JPH056952B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention relates to a video camera (including one integrated with a VTR), and particularly to a video camera suitable for allowing a photographer to always take pictures in a stable and comfortable posture. Regarding video cameras.

[Conventional technology]

A conventional video camera consists of a camera body that combines a lens section and an electronic viewfinder section, and a grip section for taking pictures by holding the camera body in your hand. The camera body includes one in which the lens part and the electronic viewfinder part are arranged in a straight line, one in which the electronic viewfinder part is mounted on the lens part so that it can rotate to some extent around an axis perpendicular to the lens part, and Some grips have an electronic viewfinder attached to them so that they can rotate at right angles to the lens, and others have grips that are fixed to the side or bottom of the lens of the camera body so that they do not move. There are some that allow you to change the angle with respect to the lens part in several stages. Among these cameras, those with a grip on the side of the camera body are generally configured so that when the grip is gripped with the right hand, the thumb can be used to operate the pause switch, and the index and middle fingers can be used to operate the zoom switch, etc.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

With a camera structured like this, the photographer has to adjust the eye position and hand position separately in response to changes in the shooting direction. For example, the photographer has to switch hands when shooting low-angle or high-angle shots. There were also problems with the buttons being difficult to operate. In other words, if the positional relationship between the eyes and hands remains constant regardless of the angle at which the camera is photographed, it should be possible to take stable photographs with less burden. There were no video cameras.

Moreover, since conventional video cameras have the above-described structure, they have a large number of parts and are not suitable for reduction in size and weight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a video camera that allows a photographer to take pictures in a stable and comfortable posture.

[Means to solve the problem]

The inventor of the present invention believes that in order to shoot with a stable stance and a comfortable posture when shooting with a video camera, the relationship between the hood section that follows the subject and the grip section that is equipped with the operation switch that starts shooting is important. This invention was developed based on the idea that making this relationship constant would lead to a solution to this problem, and the finder part and the grip part were constructed integrally, and the grip part was made to be rotatable. be.

More specifically, in a video camera in which a viewfinder part with an integrally formed grip part is rotatably attached to a lens part, when the lens part and the viewfinder part are viewed in plan, there are two parts: a narrow part and a wide part. It is formed into an abbreviated shape with a wide part, and the side surfaces of the narrow part of the lens part and the finder part are rotatably connected to each other, and the wide parts of the lens part and the finder part are connected together when viewed from above. They are arranged so that they are substantially on the same line, and a space is provided between the front end of the narrow part of the viewfinder part and the rear end of the wide part of the lens part to allow insertion of a finger. The narrow part of the viewfinder part is used as a grip part provided with a photographing operation switch, and the lens part and the viewfinder part are folded vertically in half and overlapped when stored.

[Function] In the present invention, since the viewfinder moves (rotates) together with the grip, the viewfinder can be viewed in a natural posture even if the angle at which the camera is held is changed. That is, insert your finger between the front end of the narrow part of the viewfinder and the rear end of the wide part of the lens, and press the grip part on the front end of the viewfinder, in other words, the lens part. A photographing operation is performed by grasping the grip section approximately in the center of the viewfinder section and selecting an arbitrary angle of the viewfinder section. For this reason, especially during normal shooting in which the lens section and the viewfinder section are arranged in a substantially vertical straight line, the grip section at the center of the lens section and the viewfinder section is held while shooting. It is well-balanced and has little rotational moment in both the longitudinal and lateral directions, so it does not put any strain on the photographer and is highly operable. Furthermore, when stored, the lens portion and the viewfinder portion are folded vertically in half, making it possible to reduce the volume very compactly, making it convenient for storage and portability.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the video camera of the present invention will be explained in detail using one embodiment.

FIG. 1 shows a video camera according to the present invention in which the photographing lens section and the electronic viewfinder section are oriented in the same direction; FIG.
is a right side view, and c is a left side view.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a photographic lens section, which is formed, for example, in a rectangular cross section as shown in the figure, and the left side of the rear end section 2 extends over a predetermined length of the front end section 3. The width is narrower by a predetermined dimension than the width, and the rear end edge is semicircular. Reference numeral 4 designates an electronic viewfinder section, which has a rectangular cross section, for example, as shown in the figure, and the width of the rear end 5 is equal to the width of the front end 3 of the lens section 1.
The right side of the front end part 6 has a width equal to the reduced width of the rear end part 2 of the lens part 1 within a predetermined length range, and is inclined downward by a predetermined angle. The front end periphery of the front end portion 6 is formed to have a circular peripheral surface having the same diameter as the height of the lens portion 1. In other words, the lens part and the viewfinder part had a narrow part and a wide part.
It is formed into a letter shape. This front end portion 6 constitutes the grip of the video camera.

The rear end 2 of the lens section 1 and the front end 6 of the electronic viewfinder section 4 are arranged so that the right side of the former and the left side of the latter face each other, and a rotating mechanism, that is, a stopper 7, 7'
In this coupled state, the front end 6 is shown in FIG. The rear end portion 2 of the lens portion 1 is configured so that there is enough space for the fingers to enter when the lens portion 1 is grasped with the hand 8 as described above.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a seesaw type zoom switch provided on the upper surface of the front end (grip portion) 6 of the electronic viewfinder section 4, and reference numeral 10 denotes a recess 11 formed on the back surface of the bent portion from the rear end 5 to the front end 6 of the electronic viewfinder section 4. It is a pose switch installed inside. As shown in FIG. 1b, these switches are arranged so that the front end 6 of the electronic viewfinder section 4 can be grasped with the right hand, the pause switch 10 can be operated with the thumb, and the zoom switch 9 can be operated with the index and middle fingers. It has been done.

12 is a socket for connecting a VTR deck.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the video camera of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, with the electronic viewfinder section 4 rotated upward. As can be seen from the figure, the top surface of the electronic viewfinder section 4 hits the rear edge of the front end section 3 of the lens section 1 and does not rotate any further.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the video camera of the present invention when it is stored, in which FIG. 3A is a right side view and FIG. 3B is a front side view. In the same figure, 13 is the lens part 1
The lens window 14 is a viewfinder window of the electronic viewfinder section 4.

When the electronic viewfinder part 4 is rotated downward from the state shown in FIG. The electronic viewfinder section 4 overlaps with the electronic viewfinder section 4, making it convenient for storage.
prevents it from rotating any further.

Since the video camera of the present invention is constructed as described above, hold the front end (grip section) 6 of the electronic viewfinder section 4 in your right hand,
You can take pictures while looking at 4. The grip section 6 of the electronic viewfinder section 4 is provided with, for example, a zoom switch 9 and a pause switch 10, all of which can be operated with one hand. The lens section 1 and the electronic viewfinder section 4 can be adjusted to any angle between the states shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 by the rotation mechanism of the grip section 6. As a result, the video camera of the present invention differs from conventional video cameras in that the electronic viewfinder part 4 has the viewfinder window 14 fixed by the rotating mechanism of the grip part 6 while maintaining a constant relationship with the viewfinder window 14 of the electronic viewfinder part 4. The angle of the rear end portion 5 with respect to the lens portion 1 can be freely adjusted, and low-angle or high-angle photography can be performed without changing the posture much. Furthermore, by integrating two conventional independent parts, cost and weight reductions can be achieved.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the video camera of the present invention, since the grip section integrally provided in the viewfinder section rotates, it is freed from the unreasonable posture of shooting with conventional cameras, and it is extremely easy to shoot even when shooting from low angles or high angles. This has the effect of allowing you to take stable camera shots in a natural posture. In addition, during normal shooting, the lens section and the viewfinder section are arranged in a substantially vertical line, and the grip section on the front end side of the viewfinder section, that is, the grip section approximately at the center of the lens section and the viewfinder section, is gripped and held. Since the camera is used for photographing, the weight balance is good and there is little rotational moment in both the longitudinal and lateral directions, so it does not put any burden on the photographer and has excellent operability. Further, when stored, the lens section and the viewfinder section are folded vertically in half, making it possible to reduce the volume very compactly.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1a, b, and c are a top view, a right side view, a left side view, and a second view of a video camera showing one embodiment of the present invention.
The figure is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the video camera is used, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the video cameras a and b are stored. 1... Lens section, 4... Electronic viewfinder section, 6... Grip section, 7, 7'... Stopper, 9
...Seesaw type zoom switch, 10...Pause switch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A lens unit for photographing, a viewfinder unit for displaying an image of a subject through the lens unit, and a grip unit, the grip unit being integrally formed with the viewfinder unit, and In a video camera in which the viewfinder part is rotatably attached to the lens part, the lens part and the viewfinder part have a narrow part and a wide part when viewed from above.
The narrow portions of the lens portion and the finder portion are rotatably connected to each other, and the wide portions of the lens portion and the finder portion are substantially on the same line when viewed from above. and providing a space between the front end side of the narrow part of the viewfinder part and the rear end side of the wide part of the lens part to allow insertion of a finger, The narrow part of the viewfinder part serves as the grip part where the photographing operation switch is disposed, and when stored, the lens part and the viewfinder part are separated vertically.
A video camera characterized by being folded in half and stacked on top of each other.