JP2008109439A - Electronic camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic camera that has excellent operability even though a large monitor is arranged at the back face of a camera main body. <P>SOLUTION: The electronic camera includes an imaging part for imaging an object, an image displaying part for displaying an image to be caught by the imaging part or reproducing a photographed image, an operating part for performing an operation or setting about imaging or reproduction, and a changing means which can change at least either the operating part or the image displaying part between an operation position at which the operating part is arranged so as to cover at least a portion of the image displaying part and a retreat position at which the operating part does not cover the image displaying part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic camera.

Usually, an electronic camera is provided with a monitor, which displays a through image at the time of photographing an image to determine the composition and displays a photographed image at the time of image reproduction. In recent years, in order to make a display image easy to see, a display having a larger monitor has been desired. For example, a display having a wide screen monitor having an aspect ratio of 16: 9 has been proposed. However, if a large monitor is provided on the back side of a small electronic camera that places importance on portability, various operation members arranged on the back side must be reduced, and the operability is lowered. Therefore, an electronic camera that arranges a touch panel on a monitor and performs various operations on the touch panel has been proposed (Patent Document 1).
JP 2005-303728 A

However, since the touch panel disposed on the monitor is a flat surface, the user cannot sense and operate the projections and depressions of buttons and the like, and there is a problem that the operability is poor.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic camera having excellent operability in an electronic camera having a large monitor on the back surface.

The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein an imaging unit that images a subject, an image display unit that displays an image captured by the imaging unit or reproduces an image that has been captured, and an operation or setting related to the imaging or the reproduction An operation part to be performed; at least one of the operation part or the image display part; an operation position at which the operation part covers at least a part of the image display part; and the operation part to the image display part It is characterized by comprising change means that can be changed to a retracted position that is not covered.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the electronic camera according to the first aspect, the changing unit rotates and moves the operation unit with respect to the camera body.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the electronic camera according to the first aspect, the changing unit attaches and detaches the operation unit to and from the camera body.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the electronic camera according to the first aspect, the image display unit is disposed on a back surface of the camera main body unit, and the changing unit is configured to move the image display unit to the camera main body unit. It is characterized by moving. Thank you, The electronic camera according to claim 5 is the electronic camera according to claim 4, wherein the changing means slides the image display unit in a direction substantially parallel to the back surface of the camera body. It is characterized by that.

  The electronic camera according to claim 6 is the electronic camera according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the operation or setting relating to the imaging or the reproduction is arranged on a display surface of the image display unit. The touch panel is further operated through the operation unit at the operation position.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the electronic camera according to the sixth aspect, the operation unit includes an operation button made of an elastic body that performs the operation or the setting.

  The electronic camera according to claim 8 is the electronic camera according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the size of the image display unit is substantially the same as the size of the back surface of the camera body. It is characterized by being.

  The electronic camera according to claim 9 is the electronic camera according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the detection is performed to detect that the operation unit or the image display unit is in an operation position or a retracted position. And the size of the image when the image is displayed on the image display unit according to the aspect ratio of the image captured by the imaging unit or the captured image and the detection result by the detection unit And a display control unit that controls at least one of the display position of the image.

  The electronic camera according to claim 10 is the electronic camera according to claim 9, wherein the display control unit detects that the operation unit or the image display unit is in an operation position. The entire image is displayed in a region not covered by the operation unit of the image display unit.

  The electronic camera according to claim 11 is the electronic camera according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the display control unit detects that the operation unit or the image display unit is not in an operation position. In this case, the image captured by the image capturing unit or the captured image is maximized on the image display unit according to the aspect ratio of the image captured by the image capturing unit or the captured image. It is characterized by displaying as follows.

  According to the present invention, an electronic camera with excellent operability can be provided even when a large monitor is disposed on the back of the camera body.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the appearance of an electronic camera 1 in the present embodiment. FIG. 1A is a view of a surface (front surface) provided with an opening 103 of the electronic camera 1 as viewed obliquely from above, and FIGS. 1B and 1C are surfaces (including a monitor 104 of the electronic camera 1). The figure which looked at the back from the diagonal upper surface is each shown.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the camera body 100 includes a release button 101 and a power button 102 on the upper surface. The release button 101 is a button to be pressed when the user instructs to take an image. The power button 102 is a button for turning on (ON) or disconnecting (OFF) the power of the camera body 100.
The camera body 100 also includes an opening 103 for allowing light from a subject to enter a lens 109 (to be described later) on the front surface. Light from the subject incident on the opening 103 is imaged on an image sensor 110 (to be described later) by a lens 109 disposed in the camera body 100. The opening 103 is provided on the side opposite to the grip position when the user grips the camera body 100 in order to operate the release button 101, so that the user's finger does not overlap the opening 103 during image shooting. ing. A glass flat plate is disposed in the opening 103 to protect the lens 109.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the camera body 100 includes a monitor 104 on the back surface. The monitor 104 is, for example, a horizontally long liquid crystal display with an aspect ratio of 16: 9, and is disposed on almost the entire back surface of the camera body 100. At the time of image capturing, the monitor 104 displays an image captured by the image sensor 110 as a through image, and the user can determine the composition of the captured image by viewing the through image. Further, at the time of image reproduction, the monitor 104 displays an image recorded in a memory card 113 described later or a memory 111 built in the camera body, or receives an input from the operation unit 106 described later to delete or protect the reproduced image. Or display a menu. Note that the monitor 104 may use an EL display or the like instead of the liquid crystal display. A resistance film type (pressure-sensitive) touch panel 105, which will be described later, is provided on the surface of the monitor 104, and the user can operate the camera body 100 by pressing the surface of the touch panel 105 with a finger or a touch pen. it can.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the camera body 100 includes an operation unit 106 on the right side surface 100a. The operation unit 106 is rotatably attached to the camera body 100 by a camera body hinge unit 100b provided at the corners of the back surface and the right side surface 100a of the camera body 100 and a rotation shaft (not shown). The operation unit 106 covers a retracted position stored almost in parallel with the right side surface 100a of the camera body 100 as shown in FIG. 1B and a part of the right side of the monitor 104 as shown in FIG. 1C. In addition, two positions, that is, an operation position arranged on the back surface of the camera body 100 can be taken.

  The camera body 100 includes a locking member (not shown) that is fixed when the operation unit 106 is disposed at the retracted position or the operation position, and a position detection switch 107 that detects that the operation unit 106 is disposed at the operation position. ing. When the position detection switch 107 detects that the operation unit 106 is disposed at the operation position, the display on the monitor 104 may be switched. The position detection switch 107 may detect that the operation unit 106 is disposed at the retracted position. The switching of the display on the monitor 104 will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 1C, the operation unit 106 is a plate-like member, and includes a telephoto zoom button 106a, a wide-angle zoom button 106b, a mode switching button 106c, a menu button 106d, a cross operation button 106e, a determination operation button 106f, and the like. Is arranged. Details of the configuration of the operation unit 106 will be described later.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the electronic camera 1. In FIG. 2, the same components as those in FIG. The electronic camera 1 includes a release button 101, a power button 102, an opening 103, a monitor 104, a touch panel 105, an operation unit 106, a position detection switch 107, a control unit 108, a lens 109, and an image sensor 110. And a memory 111 and a memory card slot 112. A memory card 113 can be inserted into the memory card slot 112.

  The imaging device 110 is, for example, a CCD, and outputs an imaging signal obtained by converting a subject image input through the lens 109 by photoelectric conversion into an electrical signal. As the image sensor 110, a CMOS may be used instead of the CCD. The analog image data output from the image sensor 110 enters the control unit 108, undergoes analog processing, is converted from an analog signal to a digital signal by an A / D converter, and is stored as image data in a buffer memory in the control unit 108. Stored temporarily. The digitized image data is subjected to known image processing such as white balance processing, color conversion processing, and gradation correction processing by the control unit 108. The image processed image data is compressed by a known method such as the JPEG method, and is recorded in a memory card 113 that is detachable from the camera body 100 and inserted in the memory card slot 112. The recording destination of the image data may be a memory card 113 that is detachable from the camera body 100 or a memory 111 that is built in the camera body 100. A memory 111 built in the camera body 100 is directly connected to the control unit 108. When the memory 111 built in the camera body 100 is used, the memory card slot 112 is not used.

  The touch panel 105 is arranged over the entire display range of the monitor 104 and has a plurality of fine input areas partitioned in a grid pattern. When the user presses the touch panel 105 with a finger or a touch pen, the press area A signal indicating that is pressed is output. Specifically, the touch panel 105 outputs information for specifying the position of the pressed area on the touch panel 105, for example, a coordinate value to the control unit 108 as an operation signal of the touch panel 105. Upon receiving the coordinate value, the control unit 108 executes an operation corresponding to the preset coordinate value. Here, the arrangement of the input areas may be a lattice, or other arrangement such as a staggered lattice. The touch panel 105 may be disposed over the entire display range of the monitor 104, or may be only an area where the monitor 104 is covered when the operation unit 106 is disposed at the operation position.

  The touch panel 105 can be detected by a capacitive system that detects a change in the surface charge of the touch panel 105 caused by a user's finger touching a transparent conductive base glass surface, or a high frequency surface elasticity on the glass surface. An ultrasonic surface elasticity method that detects the attenuation of an ultrasonic signal by propagating a wave and touching a glass surface with a user's finger or the like may be used.

Note that since the touch panel 105 disposed on the monitor 104 has light transmission properties, the display of the monitor 104 is not blocked by the touch panel 105 being disposed.
Next, the configuration of the operation unit 106 will be described. When the user presses the various operation buttons 106 a to 106 f of the operation unit 106 arranged at the operation position, the operation unit 106 transmits the pressure to the surface of the touch panel 105 and can operate the electronic camera 1. is there.

  FIG. 3A is a diagram of the operation unit 106 viewed from the front surface (a surface that does not face the touch panel 105 at the operation position). The operation unit 106 includes a telephoto zoom button 106a, a wide-angle zoom button 106b, a mode switching button 106c, a menu button 106d, a cross operation button 106e, and a determination operation button 106f.

  The telephoto zoom button 106a and the wide-angle zoom button 106b are buttons for zooming and changing the size of the subject in the shooting mode. The user zooms to the telephoto side by pressing the telephoto zoom button 106a to shoot a large subject, and zooms to the wide angle side by pressing the wide-angle zoom button 106b to shoot a wide range.

  The mode switching button 106c is a button for changing use modes such as a shooting mode and a playback mode. When the user presses the mode switching button 106c in the shooting mode, the mode is switched to the playback mode. When the user presses the mode switching button 106c in the playback mode, the mode is switched to the shooting mode. If the mode switching button 106c is continuously pressed for 1 second or more while the power of the camera body 100 is OFF, the power of the camera body 100 is turned ON in the playback mode.

The menu button 106d is a button for displaying a menu corresponding to the mode selected by the user. When the menu button 106d is pressed in the shooting mode, a shooting menu such as white balance and ISO sensitivity setting is displayed. When the menu button 106d is pressed in the playback mode, a playback menu such as deletion and protection is displayed.
The cross operation button 106e is a button for selecting an operation that the user wants to perform, such as moving the cursor up, down, left, or right.
The determination operation button 106f is a button for determining the operation selected by the cross operation button 106e.

  FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the operation button of the operation unit 106. The operation unit 106 includes an operation unit base 106g and an operation button member 106h. The operation unit base 106g is a plate-like member made of the same material as the camera body 100, and is made of, for example, stainless steel. As the material of the operation unit base 106g, aluminum, resin, or the like may be used instead of stainless steel. The operation portion base 106g is provided with through holes 106i at portions corresponding to the various operation buttons 106a to 106f.

  An operation button member 106h having substantially the same size as that of the operation unit base 106g is bonded to the surface of the operation unit base 106g on the touch panel 105 side. The operation button member 106h is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and a protrusion is formed at a portion corresponding to the through hole 106i. The protruding portion has a protruding portion 106j protruding to the front side of the operation unit 106 and 106k protruding to the touch panel 105 side. The protrusion 106j becomes various operation buttons 106a to 106f. The protruding portion 106j protrudes from the operation portion base 106g to such an extent that the user can touch and sense a difference in height from the operation portion base 106g. The protrusion 106k is separated so as not to touch the touch panel 105 when the user is not pressing the protrusion 106j. The distance between the protrusion 106k and the surface of the touch panel 105 is, for example, about 2 to 3 mm. The operation unit 106 is formed of the same elastic material without being divided into a base and a button member. When the user presses the various operation buttons 106a to 106f, the entire operation unit 106 is deformed and the touch panel 105 can be pressed. You may comprise as follows. Further, the operation unit 106 may be made of a transparent member, for example, a highly transparent silicon rubber.

  FIG. 3C is a diagram of the operation unit 106 viewed from the back surface (surface facing the touch panel 105 at the operation position). The telephoto zoom button 106a viewed from the back is 106a ', which corresponds to the protrusion 106k in FIG. Similarly, 106b ′ corresponds to the wide-angle zoom button 106b, 106c ′ corresponds to the mode switching button 106c, 106d ′ corresponds to the menu button 106d, and 106f ′ corresponds to the decision operation button 106f. A total of four 106e 'are provided to correspond to the input of the cross operation button 106e by the user.

  When the user presses the protrusions 106j of the various operation buttons 106a to 106f, the protrusions 106k are pressed down as shown in FIG. The touch panel 105 detects a pressure due to the contact of the protrusion 106k, and outputs a coordinate value corresponding to the detected position to the control unit 108.

Note that if the detection method of the touch panel 105 is a capacitance method, a conductive rubber may be used as the protrusion 106 k of the operation unit 106.
Next, the monitor display function of the electronic camera 1 configured as described above will be described in correspondence with the operation on the operation unit 106. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the monitor 104 and the operation unit 106 on the back of the camera body 100 in the shooting mode and the playback mode.

  When the power button 102 is pressed, the electronic camera 1 is turned on (ON). When the electronic camera 1 is activated, the electronic camera 1 is set to the shooting mode, and a through image is immediately displayed on the monitor 104 after activation. The aspect ratio of the photographed image can be selected from the menu. When one of 16: 9, 4: 3, and 3: 2 is selected as the aspect ratio, the monitor 104 is switched to display according to the selected aspect ratio.

  The playback image can be displayed by pressing the mode switching button 106c in the shooting mode, or by holding down the mode switching button 106c for 1 second or more with the power off. At this time, the latest reproduced image is displayed on the monitor 104. The aspect ratio of the reproduced image displayed on the monitor 104 may be automatically read out from the aspect ratio at the time of image shooting, or may be selected and changed from a menu.

  FIG. 4A is a diagram showing the state of the back surface of the camera body 100 and the monitor 104 when an aspect ratio of 16: 9 is selected in the shooting mode. When the user takes an image, the user rotates and moves the operation unit 106 accommodated in the right side surface 100a of the camera body 100, and arranges it at a use position that covers a part on the right side of the monitor 104.

  When the user checks the through image, if the through image is displayed in the area covered by the operation unit 106, the overall composition of the image to be captured cannot be grasped. Therefore, when the operation unit 106 is arranged at the operation position, the position detection switch 107 detects that the operation unit 106 is at the operation position and outputs a detection signal to the control unit 108. When the control unit 108 receives the detection signal from the position detection switch 107, the control unit 108 reduces the through image displayed on the monitor 104 with an aspect ratio of 16: 9, and the reduced through image is not covered by the operation unit 106. Is displayed in the lower left area.

  In this case, since the through image is reduced and displayed, an area 104 a where no image is displayed is generated on the upper portion of the monitor 104. In the area 104a where no image is displayed, the setting information at the time of shooting may be displayed, or a black area may be displayed without displaying anything.

  In the shooting mode, the through image may be displayed on the entire monitor 104 without being reduced as described above. Although the user cannot confirm a through image on a part of the right side of the monitor 104 covered with the operation unit 106, the user normally performs shooting while placing the main subject in the center of the monitor 104. What is necessary is just to determine a composition in the center part. At this time, if the operation unit 106 is composed of a highly transparent member, a through image displayed in the area of the monitor 104 covered by the operation unit 106 can also be confirmed. If the projection 106k of the operation unit 106 is hemispherical as shown in FIG. 3B, the through image that the user sees through the operation unit 106 is partially deformed by the lens effect. Therefore, it is preferable to prevent the lens effect from appearing by making the protrusion 106k cylindrical rather than hemispherical.

  If it is desired to display the through image on the entire monitor 104 and determine the composition, the operation unit 106 may be disposed at the retracted position on the right side surface 100 a of the camera body 100.

  FIG. 4B is a diagram showing the state of the back surface of the camera body 100 and the monitor 104 when an aspect ratio of 16: 9 is selected in the playback mode. Since the reproduced image is displayed using the entire surface of the monitor 104, the operation unit 106 is arranged at the retracted position. When an operation is performed on the reproduced image displayed on the monitor 104, the operation unit 106 is disposed at the operation position and is performed using various operation buttons 106a to 106f. A frame advance icon for proceeding to the next playback image, a frame return icon for returning to the previous playback image, and the like are displayed in a partial area 104b of the monitor 104 (for example, the upper left edge of the monitor 104). You can make it possible.

  FIG. 4C shows the state of the camera body 100 and the monitor 104 when the aspect ratio 4: 3 is selected. The user rotates and moves the operation unit 106 accommodated in the right side surface 100a of the camera main body 100 regardless of the shooting mode and the reproduction mode, and arranges it at a use position that covers a part on the right side of the monitor 104.

  First, the shooting mode will be described. The through image is displayed in an area on the left side of the monitor 104 so as to avoid an area covered with the operation unit 106. In this case, the monitor 104 has a region 104c where no image is displayed between the live view and the operation unit 106 disposed at the operation position. In the area 104c where the image is not displayed, setting information at the time of shooting may be displayed, or nothing may be displayed as a black area. The area of the monitor 104 covered with the operation unit 106 is a black area without displaying anything.

  Next, the playback mode will be described. When an operation is performed on the reproduced image displayed on the monitor 104, it is performed by using various operation buttons 106a to 106f of the operation unit 106 arranged at the operation position.

  FIG. 4D shows the state of the back surface of the camera body 100 and the monitor 104 when the aspect ratio 3: 2 is selected. The user rotates and moves the operation unit 106 accommodated in the right side surface 100a of the camera main body 100 regardless of the shooting mode and the reproduction mode, and arranges it at a use position that covers a part on the right side of the monitor 104.

  First, the shooting mode will be described. The through image is displayed in an area on the left side of the monitor 104 so as to avoid an area covered with the operation unit 106. In this case, almost the entire region that is not covered by the operation unit 106 arranged at the use position is used. Therefore, unlike the aspect ratio 16: 9 (FIG. 4A) and the aspect ratio 4: 3 (FIG. 4C), there is no area on the monitor 104 where no image is displayed.

Next, the playback mode will be described. When an operation is performed on the reproduced image displayed on the monitor 104, it is performed by using various operation buttons 106a to 106f of the operation unit 106 arranged at the operation position.
As described above, the size and display position of the image displayed on the monitor 104 are switched according to the aspect ratio selected by the user and the detection result of the position of the operation unit 106 by the position detection switch 107.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the display operation of the monitor 104 described above. When the power of the electronic camera 1 is turned on (S100), it is determined whether the electronic camera 1 is set to the shooting mode or the playback mode (S101). When the shooting mode is set, the user selects 16: 9, 4: 3, or 3: 2 as the aspect ratio of the captured image (S102). If the playback mode is set, a playback image is selected (S103), and the aspect ratio of the playback image is read (S104). It is determined whether the aspect ratio of the selected captured image or the aspect ratio of the reproduced image is 16: 9 (S105). If the aspect ratio is 16: 9, the operation unit 106 is placed in the next operation. It is determined whether or not it is a position (S106). When the operation unit 106 is arranged at the operation position, the image displayed on the monitor 104 is reduced with an aspect ratio of 16: 9, and the reduced image is displayed on the operation unit 106 as shown in FIG. It is displayed in the area of the monitor 104 that is not covered (S107). When the operation unit 106 is disposed at the retracted position, the image is displayed using the entire surface of the monitor 104 (S108). If the conditions in S105 do not match, that is, if the image aspect ratio is 4: 3 or 3: 2, the image is not covered by the operation unit 106 as shown in FIGS. 4C and 4D. (S109). After the image is displayed on the monitor 104, it is determined whether the power of the electronic camera 1 is turned off (S110). If the power is not turned off, the process returns to S101. When the power is turned off, the display on the monitor 104 is terminated.

In the present embodiment, the operation unit 106 is rotatably attached to the camera body 100 by a camera body hinge part 100b provided at the corners of the back surface and the right side surface 100a of the camera body 100 and a rotation shaft (not shown). However, the operation unit 106 is not limited to this. For example, the operation unit 106 may be drawn and slid from a state accommodated in the camera body 100, or may be detachable using a magnetic force or a locking member. In addition, when it is detachable, the operation unit 106 may be attached to the strap of the electronic camera 1.
According to this embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.

In the electronic camera 1 in which the monitor 104 provided with the touch panel 105 is disposed on substantially the entire back surface of the camera body 100, the user can place the operation unit 106 at an operation position covered by the touch panel 105 when operating the camera body 100. did. Accordingly, the user can operate while sensing the unevenness of the various operation buttons 106a to 106f of the operation unit 106, so that the operability of the electronic camera is improved.
In the electronic camera 1 including the large monitor 104 that covers almost the entire back surface of the camera body 100, the operation unit 106 is movable, such as rotating, sliding, and detachable. Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide an operation unit on the back surface of the camera body 100, and the electronic camera can be downsized.

  Further, when the user holds the camera body 100 to take an image, the operation unit 106 can be arranged at the operation position. As a result, a grip portion is also secured on the back surface of the electronic camera 1, and the user can shoot in a stable posture. In that case, since the monitor 104 is not touched directly, the monitor 104 is not soiled, and the degree of deterioration of the touch panel 105 can be reduced.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The electronic camera 2 of the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the electronic camera 2 includes an operation unit 206 that is electrically connected to the control unit 208 and the touch panel 105 is not disposed on the monitor 104. The monitor 104 is disposed on almost the entire back surface of the camera body 200 as in the first embodiment. In addition, the same number is attached | subjected about the same component as 1st Embodiment, and description is abbreviate | omitted.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the electronic camera 2. The operation unit 206 is connected to the control unit 208, and when various operation buttons arranged on the operation unit 206 are operated, a signal corresponding to the operation is directly output to the control unit 208. The operation unit 206 and the control unit 208 are electrically connected, and are connected using, for example, a connection cable using a flexible substrate.
Next, the operation unit 206 will be described. Similar to the operation unit 106 of the first embodiment, the operation unit 206 can take two positions, a retracted position and an operation position. In addition, various operation buttons such as a telephoto zoom button, a wide-angle zoom button, a mode switching button, a menu button, a cross operation button, and a determination operation button are arranged on the front surface of the operation unit 206.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the operation buttons of the operation unit 206. The operation unit 206 includes an operation member 206a, an operation button member 206b, a projection 206c, a conductive rubber 206d, a substrate 206e, and the like. The operation member 206a is a plate-like member made of the same material as the camera body 200, and is made of, for example, stainless steel. As the material of the operation member 206a, aluminum, resin, or the like may be used instead of stainless steel. The operation member 206a is provided with through holes 206f at portions corresponding to various operation buttons.

  An operation button member 206b having substantially the same size as the operation member 206a is bonded to the lower portion of the operation member 206a. The operation button member 206b is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and has a protrusion 206c protruding from the front surface of the operation unit 206 at a portion corresponding to the through hole 206f. The protrusion 206c serves as various operation buttons. The protrusion 206c protrudes from the operation member 206a to such an extent that the user can touch and sense a difference in height from the operation member 206a. Conductive rubber 206d is bonded to the lower part of the protrusion 206c with the operation button member 206b interposed therebetween. On the substrate 206e, an electric circuit (not shown) that is energized by contact with the conductive rubber 206d is provided. When the user presses the operation button, the conductive rubber 206d touches the electric circuit and is energized, and the electric signal is output to the control unit 208 through the electric circuit. When the user does not press the operation button, the conductive rubber 206d is adhered to the lower portion of the operation button member 206b so as to be separated without touching the electric circuit. The distance between the conductive rubber 206d and the electric circuit on the substrate 206e is, for example, about 2 to 3 mm.

When the operation unit 206 is disposed at the retracted position, as in the first embodiment, the user determines the composition of the captured image by playing the captured image on almost the entire surface of the monitor 104 or displaying a through image. You can do it. When the operation unit 206 is arranged at the operation position, various shooting menus and playback menus can be operated by operating various operation buttons. Note that the display area of the through image and the reproduction image displayed on the monitor 104 may be changed as in the first embodiment.
According to this embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.

Also in this embodiment, in the electronic camera 2 in which the monitor 104 is disposed on almost the entire back surface of the camera body 200, the operation unit 206 can be moved as in the first embodiment. This makes it possible to reduce the size of the electronic camera and to shoot with a stable posture of the user.
Further, the operation unit 206 is electrically connected to the control unit 208. Accordingly, without providing the touch panel 105 on the monitor 104, the user can operate while sensing irregularities of various operation buttons of the operation unit 206, and the operability of the electronic camera is improved.
Note that the moving means of the operation unit 206 in the present embodiment is configured to rotate and move with respect to the camera body 200 as in the first embodiment. However, the moving means of the operation unit 206 is not limited to this, and may be detachable, for example. In addition, when it is detachable, the operation unit 200 may be attached to the strap of the electronic camera 2.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The camera body 300 of the electronic camera 3 of this embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the operation unit 306 is fixed and the monitor 304 can be pulled out from the camera body 300.
FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing the appearance of the electronic camera 3 in the present embodiment. In addition, the same number is attached | subjected to the same component as 1st Embodiment, and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The monitor 304 is a liquid crystal display with an aspect ratio of 16: 9, and is arranged in parallel with the back surface of the camera body 300 and can slide in parallel with the long side direction of the camera body 300. As shown in FIG. 8A, an operation position where a part of the monitor 304 is housed in the lower part of the operation unit 306 of the camera body 300, and as shown in FIG. It can take two positions: a retracted position that slides leftward as viewed and protrudes from the left side surface of the camera body 300. The monitor 304 may use an EL display or the like instead of the liquid crystal display. The direction in which the monitor 304 slides is not limited to being parallel to the long side direction of the camera body 300, and may be perpendicular to the long side direction or may be in other directions. A touch panel 305 is disposed on the surface of the monitor 304. The camera body 300 includes a position detection switch (not shown) that detects that the monitor 304 has moved to the retracted position. When the position detection switch detects that the monitor 304 has moved to the retracted position, the display area of the monitor 304 may be switched. The switching of the display area of the monitor 304 will be described later.

Next, the operation unit 306 will be described. The operation unit 306 is disposed on the left side of the back surface of the camera body 300 and includes various operation buttons 306a to 306f. The various operation buttons 306a to 306f have the same configuration as the operation unit 106 in the first embodiment described above.
When the monitor 304 provided with the touch panel 305 is disposed at the operation position, when the user presses the various operation buttons 306a to 306f of the operation unit 306, the pressure is transmitted to the surface of the touch panel 305, and the operation of the electronic camera 3 is controlled. Can be done. However, the operation unit 306 is fixed to the camera body 300, and cannot be rotated or moved like the operation unit 106 of the first embodiment described above. On the other hand, when the monitor 304 is moved to the retracted position, the entire surface of the monitor 304 is exposed without being covered with the operation unit 306. Note that when the monitor 304 is moved to the retracted position, the touch panel 305 on the monitor 304 does not face the operation unit 306, and thus the operation of the camera body 300 by the operation unit 306 cannot be performed.

  Next, the display function of the monitor 304 of the electronic camera 3 according to the present embodiment will be described in correspondence with the operation on the operation unit 306. The aspect ratio of the captured image can be selected by the user from the menu, and when one of 16: 9, 4: 3, and 3: 2 is selected as the aspect ratio, the display is switched to the monitor 304 corresponding thereto.

FIG. 9A is a diagram showing the state of the back surface of the camera body 300 and the monitor 304 when the aspect ratio of 16: 9 is selected in the shooting mode. In this case, the user takes an image with the monitor 304 stored in the camera body 300.
A through image is displayed on the monitor 304. When a through image is displayed on the entire surface of the monitor 304, that is, when a through image is displayed in an area stored in the camera body 300, the user tries to shoot while viewing the through image. It is impossible to grasp the overall composition of the image to be performed. Therefore, when the monitor 304 is located at the operation position, the position detection switch detects that the monitor 304 is at the operation position. When the position detection switch detects that the monitor 304 is in the operation position, a detection signal is output to a control unit (not shown), and the control unit reduces the through image displayed on the monitor 304 with an aspect ratio of 16: 9. The reduced through image is displayed in the lower left area of the monitor 304 that is not covered by the operation unit 306. Thus, by displaying the through image while maintaining the aspect ratio, the user can confirm the overall composition of the captured image. In this case, since the through image is reduced and displayed, an area 304 a where no image is displayed is formed on the upper portion of the monitor 304. In the area 304a where no image is displayed, setting information at the time of shooting may be displayed, or a black area may be displayed without displaying anything.

  In the shooting mode, the through image may be displayed on the entire surface of the monitor 304 without being reduced as described above. Although the user cannot see a through image displayed in a partial area on the right side of the monitor 304 covered with the operation unit 306, the user usually takes a picture by placing the main subject in the center of the monitor 304. The composition may be determined at the center of the through image. If it is desired to display the through image on the entire surface of the monitor 304 and determine the composition, the monitor 304 may be pulled out from the camera body 300 and set to the retracted position as shown in FIG. 9B. However, in this case, the electronic camera 3 cannot be operated using the various operation buttons 306a to 306f of the operation unit 306.

  FIG. 9B is a diagram showing the state of the rear surface of the camera body 300 and the monitor 304 when the aspect ratio of 16: 9 is selected in the playback mode. In this case, the monitor 304 is moved to the retracted position pulled out from the camera body 300, and the reproduced image is displayed on the entire surface of the monitor 304.

  Next, the case where the aspect ratios 4: 3 and 3: 2 are selected will be described. Although not shown, the user uses the monitor 304 at the operation position stored in the camera body 300 regardless of the shooting mode and the playback mode.

  First, the shooting mode will be described. The through image is displayed in an area on the left side of the monitor 304 so as to avoid an area covered with the operation unit 306. When the aspect ratio is 3: 2, a through image is displayed in almost the entire area of the monitor 304 exposed on the back surface of the camera body 300. On the other hand, when the aspect ratio is 4: 3, when the through image is displayed in the vertical direction of the monitor 304, an area in which no image is displayed is generated between the through image and the operation unit 306 in the horizontal direction. In the area where no image is displayed, setting information at the time of shooting may be displayed, or a black area may be displayed without displaying anything.

Next, the playback mode will be described. When an operation is performed on a reproduced image displayed on the monitor 304, various operation buttons 306a to 306f of the operation unit 306 are used.
According to this embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.
In the electronic camera 3 in which the large monitor 304 is disposed on the back surface of the camera body 300, the monitor 304 is disposed on the back surface of the camera body 300 and slides in parallel with the long side direction of the back surface of the camera body 300. As a result, as in the first embodiment, the electronic camera can be downsized and the user can be photographed in a stable posture. Further, since the monitor 304 is not directly touched, the monitor 304 is not soiled, and the degree of deterioration of the touch panel 305 can be reduced.

  As a modification of the present embodiment, the operation unit 306 may be electrically connected to the control unit as in the second embodiment. In this case, since an input signal from the operation unit 306 is directly output to the control unit, the touch panel 305 may not be provided on the surface of the monitor 304.

It is the figure which showed typically the external appearance of the electronic camera in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the camera main body in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the cross section of the operation part in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the example of a display of the monitor of imaging | photography mode and reproduction | regeneration mode in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart of the monitor display operation | movement in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the camera main body in 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the cross section of the operation part in 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed typically the external appearance of the electronic camera in 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the example of a display of the monitor of imaging | photography mode and reproduction | regeneration mode in 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1, 2, 3 Electronic camera 100, 200, 300 Camera body 100a Camera body side surface 100b Camera body hinge part 101 Release button 102 Power button 103 Opening 104, 304 Monitor 105, 305 Touch panel 106, 206, 306 Operation part 106a, 306a Telephoto Zoom buttons 106b, 306b Wide-angle zoom buttons 106c, 306c Mode switching buttons 106d, 306d Menu buttons 106e, 306e Cross operation buttons 106f, 306f Determination operation button 106g Operation part base 106h Operation button member 106i Through hole 106j Projection part 106k Projection part 107 Position Detection switch 108 208 Control unit 109 Lens 110 Image sensor 111 Memory 112 Memory card slot 113 Memory card 206a Operation member 20 b operation button member 206c protruding portion 206d conductive rubber 206e substrate

Claims (11)

An imaging unit for imaging a subject;
An image display unit for displaying an image captured by the imaging unit or reproducing a captured image;
An operation unit for performing an operation or setting related to the imaging or the reproduction;
At least one of the operation unit and the image display unit; an operation position where the operation unit is arranged to cover at least a part of the image display unit; and a retreat position where the operation unit does not cover the image display unit; An electronic camera comprising: a changing means that can be changed. The electronic camera according to claim 1,
The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the changing unit rotates and moves the operation unit with respect to the camera body. The electronic camera according to claim 1,
The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the changing unit attaches and detaches the operation unit to and from the camera body. The electronic camera according to claim 1,
The image display unit is disposed on the back of the camera body unit,
The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the changing unit moves the image display unit with respect to the camera body. The electronic camera according to claim 4,
The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the changing unit slides the image display unit in a direction substantially parallel to a back surface of the camera body. The electronic camera according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A touch panel arranged on the display surface of the image display unit for performing an operation or setting related to the imaging or the reproduction;
The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel is operated via the operation unit at the operation position. The electronic camera according to claim 6.
The operation unit includes an operation button made of an elastic body that performs the operation or the setting. The electronic camera according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The size of the image display unit is substantially the same as the size of the back surface of the camera body. The electronic camera according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
A detection unit for detecting at least one of the operation unit or the image display unit at an operation position or at a retracted position;
The image captured by the imaging unit or the captured image is displayed on the image display unit in accordance with the aspect ratio of the image captured by the imaging unit or the captured image and the detection result by the detection unit. A display control unit that controls at least one of the size of the image captured by the imaging unit or the captured image and the display position of the image captured by the imaging unit or the captured image when An electronic camera comprising: The electronic camera according to claim 9,
The display control unit displays the entire image in an area not covered by the operation unit of the image display unit when the detection unit detects that the operation unit or the image display unit is in an operation position. An electronic camera characterized by The electronic camera according to claim 9 or 10,
The display control unit, when the detection unit detects that the operation unit or the image display unit is not in the operation position, according to an aspect ratio of an image captured by the imaging unit or the captured image An electronic camera, wherein an image captured by the imaging unit or the captured image is displayed on the image display unit so as to have a maximum size.

Images