JP2529877Y2 - Electronic still camera - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an electronic still camera, and more particularly, to an electronic still camera having a strobe light emitting unit.

2. Description of the Related Art An electronic still camera using a magnetic recording medium called a SVF (still video floppy) in which a thin flexible magnetic disk sheet is rotatably built is well known. Similar to a camera using a silver halide film, there has been proposed an electronic still camera incorporating a strobe device (electronic flash) for performing flash photography (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-179831). In addition, the electronic still camera has many electronic components, and accordingly, the number of printed circuit boards on which the electronic components are mounted increases, and the number of manufacturing steps is increased. For this reason, a large printed circuit board is used to reduce the number of the printed circuit boards. By using such a large printed circuit board, mounting is easy and cost can be reduced. Under the circumstances described above, the exterior body of many electronic still cameras has a substantially flat shape.

By the way, regarding the arrangement of the imaging optical system, the light detection unit (the light detection unit for white balance in this example) and the strobe light emitting unit on the front surface of the exterior body, since the exterior body has a roughly flat shape as described above, It is common to adopt a layout in which are arranged in a horizontal line.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, if the light detection unit is arranged beside the strobe light emitting unit so as to arrange the imaging optical system, the light detection unit, and the strobe light emission unit in a horizontal line on the front surface of the exterior body, the following will be described. Such a defect occurs. That is, the reflectors of the strobe light emitting portion are provided over substantially the entire length along the longitudinal direction of the xenon tube at positions above, behind, and below the xenon tube. Since there are some gaps, light from the xenon tube may leak to the outside and be radiated from these gaps. As described above, the light leaked from the strobe light emission unit enters the light detection unit, and erroneous detection may occur in the light detection unit. Also, the arrangement of the strobe device requires some contrivance to prevent the occurrence of the red-eye effect. Furthermore, since it has a substantially flat shape, there is a problem that camera shake is likely to occur particularly when the camera is held with one hand.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to eliminate the possibility of erroneous detection of the white balance light detection unit, perform normal light detection, prevent the occurrence of the red-eye effect, and reduce the possibility of camera shake even when the camera is held with one hand. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic still camera capable of performing good photographing without any problem.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an electronic still having an imaging optical system, an exterior body, a release button, a strobe light emitting section, and a white balance light detecting section. A camera, wherein the imaging optical system is built in such that an optical axis thereof extends along a front-rear direction of the exterior body, and a lens of the imaging optical system is biased toward one side end of the front surface of the exterior body; The exterior body has a substantially flat shape that extends to the side of the imaging optical system, and is formed so that the thickness dimension of a portion in which the imaging optical system is built is relatively thick, and the front surface of the self body is formed. An inclined surface is formed on an upper part, the release button is provided on a portion of the upper surface of the exterior body in which the imaging optical system is built, and the strobe light emitting unit is provided with a lens of the imaging optical system on the front surface of the exterior body. Opposite one end The white balance light detection unit is provided at the other end of the side.
It is provided on the inclined surface above a strobe light emitting section provided on the front surface of the exterior body.

[Embodiment] Hereinafter, an illustrated electronic still camera will be described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic still camera 20 related to the present invention. The electronic still camera 20 has a camera body 21 of a flat box type binocular type. That is, the camera body 21 is formed in a flat rectangular box shape, a lens barrel 23 holding a photographing lens 24 on the front surface 21a side, and a finder window (shown in the figure) on the corresponding rear side. ) Are arranged respectively. Above shooting lens
As is clear from the figure, the specific part of the exterior body corresponding to the imaging optical system such as 24 has an upper surface relative to the periphery of the specific part.
The shape is increased in thickness toward 21b, thereby ensuring an appropriate thickness dimension for holding.

A release button 2 is located on one side edge near the rear of the upper surface 21b.
A loading window 28 for loading an SVF as a recording medium at a predetermined position in the camera body 21 is provided at a rear portion of one side surface (the right side surface in the figure).

The same window frame member 27 is provided at the right end (in the figure) of the front surface 21a of the camera body 21.
Inside, a strobe light emitting section 22 is provided above, and a white balance light detecting section 25 is provided below and adjacent to each other horizontally. In addition, the white balance light detector 25
As is clear from the figure, is disposed at a position shifted downward with respect to a line passing through the optical axis of the imaging optical system and substantially the center of the strobe light emitting unit 22.

As described above, in the present embodiment in which the light detection unit is arranged at a shifted position, even if the light detection unit is disposed from the side of the strobe light emission unit 22 (the end of the xenon tube inside the light emission unit not shown). However, even if light leaks as described above, the light does not enter the white balance light detection unit 25, and therefore,
The white balance light detection unit 25 can perform normal light detection without erroneous detection. Also, a strobe light emitting unit 22 and a white balance light detection unit are provided at one end (the left end in the figure) and the other end (the right end in the figure) where the lens barrel 23 of the imaging optical system is disposed. Because part 25 is arranged,
These parts 22, 25 and the lens barrel 23 have the most distant positional relationship, so that the so-called red-eye phenomenon hardly occurs,
The light detection unit 25 is not shaded by the lens barrel 23, and the white balance does not change. Furthermore, since an appropriate thickness dimension for holding as described above is secured, the camera is easy to hold, and an imaging optical system is built in the front-rear direction near the specific portion where the thickness dimension is secured. Therefore, the moment length between the part pressed by the finger and the optical system is minimized, and therefore, the vibration of the minute finger when holding the camera may be amplified by the moment length, and the camera shake may be increased. Absent. In addition, since the release button 26 is disposed at a position deviated to one side where the imaging optical system is disposed, the operation is easy, and there is no risk of missing a photo opportunity.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electronic still camera showing the embodiment of the present invention. This electronic still camera 20A is different from the electronic still camera 20 of FIG. 1 in that an upper part of a front surface 21a of a camera body 21 is formed by an inclined surface 21c, and the inclined surface 21c has As is apparent from the drawing, the thickness of the specific portion of the camera body 21 as the exterior body, that is, the portion corresponding to the imaging optical system is larger than the thickness described above with reference to FIG. It is a point that has been formed. On the other hand, in this example, the white balance light detection unit 25 is located at a position shifted upward with respect to a line passing through the optical axis of the imaging optical system and substantially the center of the strobe light emission unit 22, as is apparent from the figure. Has been established. The other configuration is almost the same as that of the electronic still camera shown in FIG. Therefore, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

The reason for this configuration is to prevent the light leaking from the side of the strobe light emitting unit 22 from entering the white balance light detection unit 25 and eliminate erroneous detection of the white balance light detection unit 25. . Also, the light source at the time of shooting is
If the white balance light detecting unit 25 is located above the lens barrel 23 and is displaced upward from the surface on which the lens barrel 23 is provided, the shadow by the lens barrel 23 is less likely to be formed, and the effect that the external shape looks small is further obtained. is there. Further, in addition to the effects similar to those described above with reference to FIG. 1, the effect that the camera is more easily held can be obtained by making the thickness dimension larger than that of FIG.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the electronic still camera of the present invention,
This eliminates the possibility of erroneous detection of the white balance light detection unit, performs normal light detection, prevents the occurrence of the red-eye effect, and eliminates the possibility of camera shake even when the camera is held with one hand, enabling good shooting. It can be carried out.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic still camera related to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an electronic still camera showing an embodiment of the present invention. 20, 20A: Electronic still camera 21: Camera body (exterior body) 22: Flash emitting unit 25: White balance light detection unit (light detection unit)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Agency reference number FI Technical display location H04N 9/73 H04N 9/73 A

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] An imaging optical system, an exterior body, a release button,
An electronic still camera having a strobe light emitting section and a white balance light detecting section, wherein the imaging optical system has an optical axis extending in the front-rear direction of the exterior body, and a lens of the imaging optical system. The exterior body has a substantially flat shape that expands to the side of the imaging optical system, and the thickness dimension of a portion in which the imaging optical system is embedded is included. While being formed to be relatively thick,
An inclined surface is formed on the upper part of the front surface of the self, the release button is provided on a portion of the upper surface of the exterior body in which the imaging optical system is built, and the strobe light emitting unit is provided on the front surface of the exterior body. The white balance light detection unit is provided on the other side end opposite to the one side end provided with the lens, and the white balance light detection unit is provided on the inclined surface above the strobe light emission unit provided on the front surface of the exterior body. An electronic still camera, which is provided.