JPH0591374A - Video camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide information suitable for the camera user by displaying focus information in a finder when a replacement lens not having an automatic focus device is mounted to a camera main body. CONSTITUTION:A microcomputer 19 in a lens receives a signal from a camera main body and outputs a signal driving an actuator of a lens such as AF, PZ and iris. A regulator circuit 20 makes a voltage from a VBATT11 of the camera main body to be constant and applies a constant voltage to the microcomputer 19 in the lens. Moreover, a communication microcomputer 10 for the camera side receives a signal of the lens side microcomputer 19 and sends a control signal to the lens side microcomputer 19. Then the lens receives information as to whether or not the lens corresponds to the AF at the start of communication and sends information to an AF circuit 32 and when the lens is not compatible with the AF, a signal to display AF information is given to an AF information display circuit 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video camera in which a lens can be attached / detached and exchanged, and more particularly to a video camera constructed so that various lenses can be mounted and used.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a known video camera having an autofocus device on the camera body side, it is common to use an autofocus compatible lens having a motor and a drive circuit on the camera body side. It was customary to focus manually when a different lens or a lens with a different standard was attached to the camera body.

[0003]

However, manual adjustment takes time, requires experience and visual acuity, and the display is frequently changed when there is a reverse display during autofocus, which makes the operation troublesome. There was a drawback, and it was a problem to always display.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems existing in the conventional video camera, and an interchangeable lens type video camera which can be operated without error even when various lenses are attached and used. The purpose is to provide.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, the present invention provides a video camera with interchangeable lenses, which comprises:
When an F compatible lens is attached to the camera body, it operates as a normal autofocus system, and when a non-AF compatible lens is attached to the camera body, if communication between the lens and the camera body detects that the lens is not AF compatible. By automatically displaying focus information (display of front focus, rear focus, and focus) in the EVF (electronic viewfinder) of the camera body, focusing can be easily performed.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is an external view of a detachable video camera with interchangeable lenses. FIG. 2 is an external view of the camera body and the lens. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of different types of lenses, and FIG. 3A shows a normal interchangeable lens compatible with AF. Figure 3
(B) is an interchangeable lens that does not have an AF motor and is not compatible with AF. FIG. 3C shows a case where a lens of a different standard (for example, an interchangeable lens of a single lens reflex camera) is connected to the video camera body via an adapter, and this lens is a manual lens and does not support autofocus. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are views showing a state in which a direction signal or a distance measurement result displayed in the EVF (electronic viewfinder) is displayed when the camera body detects that the lens is not compatible with AF.

In FIG. 1, 1 is an interchangeable lens (hereinafter simply referred to as a lens), 2 is a video camera body, 3 is a lens mount, 4 is a mount on the camera body side, and 5 is an electronic device for monitoring a video image. Viewfinder (EV
F) and 6 are electrical contacts in the camera side mount 4, and 7 is an electrical contact in the lens side mount 3.

The video camera main body 2 and the interchangeable lens 1 are detachably mounted via mounts 3 and 4, and communication is performed via electric contacts 6 and 7 provided on the mounts 3 and 4, respectively. Information (that is, information such as optical specifications and information regarding the presence / absence of an actuator in the lens) is sent to the camera body side. When the system starts operating, a control signal for driving the actuator in the lens is sent from the camera body side. Information from the encoder is sent from the lens side to inform the camera body side of the current position of the range ring, zoom position, and aperture state.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an electric circuit of the lens and the camera body of this embodiment.

FIG. 3A is a view in which a lens with a normal AF is attached to the camera body. 12 is a taking lens in the interchangeable lens 1, 13 is an AF motor, and 13 'is a range ring position. An encoder to detect. A power zoom motor 14 performs zooming by turning on and off a switch (not shown) of the camera body 2. Reference numeral 14 'is a power zoom encoder, which detects the current zoom position and transmits it to the camera body side via the communication pins 6 and 7.

An iris meter 15 is controlled by a signal from the camera body side. Reference numeral 15 'is an iris encoder, which is configured to transmit the current diaphragm information to the camera body 2 via a microcomputer 19 and communication pins 6 and 7 described later. Reference numeral 16 denotes an AF motor driving circuit, which is driven in the NEAR direction and the FAR direction by a drive signal output from the microcomputer 19.
Reference numeral 17 denotes a PZ drive circuit, which is driven by a drive signal output from the microcomputer 19 to drive the TELE side and the WIDE side to P
The Z motor 14 is rotated. 18 is an iris meter 15
Is a circuit for driving, and is driven by a signal from the camera body side.

Reference numeral 19 denotes a microcomputer in the lens, which receives a signal from the camera body side and outputs a signal for driving an actuator on the lens side such as AF, PZ and iris. 20
Is a regulator circuit, and VBATT on the camera body side
The voltage from 11 is converted to a constant voltage and microcomputer 19 in the lens is used.
In addition, a constant voltage is supplied. EVF8 in the camera body 2
Monitors the image and makes other displays. Reference numeral 9 denotes an AF information display circuit for outputting AF information to the EVF 8. A camera-side communication microcomputer 10 receives a signal from the lens-side microcomputer 19 and transmits a control signal to the lens-side microcomputer 19. Further, in the present invention, in the initial communication, the information indicating whether or not the lens is AF-compatible is transmitted to the AF circuit 32 and the lens A
When F is not supported, a signal is given to the AF information display circuit 9 to display AF information.

Reference numeral 11 is a battery for supplying power to the camera and the lens.

FIG. 3B shows an example of a lens that does not support AF. Reference numeral 21 denotes an AF non-compatible lens, which is 13, 14, 15, 13 ', 14', 15 ', 1 as compared with the lens 1.
It does not have various drive units of 6, 17, and 18. In this case, it is described that the lens-side microcomputer does not have an AF-compatible actuator, which is transmitted to the camera-side microcomputer 10 by initial communication when the lens is connected. When the camera body 2 recognizes that the lens 21 is not compatible with AF, the information is transmitted to the AF circuit 32 in the camera body, and the information of the lens side encoders 13 ', 14', 15 'and the AF circuit 3 are transmitted.
A comparison is made with the calculation result of 2 and A is calculated based on the comparison result.
A signal is output to the F display circuit 9, and as a result, the EVF 8 displays the distance measurement information, the focus signal, and the direction signal.

FIG. 3 (c) is not for this video camera A
This is a case where an interchangeable lens not compatible with F, for example, an interchangeable lens for a single-lens reflex camera, is attached to the camera body 2 with the conversion adapter 23. 22 is an AF non-compatible lens for a single-lens reflex camera, 23 is an adapter for connecting the interchangeable lens and the camera body 2, and has a microcomputer 19 inside and a mount for connecting the adapter and lens 22 to the outside. Has 24. The mount 24 is configured to be engageable with the mount 25 on the lens side. In the case of this embodiment as well, it is impossible to perform AF, and the microcomputer 10 on the camera body side recognizes that the lens 22 does not support AF and displays a distance measurement signal, a focus signal, or a direction signal on the EVF 8. ..

4 and 5 show examples of EVF display according to the present invention. As described above, according to the present invention, when a lens that is not compatible with AF is attached to the camera body, the AF display circuit 9 can display freely in the EVF 8 as shown in the figure.

FIG. 4A shows the case where the lens is in the front pin,
As shown by 26, the display is displayed so as to be turned to the FAR side. 4 (b) shows a rear pin at 27, and FIG. 4 (c) shows a rear pin at 28.

5 (a) to 5 (c) are views showing the direction in which the lens should be rotated in the EVF, as in FIG.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention,
When an AF-incompatible interchangeable lens is attached to the camera body, distance information or a direction signal is displayed in the EVF so that focusing can be easily performed. In addition, various types of interchangeable lenses can be attached to the camera body for use, and it is possible to accurately inform the camera user how to operate.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a state in which a camera body and an interchangeable lens of a video camera configured by applying the present invention are attached and detached.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a mount of a camera body and a mount of an interchangeable lens of the video camera of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a configuration and functions of an electronic control system of the video camera according to the present invention when interchangeable lenses having different functions are attached to the camera body.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example in an electronic viewfinder in a video camera according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example in an electronic viewfinder in a video camera according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Interchangeable lens 2 ... Camera body 3 ... Lens side mount 4 ... Camera body side mount 5 ... Electronic viewfinder (EVF) 6 ... Electrical contact pin in camera body side mount 7 ... Electrical contact pin in lens side mount 9 ... Display circuit for performing AF display in EVF 32 ... AF circuit in camera body 10 ... Camera side microcomputer 19 ... Lens side microcomputer 13 ... AF motor 13 '... AF encoder 22 ... This video Lens of different standard from camera, eg lens for single lens reflex camera 23 ... Replacement adapter

Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification number Office reference number FI technical display location G03B 17/20 7316-2K

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A lens model detecting means for detecting whether or not the lens can be auto-focused in a video camera having a contact point on the connection surface between the camera body and the lens and capable of communicating and detaching the lens. When the detection unit detects that the lens is a model that cannot be autofocused, a display unit that displays the focus state and direction in the finder according to the distance measurement result of the distance measurement device of the camera body. A video camera that is provided.