JP2010191325A - Photographing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To change optical zoom magnification and base length by easy operation without making size of a photographing device larger. <P>SOLUTION: When a photographer operates a zoom lever 4 to perform zoom operation to a telephoto end, lens units 18A and 18B comprising prisms 12A and 12B and zoom lenses 13A and 13B move to separate from each other. Since space between the lens units 18A and 18B is widened, the base length is lengthened. When the photographer operates the zoom lever 4 to perform the zoom operation to a wide angle end, the lens units 18A and 18B move to come close to each other. Thus, since the space between the lens units 18A and 18B is narrowed, the base length is shortened. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a photographing apparatus for obtaining a stereoscopic image that can express a stereoscopic effect by parallax, for example.

  A parallax image that can be stereoscopically viewed using parallax is obtained by photographing with a compound eye photographing device such as a stereo camera that obtains an image using at least a pair of photographing means arranged symmetrically. be able to. For example, in the case of a compound eye photographing device equipped with a two-angle photographing means, two parallax images are obtained by taking an interval between the two photographing means and photographing the same subject from different viewpoints, and using the parallax from the two parallax images. Thus, a stereoscopic image that can be viewed stereoscopically is created.

  In such a compound eye photographing apparatus, it is necessary to change the distance (baseline length) between photographing means according to the distance to the subject. In other words, when shooting a distant subject, if the baseline length is not increased, the parallax is insufficient and stereoscopic viewing cannot be performed, and when shooting a close subject, the parallax is not achieved unless the baseline length is shortened. The image is too large and the image appears blurred when viewed stereoscopically. For this reason, an imaging apparatus has been proposed in which the distance to the subject is measured and the baseline length is changed according to the distance (see Patent Document 1). In addition, there has been proposed an imaging apparatus in which only the optical system is moved when changing the baseline length (see Patent Document 2). Further, in an imaging apparatus in which two imaging systems are arranged so that the baseline length is constant, there is also an imaging apparatus in which the baseline length of the zoom lens provided in the two imaging systems is not changed regardless of the zoom operation. It has been proposed (see Patent Document 3).

JP 2001-16620 A JP 2002-112288 A JP 2007-264396 A

  By the way, in a compound eye photographing apparatus equipped with a zoom optical system, at the wide-angle end of the optical zoom, the subject is close to the photographing apparatus, so that the baseline length must be shortened. On the other hand, at the telephoto end of the optical zoom, since the subject is far from the photographing apparatus, it is necessary to increase the baseline length. In the imaging apparatuses described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, when the optical zoom magnification of the imaging apparatus is changed, it is necessary to perform an operation for changing the baseline length accordingly. Moreover, in the imaging device described in Patent Document 3, since the baseline length is not changed even if the optical zoom magnification is changed, there is a possibility that a parallax image having an appropriate parallax cannot be acquired.

  Furthermore, when the photographing apparatuses described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are provided with a zoom optical system, the size of the photographing apparatus in the depth direction becomes large.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to change the optical zoom magnification and the baseline length by a simple operation without increasing the size of the photographing apparatus.

A photographing apparatus according to the present invention, a plurality of optical axis conversion elements arranged to be spaced apart from each other, which converts the optical axis of light from the object side,
A plurality of zoom optical systems respectively disposed on converted optical axes converted by each of the plurality of optical axis conversion elements;
When zooming from the wide-angle side to the telephoto side of the zoom optical system, the optical axis conversion element and the zoom optical system are interlocked so that the interval between the optical axis conversion elements widens in conjunction with the zooming. A driving means for driving is provided.

  In the photographing apparatus according to the present invention, the optical axis conversion element and the zoom optical system may be integrated to form a lens unit.

  In this case, the two lens units may be provided, and the two lens units may be arranged so that the converted optical axes face each other and coincide with each other.

  Furthermore, two imaging elements may be disposed on the converted optical axis between the two lens units with the imaging surface facing the opposite side.

  According to the present invention, the optical axis conversion element and the zoom optical system are interlocked so that the distance between the optical axis conversion elements is increased in conjunction with the zooming when zooming from the wide angle side to the telephoto side. Drive. Here, since the optical axis conversion element converts the optical axis of light from the object side, in the photographing apparatus according to the present invention, the interval between the plurality of optical axis conversion elements corresponds to the base line length. For this reason, in the present invention, when the zooming operation is performed on the wide angle side, the interval between the optical axis conversion elements is narrowed, so that the baseline length is shortened. On the contrary, if the zooming operation is performed on the telephoto side, the distance between the optical axis conversion elements is widened, so that the base line length becomes long. Therefore, according to the present invention, both zooming and changing the baseline length can be performed simultaneously by zooming, and as a result, zooming and changing the baseline length are facilitated.

  Further, since the zoom optical system is disposed on the conversion optical axis, the size in the depth direction of the photographing apparatus can be reduced as compared with the case where the zoom optical system is disposed on the optical axis from the object side. Can do.

  Further, by integrating the optical axis conversion element and the zoom optical system to form a lens unit, the optical conversion element and the zoom optical system can be easily linked.

  Further, when two lens units are provided, the size in the depth direction of the photographing apparatus can be further reduced by disposing the two lens units so that the converted optical axes are opposed to coincide with each other. Further, even if the baseline length is changed, the converted optical axis incident on the image sensor is not changed, so that optical axis blurring does not occur.

  In addition, the arrangement of the imaging device can be further reduced by disposing two imaging elements on the conversion optical axis between the two lens units with the imaging surface facing away from each other.

The figure which shows the external appearance of the digital camera to which the imaging device by embodiment of this invention is applied (telephoto end) The top view which shows the structure of the optical system of the imaging | photography part seen from the upper side of the digital camera Diagram showing the arrangement of the optical system at the telephoto end Diagram showing the arrangement of the optical system at the wide-angle end The figure which shows the external appearance of the digital camera to which the imaging device by embodiment of this invention is applied (wide angle end)

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a view showing an appearance of a compound-eye digital camera 1 to which a photographing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, a release button 2, a power button 3 and a zoom lever 4 are provided on the top of the digital camera 1.

  A flash 5 and a lens window 6 are provided in front of the digital camera 1. The lens window 6 has a rectangular shape having long sides in the horizontal direction of the digital camera 1.

  Inside the lens window 6, the first lenses 11 </ b> A and 11 </ b> B constituting the photographing lens groups of the two photographing units 10 </ b> A and 10 </ b> B are disposed close to the lens window 6.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the optical system of the photographing units 10A and 10B as viewed from the upper side of the digital camera 1. FIG. In FIG. 2, the lower side is the front side of the digital camera 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the photographing units 10A and 10B include first lenses 11A and 11B and first lenses 11A and 11B having optical axes X1 and X2 perpendicular to the front surface of the digital camera 1 so as to face the object side. Prisms (optical axis conversion elements) 12A and 12B, zoom lenses 13A and 13B, focus lenses 14A and 14B, and imaging elements 15A and 15B that convert the optical axes X1 and X2 of the optical axes X1 and X2 by 90 degrees so as to face each other. Prepare.

  The optical axes X1 and X2 are parallel, and are converted by 90 degrees by the prisms 12A and 12B so as to be the same optical axes X3 and X4 facing each other. Note that the interval between the optical axes X1 and X2 is the base line length of the imaging units 10A and 10B of the digital camera 1 according to the present embodiment.

  The image sensors 15A and 15B are held by the holding unit 16 so that the imaging surfaces are opposite to each other, and photoelectrically convert subject images incident along the optical axes X3 and X4, respectively. Is generated. The zoom lenses 13A and 13B, the focus lenses 14A and 14B, and the image sensors 15A and 15B are disposed on the optical axes X3 and X4.

  The zoom lenses 13A and 13B are held in the lens barrels 17A and 17B together with the prisms 12A and 12B, and constitute lens units 18A and 18B. The lens units 18A and 18B can be moved in conjunction with each other in the opposite directions along the optical axes X3 and X4 by unit driving units 20A and 20B including a motor and a motor driver. The movement amounts of the lens units 18A and 18B are changed according to the operation amount of the zoom lever 4.

  The focus lenses 14A and 14B can be moved in conjunction with each other in the directions of the optical axes X3 and X4 by focus lens driving units 21A and 21B including a motor and a motor driver. Note that the movement amounts of the focus lenses 14A and 14B are determined by an AF processing unit (not shown).

  The first lenses 11A and 11B, the zoom lenses 13A and 13B, and the focus lenses 14A and 14B have the shortest overall length when the zoom lenses 13A and 13B are at the wide angle end, and the full length when the zoom lenses 13A and 13B are at the telephoto end. The power is arranged to be the longest.

  Next, the zoom operation of the digital camera 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. 3 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the optical system at the telephoto end, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the optical system at the wide-angle end, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the appearance of the digital camera 1 at the wide-angle end. In FIGS. 3 and 4, the unit driving units 20A and 20B and the focus lens driving units 21A and 21B are omitted. When the photographer operates the zoom lever 4 to perform the zoom operation to the telephoto end, the lens units 18A and 18B move away from each other in the directions of arrows A1 and A2. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the distance between the lens units 18 </ b> A and 18 </ b> B is widened, so that the baseline length is increased.

  On the other hand, when the photographer operates the zoom lever 4 to perform the zoom operation to the wide angle end, the lens units 18A and 18B move so as to approach the directions of the arrows A3 and A4, respectively. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the distance between the lens units 18A and 18B is narrowed, so that the baseline length is shortened.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, both zooming and changing the base line length can be performed simultaneously by zooming, so that the zooming and base line length changing operations are easy.

  Further, even if the base line length is changed, the optical axes X3 and X4 incident on the image sensors 15A and 15B are not changed, so that optical axis blur does not occur.

  Further, since the zoom lenses 13A and 13B are disposed on the optical axes X3 and X4, the digital camera is compared with the case where the zoom lenses 13A and 13B are disposed on the optical axes X1 and X2 from the object side. The size in the depth direction of 1 can be reduced.

  In addition, since the lens units 18A and 18B are arranged so that the light reflected by the prisms 12A and 12B coincides with each other, the size of the digital camera 1 in the depth direction can be further reduced.

  Further, by arranging the two image pickup devices 15A and 15B on the optical axes X3 and X4 with the image pickup surface facing the opposite side, the configuration of the digital camera 1 can be further reduced in size.

  In the above embodiment, the light from the object side is reflected by the prisms 12A and 12B, but other optical axis conversion elements such as mirrors may be used instead of the prisms 12A and 12B. .

  In the above-described embodiment, the optical axes X1 and X2 from the object side are converted to the optical axes X3 and X4 that coincide with each other. However, the optical axes X1 and X2 are converted below the digital camera 1. You may do it. In this case, the change of the zoom magnification and the change of the baseline length are linked by providing the digital camera 1 with a drive unit for driving the photographing units 10A and 10B so as to move closer to and away from each other in conjunction with the zoom operation. Can be made.

  In the above-described embodiment, the image sensors 15A and 15B are held by the holding unit 16 with their imaging surfaces facing away from each other and are held back by each other. Another optical conversion element such as a prism for changing X4 may be provided, and the image pickup elements 15A and 15B may be disposed on the optical axis changed thereby.

  In the above embodiment, the digital camera 1 is provided with the two photographing units 10A and 10B. However, three or more photographing units may be provided. For example, two sets of two shooting sections (a total of four shooting sections) may be prepared, and the shooting section may be provided in the digital camera so that the movement direction of the base line length of each set of shooting sections is orthogonal. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Digital camera 2 Release button 3 Power button 4 Zoom lever 5 Flash 6 Lens window 10A, 10B Image | photographing part 11A, 11B 1st lens 12A, 12B Prism 13A, 13B Zoom lens 14A, 14B Focus lens 15A, 15B Image pick-up element 16 Holding part 17A, 17B Lens barrel 18A, 18B Lens unit 20A, 20B Unit drive unit 21A, 21B Focus lens drive unit

Claims (4)

A plurality of optical axis conversion elements arranged to be spaced apart from each other, which convert the optical axis of light from the object side;
A plurality of zoom optical systems respectively disposed on converted optical axes converted by each of the plurality of optical axis conversion elements;
When zooming from the wide-angle side to the telephoto side of the zoom optical system, the optical axis conversion element and the zoom optical system are interlocked so that the interval between the optical axis conversion elements widens in conjunction with the zooming. An imaging apparatus comprising driving means for driving.   The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical axis conversion element and the zoom optical system are integrated to form a lens unit.   3. The photographing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: the two lens units, wherein the two lens units are arranged so that the converted optical axes face and coincide with each other.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein two imaging elements are disposed on the converted optical axis between the two lens units with an imaging surface facing the opposite side.

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