JP2005148282A - Adapter for underwater photographing - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an adapter for underwater photographing that is easily attached to and detached from a watertight case containing a camera with an internal electronic flash, easily manufactured, and always realizes proper irradiation with the light from the internal electronic flash of the camera even if the position relation between the camera and electronic flash changes. <P>SOLUTION: The adapter for underwater photographing is disclosed which is constituted to be attached to and detached from the watertight case 1 for containing the camera with the internal electronic flash. The adapter has a lens 3 for close-up photographing, a lens barrel 4 which houses the lens, a support 6 capable of detachably engaging the lens barrel with a lens projection part of the watertight case, and an optical guide means 5 for guiding electronic flash light of the camera to a specified position, wherein the support holds the optical guide means so that when the support engages the lens projection part, the optical guide means is arranged opposite to the electronic flash of the camera. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an underwater photography adapter used for underwater photography, and more particularly to an underwater photography adapter configured to be detachable from a waterproof case that can accommodate a camera with a built-in strobe.

In taking a picture / video underwater, a photographing camera is housed in a waterproof case and photographed.
2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a camera that is widely used has a built-in strobe, and it is common for underwater photography to take pictures of underwater scenery.

However, when photographing small organisms such as sea slugs, it is necessary to attach a close-up lens to the outside of the waterproof case. When a strobe built into the camera is used, the lens tube of the close-up lens is used. As a result, the strobe light is shielded and it is difficult to properly irradiate the subject with illumination light.
For this reason, when performing close-up photography, it is common to shoot with another strobe device such as a ring strobe attached to the outside of the waterproof case.

  As described above, mounting the close-up lens and the strobe device outside the waterproof case is troublesome to mount and makes the entire camera device large and inconvenient to handle. Moreover, since a large number of parts are to be attached and detached, it is difficult to attach and remove them in seawater, and if some parts are dropped in seawater, it is difficult to find them in places where the sea floor is deep. The risk of loss increases.

On the other hand, as methods for effectively using strobe light in close-up photography, the methods disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 below are known.
The method described in Patent Document 1 uses a light guide element such as an optical fiber to guide light from a light source such as a flashlight to the vicinity of the photographing lens, and a main body in which the light guide element is disposed. Used by attaching to the front of the camera.
Further, the method described in Patent Document 2 is such that a light guide formed by a transparent material such as acrylic built in the camera body is used to directly irradiate a subject with light emitted from a flash light emitting unit during normal flash photography. Using this, the subject is irradiated with the light emitted from the flash light emitting unit from the periphery of the lens.
Registered Utility Model Publication No. 3048689 JP-A-8-43887

However, in the method described in Patent Document 1, when a close-up lens is separately attached when shooting underwater, it is necessary to use a combination of a main body incorporating a light guide element and a close-up lens. The mounting structure to the case becomes complicated and the handling becomes complicated. In addition, in order to arrange and fix the light guide elements such as optical fibers in order from the strobe around the lens, the manufacturing work is complicated and the manufacturing cost increases.
Moreover, a diffusion case for diffusing the built-in strobe light is often attached to the waterproof case, and simply locating the light guide element outside the waterproof case is insufficient to irradiate the subject. It will also be.
Further, in the method described in Patent Document 2, when a camera is built in a waterproof case and a close-up lens is used outside the case, strobe light emitted from the periphery of the lens is emitted from the close-up lens. There arises a problem that light is shielded by the lens barrel.
Furthermore, in the methods described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, since the irradiation position of the strobe light is always fixed, it is difficult to adjust the irradiation angle or the like when the positional relationship between the camera and the subject changes.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide an underwater photography adapter that can be easily attached to and detached from a waterproof case that houses a camera with a built-in strobe and that is easy to manufacture. In addition, it is an object to provide an adapter for underwater photography that can always properly irradiate light from a flash built in the camera even when the positional relationship between the camera and the subject changes.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, in the invention according to claim 1, in an underwater photographing adapter configured to be detachable from a waterproof case capable of accommodating a camera with a built-in strobe, the close-up photographing lens and the lens are accommodated. A lens barrel, a support body that can removably engage the lens barrel with the lens protrusion of the waterproof case, and a light guide means for guiding the strobe light of the camera to a predetermined position. And the support holds the light guide means so that the light guide means is disposed at a position facing the strobe of the camera when engaged with the lens protrusion. Features.

  Further, in the invention according to claim 2, in the adapter for underwater photography according to claim 1, the engaging means between the support and the waterproof case is a recess having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the lens projection. Is provided on the support, and the inner surface of the recess is formed by a member whose inner diameter can be expanded and contracted when the recess engages with the lens protrusion.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the underwater photographing adapter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the light guide means has flexibility.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the close-up lens and the light guide means for guiding the strobe light are integrated by a single support, and the waterproof case is usually provided in the waterproof case. Since the lens protrusion is used, the adapter for underwater photography can be easily attached to and detached from the waterproof case, and the adapter for underwater photography excellent in handleability can be provided.
In addition, when the close-up lens is attached to the waterproof case, the light guide means is always disposed at a position facing the strobe, so there is no need to separately attach and adjust the close-up lens and the light guide means.
Further, the close-up photographing lens and its lens barrel and the light guide means can be manufactured separately, and the adapter for underwater photographing according to the present invention can be manufactured simply by incorporating these into a single support. Assembling becomes easy.

According to the invention according to claim 2, by simply fitting the concave portion of the support for the underwater photographing adapter into the lens protruding portion of the waterproof case, the mounting of the close-up photographing lens and the light guide means to the waterproof case is completed, The attachment / detachment work can be easily performed even in seawater.
In addition, since the inner diameter of the concave portion of the support is formed of a stretchable member, it can be attached to a waterproof case with a slightly different outer diameter of the lens projection, and has excellent versatility. An imaging adapter can be provided.

  According to the invention according to claim 3, since the light guide means has flexibility, even when the positional relationship between the subject and the camera changes, the irradiation angle of the strobe light by the light guide means can be variably adjusted, It becomes possible to irradiate the strobe light properly at all times.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail using preferred examples.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a state in which an underwater photographing adapter 2 is attached to a waterproof case 1 that houses a camera body.
The waterproof case 1 and the underwater photography adapter 2 are configured to be detachable as shown in FIG.

The underwater photographing adapter 2 has a structure in which a close-up photographing lens 3 and a light guide means 5 for guiding strobe light built in the camera body are integrally incorporated in the same support body 6.
The waterproof case 1 is formed with a lens projection 7 and a strobe light window 8 corresponding to the positions of the lens and strobe of the camera body.

3 is a front view of the waterproof case 1 shown in FIG. 1 with the underwater photographing adapter 2 attached thereto, and FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the alternate long and short dash line A. As shown in FIG.
A camera body 10 such as a silver salt photographic camera, a digital still camera, or a video camera is accommodated in the waterproof case 1. In addition, the camera body includes a photographing lens 11 and a strobe 12.

The close-up lens 3 is composed of at least one lens, and each lens is fixedly arranged at a predetermined position by a lens barrel 4.
The lens barrel is not limited to a fixed lens, but a movable lens barrel such as a zoom lens can also be used, but it is easy to handle underwater photography adapters, and many cameras have an autofocus function and zoom function. Here, a fixed lens barrel is illustrated here.

In addition, when using a plurality of lenses in combination, if seawater or the like enters the space between the lenses, it will interfere with the shooting and the subsequent procedure will be troublesome. Is configured to adhere a waterproof sealing material and prevent intrusion of seawater or the like into the space.
Also, when used in an environment with high water pressure, the lens is filled with a liquid having a refractive index different from that of the lens, or an opening is formed in a part of a lens barrel that forms a space between the lenses. It is also possible to configure so that water can be filled in between. The opening is appropriately closed so that external light does not enter the lens barrel through the opening during photographing. Alternatively, when it is premised that photographing is performed in a dark place, it is possible to form the opening at a position where the strobe light does not enter from the opening without providing a blocking member.

Next, the light guide means 5 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 4, the light guide means 5 protects the light guide member 15 such as an optical fiber and a transparent acrylic member, and the light guide member 15, and prevents leakage of strobe light to the outside. And have.
It is also possible to arrange a light reducing member that reduces the amount of strobe light at the end or inside of the light guide member 15. In general, in close-up shooting, the amount of strobe light tends to be too strong for shooting, and this is alleviated.
In addition, the end portion of the light guide member 15 where the strobe light is emitted is irradiated with uniform light over the entire subject, or when the amount of light is reduced, a light diffusing member is irradiated, and a portion of the subject is irradiated with spot light. In this case, it is possible to form or arrange a light collecting member.
Further, when the length of the light guide means 5 is too short, an extension light guide member separately formed at the tip of the light guide means can be configured to be connected.

The light guide means 5 preferably has flexibility in response to a change in the distance between the camera and the subject. In addition, when the diffuser for diffusing the built-in strobe light is attached to the waterproof case, the amount of strobe light guided by the light guide means may be insufficient for the amount of light applied to the subject. In order to compensate, it is preferable to make the irradiation angle of the light guide means variable.
As a method of imparting flexibility, it is possible to use a technique related to a flexible arm known in the optical technical field or the like.
Even in the case of providing flexibility, a method in which the portion having flexibility is only a part near the tip of the light guide member as shown in FIG. 4, or a method in which the entire light guide member is made flexible. and so on.
In addition, when a material that is difficult to bend such as an acrylic material is used for the light guide member 15, it is preferable to arrange a member for reflecting or deflecting strobe light at a flexible portion.

  When a material having higher mechanical strength than the waterproof case 1 is used for the light guide member 15, the end of the light guide means on the waterproof case side is located slightly away from the waterproof case 1 as shown in FIG. 4. It is also possible to configure so that the tip of the light guide member 15 is located. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the waterproof case 1 from being damaged by the light guide member 15.

Next, the structure of the support for the underwater photographing adapter will be described.
The support 6 needs to have a mechanism that holds the lens barrel 4 and the light guide member 5 and is detachable from the waterproof case 1.
FIG. 4 shows an example in which the lens barrel 4 and the support 6 are formed of the same member. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the lens barrel 4 and the support 6 are separately formed, It is also possible to bond the two together by an adhering means such as an adhesive, a tape, or a screw.
The same applies to the coupling between the light guide means and the support. Further, in order to increase the mechanical strength of the support 6 holding the light guide means 15 if necessary, a reinforcing means can be provided between the two. .
Furthermore, by manufacturing the close-up lens and its lens barrel and the light guide means separately, it is possible not only to improve the accuracy of individual members, but also to combine similar commercially available members. Since the adapter for underwater photography can be manufactured, it is easy to manufacture and assemble, and a reduction in manufacturing cost can be expected.

The underwater photographing adapter 2 is attached by engaging with a lens protrusion 7 provided on the waterproof case 1.
The engaging means is provided with a concave portion having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the lens protruding portion 7 in the support 6, and when the concave portion engages with the lens protruding portion 7, the member 14 whose inner diameter can be expanded and contracted. The inner surface of the concave portion is formed. In FIG. 4, in order to clarify the configuration of each member, the extendable member 14 and the lens projection 7 are illustrated as being separated from each other, but in actuality, they are closely joined.
As an example of the member that can be expanded and contracted, it is possible to form the member with a single member such as foam rubber, but it is also possible to adopt a mechanical configuration using a spring or the like. However, when adopting a mechanical configuration, in order to facilitate the attachment / detachment of the adapter for underwater photography and to avoid failure of the engaging means, avoid a configuration with a complicated structure such as a disengagement button. Is desirable.
Furthermore, the support 6 itself can be made of synthetic rubber or the like, and the stretchability can be imparted to the recesses of the support 6.

  By adopting the underwater photographing adapter 2 configured as described above, the light guide member can be attached together with the close-up photographing lens by simply engaging the adapter 2 with the lens protrusion 7 of the waterproof case 1. Arranging 5 to face the strobe can be easily realized.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the adapter for underwater photography according to the present invention.
In the underwater photographing adapter of FIG. 5, the light guide means 25 is constituted by an optical fiber bundle, and the holding portion 20 of the light guide means 25 is provided on the subject side of the lens barrel 24. Reference numeral 23 denotes a close-up lens.
The end of the light guide means 25 on the camera side is bundled together and fixedly supported by a support 26, and the other end of the light guide means 25 forms an optical fiber bundle divided into a plurality of parts. Yes.
The holding unit 20 has an opening 21 for holding each of the plurality of optical fiber bundles. By inserting and penetrating the optical fiber bundle into the opening 21 from the camera side, the holding unit 20 transmits light to a predetermined position. The fiber bundle can be held.

The optical fiber bundle bundles a plurality of optical fibers, and the outside of the optical fiber bundle is covered with a stretchable film such as vinyl chloride or synthetic rubber. Also, in order to maintain the shape when the tip of the optical fiber is bent, a flexible metal material is laminated in the coating, or a metal wire is used as the core material of the optical fiber bundle It is also possible to do.
Also, the tip of the optical fiber bundle is coated with a transparent resin to prevent water from entering the optical fiber bundle and to diffuse or converge the light emitted from the optical fiber bundle. Is possible.

In the method for using the adapter for underwater photography in FIG. 5, the support 26 of the adapter is attached to a waterproof case of the camera, and photographing is performed using a strobe built into the camera. When the amount of strobe light of the camera is strong, some of the optical fiber bundles divided into a plurality are removed from the holding unit 20, or the tip of the optical fiber bundle is bent, and the amount of strobe light irradiated to the subject It is also possible to adjust.
In addition, when the removed optical fiber bundle is inserted into the holding unit, in order to easily determine the position of the opening to be inserted, a mark 22 is attached around the holding unit 20 with a mark or a color, Marks and colors can also be applied to the coating surface of the optical fiber bundle.

  The underwater photographing adapter according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described one. For example, each member constituting the underwater photographing adapter is configured to be detachable and can be disassembled and cleaned. Needless to say, the known technique in (1) can be applied as necessary.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an adapter for underwater photography that can be easily attached to and detached from a waterproof case that houses a camera with a built-in strobe and that is easy to manufacture. In addition, even when the positional relationship between the camera and the subject changes, it is possible to provide an underwater shooting adapter that can always properly irradiate light from a strobe built in the camera.

It is the schematic of the state which attached the adapter for underwater photography to the waterproof case. It is a figure which shows the state which attaches / detaches the adapter for underwater photography to a waterproof case. It is a front view of the state which attached the adapter for underwater photography to a waterproof case. It is sectional drawing of the state which attached the adapter for underwater photography to the waterproof case. It is the schematic which shows the adapter for underwater photography using an optical fiber bundle.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Waterproof case 2 Adapter for underwater photography 3,23 Lens for close-up photography 4,24 Lens barrel 5,25 Light guide means 6,26 Support body 7 Projection part for lens 8 Strobe window 10 Camera body 11 Lens 12 Strobe 14 Expansion / contraction Possible member 15 Light guide member 16 Cover member 20 Holding portion 21 Opening 22 Mark

Claims (3)

In the adapter for underwater photography that is detachable from the waterproof case that can accommodate the camera with built-in flash,
A close-up lens, a lens barrel that accommodates the lens, a support that can removably engage the lens barrel with a lens projection of the waterproof case, and a strobe light of the camera at a predetermined position A light guide means for guiding light to
The support body holds the light guide means so that the light guide means is disposed at a position facing the strobe of the camera when engaged with the lens protrusion. Adapter for underwater photography.   2. The adapter for underwater photography according to claim 1, wherein the support means and the waterproof case are provided with a recess having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the lens protrusion, the recess being An adapter for underwater photography, wherein an inner surface of the concave portion is formed of a member capable of expanding and contracting the inner diameter when engaged with the lens protruding portion. The adapter for underwater photography according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the light guide means has flexibility.

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