JP4891170B2 - Imaging device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an arrangement of operation members of an imaging apparatus.

  In recent years, diversification of recording media and downsizing of products are rapidly progressing in an imaging apparatus that records an image of a subject. Particularly in an imaging device capable of recording moving images, a conventional video recorder that records video signals on a magnetic tape, a DVD camcorder that records images on a disk medium such as a DVD using laser light, and a HDD that uses a magnetic head. There are a wide variety of recording media such as HDD camcorders for recording. Since these various recording media are generally stored in the image pickup apparatus main body, the shape of the recording unit, which is the recording medium storage unit of the image pickup apparatus, is variously changed according to the shape of the recording medium to be used. . In addition, since an operation such as exchanging the recording medium is not normally performed during shooting, it is common for the user to hold the recording unit and perform shooting.

  Further, the size of the recording medium itself is also advancing, and in current imaging apparatuses, DVDs of 8 cm and HDDs of 1.8 inches are mainly used. In accordance with the small size of this recording medium, the downsizing of the image pickup apparatus body is being promoted simultaneously.

  These imaging devices are provided with various operation members relating to shooting / playback. For example, there are a power switch for turning the power on / off, a mode switch for switching modes such as shooting / playback, a zoom key for freely changing the zoom magnification of the shooting optical system during shooting, a trigger key for starting / stopping shooting, etc. Can be mentioned. In particular, regarding an operation member that is frequently used during shooting, the positional relationship between the hand holding the main body and the operation member is very important in terms of the operability of each operation member. Further, with the downsizing of the imaging device and the diversification of recording media, it is necessary to optimize the arrangement of these operation members according to the diversified recording portion shape (gripping portion shape).

  As for the layout of the operation member according to the downsizing of the imaging device, there has been a proposal as in the following Patent Document (see Patent Document 1).

  Patent Document 1 is an image pickup apparatus having an exterior case, an image pickup optical system, and an image pickup element, and three operation members are arranged in a straight line in the front-rear direction on the right side (a portion that can be operated with an index finger) on the rear upper surface of the case. In addition, as a description regarding the positional relationship between the recording unit and the operation member, the recording unit is accommodated inside the right side of the case, and the operation member is disposed above and behind the recording unit (however, the imaging device is incorporated in the case). In this case, the right side of the case is the right side and the upper side is the top side.

As described above, by disposing the operation member on the right side of the rear upper surface of the case and above and behind the recording unit, the operation member arrangement on the back surface is reduced, which contributes to the downsizing of the imaging device, and with the index finger Since the operation becomes possible, the operability can be improved as compared with the operation of the thumb.
JP2007-148088

  However, the operation member layout of the proposed imaging apparatus may hinder downsizing and improvement in operability. For example, when the recording unit can be suppressed at a predetermined height by downsizing the recording medium, the operation unit protrudes as the maximum height of the imaging device by disposing the operation member above the recording unit. As a result, the size reduction is reversed. This is an important issue particularly in an imaging apparatus that uses a recent small HDD as a recording medium. Furthermore, when the height of the recording unit is suppressed and the width direction of the recording unit is also narrowed, when the user grips the recording unit, the index finger or middle finger suitable for operating the operation member is further inside the product than above the recording unit ( It will extend to the position on the side opposite to the gripping side. Therefore, the operability is remarkably lowered when the operation member is arranged above the recording unit.

  In view of these problems, the layout of each element constituting the imaging apparatus as shown in FIG. 5 is an effective means for suppressing the height of the imaging apparatus and improving operability. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 21 denotes a conventional lens barrel including an imaging unit and the like, and 22 denotes a conventional gripping part that includes a recording part and is a part where a user grips the imaging device. Reference numeral 201 denotes a conventional zoom space that is a space between the conventional lens barrel portion 21 and the conventional gripping portion 22, and 202 denotes a main board that is included in the imaging device and controls the imaging device. By disposing an operation member such as a zoom key in the conventional zoom space 201, the height of the imaging device can be suppressed and the operability can be improved. However, as shown in FIG. 5, when the lens barrel portion including the recording portion and the imaging portion are arranged in parallel at substantially the same height, the space in the width direction sandwiched between the recording portion and the lens barrel portion is limited. If, for example, a movable operation member that rotates around the optical axis direction as a rotation axis is disposed at this position, the width direction of the imaging device increases by the amount of the moving space, which hinders downsizing of the product. Further, if the amount of movement of the movable operation member is set to a small amount to save space, this will cause a problem of deterioration in operability.

  Accordingly, an object of the invention according to the present application is to optimize the operation member arrangement in the imaging apparatus, to improve operability and to reduce the size of the imaging apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, a first invention according to the present application includes: a lens barrel portion including an imaging unit; and a proximity to the lens barrel portion and approximately the same height as the lens barrel portion; An imaging device having a substantially flat gripping portion disposed on the control member and an operation member that rotates about an axis orthogonal to the optical axis, wherein the gripping portion is disposed beside the lens barrel portion, and The operation member is arranged between the lens barrel portion and the grip portion.

  Another feature of the present invention is that the operation member is disposed on the upper surface side of the imaging apparatus.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the operability of the operation member and to reduce the size of the imaging device by optimizing the arrangement position of the operation member in the imaging device.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described.

  In this embodiment, description will be made by applying to an HDD camcorder that uses a hard disk (hereinafter referred to as HDD) as a recording medium. However, the recording medium may be a disk such as a DVD or the like.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the HDD camcorder according to the first embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the rear side of the right side, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the HDD camcorder according to the first embodiment of the present invention from the rear side of the left side. Each perspective view is shown. In this embodiment, the image pickup unit side of the HDD camcorder according to this embodiment is the front, the right side is the right side when viewed from the front, the left side is the left side when viewed from the front, and the upper side when viewed from the front. The top surface, the lower surface when viewed from the front, is the bottom surface, and the surface facing the front is the back surface.

(Description of HDD camcorder appearance code)
The configuration of the HDD camcorder according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
In FIG. 1, 10 is an HDD camcorder main body according to the present embodiment, 11 is a lens barrel including an imaging unit, and 12 is a gripping part that is a part where a user grips the HDD camcorder main body 10 when using the HDD camcorder. 101 is a seesaw zoom key for freely changing the zoom magnification of the imaging optical system, 102 is a photo key for taking a still image, and 103 is a changeover switch for switching between moving image / still image. Reference numeral 104 denotes a power dial for switching between power ON / OFF and shooting / playback mode, 105 a trigger for starting / stopping moving image shooting, and 106 a battery for supplying power to the HDD camcorder body 10. An imaging unit 107 includes imaging elements such as an imaging optical system (not shown), an image processing control board that processes captured images, and a memory that temporarily records captured images. Reference numeral 108 denotes an accessory cover that covers an accessory attachment portion (not shown) inside, 109 a finder that displays a captured image, 110 a microphone that collects sound, and 111 a display device that displays the captured image on a large screen. Reference numeral 112 denotes a select switch for selecting / determining a menu, and 113 denotes a hinge part for fastening the HDD camcorder body 10 and the display part 111 to be rotatable.

  FIG. 3 shows a state in which the exterior cover of the grip portion 12 is removed from the state of FIG. Reference numeral 114 denotes a recording unit that is disposed inside the grip unit 12 and records a captured image. 3, O represents the optical axis direction of an imaging optical system (not shown) of the imaging unit 107, and P represents the rotation direction when the seesaw zoom key 101 is operated. L is a length representing the size in the optical axis direction of the HDD camcorder in the present embodiment, W is a width representing the depth direction size of the HDD camcorder in the present embodiment, and H is a vertical direction of the HDD camcorder in the present embodiment. Each represents a height representing a size.

  FIG. 4 shows a state seen from the back side when the user holds the HDD camcorder. As shown in FIG. 4, when gripping the HDD camcorder, the user supports the HDD camcorder main body 10 in such a manner as to cover the substantially flat gripping portion 12 with the right hand. At this time, the thumb is placed at the position of the trigger 105, and the index finger and the middle finger are placed at the position of the seesaw zoom key 101, respectively.

(Description of HDD camcorder layout)
In the HDD camcorder in the present embodiment, the lens barrel portion 11 is formed in a circular shape when viewed from the front, and each member constituting the lens barrel portion 11 is in the optical axis direction O within the projection range in which this circular shape is pushed out to the back side. Are arranged side by side. The members constituting the lens barrel unit 11 include an imaging unit 107, a microphone 110, an accessory cover 108, a viewfinder 109, and the like in order from the front side. A gripping part 12 is arranged directly next to the lens barrel part 11. As described above, the HDD is disposed as the recording unit 114 inside the grip unit 12. The grip unit 12 is configured in a flat plate shape having the optical axis direction O as a longitudinal direction according to the shape of the HDD. In addition, even when a disc-shaped recording medium such as a DVD is used as the recording unit, the gripping unit may be configured in a flat plate shape in accordance with the maximum outer shape of the disc.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the lens barrel portion 11 and the grip portion 12 are arranged in parallel at substantially the same height at close positions. As a result, the space can be effectively utilized within the range of the maximum outer shape. The seesaw zoom key 101, the photo key 102, and the changeover switch 103, which are operation members used at the time of photographing with the HDD camcorder, are arranged side by side along the optical axis direction O in the space between the lens barrel portion 11 and the grip portion 12. The seesaw zoom key 101 is operated by rotating in the P direction around the axis orthogonal to the optical axis direction O as shown in FIG. When the lens barrel part 11 and the grip part 12 are arranged close to each other in parallel, and the operation member used at the time of photographing is arranged in the space between them, for example, the operation member is arranged above the grip part 12 Compared to the above, the height H can be suppressed and the HDD camcorder can be made compact. Further, when the lens barrel portion 11 and the grip portion 12 are substantially the same height, the space between the lens barrel portion 11 and the grip portion 12 is extremely narrow because the lens barrel portion 11 and the grip portion 12 are close to each other. It will be limited to the range. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, by arranging the seesaw zoom key 101, the width W can be reduced as compared with the case where the zoom key having the optical axis direction O as the rotation axis (the zoom key moves in the width W direction) is used. This makes it possible to more effectively utilize the above space and to make the HDD camcorder compact.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, when the HDD camcorder is gripped, the index finger and middle finger that are easy to operate the operation member are placed at the position where the operation member is placed, so that the operation member can be operated satisfactorily. it can.

  In particular, in the HDD camcorder in the present embodiment, the space between the above is missing from the front to the back, so that the seesaw zoom key 101 can be configured vertically with the optical axis direction O as the longitudinal direction, and the distance between the operation position of the index finger and the middle finger is increased. Therefore, the operability of the seesaw zoom key 101 is excellent. In this embodiment, the seesaw zoom key 101 is disposed on the upper surface side of the HDD camcorder. However, the HDD camcorder is configured so that it can be gripped in such a gripping posture that the thumb is placed on the top surface and the index finger and middle finger are placed on the bottom surface. The same effect can be obtained even if the seesaw zoom key 101 is arranged.

  On the back side of the HDD camcorder body 10, a power dial 104, a trigger 105, a battery 106, and the like are arranged. As shown in FIG. 4, in the state where the HDD camcorder is held, the trigger 105 can be operated by extending the user's thumb and the power dial 104 can be operated by extending the user's index finger.

  A display unit 111 is arranged on the right side surface of the HDD camcorder body 10, and a select switch 112 is arranged in the display unit 111. The display unit 111 is rotatably connected to the HDD camcorder 10 by a hinge unit 113, and is configured to be separated from the HDD camcorder 10 as shown in FIG. Further, since the hinge portion 113 is configured to be rotatable about two axes, the display portion 111 is rotatable about the width direction W as a rotation axis from the state of FIG.

(Use example of HDD camcorder)
An example of use when photographing using an HDD camcorder is shown below. A user first attaches a battery 106 for supplying power to the HDD camcorder body 10 to a battery mounting part (not shown) of the HDD camcorder body, and grips the HDD camcorder body 10 so as to cover the gripping part 12 with a palm as shown in FIG. . At this time, the thumb is naturally placed on the trigger 105 and the middle finger and the index finger are naturally placed on the seesaw zoom key 101 by appropriate arrangement of the operation members. Next, the index finger is extended and the power dial 104 is operated to turn on the power and enter the shooting standby state. At this time, the captured image is displayed on the viewfinder 109 or the display unit 111. When confirming a captured image using the finder 109, the finder 109 is pulled out in the back direction. In this way, when looking through the viewfinder 109, the user's cheek and the battery 106 attached to the back surface do not interfere with each other, and the photographed image can be viewed well. In addition, when confirming a captured image using the display unit 111, the display unit 111 is rotated and separated from the HDD camcorder body 10, and then the hinge unit 113, which is a biaxial hinge, is used to match the user's posture. The display unit 111 is rotated to a position that is easy to see. By disposing the display unit 111 at a position facing the grip unit 12, the user during shooting can better view the captured image displayed on the display unit 111.

  Next, by operating the changeover switch 103, the user selects the moving image mode / still image mode. In each mode, a shooting function such as an image quality effect can be selected / determined by operating the select switch 112 with the left hand.

  The start / stop of moving image shooting can be executed by pressing the trigger 105 with a thumb. Still image shooting can be performed by pressing the photo key 102 with an index finger. In either operation, the finger to be operated is naturally placed in the vicinity of the operation member in a state where the HDD camcorder main body 10 is gripped. Further, when a zoom operation is performed during photographing, it can be executed by pressing the seesaw zoom key 101 with the index finger and middle finger of the right hand. As described above, the seesaw zoom key in this embodiment is configured to be rotatable in the direction P in FIG. 3, for example, set to TELE when operated to the front side, and set to WIDE when operated to the back side. Perform a zoom operation. At this time, the TELE side is operated with the middle finger, and the WIDE side is operated with the index finger. Both operations are difficult because the index finger and the middle finger are naturally separated from both ends of the seesaw zoom key while the HDD camcorder body 10 is held. The operation can be performed satisfactorily.

  As described above, according to the imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment, the lens barrel portion 11 and the grip portion 12 having substantially the same height are arranged close to each other in parallel, and the space between the two is orthogonal to the optical axis direction O. A seesaw zoom key 101 that is rotated about an axis is disposed. By doing so, it is possible to reduce the height H and width W and to make the HDD camcorder compact. Further, by arranging the seesaw zoom key 101 in the space between the above, the index finger and the middle finger are naturally placed on the seesaw zoom key 101, so that it can be operated easily without difficulty. Further, since the index finger and the middle finger are separated from both ends of the seesaw zoom key in a state where the HDD camcorder main body 10 is gripped, the operation can be further improved.

  The present invention is not limited to the form of the present embodiment, but can be effectively applied to an imaging apparatus having a lens barrel portion, a gripping portion, and an operation portion as described in the present embodiment.

The perspective view of the right side view of the HDD camcorder according to the first embodiment The perspective view of the left side view of the HDD camcorder according to the first embodiment Another perspective view of the left side view of the HDD camcorder according to the first embodiment Rear view of the HDD camcorder according to the first embodiment in a gripping state Conventional imaging device layout

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 HDD camcorder main body 11 Lens barrel part 12 Grip part 101 Seesaw zoom key 102 Photo key 103 Changeover switch 104 Power dial 105 Trigger 106 Battery 107 Imaging part 108 Accessory cover 109 Viewfinder 110 Microphone 111 Display part 112 Select switch 113 Hinge part 21 Conventional Lens barrel 22 Conventional gripper 201 Conventional zoom space 202 Conventional main board

Claims (2)

  A lens barrel including an imaging unit, a substantially flat gripping portion that is close to the lens barrel and is substantially the same height as the lens barrel, and in which the recording unit is disposed, and orthogonal to the optical axis An operating member that rotates about an axis, wherein the grip portion is disposed beside the lens barrel portion, and the operation member is disposed between the lens barrel portion and the grip portion. An imaging apparatus characterized by that.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation member is disposed on an upper surface side of the imaging apparatus.

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