JP2009037043A - Display device and camera equipped with it - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a display device where display of a range-finding area within a finder is easy-to-view even in consecutive photographing. <P>SOLUTION: The display device is equipped with: range-finding area display means (72 and 111) superposing and displaying selected range-finding area display (200a) showing the position of a selected range-finding area, out of a plurality of range-finding areas, on a subject image with prescribed luminance within the field of view of the finder in a camera (100) which can be focused on the selected range-finding area; and luminance adjusting means (74 and 111) adjusting the luminance of the selected range-finding area display (200a) when performing the consecutive photographing by the camera (100) so as to be higher than luminance other than when performing the consecutive photographing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a display device and a camera including the display device.

Conventionally, there is a camera that can focus on a selected ranging area among a plurality of ranging areas. In such a camera, a superimpose method has been proposed in which a ranging area display indicating the position of a selected ranging area is displayed on the subject image in the viewfinder field of view (see, for example, Patent Document 1). . In this superimposing method, the area in the viewfinder field is divided into multiple areas to prevent the area display from becoming invisible due to the brightness of the subject image that overlaps the area display. The brightness of the subject in the area including the distance measurement area display is detected, and the display brightness of the distance measurement area display is controlled according to the brightness of the subject.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-65939

  However, when continuous shooting is performed, the display of the subject image in the viewfinder field disappears while the mirror is raised, and the distance measurement area display also disappears. Accordingly, the time during which the distance measurement area display is displayed becomes intermittent, and even if the distance measurement area display has the same brightness as that other than during continuous shooting, it may be difficult to see during continuous shooting.

  An object of the present invention is to make it easy to see the distance measurement area display in the viewfinder even during continuous shooting.

  The present invention solves the above problems by the following means. In addition, in order to make an understanding easy, although the code | symbol corresponding to embodiment of this invention is attached | subjected and demonstrated, it is not limited to this.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the position of the selected distance measuring area is indicated in the field of view of the finder in the camera (100) that can focus on the selected distance measuring area among the plurality of distance measuring areas. When the distance measuring area display means (72, 111) for displaying the selected distance measuring area display (200a) on the subject image and the camera (100) perform continuous shooting, the selected distance measuring area display (200a) Brightness adjustment means (74, 111) for adjusting the brightness to be higher than the brightness other than during continuous shooting.
A second aspect of the present invention is the display device (1) according to the first aspect, wherein the brightness adjusting means (74, 111) increases the selected distance measurement as the continuous shooting speed of the continuous shooting increases. The display device (1) is characterized in that the brightness of the area display (200a) is adjusted to be high.
The invention according to claim 3 is the display device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the luminance of the subject image in the region including the selected ranging area display (200a) in the field of view is intermittent. Metering means (112) for photometric measurement, and the brightness of the selected distance measuring area display (200a) other than during continuous shooting is set to the brightness of the subject image in the area metered by the photometry means (112). It is a display apparatus (1) characterized by being determined based on.
The invention according to claim 4 is the display device (1) according to claim 3, wherein the photometry by the photometry means is intermittently performed, and the selected distance measurement by the luminance adjustment means (74, 111). The display device (1) is characterized in that the adjustment of the luminance of the area display (200a) ends at the next photometry after the continuous shooting is completed by the photometry means.
Invention of Claim 5 is a camera (100) provided with the display apparatus (1) of any one of Claims 1-4.
Note that the configuration described with reference numerals may be modified as appropriate, and at least a part of the configuration may be replaced with another component.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to make it easy to see the distance measurement area display in the viewfinder during continuous shooting.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a camera 100 including a display device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, an xyz orthogonal coordinate system is provided for ease of explanation and understanding. In this coordinate system, the direction toward the left side when viewed from the photographer at the position of the camera 100 (hereinafter referred to as a normal photographing position) when the photographer shoots a horizontally long image with the optical axis L being horizontal is referred to as an x plus direction. To do. In addition, a direction toward the upper side at a normal photographing position is a y plus direction. Furthermore, the direction toward the subject at the normal shooting position is the z plus direction.

  The camera 100 is an interchangeable lens digital camera, and includes a photographing lens 10, a mirror unit 20, and an imaging unit 30 along the optical axis L. Further, out of the light incident on the photographing lens 10, the focus detection unit 40 in which the light directed downward in the figure by the mirror unit 20 enters, and the finder in which the light directed upward in the figure by the mirror unit 20 enters. Part 50.

  The taking lens 10 is a lens that can be exchanged for the camera body 100 a and includes a diaphragm 11. The mirror unit 20 is disposed on the exit side of the taking lens 10 and includes a main mirror 21 and a sub mirror 22. The main mirror 21 reflects the light that has passed through the photographing lens 10 toward the viewfinder unit 50. A part of the main mirror 21 is a half mirror, and transmits a part of the light. Further, when a release button (not shown) is pressed during shooting, the main mirror 21 retracts to a mirror-up position where the reflecting surface is substantially parallel to the optical axis L. The sub mirror 22 bends the path of light transmitted through the half mirror portion of the main mirror 21 and reflects the light to the focus detection unit 40.

  The imaging unit 30 includes a shutter 31, an LPF (Low-Pass Filter) 32, and an imaging element 33. The shutter 31 has a shutter speed controlled by a signal from the MCU 101 described later. The image sensor 33 is a CCD, a CMOS, or the like that converts an image formed by the photographing lens 10 into an electrical signal. A substrate 34 is disposed at the rear of the image sensor 33, and an MCU 101 that performs overall control of the camera 100 and various circuits described later are disposed on the substrate 34. Further, a rear liquid crystal monitor 35 is disposed on the back side of the photographer side of the camera 100 main body.

  A focus detection sensor 41 is disposed in the focus detection unit 40, and the light branched from the main mirror 21 is reflected by the sub mirror 22 and is incident on the focus detection sensor 41. In front of the focus detection sensor 41, a lens driving device 42 including a motor, a coupling gear, and a coupling is disposed.

  The viewfinder unit 50 includes a focusing screen 51, a diffusing liquid crystal 52, a pentaprism 53, a first dichroic prism 54, a second dichroic prism 55, and an eyepiece lens 56.

  The subject light that has passed through the photographing lens 10 is reflected in the y-plus direction in FIG. 1 by the main mirror 21 and once formed on the focusing screen 51. The subject light imaged on the focusing screen 51 is transmitted through a diffusing liquid crystal 52 for cropping during high-speed shooting, and the first dichroic prism 54 and the first dichroic prism 54 bonded to the pentaprism 53 and the first prism 52. The light passes through the second dichroic prism 55 bonded to the first dichroic prism 54, and is further guided to the finder 57 through an eyepiece lens 56 composed of a plurality of lenses.

  A known prism 60, a photometric lens 61, and a photometric sensor 62 for measuring the subject light luminance are disposed on the exit surface of the first dichroic prism 54. The photometric sensor 62 is a flexible printed circuit board (not shown). To the photometric circuit 112 provided on the substrate 34 in the camera body 100a. The photometric sensor 62 is capable of photometrically measuring the shooting screen for each of the divided blocks.

  Above the first dichroic prism 54 (y plus side), a projection lens 70, a folding mirror 71 for changing the direction, a transmissive liquid crystal 72 formed with a distance measuring area display 200 described later, an illumination lens 73, and a transmissive type An LED 74 that is a light source of the liquid crystal 72 is disposed. The transmissive liquid crystal 72 also has a function of an electric shutter. Only the selected distance measuring area display 200a selected from 51 distance measuring area displays 200 described later transmits light from the LED 74, and the light. Is magnified by the projection lens 70 and enters the first dichroic prism 54.

  A finder display liquid crystal 80 and a finder backlight 81 are disposed below the pentaprism 53. The in-finder display liquid crystal 80 displays various information such as exposure control values, exposure modes, exposure correction values, and the like relating to photographing at the lower part of a finder visual field 57a described later in the finder 57. The finder backlight 81 is for illuminating the display liquid crystal 80 in the finder.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the camera 100 of the present invention. The MCU 101 performs overall control of the camera 100 and is connected to various control circuits described below.

  The A / D conversion circuit 103 performs A / D conversion on the electrical signal that is incident from the photographing lens 10 and output from the image sensor 33. The timing circuit 104 drives the image sensor 33 and the A / D conversion circuit 103 at a predetermined operation timing. The image processing control circuit 105 performs various image corrections on the image data output from the A / D conversion circuit 103 and interpolation processing on the image data of each color. The SDRAM 106 is a memory that temporarily stores the interpolated data. The image recording medium 107 is connected to the image processing control circuit 105 via an interface (not shown), and records shooting data and image data. The rear liquid crystal monitor control circuit 108 controls the rear liquid crystal monitor 35.

  The crop display circuit 109 is a circuit that controls the diffusion type liquid crystal 52. The exposure control circuit 113 controls the shutter control unit 114 and the aperture control unit 115 by calculating the shutter speed and the aperture value of the photographing lens 10 from the luminance and imaging sensitivity of the subject obtained from the photometry circuit 112 described later. The shutter control unit 114 controls the shutter 31, and the aperture control unit 115 controls the aperture 11 of the photographing lens 10. The lens information input unit 116 communicates information such as an open aperture value, a focal length, and an exit pupil from the mounted photographing lens 10 to the camera body 100a.

  The focus detection circuit 117 performs A / D conversion on the output obtained from the focus detection sensor 41 for autofocus at the bottom of the camera 100 in FIG. The lens driving circuit 118 is a circuit for driving the photographing lens 10 to autofocus based on the control result obtained by the lens information input unit 116 and the focus detection circuit 117. The mode setting circuit 119 sets various modes such as exposure, autofocus, and image. The setting operation member 120 is a switch for performing a setting operation on the camera 100, and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the setting operation to the MCU 101. SW1 is a half-push switch that is linked to the first stroke of the release button, and SW2 is a full-push switch that is linked to the second stroke of the release button.

  FIG. 3 is a view showing an image in the viewfinder 57. As shown in the drawing, in the finder 57, a finder field 57a for displaying a subject image and a finder for displaying various information such as exposure control values, exposure modes, and exposure correction values related to photographing provided on the outer periphery of the finder field 57a. A display unit 57b is provided. The in-finder display control circuit 110 in FIG. 2 is a circuit for controlling the in-finder display liquid crystal 80 and the finder backlight 81 for displaying such information on the in-finder display section 57b.

  In this embodiment, the camera 100 has 51 ranging areas. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing 51 total distance measuring area displays 200 in the finder field 57a. In FIG. 4, all 51 ranging area displays 200 are shown. However, all the ranging area displays 200 are not actually lit in the finder field 57a, and the selected ranging areas are displayed. Only the selected ranging area display 200a is lit as shown in FIG. The selected ranging area display 200a does not light for a moment when a release button (not shown) is pressed, but once selected, it continues to light at that position until it is changed.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the superimpose display control circuit 111 is a circuit that performs control when the selected ranging area display 200 a is displayed superimposed on the subject image (superimpose) in the viewfinder visual field 57 a. The superimpose display control circuit 111 controls the transmissive liquid crystal 72 that displays the selected distance measuring area display 200a in the finder field 57a and the LED 74 that can change the display brightness of the selected distance measuring area display 200a. The photometric circuit 112 is a circuit that performs A / D conversion on the output obtained from the photometric sensor 62 and outputs the result to the MCU 101, and can measure the luminance of each of the divided areas on the photographing screen. The display device 1 in this embodiment includes a superimpose display control circuit 111, a transmissive liquid crystal 72, an LED 74, and a photometric circuit 112 in the camera 100.

In addition, the camera 100 according to the present embodiment can set the camera to the continuous shooting mode by operating the setting operation member 120 and control the operation of the shutter 31 via the shutter control unit 114 to perform continuous shooting. It is a camera that can. Note that the continuous shooting refers to shooting in which shooting is continuously performed at a set frame speed while the release button is being pressed. Its continuous shooting speed, as shown in Table 1 below, and high-speed continuous shooting, there is a low-speed continuous shooting, further low-speed continuous shooting is less than the threshold Th _CM or more first low-speed continuous shooting and the threshold value Th _CM There is a second low-speed continuous shooting, that is, the camera 100 has (1) high-speed continuous shooting, (2) first low-speed continuous shooting, (3) second low-speed continuous shooting, and (4) no continuous shooting. There are four shooting states of normal shooting.

一例として、カメラ１００が最大連写速度において１０コマ／秒が可能な場合、高速の連写コマ速度は８〜１０コマ／秒、第１低速の連写コマ速度は５〜７コマ／秒、第２低速の連写コマ速度は１〜４コマ／秒である。

As an example, when the camera 100 is capable of 10 frames / second at the maximum continuous shooting speed, the high-speed continuous shooting frame speed is 8 to 10 frames / second, the first low-speed continuous shooting frame speed is 5 to 7 frames / second, The second low-speed continuous shooting frame speed is 1 to 4 frames / second.

The selected ranging area display 200a is based on the luminance information of the subject image in the area overlapping the selected ranging area display 200a measured by the photometric sensor 62, except during continuous shooting, which is a normal shooting state. , EV ₀ which is the optimum EV value in the normal photographing state is displayed. Then, EV ₀ that is the optimum EV value is corrected according to the continuous shooting speed by adjusting the current flowing through the LED 74 and the duty ratio when the camera 100 performs continuous shooting. As shown in Table 1 above, the correction value differs in each case of (1) high-speed continuous shooting, (2) first low-speed continuous shooting, and (3) second low-speed continuous shooting. (1) For high-speed continuous shooting, the correction amount is ΔEV _CH , (2) for the first low speed, the correction amount is ΔEV _CM , and (3) for the second low speed, the correction amount is ΔEV _CL . The faster the continuous shooting speed, the shorter the time interval at which the selected ranging area display 200a is displayed, making it difficult to see. Therefore, these correction amounts ΔEV _CH , ΔEV _CM , and ΔEV _CL are ΔEV _CH > ΔEV _CM > ΔEV _CL . The higher the continuous shooting speed, the larger.

  Next, the operation of the camera 100 including the display device 1 of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the camera 100.

First, in the display device 1, and displays the selected focus area display 200a as a reference value EV ₀ seeking exposure value EV of the region than the average value of the luminance BV of the photometry area in the region overlapping with the selected focus area display 200a. Next, according to the flowchart of FIG. 5, the camera 100 determines whether or not the release button has been pressed (step 1, hereinafter, step is represented by S). If the release button is pressed, it is determined whether the continuous shooting mode is set (S2).

When the continuous shooting mode is set (S2, Yes), it is determined whether the continuous shooting mode is the high-speed continuous shooting mode or the low-speed continuous shooting mode (S3).
In the high-speed continuous shooting mode (S3, high-speed continuous shooting), the correction value ΔEV _CH is added to the reference value EV _0, and the EV value setting of the selected ranging area display 200a is set to EV _cor that is EV ₀ + ΔEV _CH ( S4). Then, the correction is finished (S5), and the selected distance measurement area display 200a is displayed by the corrected value EV _cor .

When the continuous shooting mode is the low-speed continuous shooting mode (S3, low-speed continuous shooting), it is further determined whether the frame speed is equal to or higher than Th _CM (S6).
When the frame speed is equal to or higher than Th _CM (S6, Yes), the correction value ΔEV _CM is added to the reference value EV _0, and the EV value setting of the selected ranging area display 200a is set to EV _cor that is EV ₀ + ΔEV _CM ( S7). Then, the correction is finished (S5), and the selected distance measurement area display 200a is displayed by the corrected value EV _cor .

When the continuous shooting mode is the low-speed continuous shooting mode (S3, low-speed continuous shooting) and the frame speed is equal to or lower than Th _CM , the correction value ΔEV _CL is added to the reference value EV ₀ and the EV value of the selected ranging area display 200a is set. The setting is EV _cor which is EV ₀ + ΔEV _CL (S8). Then, the correction is finished (S5), and the selected distance measurement area display 200a is displayed by the corrected value EV _cor .

If not the continuous shooting mode (S2, No), the correction is not performed (S9), and terminates the correction (S5), and displays a still selected focus area display 200a of the pre-correction value EV _0.

FIG. 6 is a timing chart showing the operation of the camera 100. Fast, the time t ₀ a first low speed or the second low-speed continuous shooting mode is selected, selected focus area display 200a, from the average value of the luminance BV of the photometry area in a region overlapping with the selected focus area display 200a This is the reference value EV ₀ for which the exposure value EV of the area is obtained.

When the release button is pressed in the t _1, first, the mirror unit 20 is mirror-up state. At the same time, the subject image and the selected ranging area display 200a are turned off in the finder field 57a. Then, the shutter 31 is opened and closed, down the mirror portion 20 is a mirror, first at t ₂ the object image is displayed in the viewfinder field of view 57a and then press the release button, it is displayed again selected focus area display 200a . At this time, the selected distance measurement area display 200a is EV _cor = EV ₀ + ΔEV (ΔEV _CH , ΔEV _CM , or ΔEV _CL ), and is displayed brighter than EV ₀ according to the continuous shooting speed.

While the release button is pressed _(t 1 _~t 7), continuous shooting continues. Meanwhile, as described above, the selected ranging area display 200a is turned off together with the mirror up (t ₁ to t ₂ , t _{3 to} t ₄ , t _{5 to} t ₆ ). Then, photometry is performed with the mirror down, and the selected ranging area display 200a is displayed with EV _cor which is the corrected EV value. When the pressing of the release button is released at t _7, the correction ends when t ₈ of the next photometric timing that is released ends, EV value of selected focus area display 200a is a correction amount in the normal state Return to no EV ₀ .

As described above, the present embodiment has the following effects.
(1) When continuous shooting is performed, the display of the subject image in the viewfinder field 57a disappears while the mirror is raised, and the selected distance measuring area display 200a is also turned off. Therefore, the time during which the selected distance measuring area display 200a is displayed is intermittent, and even when the selected distance measuring area display 200a has the same EV value as that other than during continuous shooting, it is during continuous shooting. It feels difficult to see. However, according to the present embodiment, when the camera 100 performs continuous shooting, the EV value of the selected distance measuring area display 200a is adjusted to be larger than the EV value other than during continuous shooting. Therefore, even during continuous shooting, the selected distance measuring area display 200a in the viewfinder 57 is easy to see.
(2) According to the present embodiment, the higher the continuous shooting speed of continuous shooting, the higher the luminance of the selected ranging area display 200a. Therefore, even if the speed of continuous shooting is increased and the time for displaying the selected distance measuring area display 200a is substantially reduced, the selected distance measuring area display 200a is not difficult to see.

(Deformation)
As described above, various modifications and changes are possible without being limited to the embodiments described above, and these are also within the scope of the present invention.
(1) In the present embodiment, the EV value of the selected ranging area display 200a is increased when the release button is pressed and displayed for the first time. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the EV value may be increased when the release button is pressed and displayed for the second time. Even if the continuous shooting mode is set, the release button may be released after one shot. In this case, it may be considered that the single shooting is performed, and it is not necessary to increase the EV value of the selected ranging area display 200a. It is.
(2) In this embodiment, when the release button is released, the correction is completed at the end of the next photometric timing after the release, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the release button is released. Thus, the correction for increasing the EV value of the selected ranging area display 200a may be completed.
(3) In this embodiment, the EV value of the selected ranging area display 200a is controlled by the LED 74 disposed behind the transmissive liquid crystal 72. However, the present invention is not limited to the LED, and may be other light sources such as a light bulb. Also good. Further, the number of light sources may be one, or a plurality of surface light sources combined.
(4) In the present embodiment, as continuous shooting, shooting in which shooting is continuously performed at a frame speed set in a state where the release button is pressed is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, even when the photographer performs shooting by pressing the release button one by one, for example, when the release button is pressed at an interval shorter than a predetermined time interval, the brightness of the selected ranging area display is adjusted. You can also
(5) In the present embodiment, the luminance of the selected ranging area display 200a is determined based on the EV value, but the present invention is not limited to this. If the brightness can be expressed, the processing can be performed with the BV value as it is.
Note that the embodiment and the modification can be combined as appropriate, but detailed description thereof is omitted. Further, the present invention is not limited by the embodiments described above.

It is the schematic of the camera containing the display apparatus of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the system configuration | structure of the camera of this invention. It is the figure which showed the screen in a finder. It is the figure which showed all the ranging area displays in the finder visual field. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of a camera. It is a timing chart which shows operation | movement of a camera.

Explanation of symbols

  57: Viewfinder, 57a: Viewfinder field, 72: Transmission type liquid crystal, 74: LED, 100: Camera, 111: Superimpose display control circuit, 200: Distance measurement area display, 200a: Selected distance measurement area display

Claims (5)

A selected ranging area display indicating the position of the selected ranging area is superimposed on the subject image within the viewfinder field of view of the camera that can focus on the selected ranging area among the plurality of ranging areas. Ranging area display means to perform,
A display device, comprising: a brightness adjusting unit configured to adjust the brightness of the selected ranging area display to be higher than the brightness other than during continuous shooting when the camera performs continuous shooting. The display device according to claim 1,
The display device according to claim 1, wherein the brightness adjusting unit adjusts the brightness of the selected ranging area display to be higher as the continuous shooting speed of the continuous shooting is higher. The display device according to claim 1 or 2,
Metering means for metering the luminance of a subject image in an area including the selected ranging area display in the visual field;
The display device characterized in that the brightness of the selected ranging area display other than during the continuous shooting is determined based on the brightness of the subject image in the area measured by the photometry means. The display device according to claim 3,
Metering is performed intermittently by the metering means,
The display device according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment of the luminance of the selected ranging area display by the luminance adjusting unit is terminated at the next photometry by the photometric unit after the continuous shooting has been completed.   The camera provided with the display apparatus of any one of Claims 1-4.

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