JPH04100382A - Finder for electronic camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily change a direction in which a finder is recognized by sight by changing a rotational angle after defining a part near to the one side of a rectangular plate shaped display device as a rotary shaft. CONSTITUTION:A finder 5 constituted of a liquid crystal display device or the like is provided at the back face of an electronic camera main body 1, and an object image is displayed as an animation on a display face 5a of the finder 5 at the time of photographing. The display device 5 is attached to the electronic camera main body 1 in order to be capable of rotaing freely by the rotary shaft in parallel with a top face 1a, at the position near to the top face 1a of the electronic camera main body 1. Thus, the finder can be easily changed for an eye level and a waist level. Moreover, the rotational angle is difined as an almost 180 deg., and the up-and-down-and-right-and-left or only the up-and-down or only the right-and-left of the display screen is inverted so that it is possible to photograph oneself by using a self timer after confirming a composition from the finder by oneself.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a finder for an electronic camera that records moving or still image signals obtained by an image sensor on a recording medium.

[Conventional technology]

The finders of conventional electronic cameras are broadly classified into optical finders and electronic finders.

The finder for a video camera in a video tape record system that records moving image signals on a magnetic tape is often an electronic view finder based on a small CRT. Koya's video cameras also use optical viewfinders.

Electronic still cameras that record still image signals on magnetic disks or solid-state memories usually use an optical viewfinder.

[Invention or problem to be solved]

The conventional electronic camera finder described above has the following problems.

In an optical finder, the direction in which the viewfinder is viewed is fixed, and an optical system is required to change the direction in which the viewfinder is viewed, making it difficult to make electronic cameras large and thin.

On the other hand, electronic viewfinders using a CRT can change the viewing direction with a simple configuration, and are superior to optical viewfinders in this respect, but the shape and thickness of electronic viewfinders cannot be made thinner, so electronic cameras can be It is difficult to make it a reality.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a thin electronic camera finder that can change the viewing direction.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the electronic camera finder of the present invention has a rectangular plate-like display device mounted on the back of the electronic camera body near one side of the rectangle and parallel to the one side. It is rotatably mounted using driving wheels.

The rotation range of the display device includes a range where the display surface of the display device is visible from the front side of the electronic camera body.

Further, in a rectangular plate-shaped display device, one side of the rectangle is the top side or side side of the electronic camera body.

The display device has a liquid crystal display means.

[Effect]

With the above configuration, the direction in which the viewfinder is viewed can be easily changed since the rectangular plate-shaped display device is configured so that the rotation angle can be changed using one side of the display device as a rotation axis.

This allows the finder to be easily changed to eye-level or waist-level viewfinder depending on the position of the viewpoint relative to the electronic camera body.

Furthermore, by setting the rotation angle to approximately 180 degrees and reversing the top, bottom, left and right sides of the display screen, or just the top and bottom, or only the left and right sides, you can use the so-called self-timer function in electronic still cameras when taking pictures in which you are the subject. When taking a picture of yourself using a camera, you can check the composition yourself using the viewfinder before taking the picture.

Furthermore, since it is a rectangular plate-shaped display device having a liquid crystal display means, it can be made thin and does not become bulky even when attached to an electronic camera.

Furthermore, if the electronic camera body and the display device are fixed at an arbitrary rotation angle or a plurality of rotation angles, the electronic camera will be stable when placed.

〔Example〕

1 to 3 are perspective views showing a first embodiment of the invention, FIGS. 4 to 6 are perspective views showing a second embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of the invention.

1 to 7, a photographic lens 2 is provided on the front surface of the electronic camera body 1, and a release button 3 is provided on the top surface 1a. There is a recording medium storage opening 4 on the side surface 1b, in which the recording medium is stored. A magnetic disk or solid-state memory is used as the recording medium.

A finder 5 comprising a liquid crystal display device or the like is provided on the back of the electronic camera body l, and a subject image or a moving image is displayed on the display surface 5a of the finder 5 at the time of photographing.

In the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the display device 5 is located close to the top surface 1a of the electronic camera body 1, and is rotatably connected to the electronic camera body 1 by a rotation axis parallel to the top surface 1a. installed.

FIG. 1 shows a state in which the finder 5 is housed in the electronic camera body 1.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the display surface 5a of the finder 5 is tilted slightly upward. When photographing with the electronic camera body 1 lowered, the photographer can easily view the display surface 5a by turning the display surface 5a of the finder 5 upward in this manner.

If the finder 5 is attached to the electronic camera body 1 using a known structure (for example, a click stop mechanism) that fixes it at multiple rotation angles, it will be stable when the electronic camera body 1 is placed in the state shown in FIG. , there is no risk of falling.

FIG. 3 shows the viewfinder 5 rotated approximately 180 degrees from the stored state to display its display surface 5a on the front surface of the electronic camera body l (for photographing).
The lens 2 is shown facing toward the surface on which the lens 2 is attached.

At this time, when the display surface 5a is viewed from the front of the electronic camera body l, the displayed image appears upside down, horizontally and vertically.

In order to display this correctly, two liquid crystal drive circuits are provided, one for normal display and the other for vertical and horizontal inverted display. Then, when the rotation angle of the finder 5 exceeds a certain value, the liquid crystal drive circuit may be switched to display upside down, horizontally, vertically, etc. using a limit switch, etc., to prevent the displayed image from being displayed upside down, horizontally, vertically, etc.

Note that the liquid crystal drive circuit for vertically and horizontally inverted display may display only the top and bottom inverted display.

In this way, since it can be viewed from the display surface 5a of the viewfinder 5 or from the front of the electronic camera body 1, it is convenient to check the composition, that is, the position of the user on the shooting screen when operating the shutter release using a so-called self-timer. .

In the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the display device 5 is rotatably attached to the electronic camera body l by a rotation shaft 6 located close to the side face lb of the electronic camera body l and parallel to the side face lb. There is.

FIG. 4 shows a state in which the finder 5 is housed in the electronic camera body l.

FIG. 5 shows a state in which the display surface 5a of the finder 5 is turned slightly to the left.

If the finder 5 is attached to the electronic camera body l using a known structure (for example, a click stop mechanism) that fixes the finder 5 at a plurality of rotation angles, it will be stable when the electronic camera is placed in the state shown in FIG. This is convenient when taking pictures using the self-timer.

FIG. 6 shows a state in which the viewfinder 5 has been rotated approximately 180 degrees from the stored state so that its display surface 5a is directed toward the front of the electronic camera body 1 (the surface to which the photographing lens 2 is attached). In this way, since the user can view the view from the display surface 5a of the finder 5 or from the front of the electronic camera body 1, the user can conveniently check the composition, ie, the user's own position on the photographic screen, when performing a flash release operation using a so-called self-timer.

In addition, in order to view the display surface 5a from the front of the electronic camera body l as described above, two liquid crystal drive circuits are provided, one for normal display and the other for left-right reverse display.
When the rotation angle exceeds a certain value, the liquid crystal drive circuit may be switched to reverse left/right display using a limit switch or the like.

In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the display device 5 is rotatably attached to the electronic camera body I at a position close to the top surface 1a of the electronic camera body I by a rotation axis parallel to the top surface 1a.

The side surface 5b of the finder 5 is flush with the side surface ib of the electronic camera body l.

FIG. 7 shows a state in which the display surface 5a of the finder 5 is oriented slightly upward.

When shooting with the electronic camera body I lowered, the display surface 5a of the finder 5 is oriented upward in this way, so that the photographer can easily see the display surface 5a.

If the finder 5 is attached to the electronic camera body using a known structure (for example, a click stop mechanism) that fixes the viewfinder 5 at multiple rotation angles, it will be stable when the electronic camera is placed in the state shown in Figure 7, and the self-timer will be stable. This is convenient when taking pictures. Furthermore, as shown in FIG.
If the camera is placed downward, it will be stable when the electronic camera is placed vertically, and it will be convenient for self-timer shooting in the vertical position.

In all of the embodiments, the attachment of the electronic camera body 1 and the viewfinder 5 is made removable. For example, as shown in FIG. I can only use .

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, since the rectangular plate-shaped display device is configured so that the rotation angle can be changed using the rotation axis near one side, the direction in which the finder is viewed can be easily changed.

Furthermore, when automatically pressing the shutter using a self-timer, the electronic camera body can stand on its own.

Furthermore, it is possible to eliminate difficulty in viewing the finder due to photographing positions such as eye level and waist level.

In addition, if the finder is attached to the electronic camera body 1 using a known structure (for example, a click stop mechanism) that fixes the finder at multiple rotation angles, the electronic camera will be stable when standing up, which is convenient when shooting with a self-timer. It is.

Furthermore, by setting the angle of rotation of the viewfinder to approximately 180 degrees and reversing the top and bottom, left and right, or only the top and bottom, or only the left and right of the display screen, it is possible to When photographing yourself (for example, when photographing yourself), you can view the viewfinder from the front of the electronic camera and take a photograph.

Further, according to the present invention, in the stored state (rotation angle: 06), it fits on the back of the electronic camera body, contributing to miniaturization of the electronic camera.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1, 2, and 3 are perspective views showing a first embodiment of the present invention; FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 are perspective views showing a second embodiment of the present invention; The figure is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols of main parts] l Electronic camera body, 1a - top surface, lb - side surface, 5 - finder, 5a - display surface.

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) A finder for an electronic camera, characterized in that a rectangular plate-shaped display device is attached to the back of the electronic camera body so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis close to and parallel to one side of the rectangle. (2) The finder of an electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the rotation range of the display device includes a range where the display surface of the display device is visible from the front side of the electronic camera body. (3) The finder of an electronic camera according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the one side is one side on the top side of the electronic camera body. (4) The finder of an electronic camera according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the one side is one side on a side surface of the electronic camera body. (5) The finder of an electronic camera according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the display device has a liquid crystal display means.