JP2004180270A - Video camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a video camera the main body of which can be firmly supported in natural posture regardless of a difference in photographing posture. <P>SOLUTION: A first casing 3 constituting a video camera main body 2 equipped with a lens part 10 and a view finder 14 is integrally connected to a second casing 4 also constituting the video camera main body 2 equipped with a recording and reproducing part 12 so as to be relatively turned within a range exceeding 90° at least. Thus, the first casing 3 as a main body grasping part of the video camera main body 2 can be held in a natural state where the forearm and the palm of a hand supporting the video camera main body 2 are stretched regardless of the difference in the photographing posture, and the video camera main body 2 can be supported in an easy posture loading no burden on the shoulders, elbows, wrists and the like. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

  The present invention relates to a video camera, and more particularly to a video camera of a type that performs a shooting operation while supporting with one hand a video camera body integrally provided with a lens unit, a recording / reproducing unit, a viewfinder, and the like.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a video camera integrally provided with a lens unit, a recording / reproducing unit, a viewfinder, and the like.
As a type of this type of video camera, there is known a so-called shooting type video camera which can perform a shooting operation such as start / stop, zoom-in / zoom-out, etc. with a finger of the supporting hand while supporting the video camera body with one hand. Have been.

  The shooting type video camera is provided with a movable mechanism for moving the screen monitor with respect to other parts of the video camera body such as a lens unit and a VTR unit (corresponding to a recording / reproducing unit described later). By using this movable mechanism, the orientation of the screen monitor can be appropriately positioned with respect to the other parts of the video camera body, so that it is possible to shoot in various postures while looking through the screen monitor without using a viewfinder. .

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a typical shooting posture of a shooting-type video camera in which a screen monitor is movable.
In the video camera 101 of the shooting method described above, while looking into the viewfinder 114 shown in FIG. 10A or while looking at the screen monitor 116 whose screen direction has been adjusted in the opposite direction Y to the shooting direction X, the video camera body 102 Posture photographing in which the height position h of the photographer 200 is supported at the height position hf of the face of the photographer 200, and the direction Y of the screen monitor 116 for photographing a high angle shown in FIG. The height position h of the video camera main body 102 is supported at a height position hh higher than the height position hf of the face of the photographer himself 200, and the screen monitor 116 is looked up. 10 (c), the direction Y of the screen monitor 116 is set to be higher than that in the normal posture photographing for photographing a low angle as shown in FIG. , The height position h of the video camera body 102 is supported at a height position hl lower than the height position hf of the face of the photographer 200, and the photographing is performed while looking down at the screen monitor 116. Is performed.

  That is, the screen monitor 116 having a movable mechanism is rotated by adjusting the orientation Y of the screen monitor 116 with respect to the body support portion 103 provided with a lens unit or the like in accordance with the eye level position hf of the photographer 200. The shooting-type video camera 101 provided with the camera can perform high-posture shooting and low-posture shooting as shown in FIGS. 10B and 10C in addition to the normal-posture shooting shown in FIG.

  However, in the video camera 101 of the shooting method described above, in any of the normal posture photographing, the high posture photographing, and the low posture photographing posture, as shown in FIGS. The posture of the other part of the video camera main body 102 such as the lens unit and the VTR unit, that is, the main body support unit 103 for supporting the video camera main body 102 when the photographer 200 shoots, as long as the shooting direction X is the same direction, It does not change in relation to the optical axis direction of the lens unit.

  Therefore, in the conventional video camera 101 of the shooting method, when the shooting direction X is the same direction, the posture itself of the main body support portion 103 is changed even if the shooting posture changes to the normal posture photographing, the high posture photographing, and the low posture photographing. Since the photographer 200 does not change, the gripping state of the main body support portion 103 for supporting the video camera main body 102 depends on the ease of bending the elbow and wrist and the ease of maintaining the posture of these parts. It varies greatly depending on the shooting posture.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the photographer grips the main body support unit in the normal posture photographing and the low posture photographing.
In FIG. 11, a screen monitor 116 (not shown in the figure because it is located on the back side in FIG. 11) is a main body support of the video camera main body 102 including a lens unit 110, a VTR unit 112, and a viewfinder 114. The gripping state of the main body support portion 103 will be described with reference to the video camera 101 that can be rotated and adjusted with respect to 103 as an example.

FIG. 11A is an explanatory diagram of a gripping state of the main body support portion in the case of normal posture photographing.
In the case of the normal posture photographing, the upper surface 103A of the main body support portion 103 is formed from the lower side in the vertical direction zz of the main body support portion 103, which is perpendicular to the photographing direction X, that is, the optical axis direction xx of the lens portion 110. The video camera body 102 is supported at the face height position hf as shown in FIG.

FIG. 11B is an explanatory diagram of a gripping state of the main body support in the case of low-profile shooting.
In the case of low-profile photographing, the rear side of the main body support portion 103 along the photographing direction X, that is, the optical axis direction xx of the lens portion 110, the viewfinder 114 side opposite to the side where the lens portion 110 is provided. As shown in FIG. 10, another finger other than the thumb is placed on the front surface 103B on the lens unit 110 side, which is on the front side of the main body support unit 103, from the rear surface 103D. Support as shown in (c).

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 10A, regardless of the difference in the photographing posture, the lateral surface 103E of the main body support portion 103 to which the palm of the photographer supporting the video camera main body 102 is addressed is provided. A strap member 130 is mounted with its both ends attached to a locking member 131 composed of a pin or the like.

  Thereby, when the photographer supports the video camera main body 102, regardless of the difference in the photographing posture, the hand and the finger are inserted between the lateral surface 103E of the main body support portion 103 and the strap member 130. A finger other than the thumb is hung on the upper surface 103A or the front surface 103B of the main body support portion 103 described above, the palm is addressed to the lateral surface 103E of the main body support portion 103, and the back of the hand is pressed by the strap member 130 while the main body support portion is pressed. 103 is gripped.

In addition, in the case of the video camera 101 shown in FIG. 11, a start / stop switch 121 for instructing start / stop of shooting, which is arranged on the rear surface 103D of the main body support 103 on the viewfinder 114 side, Further, the zoom-in / zoom-out switch 123 for adjusting the focal length, which is arranged on the upper surface 103A of the main body support 103, is operated with the finger of the hand holding the main body support 103.
JP 2001-111877 A

However, the above-mentioned conventional shooting type video camera has the following problems.
First, as shown in FIG. 11, as the size of the video camera body 102 is reduced, the area (length, width) of the lateral surface 103E itself of the body support portion 103 to which a photographer is directed is reduced. Also, it has become difficult to secure a sufficient length of the strap member 130 to allow the hand and finger to pass through in a natural manner.

  Further, as described above, the direction in which the photographer grips the main body support portion 103 is different depending on the photographing posture, and the contact positions of the fingers of the grasped hands on the main body support portion 103 are also different. Although the position does not hinder the holding of the main body supporting portion 103 in one shooting posture due to the difference in the shooting posture, it interferes with the holding of the main body supporting portion 103 in another shooting posture, or the back of the hand holding the main body supporting portion 103 A problem has arisen that it cannot be held down sufficiently.

  Specifically, in the case of the video camera shown in FIG. 11, since the strap member 130 is erected in the lateral direction along the optical axis direction xx of the lateral surface 103 </ b> E of the main body support 103, the normal posture photographing is performed. In the case of (1), as shown in FIG. 11A, the strap member 130 extends between the thumb and the index finger of the supported hand so as to extend over the back of the hand. Of the video camera body 102 can be firmly gripped while the back of the hand is pressed by the strap member 130.

  However, in the case of low-profile photography, as shown in FIG. 11B, the gripping direction of the main body support portion 103 is different, and the finger placement position of the hand to be gripped on the main body support portion 103 is also different. It is difficult to use the device while straddling the back of the hand between the thumb and the index finger of the supported hand, and the main body support portion 103 of the video camera main body 102 cannot be firmly grasped.

  In addition, since the positions of the operation switches such as the start / stop switch 121 and the zoom-in / zoom-out switch 123 with respect to the grasped hand also change, the operation becomes difficult.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and has as its object to provide a video camera capable of firmly supporting a video camera body without any difficulty in a posture regardless of a difference in a photographing posture. And

  In order to achieve the above object, a video camera according to the present invention includes a first casing provided with a recording / reproducing unit, a second casing provided with a lens unit, the first casing and the second casing. And a rotation mechanism for integrally connecting the first casing and the second casing so as to be relatively rotatable at least in a range exceeding 90 degrees. The second casing is provided with a viewfinder section, and a monitor section adjusts the screen orientation. It is characterized by being provided as possible.

In the video camera of the present invention, the first casing provided with the recording / reproducing unit, the second casing provided with the lens unit, and the first casing and the second casing are at least 90 degrees or more. A rotation mechanism integrally connected so as to be relatively rotatable within a range, an operation switch operated at the time of photographing is disposed on the first casing, and a viewfinder unit is disposed on the second casing. The monitor is provided so that the screen direction can be adjusted.
In the video camera according to the present invention, the monitor section is provided on a surface of the second casing on a side opposite to a side facing the first casing.

  Further, in the video camera of the present invention, the first casing and the second casing may be integrally connected to each other in the thickness direction of the respective casings via the rotating mechanism to constitute a video camera body. Features.

  Further, in the video camera of the present invention, the width of the video camera body obtained by combining the thickness dimension of the first casing and the thickness dimension of the second casing is other than the thickness dimension of the first casing. Or shorter than the height and length dimensions of the video camera body defined by the dimensions alone or the dimensions alone other than the thickness dimension of the second casing.

  Also, in the video camera of the present invention, the center position of the rotation opposing surface of the first casing with respect to the second casing, and the center position of the rotation opposition surface of the second casing with respect to the first casing may be different. The first casing and the second casing are connected to each other via the rotation mechanism so that the rotation center position of the rotation mechanism is adjusted to each.

In the video camera of the present invention, the switches are a start / stop switch and a zoom switch.
Further, in the video camera of the present invention, the start / stop switch and the zoom switch are respectively disposed on adjacent side surfaces that are continuous with the rotation facing surface of the first casing with respect to the second casing. It is characterized by the following.

  Further, the video camera of the present invention is provided with a recording / reproducing unit, a box-shaped first casing having a pair of end surfaces, and a side surface connecting the pair of end surfaces, a lens unit, and a viewfinder unit. A second casing in a box shape provided with a pair of end faces and a side face connecting the pair of end faces, an operation switch provided on a side face of the first casing, and the second casing A monitor provided on one end face of the first casing so that the screen direction can be adjusted, and one end face of the first casing and the other end face of the second casing facing each other. The first casing is integrally connected to the second casing so as to be relatively rotatable so that a predetermined portion on the side surface of the second casing can be arranged in the same direction as the opening of the lens portion and in the opposite direction. Rotation Characterized in that it includes a structure.

In the video camera according to the present invention, the predetermined portion on the side surface of the first casing is a side portion defined by a relationship with the operation switch.
In the video camera according to the present invention, the operation switch is at least one of a start / stop switch and a zoom switch.
Further, in the video camera of the present invention, the first casing and the second casing are each configured by a thin rectangular parallelepiped shape having substantially the same box shape.

  Further, in the video camera of the present invention, the second casing may be configured such that a predetermined portion on a side surface of the first casing is arranged in the same direction as an opening of the lens unit. Detecting means for detecting a relative rotation state is provided, and in response to detection of the relative rotation state of the second casing by the detection means, an image photographed by the lens unit is displayed in an inverted manner on the monitor unit. It is characterized by that.

  Also, the video camera of the present invention has a camera unit in which an opening of a lens unit is provided on one end side, a view finder unit provided on the other end side of the camera unit, and a screen protruding and retracting from the camera unit. A monitor unit, which is provided so as to be freely swingable, and is provided so as to be capable of rotating the screen direction in a state where the screen appears with respect to the camera unit, and a recording / reproducing unit are provided. And a main body grip unit integrally connected so as to be relatively rotatable via a rotation mechanism, wherein the monitor unit and the main body grip unit are disposed relative to each other with the camera unit interposed therebetween, and are mutually positioned with respect to the camera unit. In addition to being configured to be independently rotatable, the main body gripping portion is configured so that the gripping direction can be arbitrarily adjusted at least between one end side and the other end side of the camera unit. It is characterized by having.

  In the video camera of the present invention, one end side of the camera unit is an opening direction of the opening of the lens unit, and the other end side of the camera unit is an opening direction of a viewing window of the viewfinder unit. It is characterized by being.

  In the video camera of the present invention, the camera unit has a relative rotation state of the camera unit in which a gripping direction of the body gripping unit is arranged in the same direction as an opening direction of an opening of the lens unit. Detecting means for detecting the relative rotation state of the camera unit by the detecting means, wherein an image taken by the lens unit is reversely displayed on the monitor unit. .

  In the video camera of the present invention, the first casing provided with the recording / reproducing unit, the second casing provided with the lens unit, and the first casing and the second casing can be relatively rotated. A rotating mechanism integrally connected to the first casing, both ends of which are locked and erected, the back of a hand addressed to the first casing is inserted, and the posture change of the addressed hand is changed. A restraining strap member; and a monitor provided on the second casing such that a screen direction can be adjusted. The rotating mechanism is configured so that a hand addressed to the first casing passes through the strap member in a direction in which the hand is inserted into the strap member. The first casing is integrally connected to the second casing so as to be capable of normal and reverse rotation, with a relative rotation position state where the optical axis direction of the lens portion intersects at a substantially right angle intersects as a reference position state. This The features.

  In the video camera according to the aspect of the invention, the rotation mechanism rotates the first casing in a forward direction with respect to the second casing from a reference position state, and is determined by an optical axis direction of the lens unit. The photographing direction and the hand insertion direction to the strap member are substantially the same direction, and the first casing is rotated in the opposite direction with respect to the second casing from the reference position state, so that the The first casing is rotated with respect to the second casing such that a shooting direction determined by an optical axis direction and a hand insertion direction to the strap member are substantially opposite directions.

  In the video camera of the present invention, the back of the hand is inserted through the strap member in the first casing, and a start / stop switch is provided in accordance with the finger position of the hand addressed to the first casing. A zoom switch is provided.

  Further, in the video camera according to the present invention, a viewfinder is provided in the second casing in a direction opposite to a shooting direction determined by an optical axis direction of the lens unit.

  In the video camera of the present invention, the first casing and the second casing are formed in a thin rectangular parallelepiped shape having substantially the same size, and are arranged in the thickness direction of the respective casings via the rotating mechanism. It is characterized by being integrally connected to form a video camera body.

  Furthermore, in the video camera of the present invention, the first casing and the second casing are characterized in that the edges of the thin rectangular parallelepiped substantially overlap each other when viewed in the thickness direction in the reference position state.

  Further, in the video camera of the present invention, the width of the video camera body obtained by combining the thickness dimension of the first casing and the thickness dimension of the second casing is other than the thickness dimension of the first casing. Or shorter than the height and length dimensions of the video camera body defined by the dimensions alone or the dimensions alone other than the thickness dimension of the second casing.

  Also, in the video camera of the present invention, the center position of the rotation opposing surface of the first casing with respect to the second casing, and the center position of the rotation opposition surface of the second casing with respect to the first casing may be different. The first casing and the second casing are connected to each other via the rotation mechanism so that the rotation center position of the rotation mechanism is adjusted to each.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the first casing constituting the main body holding portion is arranged in parallel with the second casing constituting the camera portion, and is relatively rotated with respect to the second casing. In any shooting posture, the angle between the forearm of the hand supporting the video camera body and the palm (the angle at which the wrist is bent) can be formed by being integrally connected as much as possible. ) Near 180 degrees, it is possible to secure a natural gripping posture (supporting posture) of the video camera body.

  In any shooting posture, the positional relationship of the operation switches, such as a start / stop switch and a zoom switch, which are operated during shooting with respect to the hand supporting the video camera body 2 does not change. Since the operation finger of the supporting hand does not need to be largely moved when performing the operation, there is no possibility of erroneous switch operation, and stable operation can be performed with the video camera body 2 firmly supported.

Hereinafter, a video camera according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the video camera of the present embodiment as viewed from the lens unit side.
FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the video camera according to the present embodiment viewed from the viewfinder side.
FIG. 3 is a rear view of the video camera according to the present embodiment on the viewfinder side.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the video camera 1 according to the present embodiment has a video camera main body 2 integrally provided with a lens unit 10, a recording / reproducing unit 12, a viewfinder 14, a screen monitor 16, and the like. .

The video camera body 2 has a configuration in which a first casing 3 and a second casing 4 are connected to each other by a rotating mechanism described later so as to be relatively rotatable, and are integrated.
In the case of the present embodiment, each of the first casing 3 and the second casing 4 has a rectangular parallelepiped thin box shape. Then, the first casing 3 and the second casing 4 move one of the side surfaces forming the thickness of the thin box along the short side direction (that is, the thickness direction of the box). It is composed of a thin rectangular box having a deformed rectangular parallelepiped shape having curved curved surfaces 3a and 4a.

  Then, the video camera main body 2 is configured such that the first casing 3 and the second casing 4 formed of such a thin box having the irregular rectangular parallelepiped form one flat surface continuous with the curved surfaces 3a, 4a, that is, each of them. The thin box-shaped end faces are opposed to each other, and are connected by a rotating mechanism so as to be relatively rotatable.

  In the first casing 3 of the video camera body 2 having such a shape, photographed video data is stored inside the casing, for example, on a video tape, a DVC (Digital Video Cassette), a memory card, a video disk, a hard disk drive, or the like. A recording / reproducing unit 12 for recording on a storage medium and reproducing video data stored on the storage medium is provided. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, various operation switches 20 for photographing are provided on the surface of the casing.

  On the other hand, in the second casing 4, a lens portion opening 5 is formed in one of the side surfaces 4 b and 4 d opposed to each other across the side surface that is the curved surface 4 a, and the other side surface is formed. A viewfinder viewing window 6 is formed in 4d. The lens portion opening 5 and the viewfinder viewing window 6 are arranged on the side surfaces 4b and 4d, respectively, on the side surfaces of the curved surfaces 4a.

  A lens unit 10 having a photographing lens and a CCD image pickup device is arranged inside the second casing 4 so that the photographing lens faces the lens unit opening 5. Further, a viewfinder 14 for checking a captured image provided with a visible lens is disposed so that the visible lens faces the viewfinder viewing window 6.

  A standard microphone 8 for collecting video and audio is provided on the side surface 4b of the second casing 4 where the lens opening 5 is formed, and the side surface of the second casing 4 that becomes the curved surface 4a. An optional component mounting portion 9 on which optional components such as a zoom microphone can be mounted is formed in the portion on the side of the lens portion opening 5.

  The video camera body 2 composed of the first casing 3 and the second casing 4 is in a rotating state in which the side surfaces having the curved surfaces 3a and 4a are directed in the same direction, that is, the reference shown in FIGS. In the position state, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the side surfaces 3c and 4c opposed to the curved surfaces 3a and 4a become flat to form a mounting surface (bottom surface) 2C of the video camera body 2. In addition, the curved surfaces 3a and 4a form a top surface (upper surface) 2A of the video camera body 2. Also in this reference position state, as shown in FIG. 1, a side surface 4b of the second casing 4 provided with the lens opening 5 and a side surface of the first casing 3 facing in the same direction as the side surface. Reference numeral 3b denotes a front surface 2B of the video camera body 2, and similarly, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a side surface 4d of the second casing 4 provided with the viewfinder viewing window 6, and a side surface 4d. A side surface 3d of the first casing 3 facing in the same direction as 4d forms a rear surface 2D of the video camera body 2.

  In this reference position state, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a surface 3 e of the first casing 3 opposite to a surface of the first casing 3 opposite to the rotation of the second casing 4 is located on one side of the video camera body 2. As shown in FIG. 1, a surface 4f of the second casing 4, which is opposite to the surface of the second casing 4 which is opposite to the rotation of the first casing 3, is formed on the other lateral surface 2F of the video camera body 2. To form

  Then, the surface 3e of the first casing 3 forming one lateral surface 2E of the video camera main body 2 is, as shown in FIGS. It is the palm contact surface that is addressed. Therefore, on the surface 3e of the first casing 3, the strap members 30 are respectively attached to a pair of locking members 31 provided on both sides of the strap member 30 so as to be separated in the front-rear direction on the bottom surface 2C side of the video camera body 2. Has been erected. That is, the direction in which the palm of the photographer supporting the video camera body 2 is addressed to the surface 3 e of the first casing 3, that is, the gripping direction H, is determined by the start / stop switch 21 and the zoom It is defined in relation to the position of the switch 23.

  Here, in the video camera 1 according to the present embodiment, in the reference position state as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the gripping direction H is substantially equal to the photographing direction X, that is, the optical axis direction xx of the lens unit 110. The first casing 3 and the second casing 4 are oriented at right angles from the lower side to the upper side in the vertical direction z-z of the first casing 3 and the second casing 4.

  A portion of the surface 3e of the first casing 3 from the upper side of the strap member 30 to the curved surface 3a forms a lid 7 which can be opened and closed, and a storage medium is provided to the recording / reproducing unit 12 of the first casing 3. It is configured to be removable.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, various operation switches 20 for photographing are formed on a side surface 3 d of the first casing 3 which forms a rear surface 2 </ b> B of the video camera body 2. A start / stop switch 21, a shooting mode (camera mode) and a recorded image viewing mode (for example, a VTR viewing, a DVC (Digital Video Cassette) viewing, a memory card viewing, etc., a viewing mode for image data recorded on a recording medium. ) Is provided.

  In addition, on the curved surface 3a of the first casing 3 which forms the top surface 2A of the video camera body 2, a zoom switch 23 and the like which constitute various operation switches 20 for photographing are provided.

  On the other hand, on the surface 4f of the second casing 4 forming the other lateral surface 2F of the video camera main body 2, the image data of the photographing target is confirmed and displayed at the time of photographing similarly to the viewfinder 14, or recorded. A screen monitor 16 for reproducing and displaying video data recorded on the recording medium of the reproducing unit 12 is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the screen monitor 16 has an edge 16p on the lens opening 5 side as a base end side and an edge 16q on the viewfinder viewing window 6 side as a swing end side. On the other hand, it is swingably attached. When the edge 16q moves toward or away from the second casing 4 by the swing operation of the screen monitor 16, for example, a monitor screen constituted by a liquid crystal display element is moved from the second casing 4 to one point in FIG. As shown by the dashed line, or hidden by the second casing 4 as shown by the solid line, it is configured to be able to appear and disappear.

  Further, the screen monitor 16 is configured to be rotatable around an axis connecting the base end and the swinging end in a state where the above-described monitor screen indicated by an arrow 16 'in FIG. 1 is displayed. The orientation of the displayed monitor screen can be adjusted to rotate with respect to the second casing 4.

  The second casing 4 is provided with a gravitational direction detecting means 18 (see FIG. 1). The upside-down state of the second casing 4 in which the curved surface 4a forming the top surface 2A of the second casing 2 faces downward and the side surface 4c forming the bottom surface 2C of the video camera body 2 faces upward is detected.

  Note that a switch 40 provided above the screen monitor 16 of the second casing 4 performs operations such as reproduction / reproduction stop / fast forward / rewind when video data recorded on the recording medium is reproduced on the monitor screen. Switch.

  In the video camera 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the recording / reproducing unit 12 is accommodated, and the first casing 3 provided with the start / stop switch 21 and the zoom switch 23 for photographing is provided. Constitutes a main body holding portion of the video camera main body 2, and the second casing 4 in which the lens portion 10 is accommodated constitutes a camera portion of the video camera main body 2. In addition, the camera section of the video camera body 2 is provided with a viewfinder 14 and a screen monitor 16.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the width dimension of the video camera main body 2 in which the first casing 3 having the thin box structure and the second casing 4 having the thin box structure are overlapped in the thickness direction. Ww is shorter than the length Wl and the height Wh of the video camera body 2.

  Then, the main body gripping portion constituted by the first casing 3 of the video camera main body 2 is rotated with respect to the camera portion constituted by the second casing 4 provided with the screen monitor 16 as described below. The mechanism is integrally held so as to be relatively rotatable with a fixed rotating torque.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a rotating mechanism in the video camera of the present embodiment.
The turning mechanism 50 is fixed to a first fixing plate 51 (see FIGS. 1 and 3) fixed to the turning opposing surface of the first casing 3 and fixed to the turning opposing surface of the second casing 4. A second fixed plate 52 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) provided so as to be rotatably engaged.

  The first fixing plate 51 has a circular hole 54 at the center portion into which the sliding spacer 53 fits, and an annular holding member 55 is formed on a surface facing the second fixing plate 52. And coaxially. The presser fitting 55 has a stepped plate shape in which the outer peripheral portion is axially displaced from the inner peripheral portion, and the inner peripheral portion is brought into contact with the plate surface of the first fixed plate 51. The outer peripheral portion is separated from the plate surface of the first fixed plate 51 to form an engagement space of a sliding plate 58 (described later) between the plate portion and the plate surface of the first fixed plate 51. Form. An annular sliding torque plate 56 for slidingly contacting a sliding plate 58 to be described later and generating a sliding torque is fixedly provided on the first fixed plate 51 side of the outer peripheral portion of the presser fitting 55. On the opposite side of the second fixed plate 52, a click plate 57 constituted by a leaf spring or the like is provided around.

  On the other hand, an annular sliding plate 58 is fixed to the second fixing plate 52 on the surface facing the first fixing plate 51 so that the axial center position corresponds to the first fixing plate 51 and the axis of the holding member. It is provided. The sliding plate 58 has a stepped plate shape in which an inner peripheral portion is axially displaced from an outer peripheral portion, and the outer peripheral portion is brought into contact with the plate surface of the first fixed plate 51. The inner peripheral portion is separated from the plate surface of the second fixing plate 52 and enters the engagement space formed by the holding member 55. The inner peripheral portion of the sliding torque plate 56 is urged and guided by the above-mentioned sliding spacer 53 so as to make sliding contact with the sliding torque plate 56 provided on the holding member 55.

  A plurality of engaging holes 59 are provided on the plate surface of the second fixing plate 52 so as to correspond to the click plate 57 provided on the holding member 55, and the tapered portion 57 a of the click plate 57 is engaged. Thus, the configuration is such that the relative rotation positions of the fixed plates 51 and 52 can be held.

  A helical connection wiring formed of an FPC (flexible printed circuit board) is provided on a portion of the sliding spacer 53 which is located on the inner peripheral side of the presser fitting 55 and the sliding plate 58 and faces the second fixing plate 52. 60 is provided so that the axis of the spiral portion is the same as the rotation axis of the fixed plates 51 and 52. One end of the connection wiring 60 is connected to a circuit board provided in the first casing 3 through an insertion port (not shown) provided in the sliding spacer 53, and the other end is connected to a second fixed member. It is connected to a circuit board provided in the second casing 4 via an insertion port (not shown) provided in the plate 52. The connection wiring 60 is provided with a first rotation in accordance with the relative rotation of the fixing plates 51 and 52, that is, the change in the position and angle of the two insertion ports described above based on the relative rotation of the first casing 3 and the second casing 4. When the first casing 3 and the second casing 4 are rotated relative to each other by entering and leaving the casing 3 and the second casing 4 through the insertion opening, the electrical connection between the two circuit boards is established. keep.

  Then, in the video camera 1 of the present embodiment, the first axis is centered on the rotation axis oo of the rotation mechanism 50 (that is, the relative rotation center of the fixed plates 51 and 52 shown in FIG. 4). The casing 3 and the second casing 4 are relatively rotatable.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of relative rotation between the first casing and the second casing in the video camera according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 5, the video camera main body 2 including the first casing 3 and the second casing 4 has the reference surfaces shown in FIGS. In the position state, that is, in the relative rotation position state in which the insertion direction H of the hand addressed to the first casing 3 to the strap member 30 and the optical axis direction xx of the lens unit 10 intersect at a substantially right angle, Assuming that the second casing 4 constituting the video camera body 2 is fixed, the first casing 3 is centered on the rotation axis oo of the rotation mechanism 50 with respect to the second casing 4. And can be rotated in forward and reverse directions.

Next, the operation of the video camera 1 according to the present embodiment configured as described above will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a gripping state of the video camera according to the present embodiment.

  In the video camera 1 according to the present embodiment, when a photographer performs photographing, the recording / reproducing unit 12 constituting the video camera body 2 is accommodated, and a start / stop switch 21 for photographing and a zoom switch 23 Of the video camera main body 2 only by gripping only the first casing 3 among the first casing 3 provided with the first casing 3 and the second casing 4 containing the lens unit 10 and the viewfinder 14. Can be supported.

  As a way of gripping the first casing 3, the photographer can select the first casing 3 from the side surface 3 c that constitutes the bottom surface 2 C of the video camera body 2 and faces the curved surface 3 a that constitutes the top surface 2 A of the video camera body 2. The four fingers excluding the supporting thumb and the back of the hand are inserted through the strap member 30. Then, the photographer places his / her palm on the surface 3e of the first casing 3 as the palm contact surface, which constitutes the lateral surface 2E of the video camera body 2.

  In this state, four fingers other than the thumb inserted through the strap member 30 are gripped along the curved surface 3a of the first casing 3 to grip the first casing 3 and reach the hand. Is turned around the outside of the strap member 30 so that the abdomen of the thumb abuts against the side surface 3e of the first casing 3 constituting the rear surface 2E of the video camera body 2.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the strap member 30 extends between the thumb and forefinger of the supported hand and straddles the back of the hand, so that the palm is held on the surface 3e of the first casing 3. The video camera main body 2 can be firmly gripped only by gripping the first casing 3 while the back of the hand addressed to is held down by the strap member 30.

  Further, the start / stop switch 21 and the mode changeover switch 22 used at the time of photographing are arranged on the side surface 3d of the first casing 3 to which the thumb of the grasped hand is attached. By simply moving the fingertip of the thumb of the hand, the switches 21 and 22 can be operated in a state where the change in the posture of the hand directed to the surface 3e of the first casing 3 is minimized.

  In addition, the zoom switch 23 used for photographing is also disposed on the curved surface 3a of the first casing 3 to which fingers other than the thumb of the grasped hand are attached, so that the photographer can grasp the hand of the grasped hand. By simply moving a fingertip other than the thumb, the switch 23 can be operated in a state in which a change in the posture of the hand addressed to the surface 3e of the first casing 3 is minimized.

  Further, at this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the hand supporting the first casing 3 also extends the palm in the direction in which the forearm extends without twisting the wrist and hardly bending the wrist with respect to the forearm. And the video camera body 2 can be supported in a natural state in which the angle between the forearm and the palm is maintained at approximately 180 degrees.

  The video camera body 2 has a configuration in which the first casing 3 and the second casing 4 are each formed of a thin rectangular box having a deformed rectangular parallelepiped shape, and end faces thereof intersecting with the thin thickness direction are rotatably connected to each other. The recording / reproducing unit 12 to which the recording medium is attached is housed in the first casing 3 on the side that is held by the photographer, so that the position of the center of gravity of the video camera Can be approached to the palm side of the hand holding the hand, and the burden on the palm and wrist can be suppressed.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a rotational adjustment relationship between a first casing as a main body grip and a second casing as a camera, taking a representative photographing posture as an example.
7A shows a rotational adjustment relationship in each direction in normal posture shooting, FIG. 7B shows a rotational adjustment relationship in each direction in high posture shooting, and FIG. The parentheses indicate rotation adjustment relationships in each direction in low-profile shooting.

  According to the video camera 1 of the present embodiment, the first casing 3 as the main body gripping part is adjusted to have an arbitrary angular relationship relative to the second casing 4 as the camera part. it can. Therefore, the direction of the first casing 3 is adjusted with respect to the posture position of the second casing 4 defined by the photographing direction X in accordance with each photographing posture without twisting the wrist of the hand to support the forearm. By slightly extending the palm in the same direction as the direction in which the forearm extends, without substantially bending the wrist with respect to the part, the photographer 200 can adjust the rotation so that the forearm and the palm are in a natural state. The video camera body 2 can be firmly gripped without any difficulty in the posture.

  For example, when performing normal posture shooting, that is, when the photographer 200 shoots a shooting target while supporting the video camera main body 2 at the height position hf of his / her own face, the first casing 3 as the main body gripping part is used. Rotation adjustment is performed as shown in FIG. 7A so that the forearm portion and the palm shown in FIG. 6 are in a natural state.

  That is, if the shooting direction X is, for example, the horizontal direction, the surface direction of the side surface 4c of the second casing 4 forming the bottom surface 2C of the video camera body 2 also extends in the horizontal direction. The rotation of the first casing 3 with respect to the second casing 4 is adjusted so that the side surface 3c of the first casing 3 constituting the second casing 4 is substantially parallel to the side surface 4c of the second casing 4.

  Based on the rotation adjustment, the gripping direction H indicating the direction in which the palm of the photographer supporting the video camera body 2 is addressed to the surface 3e of the first casing 3 is determined by the bottom surface 2C of the video camera body 2. Of the second casing 4 from the side surface 4c of the second casing 4 to the side surface 4a of the top surface 2A of the video camera body 2.

  Thereby, the elbow is bent at approximately 90 degrees from the relationship between the photographer 200's own face height position hf as the height position in the photographing direction X and his / her shoulder height position. The first casing 3 can be gripped with the illustrated forearm and palm in a natural state, and the video camera main body 2 can be supported in a comfortable posture that does not burden the shoulders, elbows, wrists, and the like. .

  In this case, the captured image is confirmed by the viewfinder 14 or from the second casing 4 as shown by the reference numeral 16 'in FIG. This is performed toward the viewfinder side (that is, the side surface 4d side of the second casing 4 forming the rear surface 2D of the video camera body 2) so as to cross at a substantially right angle to the photographing direction X.

  Further, when performing high-posture shooting, that is, when the photographer 200 supports the video camera main body 2 at a height position hh higher than the height position hf of his / her own face and shoots a shooting target, the main body gripping portion is used. The first casing 3 is rotated and adjusted as shown in FIG. 7B so that the forearm and the palm shown in FIG. 6 are in a natural state.

  That is, if the shooting direction X is, for example, the horizontal direction, the surface direction of the side surface 4c of the second casing 4 forming the bottom surface 2C of the video camera body 2 also extends in the horizontal direction. The side 3c of the first casing 3 is higher at the side 3d side than the side 4c of the second casing 4, and the side 3b side is higher than the side 4c of the second casing 4. The rotation is adjusted with respect to the side surface 4c of the second casing 4 so as to lower the height.

  Based on this rotation adjustment, the gripping direction H indicating the direction in which the palm of the photographer supporting the video camera main body 2 is directed to the surface 3e of the first casing 3 is directed to the rear surface of the video camera main body 2. The lens portion 10 (lens portion opening 5) of the second casing 4 constituting the front surface of the video camera body 2 faces from below the side surface 4d of the second casing 4 constituting the viewfinder viewing window 6 formed. The second casing 4 faces upward and diagonally toward the upper side of the side surface 4b.

  Thus, the elbow is extended to approximately 180 degrees from the relationship between the height position hh higher than the face height position hf of the photographer 200 as the height position in the shooting direction X and the shoulder height position of the photographer 200. In this state, the first casing 3 can be gripped while the forearm portion and the palm shown in FIG. 6 are in a natural state, and the video camera body 2 is placed in a comfortable posture that does not burden the shoulders, elbows, wrists, and the like. Can be supported.

  In this case, the confirmation of the photographed image is performed by checking the monitor screen of the screen monitor 16 from the second casing 4 in the horizontal direction (that is, corresponding to the photographing direction X in this case) as indicated by reference numeral 16 'in FIG. The monitor screen is inclined obliquely downward with respect to a state facing the viewfinder side (that is, the side surface 4d side of the second casing 4 forming the rear surface 2D of the video camera body 2) so as to intersect at a substantially right angle. That is, the rotation is performed with respect to the second casing 4 so that the monitor screen faces in the direction in which the arm of the photographer 200 extends.

  Further, when performing low-profile shooting, that is, when the photographer 200 photographs the subject by holding the video camera body 2 at a height position hl lower than the height position hf of the face of the user, the photographer 200 serves as a body holding portion. The first casing 3 is rotated and adjusted as shown in FIG. 7C so that the forearm and the palm shown in FIG. 6 are in a natural state.

  That is, if the shooting direction X is, for example, the horizontal direction, the surface direction of the side surface 4c of the second casing 4 forming the bottom surface 2C of the video camera body 2 also extends in the horizontal direction. The side surface 3c of the first casing 3 is higher at the side surface 3d side than the side surface 4c of the second casing 4, and the side surface 3b side portion is also higher than the side surface 4c of the second casing 4. Rotation is adjusted with respect to the side surface 4c of the second casing 4 so that the height of the side surface 3c becomes higher and the front-rear direction of the side surface 3c is reversed.

  Based on this rotation adjustment, the gripping direction H indicating the direction in which the palm of the photographer supporting the video camera main body 2 is directed to the surface 3e of the first casing 3 is directed to the rear surface of the video camera main body 2. The lens portion 10 (lens opening 5) of the second casing 4 forming the front surface of the video camera main body 2 is located from the upper side of the side surface 4d of the second casing 4 where the viewfinder viewing window 6 is formed. The second casing 4 faces downward and diagonally downward toward the lower side of the facing side surface 4b.

  As a result, the elbow is extended to approximately 180 degrees from the relationship between the height position hl lower than the face height position hf of the photographer 200 as the height position in the photographing direction X and his / her shoulder height position. In this state, the first casing 3 can be gripped while the forearm portion and the palm shown in FIG. 6 are in a natural state, and the video camera body 2 is placed in a comfortable posture that does not burden the shoulders, elbows, wrists, and the like. Can be supported. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7C, a low-profile photographing with the waist extended can be performed without forcibly bending the waist as shown in FIG. 10C.

  In this case, the confirmation of the photographed image is performed by checking the monitor screen of the screen monitor 16 from the second casing 4 in the horizontal direction (that is, corresponding to the photographing direction X in this case) as indicated by reference numeral 16 'in FIG. The monitor screen is directed obliquely upward with respect to a state facing the viewfinder side (that is, the side surface 4d side of the second casing 4 forming the rear surface 2D of the video camera body 2) so as to intersect at a substantially right angle. That is, the rotation is performed with respect to the second casing 4 so that the monitor screen faces in the direction in which the arm of the photographer 200 extends.

  Further, in the case of face-to-face shooting in which the lens unit 10 is oriented in the direction of the photographer 200 itself, according to the video camera 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. It can be performed in a comfortable position that does not burden the user.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the rotational adjustment relationship between the first casing as the main body grip and the second casing as the camera in the case of face-to-face photographing.
When performing face-to-face photographing, the first casing 3 as the main body gripping portion is rotated and adjusted as shown in FIG. 7C so that the forearm portion and the palm shown in FIG. 6 are in a natural state. I do.

  That is, assuming that the photographing direction X is, for example, the horizontal direction, in this case, the side surface 3c of the first casing 3 that forms the bottom surface 2C of the video camera body 2 forms the second surface that forms the front surface of the video camera body 2. The first casing 3 is pivotally adjusted with respect to the second casing 4 so as to be substantially parallel to the side surface 4b on which the lens opening 5 of the casing 4 is formed.

  Based on this rotation adjustment, the gripping direction H, which indicates the direction in which the palm of the photographer supporting the video camera body 2 is directed to the surface 3e of the first casing 3, is directed to the front of the video camera body 2. The side surface 4b of the second casing 4 forming the lens portion opening 5 is directed toward the side surface 4d of the second casing 4 forming the rear surface of the video camera body 2 where the viewfinder viewing window 6 is formed. , In the direction opposite to the shooting direction X.

  Thus, the elbow is extended to approximately 180 degrees from the relationship between the photographer 200's own face height position hf as the height position in the photographing direction X and his / her shoulder height position, as shown in FIG. The first casing 3 can be gripped while the forearm portion and the palm are in a natural state, and the video camera main body 2 can be supported in a comfortable posture that does not burden the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and the like.

  In this case, the confirmation of the photographed image is performed by checking the monitor screen of the screen monitor 16 from the second casing 4 in the horizontal direction (that is, corresponding to the photographing direction X in this case) as indicated by reference numeral 16 'in FIG. The shooting direction X is opposite to the viewfinder side (that is, the side surface 2d side of the second casing 4 forming the rear surface 2D of the video camera body 2) so as to intersect at a substantially right angle with respect to the viewfinder side. Therefore, the rotation is performed with respect to the second casing 4 so that the monitor screen is also directed in the opposite direction, and from the viewfinder 14 side toward the lens unit 10 on the opposite side.

  At this time, the monitor screen of the screen monitor 16 is turned upside down. In this case, the gravity direction detecting means 18 provided in the second casing 4 shown in FIG. By automatically detecting the inverted state of the second casing 4 in which the side surface 4c forming the bottom surface 2C of the video camera body 2 is located above the side surface 4a forming the top surface 2A of the video camera body 2, In general, the captured image displayed on the monitor screen of the screen monitor 16 is inverted and displayed. For this reason, even if the monitor screen is turned upside down, it is possible to confirm the captured image without any trouble.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a gripping direction showing a direction in which a palm of a photographer supporting the video camera body 2 is addressed in the video camera of the present embodiment.
When the second casing 4 constituting the video camera body 2 is fixed and the first casing 3 is rotated with respect to the second casing 4, the gripping direction H is as shown in FIG. The side surface 4b side, the side surface 4c side, the side surface 4d side of the second casing 4 and any direction between these side surfaces can be adjusted. In the case of the video camera 1 according to the present embodiment, the first The casing 3 is rotatable relative to the second casing 4 in a range exceeding 180 degrees.

  As described above, according to the video camera 1 of the present embodiment, the body grip of the video camera main body 2 is maintained with the forearm and the palm shown in FIG. The first casing 3 as a part can be gripped, and the video camera main body 2 can be supported in a comfortable posture that does not place a burden on the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and the like.

  Furthermore, according to the video camera 1 of the present embodiment, the start / stop switch 21, the mode changeover switch 22, and the zoom switch that are operated during shooting with respect to the hand supporting the video camera body 2 regardless of the difference in the shooting posture. Since the positional relationship of the operation switch 20, such as 23, does not change, there is no risk of erroneous switch operation.

  In addition, since the screen monitor 16 is provided so as to be swingable and rotatable on the second casing 4 as the camera unit, not on the first casing 3 as the main body holding unit, the shooting posture and the shooting direction X are set. Is determined, the rotation adjustment of the first casing 3 as the main body holding portion and the screen monitor 16 can be performed independently on the second casing 4 as the camera portion that defines the shooting direction X. Therefore, the adjustment of the grip direction (gripping direction) of the first casing 3 and the screen direction of the screen monitor 16 at the time of photographing is easy without being complicated, and before taking the photographing posture, the second casing 4 is adjusted in advance. It can also be adjusted.

  Further, an optional component mounting portion 9 to which optional components such as a standard microphone 8 for collecting video and audio and a zoom microphone can be mounted is provided in the second casing 4 as a camera portion for defining a shooting direction X. Therefore, there is no problem in sound collection and the like due to the difference in the photographing posture.

The video camera 1 according to the present embodiment is as described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.
For example, the arrangement of the operation switches 20 such as the start / stop switch 21, the mode changeover switch 22, the zoom switch 23, and the like on the side surfaces 3a and 3d of the first casing 3 is not limited to the arrangement of the above-described embodiment. The configuration may be such that the / stop switch 21 is disposed on the side surface 3a and the zoom switch 23 is disposed on the side surface 3d.

The recording / reproducing unit 12 also records video data on any one or a plurality of specific examples of storage media such as a video tape, a DVC (Digital Video Cassette), a memory card, a video disk, and a hard disk drive. Any configuration capable of reproducing recorded video data may be employed. For example, a small and lightweight recording medium such as a memory card may be provided in the second casing 4.
Also, the shapes of the first casing 3 and the second casing 4 are not limited to the thin rectangular parallelepiped, and various shapes such as a thin cylindrical body can be applied.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the video camera of the present embodiment viewed from the lens unit side. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the video camera of the present embodiment viewed from the viewfinder side. It is a rear surface on the viewfinder side of the video camera of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a rotation mechanism in the video camera of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of relative rotation between a first casing and a second casing in the video camera of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a holding state of the video camera of the present embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the rotation adjustment relationship of the 1st casing as a main-body holding | grip part and the 2nd casing as a camera part which took a typical imaging | photography attitude | position as an example. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a rotational adjustment relationship between a first casing as a main body grip and a second casing as a camera in the case of face-to-face shooting of the video camera of the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a holding direction showing a direction in which a palm of a photographer supporting the video camera body 2 is addressed in the video camera of the present embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a typical shooting posture of a shooting-type video camera in which a screen monitor of the related art is movable. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which a photographer grips a main body support portion in normal posture photographing and low posture photographing of the video camera shown in FIG. 10.

Explanation of reference numerals

Reference Signs List 1 video camera 2 video camera main body 3 first casing 4 second casing 5 lens opening 6 viewfinder viewing window 7 lid 8 microphone 9 optional component mounting section 10 lens section 12 recording / reproducing section 14 viewfinder 16 screen monitor 18 gravity direction detecting means 20 operation switch 21 start / stop switch 22 mode changeover switch 23 zoom switch 30 strap member 31 locking member

Claims (24)

A first casing provided with a recording / reproducing unit;
A second casing provided with a lens portion,
A rotation mechanism that integrally connects the first casing and the second casing so as to be relatively rotatable in a range exceeding at least 90 degrees,
A video camera, wherein a viewfinder section is provided on the second casing, and a monitor section is provided so that the screen direction can be adjusted. A first casing provided with a recording / reproducing unit;
A second casing provided with a lens portion,
A rotation mechanism that integrally connects the first casing and the second casing so as to be relatively rotatable in a range exceeding at least 90 degrees,
An operation switch operated at the time of shooting is arranged on the first casing,
A video camera, wherein a viewfinder section is provided on the second casing, and a monitor section is provided so that the screen direction can be adjusted. 3. The video camera according to claim 1, wherein the monitor unit is provided on a surface of the second casing opposite to a surface facing the first casing. 4. 4. The video camera body according to claim 1, wherein the first casing and the second casing are integrally connected via the rotating mechanism in a thickness direction of the respective casings, thereby forming a video camera body. 5. The video camera described in Crab. The width of the video camera body obtained by combining the thickness dimension of the first casing and the thickness dimension of the second casing is a dimension other than the thickness dimension of the first casing alone or the second casing. 5. The video camera according to claim 4, wherein the height and length of the video camera body are shorter than the height and length of the video camera main body, which are defined by dimensions other than the thickness of the video camera. A center position of a rotation opposing surface of the first casing with respect to the second casing, a center position of a rotation opposition surface of the second casing with respect to the first casing, and a rotation center of the rotation mechanism; 3. The video camera according to claim 1, wherein the first casing and the second casing are connected to each other via the rotating mechanism so that the positions are adjusted to each other. 4. 3. The video camera according to claim 2, wherein the switches are a start / stop switch and a zoom switch. The said start / stop switch and the zoom switch are each arrange | positioned at the adjacent side surface respectively continuous with the rotation opposing surface with respect to the said 2nd casing of the said 1st casing, Each is characterized by the above-mentioned. Video camera. A first casing in the form of a box, provided with a recording / reproducing unit, having a pair of end faces, and a side face connecting the pair of end faces;
A box-shaped second casing provided with a lens unit and a viewfinder unit, having a pair of end surfaces, and a side surface connecting the pair of end surfaces;
An operation switch provided on a side surface of the first casing;
A monitor unit provided on one end surface of the second casing such that a screen direction is adjustable;
One end surface of the first casing and the other end surface of the second casing are opposed to each other, and a predetermined portion on the side surface of the first casing is moved in the same direction and the opposite direction as the opening of the lens portion. A video camera comprising: a rotating mechanism that integrally connects the first casing to the second casing so as to be relatively rotatable so that the first casing can be disposed toward the second casing. 10. The video camera according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined portion on the side surface of the first casing is a side portion defined in relation to the operation switch. 11. The video camera according to claim 9, wherein the operation switch is at least one of a start / stop switch and a zoom switch. The video camera according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein each of the first casing and the second casing is formed of a thin rectangular parallelepiped having substantially the same box shape. Detecting means for detecting a relative rotation state of the second casing, wherein a predetermined portion on a side surface of the first casing is arranged in the same direction as an opening of the lens portion in the second casing; Is provided,
13. The image taken by the lens unit is displayed in reverse on the monitor unit in response to the detection of the relative rotation state of the second casing by the detection unit. A video camera according to claim 1. A camera unit in which an opening of the lens unit is provided on one end side,
A viewfinder section provided on the other end side of the camera section,
A monitor unit that is provided so as to be able to swing a screen with respect to the camera unit and that the screen direction is rotatable in a state where the screen is made to appear with respect to the camera unit;
A recording / reproducing unit is provided, and a main body gripping unit is integrally connected to the camera unit via a rotating mechanism so as to be relatively rotatable,
The monitor unit and the main body grip unit are disposed relative to each other with the camera unit interposed therebetween, and are configured to be rotatable independently of each other with respect to the camera unit.
The video camera is characterized in that the main body gripping portion is capable of arbitrarily adjusting a gripping direction at least between one end side and the other end side of the camera unit. The direction of one end of the camera unit is an opening direction of an opening of the lens unit, and the direction of the other end of the camera unit is an opening direction of a viewing window of the viewfinder unit. 14. The video camera according to 14. The camera unit includes a detection unit that detects a relative rotation state of the camera unit, in which a holding direction of the main body holding unit is oriented in the same direction as an opening direction of the opening of the lens unit,
16. The video camera according to claim 15, wherein an image captured by the lens unit is displayed in reverse on the monitor unit in response to the detection of the relative rotation state of the camera unit by the detection unit. A first casing provided with a recording / reproducing unit;
A second casing provided with a lens portion,
A rotation mechanism that integrally connects the first casing and the second casing so as to be relatively rotatable;
A strap member having both ends locked and erected on the first casing, a back of a hand addressed to the first casing being inserted therethrough, and suppressing a change in posture of the addressed hand;
A monitor unit provided on the second casing such that a screen direction is adjustable,
The rotating mechanism includes:
The relative rotation position state where the insertion direction of the hand addressed to the first casing to the strap member and the optical axis direction of the lens section intersect at a substantially right angle is referred to as a reference position state, and the first casing is A video camera, which is integrally connected to a second casing so as to be able to rotate forward and backward. The rotation mechanism is configured to rotate the first casing in a forward direction with respect to the second casing from a reference position state, and to set a photographing direction determined by an optical axis direction of the lens unit and a hand with respect to the strap member. The insertion direction becomes substantially the same direction, and the first casing is rotated in the opposite direction with respect to the second casing from the reference position state, so that the photographing direction determined by the optical axis direction of the lens unit and the 18. The video camera according to claim 17, wherein the first casing is rotated with respect to the second casing such that a direction in which a hand passes through the strap member is substantially opposite to the first casing. In the first casing, the back of the hand is inserted through the strap member, and a start / stop switch and a zoom switch are arranged in accordance with the finger position of the hand addressed to the first casing. The video camera according to claim 17 or 18, wherein: 20. The video camera according to claim 17, wherein a viewfinder portion is provided in the second casing in a direction opposite to a shooting direction determined by an optical axis direction of the lens portion lens portion. . The first casing and the second casing are formed in a thin rectangular parallelepiped shape having substantially the same size, and are integrally connected in the thickness direction of the respective casings via the rotating mechanism, so that the video camera body is formed. The video camera according to any one of claims 17 to 20, comprising: 22. The video camera according to claim 21, wherein the first casing and the second casing have respective edges of a thin rectangular parallelepiped substantially overlapping in a thickness direction in a reference position state. The width of the video camera body obtained by combining the thickness dimension of the first casing and the thickness dimension of the second casing is a dimension other than the thickness dimension of the first casing alone or the second casing. 23. The video camera according to claim 21, wherein a height dimension and a length dimension of the video camera body are shorter than a height dimension and a length dimension defined by a dimension other than a thickness dimension of the video camera body. A center position of a rotation opposing surface of the first casing with respect to the second casing, a center position of a rotation opposition surface of the second casing with respect to the first casing, and a rotation center of the rotation mechanism; The video camera according to any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein the first casing and the second casing are connected to each other via the rotating mechanism so that their positions are adjusted to each other. .

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