JPH04198909A - Range-finder for camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enhance focusing accuracy in photographing for a long distance side at the time of trimming photographing or panoramic photographing by switching maximum distance range to the long distance side from the ordinary photographing range at the time of trimming photographing or the panoramic photographing. CONSTITUTION:A photodetector part is constituted of a photodetecting lens 1 which receives light from an object, an optical wedge 2, and a photodetector 3. In the ordinary photographing mode, the wedge 2 is retreated from the optical path from the object, and moved and inserted in the optical path in the trimming photographing or the panoramic photographing mode. When the photographing mode becomes the trimming or panoramic photographing mode, the wedge 2 is inserted to change the optical path of reflected light from the object, and a range where the photodetector 3 can perform range-finding is shifted to the long distance side. Thus, long distance measuring is performed at the time of trimming photographing or panoramic photographing, and the focusing accuracy is improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a distance measuring device for a camera that can switch between normal photography, trimming photography, or panoramic photography.

[Prior art] In the conventional camera distance measuring device, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-198410
As shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-264030, there is one in which the optical path is switched between normal photography and close-up photography by operating a manual operation member, and the distance measurement range is switched. , etc., which improve distance measurement accuracy by inserting an optical element that extends the baseline length during close-up photography.

[The problem that the invention seeks to solve! i] By the way, in the conventional distance measuring device as described above, the distance measuring range is not switched between normal shooting and trimming shooting or panoramic shooting.

Generally, in trimming photography and panoramic photography, photography is often performed at a relatively long distance compared to normal photography. Therefore, if the distance measurement range is not changed according to the shooting mode, the focusing accuracy may be lowered depending on the resolution of the light receiving element.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a distance measuring device for a camera that can measure distances further and improve focusing accuracy during cropping shooting or panoramic shooting. do.

"Means for Solving the Problem" In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 provides a camera that can switch between normal shooting, cropping shooting, or panoramic shooting, and is capable of measuring a predetermined range during normal shooting. It has a light-receiving element, and the distance measurement range of the light-receiving element is switched to the long distance MI 111 during trimming photography or panoramic photography.

According to the second aspect of the invention, a movable optical system is disposed on the optical path from the subject, and the distance measurement range of the light receiving element is switched to the long distance side by moving the optical system.

The invention according to claim 3 uses an optical wedge as the optical system.

The invention according to claim 4 uses a light receiving lens as the optical system.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the number of focusing steps of the photographing lens is changed between normal photographing and trimming photographing or panoramic photographing.

The invention according to claim 6 has means for issuing a short distance warning based on the detection signal of the light receiving element and a reference voltage, and the reference is switched to the moon according to the shooting mode. .

V Effect] According to the configuration described in claim 1, during normal photographing, the light receiving element measures a predetermined range, and during trimming photographing or panoramic photographing, the distance measuring range of the light receiving element can be switched to the long distance side.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a movable optical system is disposed on the optical path from the subject, and the distance measurement range of the light receiving element can be switched to the long distance side by moving the optical system.

According to the configuration described in claim 3 or 4, the optical wedge or the light-receiving lens is moved in the optical path during trimming photography or panoramic photography, and the distance measurement range of the light-receiving element is switched to the long path MrpJ.

According to the configuration described in claim 5, the number of focusing steps of the photographic lens is increased during trimming photography or panoramic photography, compared to the time of normal photography, so that finer focus adjustment can be performed.

According to the configuration described in claim 6, it is possible to issue a short distance warning in accordance with the detection signal from the light receiving element, and furthermore, it is possible to issue an appropriate short distance warning in accordance with the photographing mode.

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

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a light receiving section of a photometric circuit of a camera according to the present invention. The light receiving section includes a light receiving lens 1 that receives light from an object, an optical wedge 2, and a light receiving element (SPC) 3. The optical wedge 2 is retracted from the optical path from the subject in normal photography mode, and moved and inserted into the optical path in trimming photography (th child zoom) or panoramic photography mode.

The measurable distance range of the light receiving element 3 in the normal photographing mode in which the optical wedge 2 is retracted from the optical path is 0.5 m to 10 m. When the shooting mode changes to trimming/panorama shooting mode in this state, the optical path of the reflected light from the subject is changed by inserting the optical wedge 2, as shown by the dotted line in the figure, so the light receiving element 3 The measurable range is shifted to the long distance side, for example, a range of 1 m to 20 m can be measured. That is, the infinite continuous setting position 1 is switched between the normal shooting mode and the trimming/panoramic shooting mode. However, in this trimming panoramic shooting mode, it is necessary to correct the output of the distance measurement circuit and correct the lens's stop/focus point.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a lens drive control section.

The distance measuring circuit 10 outputs zone signals corresponding to the subject distance to AND circuits 121 and 122 from a terminal 10a in the trimming/panoramic shooting mode and from a terminal 10b in the normal shooting mode, respectively.

Further, the terminal 1a is a terminal that outputs "1" when the shooting mode is the trimming panoramic shooting mode,
Terminal 1b is connected to “ when the shooting mode is normal shooting mode.
These are terminals that output 1", and each is connected to an AND circuit 121.
, 122. AND circuits 121, 122
The output of is connected to the input terminal of the OR circuit 123, and the output of O
The output of R circuit 123 is connected to the base of transistor Q15 via resistor R23. The above AND circuit 12
1. The other input terminal of 122 has four fixed contacts 1
27 and the fixed contact piece 126 of 2@, respectively.

The collector of the transistor Q15/] is connected to the base of the transistor Q16 via the resistor R24, and
The emitter of transistor Q16 is connected to electromagnet Mg5. The collector of the transistor Q16 is connected to the connection point between the resistor R25 and the capacitor C4, and
is connected in parallel with resistor R25 and capacitor C4.

At the start of the focus adjustment operation, the transistor Q16 is turned on to discharge the electric charge pre-charged in the capacitor C4 through the coil of the electromagnet Mg5, thereby attracting the locking member 124 to the core of the electromagnet Mg5 and locking the locking member 124. Cancel the stop. At this time, I! which drives the photographing lens 109! !
The mechanical parts are in a charged state. In this state, by operating the electromagnet 101, the locking lever 102
The same lever 102 and the forward running member 10 are rotated counterclockwise.
3, the forward running member 103 runs in the direction of arrow 129, and at the same time, this running causes the lens driving member 10
8 is running. This lens driving member 108 is provided with a sliding contact piece 125, and as the lens driving member 108 travels, the sliding contact piece 125 slides on fixed contact pieces 126, 127, and 128. This sliding contact piece 125 is the fixed contact piece 1.
When sliding on the fixed contact piece 126, "1" is input to the input terminal of the AND circuit 121, and when sliding on the fixed contact piece 126, "1" is input to the input terminal of the AND circuit 122.

Now, if the shooting mode is normal shooting mode, terminal 1
The output “1” from b is input to the AND circuit 122.

The distance measurement signal from the terminal 10b of the distance measurement circuit 10 becomes "1", and the sliding contact piece 125 is positioned above the fixed contact piece 126! At this time, the output of the AND circuit 122 becomes "1", making the transistor Q15 conductive, and thereby the transistor Q16 becomes conductive.
becomes non-conductive and deactivates the electromagnet Mg5. As a result, the locking lever 124 engages with the locking protrusion 108a on the lens drive member 108, the movement of the photographing lens 109 is stopped, and the focus adjustment operation is completed.

On the other hand, when the shooting mode is the trimming/panoramic shooting mode, the output "1" from the terminal 1a is output from the AND circuit 1.
21. The distance measurement signal from the terminal 10a of the distance measurement circuit 10 becomes "1", and the sliding contact piece 125 changes to the fixed contact piece 12.
7, the output of AND times 1%121 is “1”
”, making the transistor Q15 conductive and the electromagnet M
Deactivate g5. As a result, the locking lever 124
engages with the locking protrusion 108a on the lens drive member 108, and the focus adjustment operation is completed in the same manner as described above. In this manner, in the case of the trimming panorama mode, the number of divisions of the fixed contact piece 127 is larger than that of the fixed contact piece 126, so that resolution can be increased and focus adjustment can be made more finely than in the normal photographing mode.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of the light receiving section of the present invention.
Light receiving element group 11 consisting of a plurality of light receiving elements 5PC1a to 5PC1g
, a logarithmic amplifier group 12 , a multiplexer 13 , 14 for selecting the output of two of the plurality of light receiving elements, a difference amplifier 15 , a comparator 16 for short-range warning, a comparator group 18 , and a difference amplifier 15 and means 17 for applying a predetermined voltage to the input (reference section) of the comparator group 18
It consists of.

In addition, the reference voltage 19 is used in normal shooting mode and trimming mode.
Light character P that moves according to switching of panoramic shooting mode
The level of short-range warning can be changed in conjunction with the J2 mechanism. By switching the reference voltage 17 for short-distance warning according to the photographing mode, the photographer can always be informed of an appropriate distance measurable area, and failures in photographing can be prevented.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and the same effect can be obtained by moving the light receiving lens, for example, instead of the optical wedge used in this example.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the measurable range is switched to the longer distance side during cropping shooting or panoramic shooting compared to normal shooting. Most common long distance journey 1vrpJ
You can improve the accuracy of focus when shooting.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a light receiving section of a photometric circuit of a camera according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a lens drive control section, and FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of the light receiving section. 1... Light receiving lens, la, lb... terminal, 2...
Optical wedge, 3... Light receiving element, 10... Distance measuring circuit, 11
... Light receiving element group, 12... Logarithmic amplifier group, 13...
・Multiplexer, 16... Comparator, 19... Reference voltage, 121° 122... AND circuit, 125...
Sliding contact piece, 126°127.128...Fixed contact piece. Applicant Minolta Camera Co., Ltd.

Claims (6)

[Claims] (1) A camera that can switch between normal shooting, cropping shooting, or panoramic shooting, and has a light-receiving element that can measure a predetermined range during normal shooting, and the measuring range of the light-receiving element during trimming shooting or panoramic shooting. A distance measuring device for a camera, characterized in that the distance is switched to the far side. (2) A camera according to claim 1, characterized in that a movable optical system is disposed on the optical path from the subject, and the distance measuring range of the light receiving element is switched to the long distance side by moving the optical system. distance measuring device. (3) The distance measuring device for a camera according to claim 2, wherein an optical wedge is used as the optical system. (4) The distance measuring device for a camera according to claim 2, wherein a light receiving lens is used as the optical system. (5) The distance measuring device for a camera according to claim 1, wherein the number of focusing steps of the photographic lens is changed between normal photographing, trimming photographing, or panoramic photographing. (6) The camera according to claim 1, further comprising means for issuing a short distance warning based on a detection signal from the light receiving element and a reference voltage, and the reference voltage is switched depending on the shooting mode. camera ranging device.