JPH03135171A - Camera equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the operability by displaying a picture corresponding to a data relating to a zoom lens position and picking up an object while confirming the object and pickup condition. CONSTITUTION:A video camera consists of a variable resistor whose slider is moved in interlocking with the movement of a zoom lens 2 or a barrel 14 moving the lens 2 and of a lens position detection circuit 15 which detects the position of the lens 2. Then a voltage of a level different from the position of the lens 2 is outputted from the circuit 15 and given to an arithmetic circuit 4 as a digital data by an A/D converter 3. The circuit 4 applies plural arithmetic processings to calculate a present zoom magnification and an angle of view at the longest focus at the position of the lens 2. Then a generator 5 outputs a relevant character or a graphic data in response to an output of the circuit 4 to a multiplex circuit 8. Then the output of the circuit 8 is displayed on an electronic view finder 1, then an object is picked up while confirming the object and its pickup condition to improve the operability.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a camera device, and particularly to a camera device with a zoom function.

[Background Art] Many camera devices have a zoom function to zoom up or zoom back on a subject.

As an example of such a camera device, a conventional video camera with a zoom function will be described.

Such a video camera includes a zoom lens for changing the size of a subject image displayed on an image sensor such as a CCD (charge coupled device).

A zoom lens moves back and forth within a cylinder disposed in front of a video camera to continuously change the focal length of the lens system within the cylinder without changing the imaging position of the subject image. As a result, the value obtained by dividing the actual focal length of the lens system by the fik short focal length of the lens system, that is, the zoom magnification changes, and the size of the subject image on the image sensor changes.

To change the zoom magnification, for example, the user operates a predetermined external switch (zoom switch) provided on the video camera to set the zoom magnification, and moves the zoom lens to a position where the predetermined zoom magnification is obtained. let

Generally, a zoom lens moves by rotating a barrel.

Therefore, in general, based on the relationship between the position of the zoom lens and the zoom magnification determined in advance, there are multiple reference positions on the outside of the barrel in the rotational direction of the barrel, respectively. The zoom up (or focal length M) corresponding to the position of the zoom lens when rotated from to that position is displayed.

The user looks at this zoom magnification (or focal length) display and confirms the zoom magnification at that time.

Now, the viewfinder included in a video camera is
This is an electronic viewfinder that displays video signals as images. Therefore, a video signal obtained by imaging a subject with a video camera is input to a VTR (video tape recorder), home television, etc., and is also input to a viewfinder included in the video camera.

As a result, the viewfinder of the video camera always displays the image that is actually currently being captured. During imaging,
The user looks at the image displayed on the viewfinder and adjusts the subject to be imaged, its size, etc.

Therefore, when photographing while changing the zoom magnification, the user operates the zoom switch while viewing the image displayed on the viewfinder so that the subject is photographed at a desired size.

By the way, a zoom lens is composed of a number of stages of lenses. On the other hand, the zoom magnification displayed on the barrel is determined based on the relationship between the position of a predetermined lens among the multiple lenses that make up the zoom lens and the focal length of the lens system. The focal length of the zoom lens is also variable depending on the positions of the other lenses that make up the zoom lens. Therefore, at each position of said predetermined lens, the focal length of the lens system is variable within a further range.

In other words, the lens system has the longest focal length,
It has a so-called telephoto end and a shortest focal length, a so-called wide end. Therefore, with video cameras equipped with the zoom function or instantaneous magnification function as described above, it is also possible to zoom up in a short time by changing the focal length at each zoom lens position to the telephoto end by operating the zoom switch. be.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] In a conventional camera device such as a video camera equipped with a zoom function, the method for the user to check the zoom magnification (or focal length #l) is to The only option is to look at the zoom magnification display (or focal length display) marked on the outside. For this reason, when shooting while changing the zoom magnification, the user may have to partially use the viewfinder to see the zoom magnification display (or focal length display) on the outside of the barrel when checking the zoom magnification during shooting. I had to take my eyes off of it. However, during the period j when the user takes his eyes off the viewfinder, he cannot confirm whether the subject to be imaged by fM is actually being imaged. For this reason, during this period, the position of the video camera shifts and the video camera captures an object that is different from the subject it should be photographing.
The subject that you originally wanted to image is not imaged. Therefore, with conventional video cameras, when shooting while changing the zoom magnification, the user may take his/her eyes off the viewfinder during shooting, making it impossible to image the subject that was originally intended to be imaged.

Furthermore, conventional camera devices such as video cameras are not equipped with a function that allows the user to check the angle of view at each focal length of the lens system. For this reason, when performing a zoom-up operation in a short period of time on a conventional video camera equipped with a zoom function or an instantaneous magnification function, the user must be aware of which area of the image currently displayed in the viewfinder will be zoomed-up. cannot be confirmed in advance. As a result, a portion of the image that is originally intended to be close-up may extend outside the imaging range and may not be imaged, or a portion that is different from the portion that should be close-up may be captured as a close-up.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, to be able to reliably photograph a desired part in close-up even when zooming up, and to adjust the zoom magnification or focus without missing the subject that should be photographed. An object of the present invention is to provide a camera device that can confirm distance.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above objects, a camera device according to the present invention is capable of photographing a subject using a zoom lens, and has a camera device for displaying the subject to be photographed on a monitor. a viewfinder means, a detection means for detecting the position of the zoom lens, a data derivation means for deriving data related to the current position of the zoom lens based on a detection output of the detection means, and a data derivation means derived by the data derivation means. The image forming apparatus includes a converting means for converting the data into at least one predetermined image data, and a means for displaying at least one image data converted by the converting means together with the object to be photographed on the viewfinder means.

[Operation] Since the camera device according to the present invention is configured as described above, data related to the current zoom lens position detected by the detection means is derived, and then converted into image data and displayed in the viewfinder means. will be displayed. Therefore, information that has not been displayed on the conventional viewfinder means, such as data related to the current position of the zoom lens, is newly displayed on the viewfinder means. Therefore, the user can check information related to the zoom function simply by looking at the viewfinder means.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a video camera showing one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the figure, a series of lens systems (not shown) including a zoom lens 2 are provided within the cylindrical body 14.

The zoom lens 2 is driven by a zoom motor 9 driven by a drive 1 circuit 10, and moves back and forth (
(left and right in the figure). The user is
As in the conventional case, by operating a zoom switch 11 provided outside the video camera and controlling the drive circuit 10, the zoom lens 2 is moved so that the subject is imaged at a predetermined size.

The operation of this video camera during image capturing will be described below.

After the reflected light from the subject passes through the focus lens 2 in the cylinder 14, it is focused by the imaging lens 12 and CC
An image of the subject is formed on the light receiving surface of D6.

The CCD 6 converts the light incident on the light receiving surface, that is, the subject image formed on the light receiving surface, into an electrical signal and sends the signal to the signal processing circuit 7.
give to

The signal processing circuit 7 creates a video signal based on the electrical signal from the CCD 6 using a known technique. The signal processing circuit 7 is a conventionally known general circuit for creating a video signal from the output of imaging processing.

The video signal created by the signal processing circuit 7 is output to the outside via the video signal output terminal 13, and is also provided to a multiplexing circuit 8, which will be described later.

On the other hand, the position of the zoom lens 2 within the cylindrical body 14 is converted into an electrical signal and provided to the A/D converter 3 by, for example, a general method as described below. The A/D converter 3 digitizes the level of the electrical signal indicating the position of the zoom lens 2 and supplies it to the arithmetic circuit 4 . In other words, the arithmetic circuit 4
is always given a value indicating the actual zoom lens position as digital data.

In order to detect the position of the zoom lens 2 within the barrel 14, this video camera changes the contact position in conjunction with the movement of the zoom lens 2 or the barrel 14 that rotates to move the zoom lens 2. It includes a zoom lens position detection circuit 15 configured by a variable resistor. Therefore, the zoom lens position detection circuit 14 outputs voltages of different levels depending on the position of the zoom lens 2.

The output voltage of the zoom lens position detection circuit 14 is sent to the A/D converter 3 as an electric signal representing the position of the zoom lens 2.
given to.

The arithmetic circuit 4 is, for example, a one-chip microcomputer, and performs predetermined arithmetic processing on the digital data given from the A/D converter 3 to calculate the current zoom magnification (or focal length rl&). do. The calculation process is performed using a predetermined zoom magnification (or focal length AI).
) and the position of the zoom lens.

Furthermore, the arithmetic circuit 4 performs arithmetic processing different from the above-mentioned arithmetic processing on the digital data given from the A/D converter 3, and calculates the maximum focal length at the current zoom lens position indicated by the given digital data. Calculate the angle of view of the lens system at . This calculation process is determined based on a predetermined correlation between the zoom lens position and the angle of view of the lens system at the longest focal length. The current zoom magnification (or focal length) and angle of view of the lens system calculated by the arithmetic circuit 4 are given to the character and angle of view frame generator 5 as digital data.

The generator 5 responds to the digital data from the arithmetic circuit 4 and outputs corresponding image data such as characters and figures to the multiplexing circuit 8.

For example, the generator 5 receives digital data corresponding to the zoom magnification or focal length, and generates a value such as 2x, 3x, etc. (or 2m, 2m, etc. representing the focal length) representing the zoom magnification (or focal length) indicated by the digital data. 3m
etc.), receives digital data corresponding to the angle of view, and outputs a figure representing a frame of a size corresponding to the angle of view indicated by the digital data.

This frame shows which part of the currently captured image displayed in the knee finder will be closed when the focal length of the lens system becomes the longest focal length at the current zoom lens position due to the zoom up operation. This shows whether it will be uploaded.

The range (close-up range) on the current captured image that is close-up at maximum zoom-up, that is, at the longest focal length, is derived from the angle of view of the lens system at maximum zoom-up using a known formula. . That is, the generator 5 outputs a frame indicating the close-up range corresponding to the angle of view calculated by the arithmetic circuit 4.

Note that the generator 5 has in advance a display character representing the zoom magnification (or focal length) and a figure representing the frame respectively associated with each piece of digital data that can be output from the arithmetic circuit 4, that is, a code. It is digitized and memorized.

Now, the multiplexing circuit 8 superimposes such image data from the generator 5 on the video signal from the signal processing circuit 7 described above and outputs the superimposed image data. The multiplexing circuit 8 is a general circuit having a function of superimposing two images, such as a superimposing circuit.

The video signal output from the multiplexing circuit 8 is given to the electronic viewfinder 1, and an image is displayed on its screen.

Therefore, on the electronic viewfinder 1, characters indicating the current zoom magnification (or focal length) and a frame indicating the close-up range at the maximum focal length are displayed superimposed on the currently captured image. .

FIG. 2(a) is a diagram showing a display example of a frame indicating a close-up range on the screen of the viewfinder 1, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an image displayed on the screen of the viewfinder 1 when a subject is photographed in close-up at the telephoto end (maximum focal length). FIG.

Referring to FIG. 2, for example, as shown in FIG. 2(a), the viewfinder 1 has a hook-shaped figure 10 defining a rectangular frame that is the close-up range at the maximum focal length. It is displayed together with the subject 11. The rectangular range (indicated by diagonal lines in the figure) surrounded by this hook-shaped figure 10 is the close-up range at the telephoto end at the zoom lens position at this point. Therefore, when an image as shown in FIG. 2(a) is displayed in the viewfinder 1, when close-up photography is performed with the focal length of the lens system set to the maximum, the image shown in FIG. 2(b) is taken.
As shown in FIG. 2(a), the hook-shaped figure 1
The range surrounded by 0 is enlarged and photographed.

As described above, in this example, the current zoom magnification (or focal length) calculated based on the position of the zoom lens and the angle of view at the longest focal length are the displayed characters and the frame indicating the close-up range, respectively. displayed in the viewfinder.

Therefore, unlike before, the user can always check the zoom magnification by looking at the image displayed in the viewfinder, and can also see the range that will be close-up when the focal length of the lens system is maximized to increase the zoom. You can also check.

Therefore, even when photographing is performed while changing the zoom magnification, the user does not need to take his eyes off the viewfinder to check the zoom magnification. As a result, it becomes possible to change the zoom magnification while constantly checking the subject to be imaged, and it is possible to reliably image the desired subject at the desired zoom magnification.

Furthermore, when photographing is performed while zooming up under a zoom magnification of 1, it is possible to zoom up after confirming the image range to be close-up by the frame displayed on the viewfinder. Therefore, even when a zoom-up operation is performed in a short period of time, it is possible to reliably capture a close-up image of a desired part of the subject. As a result, it is possible to avoid a portion that should normally be close-up from protruding from the imaging range or a portion that is different from the portion that should be close-up to be close-up.

Note that the image displayed on the viewfinder to inform the user of the close-up range at the maximum focal length is not limited to the shape illustrated in FIG.
Any method may be used as long as it can clearly represent the close-up range. Similarly, the image displayed in the viewfinder to inform the user of the zoom magnification or focal length does not necessarily have to be text, as long as it can clearly represent said zoom magnification (or focal length). good.

Furthermore, the image indicating the zoom magnification or focal length and the image indicating the close-up range do not necessarily need to be displayed together on the viewfinder. That is, only one of these two types of images may be displayed as necessary.

Further, the data related to the current zoom lens position displayed as an image on the viewfinder is not limited to that according to this embodiment, and may be other data that can be derived from the current zoom lens position.

It should be noted that the present invention is not only applicable to imaging devices such as video cameras as in the above embodiments, but is also applicable to general cameras. Further, the means for displaying information indicating the zoom magnification (or focal length) and the angle of view at the longest focal length on the viewfinder is not limited to this embodiment.
Any configuration suitable for the type of viewfinder, internal configuration of the camera device, etc. may be used.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the viewfinder means can display the current zoom lens position, which is represented by the current zoom magnification (or focal length) of the lens system and the angle of view at the longest focal length. Information corresponding to related data is displayed as an image. Therefore, the user can perform photography while simultaneously checking the subject to be photographed and the photographing conditions, and the operability of the apparatus by the user is improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a video camera showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2(a) and FIG. 2(b) are
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining one function of a video camera in an embodiment. In the figure, 1 is an electronic viewfinder, 2 is a zoom lens, 3 is an A/D converter, 4 is an arithmetic circuit, 5 is a character and field of view frame generator, 6 is a CCD, 7 is a signal processing circuit, and 8 is a multiplexer. 12 is an imaging lens, and 14 is a zoom lens position detection circuit. In addition, in the figures, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A camera device capable of photographing a subject using a zoom lens, comprising: viewfinder means for displaying the subject to be photographed on a monitor; means for detecting the position of the zoom lens; , data derivation means for deriving data related to the current position of the zoom lens based on the detection output of the detection means; and data related to the current position of the zoom lens derived by the data derivation means. into at least one predetermined image data; and means for displaying the at least one image data converted by the converting means together with the subject to be photographed on the viewfinder means. Device.