JPH0470638A - Camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable even a user having little experience in photographing to easily and accurately select and optimum photographing mode for each photographing scene by displaying the image of illustration expressing a corresponding scene in a finder by interlocking with the setting of the photographing mode by a mode setting means. CONSTITUTION:The finder 12 in which the image of illustration expressing the scene corresponding to the photographing mode and an explanatory sentence expressing the matters to be attended in the case of photographing in letters are displayed as necessary is provided on the back surface 11a of a camera main body 11, and a lever 13 for zooming is provided at a position where an operation is easily performed by the thumb of a right hand. By operating a switching button 15 provided on the upper part 11b of the main body 11, the lever 13 executes its function and it is also used for selecting the photographing mode. When the photographing mode is set, the images of illustration expressing the scenes corresponding to the respective photographing modes are displayed in the finder 12, and the image of illustration similar to the circumstances of a photographing field is selected among them. Thus, even the user having little experience in photographing can easily and accurately select the photographing mode optimum for each photographing scene.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a camera that has a plurality of photographing modes and can switch between these modes at any time to take photographs.

[Conventional technology]

Recently, various shooting conditions such as daytime sync mode and boat rate mode have been introduced to automatically adjust the exposure, depth of focus, etc. optimally according to various shooting situations, such as backlit shooting scenes and boat rate shooting scenes, so that anyone can take pictures without mistakes. Multifunctional cameras are commercially available that have a plurality of shooting modes such as mode. Some of these cameras are known to display a simple symbol mark on a liquid crystal display to indicate the set shooting mode.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

By the way, for example, in order to make full use of the above-mentioned backlight shooting mode, you need to know what kind of situation "backlit scene" refers to, and how the shooting results will be when the backlight shooting mode is not set and when it is set. It is essential to have basic knowledge about the different types of scenes. However, in the display using the above symbol mark, for example, only a simplified sun is displayed in a small size, and from this symbol mark alone, it is necessary to have basic knowledge about "backlit scenes". This inconvenience can be solved to some extent by carefully reading the instruction manual, but it is difficult and troublesome for beginners with little shooting experience. Therefore, it was difficult to make full use of the multifunctional camera.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides a camera that allows even users with little photography experience to easily and accurately select the optimal shooting mode for each shooting scene. The purpose is to

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the camera of the present invention includes a mode setting means that is operated when setting a shooting mode, and an illustration image representing a scene corresponding to the shooting mode in the viewfinder in conjunction with the setting of the shooting mode. and display means for displaying the information.

[Effect]

According to the camera of the present invention, when a shooting mode is set by the mode setting means, an illustration image representing a scene corresponding to each shooting mode is displayed in the finder. Therefore, by selecting an illustration image that approximates the situation at the shooting site from among these, it is possible to easily select the optimal shooting mode.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[Embodiment] In FIG. 1 showing an embodiment of the present invention, a camera 10 is equipped with several shooting modes, such as sunset backlight, outdoor backlight, window backlight, night scene, and close-up, in addition to normal program auto shooting. It is a mode camera. On the back side 11a of the camera body 11, there is a viewfinder that not only allows you to observe the shooting field of view, but also displays illustration images representing scenes corresponding to the shooting mode, explanatory text explaining precautions for shooting in text, etc. as necessary. It has 12. Also, when holding the camera 10, a zooming lever 13 for changing the magnification of the photographing lens, which is a zoom lens, is located in a position that can be easily operated with the thumb of the right hand.
is provided.

This lever 13 is used not only for zooming, but also as a switching button 1 provided on the upper part 11b of the camera body 11.
By operating 5, its function is changed and is used for selecting the I darkest mode. Note that at the same time that the lever 13 is switched to the photographing mode selection lever, the display in the finder 12 is switched from the normal program auto mode field of view to the illustration image display. Further, the switching button 15 has a reset function that allows the camera 10 to return to the program auto mode by operating it, no matter what shooting mode the camera 10 is set to.

Between the switching button 15 and the shutter button 16 is a field of view mode change button 18 that sequentially switches and displays three types of fields of view for the same shooting mode in the finder 12.
is provided. The three types of fields of view are the photographic field of view, which is displayed when shadowing and defines the photographic range by the field frame, and the photographic field of view, which is displayed when selecting the photographing mode, and includes symbol marks such as the photographing mode name and tripod use in addition to illustration images. The field of view is for displaying illustration images, and the field of view is for displaying explanatory text, which displays explanatory text that indicates precautions for photographing in text.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the optical system of the finder 12 converts an inverted real image created by an objective lens 21, which is vertically and horizontally inverted, into an erect normal image using a Porro prism 22.
It is a real image type in which the image is magnified and observed using an eyepiece lens 23. Between the objective lens 21 and the Porro prism 22, there is a display film 2 having a band-shaped transparent film as a base.
The rack is passed without slack between the shafts 25 and 26 provided on the left and right sides. The display film 24 is fed to the left in the drawing as the shaft 25 rotates clockwise and is wound around the shaft 25, and to the right as the shaft 26 rotates counterclockwise and is wound around the shaft 26. Sent.

As shown in FIG. 3, the display film 24 includes, in addition to the standard field of view 27 in the program auto mode, fields of view 28, 29 for displaying illustration images, displaying explanatory text, and photographing.
30 are printed in color, for example, for each shooting mode. Within the standard field of view 27, there is a field of view frame 3 that indicates the photographable area.
1 and a focus frame 32 are printed.

In the field of view 28, a serial number 1, e.g. 1, of the shooting mode is placed in the upper left corner, and a shooting mode name 1, e.g.
``Backlight by the Window'' is printed, and below that, a large space is used to print representative examples of scenes that are compatible with the shooting mode using illustrated images and photographs that can be intuitively understood. For example, a symbol mark is printed recommending the use of external strobes, tripods, and l5O400 film.

In the field of view 29, the serial number and name of the photographing mode are printed at the top in the same way as in the field of view 28, and at the bottom an explanation of the photographing mode, precautions for photographing, etc. are printed in letters. Field of view 3
0, the serial number of the shooting mode is in the upper left corner, and the field of view frame 31 and frame 32 are displayed diagonally to the lower right, similar to the standard field of view 27.
are printed on each.

At the edge of the display film 24, barcodes are provided in two rows, upper and lower, for identifying and searching each field of view. The upper barcode 34 distinguishes the type of field of view (illustration image display, explanatory text display, photography), and the lower barcode 35 distinguishes the type of shooting mode 1, such as window backlight mode, night view mode, etc. It is a distinction between These barcodes 34 and 35 are detected by a sensor 36 provided below the display film 24, and the barcode data is sent to a CPU 37 that controls the entire camera 10, as shown in FIG. Ru.

Gears 38 and 39 are fixed to the upper portions of the shafts 25 and 26, respectively, and gears 41 and 42 mesh with the gears 38 and 38, respectively. A planetary clutch 47 is provided between the gear 39 and the gear 42 to change the feeding direction of the display film 24 by meshing with the gear 39 or the gear 42 depending on the driving direction of the motor 45. The motor 45 is controlled by the CPU 37 via a motor driver 48.

This CPU 37 has the lever 13. Switch button 1
5. Shutter button 16. In addition to the visual field mode change button 18, a ROM 49 is connected. In addition to the standard control program for the program auto mode, the ROM 49 stores control programs corresponding to the darkest mode, and the selected control program is called up by the CPU 37 when the shutter button 16 is pressed halfway. The CPU 37 performs calculations based on this control program and subject brightness data measured by the photometry system when the shutter button 16 is pressed halfway, and automatically controls the shutter speed of the diaphragm 7, strobe, etc.

In addition, in front of the display film 24, there is a switch button 1.
An illumination lamp 51 is provided which is turned on in conjunction with the operation 5 and illuminates the display film 24 from behind. Although not shown, a lens cover that can be opened and closed is provided in front of the objective lens 21, and the illumination lamp 5
1 is turned on, the front of the objective lens 21 is covered to cut out external light, so that each field of view set in the finder 12 can be clearly observed.

To switch from the normal program auto mode to another shooting mode in the camera 10 configured as described above, first, the switch button 15 is pressed only once. As a result, the CPtJ 37 closes the lens cover, presses the shutter button 16, and at the same time turns on the illumination lamp 51.
A command signal is sent to the motor driver 48 to drive the motor 45 in the A direction. The planetary clutch 47 rotates counterclockwise and engages with the gear 39, causing the shaft 26 to rotate counterclockwise. As a result, the display film 24 is sent to the right in the drawing. The sensor 36 detects the barcode 35 and sends this detection signal to the CPU 37. The CPU 37 stops driving the motor 45 and displays the field of view 28 on the finder 12.

If the displayed field of view 28 is not in the desired photographing mode, the lever 13 is tilted to the right or left. Depending on the direction in which the lever is tilted, the motor 45 is rotated in the A or B direction, and the display film 24 is sent to the right or left. Every time the sensor 36 detects the barcode 35, the motor 45
is stopped for a moment, and each field of view 28 is sequentially displayed in the finder 12. Here, if the lever 13 is pushed down once and then returned immediately, the field of view 28 will switch only once, and if it is kept pushed down, it will switch continuously. Immediately after the desired photographic mode name or an illustration image of a scene similar to the photographic scene is displayed, the user releases the lever 13 to stop the display film 24. At this time, the type of the selected photographing mode is input to the CPU 37 by the No. 1 code 35.

For example, if the selected shooting mode is the night view mode, the field of view 28 displays the night view mode number "
2) 2 The name ``Night Scene'' and an illustration image showing a typical example of a night scene are displayed, and furthermore, to the left of the image are displayed symbols indicating that a tripod should be used and that the sensitivity of the film used should preferably be 15O400. Ru.

Next, when the visual field mode change button 18 is operated, the CP
U37 drives the motor 45 to move the display film 24 in one direction.
The display film 24 is advanced by the number of frames and stopped at the position where the barcode 34 is detected by the sensor 36.

In this way, the field of view in the finder 12 changes from field of view 28 → field of view 29 → field of view 30 → field of view 28 every time the field of view mode change button 18 is pressed once.

When you stop at the field of view 29, there is a note in the viewfinder 12 that warns you when taking pictures in night mode, for example, the F slow shutter will be released, so please use a tripod. I would like to recommend it.” etc. will be displayed.

If the visual field mode change button 18 is further pressed once from this state, the visual field 30 is displayed in the finder 12. At the same time, the lens cover is opened, the shutter button 16 is unlocked, and the illumination lamp 51 is released.
is turned off and the camera is ready to take pictures. Also, lever 13
The function is changed from one for selecting the shooting mode to one for zooming the shooting lens. When the shutter button 16 is pressed halfway, a control program for the night view mode is read from the ROM 49 to the CPU 37, and at the same time, the subject brightness is measured by the photometry system. The CPU 37 sets the optimum aperture, shutter speed, etc. based on the control program and subject brightness data. Next, when the shutter button 16 is pressed deeply, the shutter blades are opened and closed to perform exposure in the night view mode.

When returning from the night view mode to the normal program auto mode, the switch button 15 is pressed again. As a result, the CPU 37 drives the motor 45 in the B direction, and the planetary clutch 47 rotates clockwise to engage the gear 42.
The gear 38 is rotated clockwise via the gear 41. This causes the display film 24 to be rewound to the left in the drawing. When the barcode 35 of the standard field of view 27 is detected by the sensor 36, the rewinding of the display film 24 is stopped and the standard field of view 27 is displayed within the finder 12.

At the same time, the night view mode control program called into the CPU 37 is erased, and the shutter button 16 is erased.
Address designation of the internal memory is performed so that the CPU 37 reads the control program for the program auto mode from the ROM 49 by pressing the button halfway.

Note that when the field of view 29 is displayed in the finder 12, the field of view 29 in the finder 12 may be forcibly switched to the field of view 28 by operating the lever 13, and the shooting mode may be selected. . In addition, the illustration image allows you to instantly understand what kind of scene it is, and it is not necessary to display the field of view 28 for a long time (there is no need to display the field of view 28 in the viewfinder 12 for a predetermined period of time). After this has been continued, the field of view 28 may be automatically switched to the field of view 29 without pressing the field of view mode change button 18.
When 9 is displayed, view mode change button 18
It is also possible to return to the visual field 28 by pressing the switching button 15 once instead of pressing twice.

In the embodiment described above, a real image finder using a Porro prism is used as the finder optical system, and a display film is placed between the objective lens and the Porro prism. An example of the arrangement will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4 to 9. The finder optical system 54 shown in FIG. 4 is a real image finder using a Porro prism 55 similar to the above embodiment, but a half mirror 56 is provided on the inclined surface of the Porro prism 55 on the incident side. A display film 24 is disposed above, and an electroluminescence (hereinafter abbreviated as EL) 58 is provided above the display film 24 to illuminate the display film 24 from behind.

The finder optical system 60 shown in FIG. 5 has the display film 24 and the EL 58 above the Porro prism 61 in the same way as the finder optical system 54, and also covers the EL 58 on the incident side of the Porro prism 61 during photographing. A mirror 62 is rotatably provided on the side of the Porro prism 61 to block light from the Porro prism 61.

In the finder optical system 64 shown in FIG. 6, a half mirror 69 is provided at an angle of 45 degrees between a lens 66 having a half mirror 65 provided on the entire surface of a concave mirror, and a reticle 68 having a field frame 67 formed by vapor deposition of aluminum, for example. It is an Albada style finder. The distance between the half mirror 69 and the reticle 68 is below the half mirror 69.
The display film 24 is placed at the same distance as the display film 24, and an EL 72 is provided to illuminate the display film from behind. As a result, the printed image of the display film 24 is formed on the same surface as the image formation surface of the field frame 67.

Note that since the field frame 67 is provided on the 6th reticle, there is no need to print the field frame 31 on the display film 24.

The finder optical system 74 shown in FIG. 7 has a rotatable total reflection mirror 75 instead of the half mirror 69 in the finder optical system 64, and a lens 76 for shortening the optical path length is provided below the mirror 75. display film 24 and E
L72 is installed. In the field of view of the finder optical system 74 having such a configuration, a field frame 67 is displayed when the total reflection mirror 75 is at the solid line position;
5 is rotated to the dotted line position 75a, the visual field 28, 29° 30 printed on the display film 24 is displayed via the total reflection mirror 75.

The finder optical system 80 shown in FIG.
A half mirror 83 is rotatably provided between the eyepiece lens 82 and the eyepiece lens 82, and a mask 84 having a slit-shaped field frame is placed near the focal point of the eyepiece lens 82 via a mirror 85, so that the field of view and the field frame overlap. This is a daylight type viewfinder that allows you to see clearly.

A lens 76° display film 24 and an EL 72 are disposed on the side of the half mirror 83 (lower side in the drawing), similarly to the finder optical system 74. According to the finder optical system 80 having such a configuration, the half mirror 83
When the half mirror 83 is at the solid line position, the visual field frame formed by the mask 84 is displayed, and when the half mirror 83 is at the dotted line position, the visual fields 28, 29, and 30 printed on the display film 24 are displayed.

The finder optical system 90 shown in FIG.
This is a lighting type finder in which a half mirror 91 is obliquely fixed between the eyepiece lens 82 and the eyepiece lens 82, and the display film 24 and the EL 72 are disposed behind the mask 84 via a rotatable mirror 92. Finder optical system 9 with such a configuration
0, when the mirror 92 is in the solid line position, the field of view frame by the mask 84 is displayed, and when the mirror 92 is in the dotted line position, the field of view 2 printed on the display film 24 is displayed.
8.29.30 is displayed.

The camera 94 shown in FIG. 10 has a dial 95 instead of the switching button 15 and the viewing mode change button 18.
It has been established. Above the dial 95 are engraved the words rp, r mode, and visual field.
Rotate the dial 95 to match the index 97 engraved on the upper part 94a of the camera 94 to either rp, , r mode, or field of view.

When the index 97 is set to "P", program auto-photography can be performed, and the lever 98 functions as a zooming operation for the photographic lens. When you set "mode" on the index 97 and operate the lever 98, an illustration image corresponding to each shooting mode will appear in the viewfinder! @Displayed next. After selecting a shooting mode, by adjusting the "field of view" to the index 97 and operating the lever 98, the viewfinder's field of view can be adjusted to display the illustration image in that shooting mode.
You can sequentially switch between the fields of view for displaying explanatory text and for photographing.

Note that a liquid crystal plate may be used instead of the display film. Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, an illumination lamp or EL etc. that illuminates the display film from behind is provided so that illustration images and explanatory text can be easily seen even when the outside world is dark, such as when shooting at night. However, this may be omitted and the illustrated image or explanatory text may be observed using external light.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the camera of the present invention, a mode setting means is provided which is operated when setting a shooting mode, and an illustration image representing a scene corresponding to the shooting mode is displayed in the viewfinder in conjunction with the setting of the shooting mode. Since the present invention is equipped with a display means for displaying images, even users with little experience in photography can easily and accurately select the optimal photography mode for each photography scene. Furthermore, since it is no longer necessary to provide other display means 9, such as a large liquid crystal display panel, on the top or back surface of the camera, there is also the effect that empty space can be used effectively.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an embodiment of the present invention from diagonally from behind. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of essential parts of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the display film of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. FIGS. 4(A) and 5(A) are schematic plan views seen from the objective lens side, showing the arrangement of other finder optical systems and display films. Figures 4(B), 5(B), 6, 7, 8, and 9 are from the side of the finder optical axis showing the arrangement of other finder optical systems and display films. It is a schematic plan view seen. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of an embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in which a dial is used instead of the switching button and viewing mode change button from diagonally rearward. Figure 4 10.94 12 ・ ・ ・ 13.98 15 ・ ・ ・ 18 ・ ・ ・ 24 ・ ・ ・ 27 ・ ・ ・ 28, 29 34.35 36 ・ ・ ・ 49 ・ ・ ・ 58, 72 95 ・ ・ ・Camera finder lever switching button Viewing mode change button Display film Standard viewing area Barcode sensor OM EL dial. (A) (B) Figure 5 (A) Figure Figure

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In a camera that has various shooting modes and shoots by switching between them at any time, there is a mode setting means that is operated when setting the shooting mode, and a mode setting means that corresponds to the shooting mode in conjunction with the setting of the shooting mode. A camera characterized by comprising: display means for displaying an illustration image representing a scene in a finder.