JP2542461Y2 - Video camera - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a video camera, and more particularly to a video camera having a viewfinder.

[Prior art] Conventionally, in a camera-integrated recorder in which a video camera or a video camera and a recorder are integrated, a camera, a lens, a recorder, a grip, and a finder are all housed in a single housing. Many things have been commercialized. This type of video camera or camera-integrated recorder is not suitable for photographing in a low posture (low angle) or a high posture (high angle).

As a countermeasure, there are a type in which another lens for a low angle and a lens for a high angle are attached to an eyepiece, and a type in which a finder is rotatable with respect to the camera body as a separate body from the camera body.

In addition, the present applicant has also proposed a method of rotatably attaching a housing formed by integrating a finder and a grip to a camera body. (See JP-A-1-121830).

In the case where the housing including the viewfinder is rotatable with respect to the camera body, the use of a so-called optical viewfinder undesirably complicates the configuration of the optical system. Therefore, an electronic viewfinder (EVF) using a small CRT display or the like is often used as a finder. EVF
Is also advantageous in that information necessary for photographing can be superimposed and displayed on a photographed image.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, when the EVF is used as a finder, there are the following problems. That is, a circuit for driving the EVF is required, and harmonics of the signal generated by this drive circuit may adversely affect the photographing signal of the camera. Especially EVF
In the case of using a small CRT, the effect is increased because the deflection voltage becomes considerably high.

In addition, when shooting information such as focus matching, exposure state and various warning information is generated by a character generator, and superimposed on a shot image and displayed by an EVF, oscillation noise generated by the character generator is generated. There is a possibility that it may be mixed in the photographing signal and deteriorate the image.

Under such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a video camera which can follow a shooting posture and which does not mix with a shooting signal such as the presence of the EVF and noise generated by a character generator while using an EVF.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned object, according to a video camera of the present invention, a video camera body and an electronic viewfinder for monitoring an image taken by the video camera body are provided. A finder housing having a grip portion for gripping is rotatably attached to each other, the video camera body is supported in a shooting state by gripping the grip portion, and the electronic view finder in a shooting direction of the video camera body. The display direction of the video camera body and the video camera main body can be changed in accordance with the photographing posture, and the relative rotation positions of the video camera main body and the finder housing are set at a plurality of positions between the finder housing and the video camera main body. And restricting the relative rotation range between the finder housing and the video camera body. A driving circuit for driving the electronic viewfinder to display an image taken by the video camera body on the electronic viewfinder, and a mechanism displayed in the electronic viewfinder. By arranging an electric circuit which is a noise generation source such as a character generator for generating a character signal superimposed on an image, the electric circuit accompanying the noise generation is separated from the video camera body.

As a result, since the camera section for generating the photographing signal and the drive circuit of the electronic viewfinder are housed in separate housings, the influence of the drive circuit of the electronic viewfinder on the photographing signal is small, and the viewfinder housing is small. By rotating the camera, any shooting posture can be handled.

[Embodiment] An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a camera-integrated video tape recorder (hereinafter referred to as a camcorder) will be described below.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a camcorder as one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a lens barrel, a camera unit, a camera-side housing for housing the recorder unit, 2 denotes a finder eyepiece unit 6,
A finder housing with an integrated grip, 9 is a shooting trigger button, and 10 is a zoom ratio switch. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a normal photographing posture. The housing 1 and the housing 2 are rotatably mounted around a center of rotation 12 by a mechanism described later. Turn 6 upward. This is for photographing a subject at a low position such as a child in a comfortable posture with a grip. In addition, when the camera is used while being fixed to a tripod head, it is easy to look into the eyepiece 6 in such a state, and the operability is improved.

On the other hand, at the time of high-angle photographing such as when photographing a subject ahead from behind such as crowds, the housing 2 can be turned counterclockwise to make it easier to look into the eyepiece 6 and to hold the grip.

In general, the most frequently used state is a case in which shooting is performed with the lens 11 at eye level. In this case, the housing 1 and the housing 2 are in a state as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. It is desirable to consider the operability.

Hereinafter, a description will be given of a mechanism for attaching the camera-side housing 1 and the finder housing 2 in consideration of the frequency of use. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a mechanism for rotatably holding two housings in the camcorder of this embodiment.

In the figure, reference numeral 1a denotes an outer wall of the camera-side housing 1, 2a denotes an outer wall of the finder housing 2, and a cylindrical projection 1b is provided on the outer wall 1a.
Further, a projection 1c is provided on the cylindrical projection 1b. Protrusion
Two screw holes 1d are provided on the upper surface of the cylinder 1b, and a through hole 1e is provided on the inner diameter side of the projection 1c. Reference numeral 8 denotes a friction material having a circular hole at the center, and the cylindrical projection 1b is inserted into the circular hole of the friction material.

The outer wall 2a is provided with a cylindrical protrusion 2b,
A circular through hole 2d is formed at the center of 2b. A step 2e is provided on the inner wall surface of the through hole 2d, and a protrusion 2f is provided at a predetermined phase of the step 2e. In addition, a circular concave portion 2c is provided on the cylindrical upper surface of the cylindrical protrusion 2b. This through hole 2d
The aforementioned cylindrical projection is further inserted therein.

4 is a steel ball and four balls 4 are circular recesses respectively.
It is placed in 2c. Reference numeral 7 denotes a stopper, and the protrusion 1c
Is provided with a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion every 180 °. 7b is a screw hole corresponding to the screw hole 1d. Reference numeral 3 denotes a circular leaf spring as an urging member, and a hole 3a similar to the stopper 7 is provided.
This hole 3a is fitted with the projection 1c. The leaf spring 3 is fixed to the cylindrical upper surface of the projection 1b by a screw 5 via a hole 3b. As a result, the stopper 7 and the leaf spring 3 do not rotate with respect to the housing 1. The outer wall 2a is rotatable with respect to the outer wall 1a. The leaf spring 3 presses the outer wall 2a via the ball 4 against the outer wall 1a via the friction plate 8, and the friction of the friction plate 8 causes the housing to move. 1, the housing 2 is stably held.

The large diameter portion of the stopper 7 is indented into the step portion 2e,
The rotation range of 2f, that is, the rotation range of the housing 2 is restricted within 180 °. This is designed so that if the housing 2 rotates many times with respect to the housing 1, the wire that electrically connects the two housings 1 and 2 through the through-hole 1e is twisted and does not cause a situation such as cutting. It is. Note that this rotation range is set to a range where each of the rotations is made 90 ° in both directions around the state shown in FIG. This is because this angular range is a range necessary for photographing.

The circular recesses are provided at four positions with a phase difference of 90 °, and the balls 4 are placed on each of them. When the rotation phase of the housing 2 and the housing 1 is at a predetermined phase, either balls 4, invaginates to any one of the holes 3d ₁ of the leaf spring _{3, 3d 2, 3d 3,} 3d 4. At this time, the pressing of the housing 2 against the housing 1 by the leaf spring 3 is loosened, so that the housing is in a click state. Hole 3 for hole 3d ₁
d _2, 3d _3, 3d ₄ are each 67.5 °, 112.5 °, 225 ° of which mounted with a phase difference, one ball 4 holes 3d _1-3d phase from (n × 22.5 was fitted to one of the ₄ ) When ° out of phase one of the ball 4 is always fitted into one of the holes 3d _{1-3d 4.} That is, the user clicks every time the housing 2 rotates 22.5 ° with respect to the housing 1. Of course, it is set so that the user always clicks the button in the most frequently used state shown in FIGS.

With the above-described configuration, the housing 2 is clicked each time the housing 1 is rotated by a predetermined angle with respect to the housing 1, and the user clicks in the most frequently used state. And the housing 2 is stably supported with respect to the housing 1 in this state. Also,
The feeling of use is also very good.

Next, a mechanism for attaching the battery to the finder housing 2 will be described. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the finder housing and the battery. The finder housing 2 is provided with an opening 14 for accommodating a battery. In the opening 14, a hook 16 and contacts 15a and 15b made of an elastic material are provided. Also opening 1
A finger entry groove 17 is cut at one end of 4. On the other hand, battery 20
Is provided with a hook 21 at a position corresponding to the hook 16, and elastic contacts 22a and 22b at positions corresponding to the contacts 15a and 15b.

When the battery 20 is inserted into the opening 14 with the hook 21 of the battery 20 hooked on the hook 16 in the opening 14, the elastic contacts 22a and 22b contact the elastic contacts 15a and 15b. These resilient contacts surmount the abutting contacts so that the battery 20 fits within the opening 14. At this time, the battery 20 is fixed in the opening 14 by the biasing force of the elastic contacts, and supplies the power of the battery 20 to each part of the finder housing 2 via these elastic contacts. This power is also supplied to the camera-side housing through the through hole 1e in FIG. To remove the battery 20 from the finder housing 2, a finger is inserted into the finger insertion groove 17 to release the engagement between the elastic contacts 15a, 15b and the elastic contacts 22a, 22b.
FIG. 18 shows a conductive plate disposed close to the end face of the finder housing 2 on the camera side, which functions as an electromagnetic shield plate.

Next, a circuit configuration of the camcorder of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the circuit configuration of the camcorder of this embodiment. The left side of the dotted line in FIG. 1 shows a portion housed in the camera-side housing 1, and the right side is housed in the finder housing 2. Show the part.

In the figure, reference numeral 31 denotes a camera signal processing circuit for generating a luminance signal (Y) and a color signal (C) from a signal output from an imaging element (not shown); A recorder circuit including a recording signal processing circuit for recording on and a control circuit for controlling each section of the recorder section, 33 is a system controller for controlling each section of the recorder circuit 32 and a character signal generator 34, and 34 is a system controller for generating the system controller 34 A character signal generator for generating a character signal according to the data to be processed; 35, a mixing circuit for mixing the character signal from the generator 34 with the luminance signal from the camera signal processing circuit 31; 36, a video signal output from the mixing circuit 35 A driving signal generator for generating a horizontal deflection signal, a vertical deflection signal, etc. for driving the CRT 38 based on the periodic signal therein, and a video signal 37 generated by the mixing circuit 35 Fine horizontal, a high voltage driver for driving the CRT38 accordance vertical deflection signal.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a battery attached to the finder housing 2, which supplies power to the finder housing 2 and the camera-side housing 1. As shown, a camera signal processing circuit 31, a recorder circuit 32, and a system controller 33 are housed in a camera side housing 1, and a character signal generator 34, a drive signal generator 36, and a high voltage driver 37 are housed in the housing 2. It is stored.

With the above configuration, the camera signal processing circuit
31, the signal processing circuit in the recorder circuit 32, the character signal generator 34, the drive signal generator 36, and the high voltage driver 37 are housed in separate housings, and the conductive plate 18 is interposed between them. Therefore, each circuit in the finder housing 2 does not adversely affect a video signal processed by each circuit in the camera-side housing 1. Also, by attaching the battery 20 to the finder housing 2, circuits requiring high power can be integrated in the finder housing 2.

In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a camera-integrated VTR. However, the same effect can be obtained by applying the present invention to a camera having no recorder unit.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the video camera of the present invention is excellent in operability in any shooting posture by rotatably attaching the grip portion provided with the electronic viewfinder to the video camera body. Video camera can be realized.

In addition, by arranging a driving circuit for the electronic viewfinder and a circuit that is a noise source such as a character generator in the grip portion, the video camera body can be reduced in size, and the noise source can be removed from the video camera portion. It is possible to prevent the oscillating noise generated from the character generator from being mixed in the photographing signal and to degrade the image. As a result, a high-quality video camera can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a camera-integrated VTR as one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the camera-integrated VTR of the embodiment in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view of the camera-integrated VTR according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing an attachment mechanism between a finder housing and a camera-side housing, and FIG. 5 shows a battery attachment mechanism to the finder housing. It is an exploded perspective view. In the figure, 1 is a camera side housing (camera body), 2 is a finder housing, 18 is a conductive plate, 20 is a battery, 31 is a camera signal processing circuit, 32 is a recorder circuit, 34 is a character signal generator, 36 is Drive signal generator, 37 is high voltage driver, 38 is CR
T.

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A video camera body and an electronic viewfinder for monitoring an image captured by the video camera body, and a finder housing formed with a grip portion for gripping is mounted to be rotatable with respect to each other. The video camera main body is supported in a shooting state by grasping, and the display direction of the electronic view finder with respect to the shooting direction of the video camera main body can be changed according to the shooting posture, and the finder housing and the video A relative rotation position between the video camera body and the finder housing is held at a plurality of positions between the camera body and a relative rotation range between the finder housing and the video camera body. A holding mechanism that regulates an image captured by the video camera body in the finder housing. A drive circuit for driving the electronic viewfinder to be displayed on the electronic view finder,
By disposing an electric circuit that is a noise source such as a character generator that generates a character signal that superimposes on the image displayed on the electronic viewfinder, the electric circuit accompanying the noise generation is replaced with the video camera body. A video camera characterized by being separated from a video camera.