.

As described above, the light shielding plate 61 is operated in conjunction with the rotating cam 37 for adjusting the focal length. Therefore, the photographing optical system 20 and the finder optical system 66
In the TELE state, only the light shielding plate 61 of the finder is driven, and the light shielding plate 61 is set in the finder optical path (FIG. 9).

In the state shown in FIG. 9, since the light shielding plate 61 shields the viewfinder from light, the subject cannot be observed even if the photographer looks through the viewfinder. The photographer must output a through image to the television monitor 26 or display the through image on the liquid crystal monitor 27 to determine the angle of view. As a result, it is possible to photograph the range intended by the photographer without causing a displacement of the photographing range due to parallax.

In addition, in the second mode, the CCD 43 is lowered backward so as to reduce the minimum photographing distance.

As described above, in the camera according to the present embodiment, the use of the optical viewfinder is restricted in the second mode where the shortest photographing distance is the shortest, so that it is possible to prevent a photographing error such as photographing with an unintended composition. .

In modes other than the second mode, if the liquid crystal monitor 27 is turned off, power consumption can be reduced. If the user does not care about the power consumption, the composition can always be checked on the liquid crystal monitor 27.

The change of the focal length and the appearance / retreat of the limiting member can be easily realized as a series of operations by the rotary cam 37, the zoom motor 16, and the like. Further, it is possible to simplify a mechanism for making the light shielding plate 61 appear / retreat.

In this embodiment, the photographing lens 1 and the lens barrel 2 are in the telephoto state in the second mode. However, the states of the taking lens 1 and the lens barrel 2 are not limited to this. It may be set to the WIDE state. However, in this case, as shown in FIG. 10, the second mode position is set between the WIDE state and the housed state of the taking lens 1 and the lens barrel 2. In other words, after shifting from the WIDE state to the second mode position, it is necessary to be able to further shift to the housed state. Therefore, in this case, the relationship between the light shielding plate 61 and the cam is a double structure. Note that the "double structure" is a structure in which when a force (or operation) exceeding a predetermined value is applied from the outside, an amount exceeding the predetermined value (overcharge) is absorbed. FIG. 11 shows an example of a light shielding plate employing this double structure.

The light shielding plate 70 shown in FIG. 11 includes two members 71 and 72 which are connected to each other in a rotatable state. And a spring 73 is hung on this connecting portion. When the force applied from the light shielding plate drive boss 59a of the finder cam 59 is within a predetermined range, the relative positional relationship between the two members 71 and 72 is maintained by the biasing force of the spring 73. Therefore, W
When the finder cam 59 rotates counterclockwise in this figure when shifting from the IDE state to the second mode position, the member 71 and the member 72 maintain the mutual positional relationship by the force applied from the light shielding plate drive boss 59a. Until the light guide plate shaft 62 rotates clockwise. As a result, the member 71 blocks the optical path of the optical finder. When shifting to the stored state, the viewfinder cam 59
Is further rotated (counterclockwise in the figure). However, at this time, since the member 71 is in contact with the regulating member 75, it cannot rotate any more. In this case, only the member 72 rotates. The overcharge of the finder cam 59 is absorbed by the positional relationship between the members 71 and 72 being shifted. In such a configuration, since the overcharge is absorbed, the stop accuracy of the mechanism for transmitting the driving force can be reduced.
In addition, the overcharged portion can be used as a use area. The mechanism for absorbing such overcharge does not necessarily need to be provided in the light shielding plate itself. It may be provided in any part of the mechanism for driving the light shielding plate.

The "regulating member" in claim 7 corresponds to the regulating member 75 in the example of FIG. The “drive force transmitting member” corresponds to the members 71 and 72.
That is, in the example shown in FIG. 11, the members 71 and 72 constituting the light shielding plate 70 themselves also serve as a driving force transmitting member.

FIG. 12 shows another example of the structure for absorbing the overcharge. The light shielding plate 63 shown in FIG.
A stopper 63a is provided. At the time of overcharging, the stopper 63a hits the restricting member 75 and is deformed (bending), thereby absorbing the amount of overcharging. In such a configuration, since the stopper 63a is deformed to absorb the overcharge, the stop accuracy of the mechanism for transmitting the driving force can be reduced. In this case, since the light shielding plate 63 can be integrally molded with resin or the like, it can be realized without increasing the number of parts. In addition, the "regulating member" in claim 8 corresponds to the regulating member 75 in the example of FIG. The “operation deforming member” refers to the light shielding plate 63 (particularly, the stopper 63
a). That is, in the example of FIG. 12, the light-shielding plate 63 itself also serves as the operation deformation member.

In this embodiment, the light-blocking plate is used to completely block the finder optical path, but it is not always necessary to completely block the optical path. It may be sufficient to alert the user. For example, FIG.
By using the dimming member 76a like the dimming plate 76 shown in FIG. As the dimming member 76a, for example, an ND filter can be used. In this case, since the dimming is performed uniformly, the feeling of strangeness is small. Alternatively, it is also possible to use a resin member in which a large number of holes 78 are formed, such as the dimming plate 77 shown in FIG. In this case, the entire dimming plate 77 can be integrally formed, which is advantageous in terms of cost. The “through hole” in the claims corresponds to the hole 78 in FIG. 13B.

In this embodiment, the light-shielding plate 61 appears / cooperates with a mechanism for changing (zooming) the focal length.
Although retracted, a specific mechanism for driving the light shielding plate 61 is not limited to this. In the second mode, C
Since the operation of lowering the CD 43 backward is performed, the light shielding plate 61 may appear / retreat in conjunction with this operation.
The extension amount of the CCD 43 (position in the optical axis direction)
FIG. 14 shows the relationship with the zoom position (focal length). However, the position of the CCD 43 shown in FIG. 14 is for the case where the distance to the object to be photographed is kept constant. In actual photographing, the position of the CCD 43 is changed in accordance with the distance to the photographing target with reference to the position shown in FIG. Such a positional relationship between the zoom position and the CCD 43 is defined by the shape of the cam surface 48a provided in the focus cam 48. The rotation direction of the finder cam 59 can be changed by providing an idler gear between the rotation cam and the finder cam 59, or by switching between forward and reverse rotation of the motor.

In the case where the double structure as shown in FIG. 11 is employed and the light shielding plate 61 is operated in conjunction with the focusing mechanism, the focal length is also set in the second mode as shown in FIG. It can be changed.

In this embodiment, the focus is adjusted by changing the position of the image pickup device (CCD) without changing the distance between the lens groups. However, the focusing method is limited to this. is not. The focus may be adjusted by moving a part of the taking lens. In this case, strictly speaking, the focal length often changes slightly. However, “constant focal length” referred to in the claims means a very small change in the focal length caused by such focus adjustment. It is a concept that includes. In other words, even if the focal length fluctuates very slightly due to the focus adjustment, it corresponds to “constant focal length”.

The "driving force generating section" in claim 6
Corresponds to the focus motor 18 when such a configuration is employed. The “drive mechanism” in claim 6 includes the focus cam 48, the finder cam 59,
And so on. "Imaging position" means CCD
This corresponds to 43 imaging surfaces.

"Shortest photographing distance" referred to in this specification
Is not uniquely determined based only on the focal length, but is determined after comprehensively considering various requirements (for example, the effective range of the strobe) constituting the camera. However, after considering various requirements comprehensively, the result may be determined based only on the focal length. The shortest shooting distance has the same meaning as the minimum value of a range of distances expressed in a catalog or the like as a shooting distance, a shooting distance, a shooting range, a shooting range, and an AF (Auto Focus) focusing range. It has. For example, “Shooting range: 0.5 m to
When “∞” is indicated, 0.5 m corresponds to the shortest shooting distance here.

The present invention is applicable not only to digital cameras but also to conventional so-called silver halide photography cameras. However, in the case of a silver halide camera, it is preferable that the optical finder is not completely shielded from light but is merely dimmed.

In practicing the present invention, it is not necessary to have all the configurations of the above-described embodiments. If necessary, they may be appropriately combined.

[0103]

As described above, with the camera of the present invention, erroneous operations and photographing mistakes can be eliminated, and photographing can always be performed with a desired composition. The details are as follows.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in an operation mode in which the shortest photographing distance is the shortest under the condition that the focal length is constant, confirmation of an image through the confirmation optical path is restricted. Therefore, the composition is not determined through the confirmation light path in a state where the parallax is likely to be large.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the light passing through the confirmation light path is reduced or blocked, the confirmation of the image through the confirmation light path is restricted. Therefore, there is no possibility that the composition is erroneously determined through the confirmation light path in a state where the parallax is likely to be large.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the light passing through the confirmation light path is reduced or blocked by the restricting member, confirmation of an image through the confirmation light path is restricted. Therefore, there is no possibility that the composition is erroneously determined through the confirmation light path in a state where the parallax is likely to be large.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the change of the focal length and the appearance / retreat of the limiting member are performed by the drive mechanism, so that the mechanism can be simplified.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the change of the focal length and the appearance / retreat of the limiting member are controlled by the driving mechanism.
It can be realized without difficulty as a series of operations.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the focus adjustment and the appearance / retreat of the restricting member can be easily realized as a series of operations by the driving mechanism. Further, the mechanism for appearing / retreating the restricting member can be simplified.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the excessive force (or the operating amount) can be absorbed by the change in the relative positional relationship of the driving force transmitting member, the accuracy required for the driving mechanism and the like is reduced. be able to. The overcharge can be used as a use area.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since the excessive force can be absorbed by the deformation of the operation deformation member, the accuracy required for the drive mechanism and the like can be reduced.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, since the light is dimmed by the ND filter, confirmation of the image through the confirmation optical path can be reliably restricted. In addition, since the dimming is performed uniformly, there is little discomfort.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, since the light is dimmed by the restricting member, the confirmation of the image through the confirmation optical path can be reliably restricted. Further, the limiting member can be manufactured at low cost.

According to the eleventh aspect, a more accurate composition can be confirmed by the display device. Therefore, photographing errors can be prevented.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, the display device can be always turned on / off regardless of the operation state. Therefore, it can be used in a desired state according to the remaining amount of the battery.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the digital camera.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a control configuration inside the digital camera.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an internal structure of a photographing lens and a lens barrel when a zoom position is in a WIDE state.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an internal structure of a photographing lens and a lens barrel when a zoom position is in a TELE state.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a zoom position and a lens extension amount.

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view showing a configuration of a finder optical system.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the light blocking member is retracted from the finder optical path.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a light blocking member has appeared in a finder optical path.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a zoom position and a lens extension amount when a second mode position is set between a WIDE state and a stored state.

11A and 11B are diagrams showing the operation of the light shielding member adopting the double structure, wherein FIG. 11A shows the state during zooming, FIG. 11B shows the state during the second mode, and FIG. 11C shows the state during storage. .

12A and 12B are diagrams showing an operation state in a case where an overcharge is absorbed, wherein FIG. 12A shows a state other than the second mode, FIG. 12B shows a state in the second mode, and FIG. Shows a state in which is occurring.

FIG. 13 is a view showing a dimming plate.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a zoom position and a focusing feeding amount when a light shielding member is linked with a focusing mechanism.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a zoom position and a focusing advance amount when zooming is enabled in a second mode.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Shooting lens 6 Zoom button 8 Liquid crystal display 14 Control part 17 Zoom drive part 19 Focus drive part 27 Liquid crystal monitor 37 Rotating cam 48 Focus cam 59 Finder cam 61 Light shield 63 Light shield 63a Stopper 70 Light shield 71 Member 72 Member 73 Spring 75 Restriction member 76 Dimming plate 76a Dimming member 77 Dimming plate 78 Hole

Claims (12)

[Claims] An imaging optical mechanism including a plurality of lenses for capturing light of a subject image, and an optical path for confirming an image to be captured (hereinafter referred to as a “confirmation optical path”). A confirmation mechanism formed separately from the photographing optical mechanism, and light of a subject image incident through the photographing optical mechanism,
A photographing unit that captures only a desired amount of time; a confirmation mechanism restricting unit that restricts confirmation of an image through the confirmation light path; and a plurality of operation modes. And a control means for restricting confirmation of an image through the confirmation optical path by the confirmation mechanism restricting means in the shortest operation mode. 2. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the confirmation mechanism restricting means restricts confirmation of an image by dimming or blocking light passing through the confirmation optical path. . 3. The restricting mechanism restricting means includes: a restricting member that diminishes or blocks light; a restricting member operating mechanism that causes the restricting member to appear on the confirming optical path and retracts from the optical path; The camera according to claim 2, wherein the camera is configured to include: 4. A photographing optical mechanism including a plurality of lenses for capturing light of a subject image, and an optical path for confirming an image to be photographed (hereinafter referred to as a “confirmation optical path”). A confirmation mechanism formed separately from the photographing optical mechanism, and light of a subject image incident through the photographing optical mechanism,
A photographing means for taking in only a desired amount of time, a limiting member for dimming or blocking light, a driving force generating unit for generating driving force, and a driving force generated by the driving force generating unit. By changing the focal length of the imaging optical mechanism within a predetermined range by moving the lens of the section,
And a drive mechanism for causing the restriction member to appear on the confirmation light path and to retract from the confirmation light path. 5. The drive mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said restricting member is retracted from said optical path when said focal length is at an upper limit or a lower limit of said range, and said focal length is at an upper or lower limit of said range. 5. The camera according to claim 4, wherein when the driving force is input in a direction exceeding the upper limit or the lower limit, the restricting member appears on the confirmation light path. 6. 6. A photographing optical mechanism including a plurality of lenses for capturing light of a subject image, and an optical path for confirming an image to be photographed (hereinafter referred to as a “confirmation optical path”). A confirmation mechanism formed separately from the photographing optical mechanism, and light of a subject image incident through the photographing optical mechanism,
A photographing unit that captures only a desired amount of time at a predetermined imaging position, a limiting member that dims or blocks light, a driving force generating unit that generates a driving force, and a driving force generated by the driving force generating unit. Changing the relative positional relationship between the lens included in the imaging optical mechanism and the imaging position, and causing the restricting member to appear on the confirmation optical path and retract from the confirmation optical path,
A camera, comprising: a driving mechanism; 7. The driving mechanism, wherein: a restricting member that restricts a position and / or a posture of the restricting member at a predetermined position; and a driving force is input while the restricting member is restricted by the restricting member. A plurality of driving force transmitting members that are connected in such a manner that their relative positional relationship is variable, and that change the position and / or posture of the limiting member by the driving force. The camera according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein 8. The driving mechanism, wherein: a restricting member that restricts a position and / or a posture of the restricting member at a predetermined position; and a driving force is input in a state where the restricting member is restricted by the restricting member. The camera according to claim 4, further comprising: an operation deforming member that absorbs the force by being deformed in such a case. 9. The camera according to claim 3, wherein the restriction member is an ND filter. 10. The camera according to claim 3, wherein the restricting member has a plurality of through holes for transmitting light. 11. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image capturing unit converts an image into an electric signal and captures the image, and further includes a display device that displays the image captured by the image capturing unit. camera. 12. The camera according to claim 11, wherein the display device is configured to be always turned on / off regardless of the operation state of the camera.