JPH0255991B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a viewfinder for an electronic camera that records a subject image as an electrical signal.

[Conventional technology]

Image pickup device (or image pickup tube) such as an electronic still camera or video camera (hereinafter simply referred to as an electronic camera)
Electronic viewfinders using display devices such as compact CRTs and liquid crystals are often used as viewfinders for cameras that use electronic viewfinders because they can utilize the output of the image pickup device. In addition, an optical viewfinder may be used to optically observe a subject image that may or may not pass through the photographic lens.

Each of these finders has advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages of the electronic viewfinder are that since the display operation is performed by signals from the image sensor, it is possible to check whether the image sensor is operating normally or not at the same time, and it is easy to display various messages and other information. For example, it is possible to check the recording status by playing back the recorded image immediately after recording.

The disadvantages of electronic viewfinders are that they consume a lot of current, are expensive to convert to color, are difficult to faithfully reproduce the colors of the subject even if they are converted to color, and have low resolution (for example, CRT). horizontal,
(limited to vertical resolution).

The advantages of optical finders are low current consumption,
The colors of the subject can be observed and confirmed accurately, the resolution is high, etc.

The disadvantages of the optical viewfinder are that it is not possible to simultaneously check whether the image sensor is operating normally, that it is difficult to display information such as various messages, and that it is not possible to check the recording status by playing back the recorded image immediately afterward. Things, etc.

Conventional electronic cameras, such as video cameras, have generally been equipped with either one of the viewfinders. Also, although there have been proposals that allow the use of both viewfinders, there are cases where either one is selectively installed on the main body, or even when both viewfinders are installed, it is not possible to look into the viewfinder. Since the positions are different from each other, when switching from one viewfinder to the other, it takes time to replace and install the viewfinder, and it is necessary to take one's eyes off the eyepiece of the viewfinder.

By the way, if both viewfinders, which have these advantages and disadvantages, can be switched instantly while looking through a common eyepiece, it will be very convenient to use as an electronic camera.

For example, suppose that when an electronic camera is operated with a portable power supply, an optical viewfinder with low current consumption is selected in order to save power consumption. At that time, in order to check whether the image sensor is operating normally without interrupting shooting, I switch to the electronic viewfinder while looking through the viewfinder, check the operation of the image sensor, and then immediately switch back to the optical viewfinder, which consumes less power. When the optical viewfinder is selected for similar reasons, such as when saving data or for similar reasons, play back the last recorded signal from the recording medium to check whether the previous recording was done correctly when shooting is interrupted. This is the case when visually checking a reproduced image using an electronic viewfinder. Of course, various other convenient uses are possible.

However, as mentioned above, conventional electronic cameras are equipped with either one of the viewfinders, or even if both viewfinders can be used, the position from which the viewfinder is viewed is different, so the above method of use is not possible. The problem was that it was impossible.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

The present invention has been made in view of these conventional problems, and is an easy-to-use electronic viewfinder that allows you to instantly switch between an electronic viewfinder and an optical viewfinder while looking through the eyepiece without taking your eyes off the eyepiece. The purpose is to realize a camera viewfinder.

[Means for solving the problem] Therefore, the present invention provides electronic viewfinder sections 65, 6.
7, 75; optical viewfinder parts 11, 69; a single eyepiece optical part 71; and a switching part 73, 57 that optionally guides either of the two eyepiece optical parts to the eyepiece optical part; By operating the switching section, the two viewfinders can be arbitrarily switched to enable observation of the object.

[Effect]

Since both the electronic viewfinder and the optical viewfinder are constructed so as to look into a single eyepiece optical system, the photographer of the electronic camera can switch between the electronic viewfinder and the optical viewfinder without taking his eyes off the eyepiece optical system.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the electronic camera body 1 has a photographing lens 3, which is not shown in the focal plane.
A solid-state image sensor such as a CCD is arranged. The subject image converted into an electrical signal by the solid-state image sensor is stored in a memory cell, such as a semiconductor memory or a magnetic bubble memory, built in a storage section (not shown). The camera body 1 further includes a viewfinder window 11, a shooting start button or release button 13, and a camera side antenna 17. Further, a monitor device 21 is detachably attached to the camera body 1, and the monitor device 21 forms a grip portion.

In FIG. 1 showing the state in which the monitor device 21 is attached to the camera body 1 and FIG. 2 showing the state in which it is removed, the monitor device 21 includes a detachable knob 51, a mounting screw 53 that is rotated by the detachable knob 51, and a mounting screw 53 on the monitor side. window 5
5. Release button 13 and monitor side connector 33
, a monitor side antenna 39 , and a signal pin 41 . This release button 13 functions as a normal release button for starting a photographing operation when the monitor device is attached to the camera body, and as a remote control release button when the monitor device is removed. Therefore, in this embodiment, the release button 31 dedicated to remote control of the first embodiment is unnecessary.

The camera body 1 includes a photographic lens 3 and a front view window 1.
1, a camera side antenna 17, a switching lever 57, a female screw 59 for attaching a monitor device, a camera side window 61, and a camera side connector 63.

In FIG. 3, the monitor device 21 includes a monitor cathode ray tube 65 and a fixed mirror 67 that reflects light from the fluorescent screen to the monitor window 55. Also, inside the camera body 1, a viewfinder objective lens 6 is disposed behind the viewfinder window 11.
9, and an eyepiece lens 71 arranged behind this,
It has a movable mirror 73 arranged between both lenses 69 and 71, and a positive lens 75 behind the camera side window 61. The viewfinder objective lens 69 and the eyepiece lens 71 constitute a transparent viewfinder that allows direct observation of the subject, and the movable mirror 73 is connected to a switching lever 57, and in response to the operation of this lever 57, it is retracted from the transparent viewfinder optical path. , completes the see-through viewfinder optical path, enters the optical path, and reflects the light from the positive lens 75 to the eyepiece lens 71. Note that a memory cell for storing video signals is built into the camera body 1.

With this configuration, rotate the knob 51,
When the male screw 53 and the female screw 59 are engaged and the monitor device 21 is attached to the camera body 1, the monitor side connector 33 is connected to the camera side connector 63, and the monitor side window 55 and the camera side window 61 face each other. . Therefore, the subject image reproduced and displayed on the cathode ray tube 65 is transmitted through the fixed mirror 67, the windows 55 and 61, the positive lens 75, the movable mirror 73, and the eyepiece lens 71.
observed through. If the photographer wishes to directly observe the subject image through the transparent viewfinder, he/she may operate the switching lever 57 to retract the movable mirror 73 from the optical path of the viewfinder objective lens 69. By pressing the release button 13, a release signal is transmitted to the camera body via the connectors 33, 63, photographing is started, and the video signal is stored in a memory cell built into the camera body. Braun tube 65
The fixed mirror 67 and the positive lens 75 constitute an electronic viewfinder part, the viewfinder window 11 and the viewfinder objective lens constitute an optical viewfinder part, and an eyepiece lens 71 is added to each viewfinder part to form an electronic viewfinder. and an optical viewfinder, respectively.

On the other hand, when the monitor device 21 is removed from the camera body 1 as shown in FIG.
9 and reproduces and displays it on the cathode ray tube 65. The photographer can directly observe this display from the monitor side window 55. When the release button 13 is pressed for remote control of the camera, a release signal is transmitted to the camera body via the antennas 39 and 17, and a photograph is taken. In addition,
When the monitor device is removed, the cathode ray tube image observed through the monitor side window 55 and the eyepiece lens 7 when it is attached.
If the image is upside down compared to the cathode ray tube image observed from 1, the image can always be erected by changing the scanning direction of the cathode ray tube 65 using the signal pin 41 depending on the monitor device. .
Furthermore, when the monitor device is removed, the movable mirror 73 may be rotated in accordance with the removal operation to form the optical path of the see-through viewfinder 69, 71. Since the release button 13 is installed as a monitor device, it can also be used as a remote control release button. Furthermore, when the monitor device is attached, the monitor image can also be viewed through the eyepiece lens 71 by operating the switching lever 57.
There is no need to take your eyes off the eyepiece lens 71 to observe the monitor image.

Although the present embodiment uses a so-called still electronic camera that records still images, it may of course be an electronic camera (video camera) that records moving images.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to instantly switch between the electronic viewfinder and the optical viewfinder while looking through the eyepiece without taking your eyes off the eyepiece, making it possible to realize an extremely user-friendly electronic camera. can.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of an electronic camera according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which a monitor device is removed from the electronic camera body. FIG. 3 is a layout diagram showing one embodiment of the optical system. (Explanation of symbols of main parts), 1...Camera body,
3...Photographing lens, 13...Camera release button, 21...Monitoring device, {65...Cathode ray tube,
67...Fixed mirror, 75...Positive lens}Electronic viewfinder section, {11...Finder window, 69...
Finder objective lens} Optical finder, 71...
...Eyepiece lens, {57...Switching lever, 73...
...Movable mirror} switching section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An electronic finder section; an optical finder section;
An electronic camera comprising: a single eyepiece optical section; and a switching section that optionally guides either of the two eyepiece optical sections to the eyepiece optical section. 2. The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the switching section includes a rotatable reflecting mirror.