JPH09163199A - Video camera equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To ensure the operation of an image pickup switch or a special image pickup switch or the like while keeping a grip performance during video image pickup. SOLUTION: One side face 6 of the equipment main body is formed as a grip, a power/image pickup switch 34 is arranged an upper face section 5 located to the side face 6, a finger stop 27 is projected to a rear side located to other face 7 and special image pickup switches 28 consisting of plural switches arranged in the direction of height to a lower area of the finger stop 27. A backup secondary battery is mounted on the inner face of a battery cover 44 blocking the secondary battery container provided to the side face 7 and independent processing is attained by removing the battery cover 44 from the equipment main body. A mount screw section and a positioning recessed part to mount a tripod or the like are provided to the bottom side.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video camera device, and more particularly to a video camera device having a large viewfinder, which has one-handed operability during video shooting.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A small video camera device is generally a so-called finder type video camera device in which a finder is disposed at one end of a lens barrel in which an image pickup lens is incorporated.
The shooting screen is roughly divided into a so-called viewfinder type video camera device in which an image is converted and displayed on a large-sized liquid crystal display. Further, the video camera device has a plurality of switch units operated during video shooting, such as a shooting / stop switch and a zoom switch, as well as a date / time imprinting switch for imprinting the date and time on the photographing screen or backlight compensation. A special photographing switch group such as a switch is provided.

These special photographing switch groups are generally constructed by a small video camera device being operated while being held by one hand and the device body being miniaturized. Therefore, the installation position in the device body is extremely limited. It For example,
In the finder type video camera device, it is difficult to secure a space in the front and rear portions where the imaging lens or the finder is arranged because the thickness is exclusively reduced, and the left side portion that is not hidden by the right hand to be held is provided. The special photographing switch section described above is arranged and configured. Further, this finder type video camera device is configured as a tape cassette loading portion by making the right side surface thereof openable.

On the other hand, the viewfinder type video camera device is divided into a video camera device having a vertically long block body and a video camera device having a horizontally long block body according to its shape characteristics. In the vertically long type video camera device, a liquid crystal display is arranged on the back surface, the right side surface is used as a grip portion, and the special photographing switch group is arranged on the left side surface. Further, in the horizontally long video camera device, the right side surface is used as a grip portion, the finder portion is disposed, and the special photographing switch group is disposed on the left side surface portion.

[0005]

In the finder type video camera device described above, since it is difficult to confirm the special photographing switch provided on the left side surface, the date and time displayed on the photographing screen during the video photographing. When performing the image capture operation or backlight compensation operation, you must take your eyes off the viewfinder once to operate the date / time image capture switch or backlight compensation switch, which may result in poor operability and temporary interruption of video recording. There was a problem of missing the optimal shooting opportunity. On the other hand, also in the viewfinder type video camera device, it is difficult to operate the special photographing switch group during video photographing because the operability of the special photographing switch group is poor, and the same problem occurs.

Further, in these video camera apparatuses, video shooting is performed while holding the apparatus main body with the right hand, but the apparatus main body is supported by the left hand in order to obtain screen blur and an optimum angle. However, in the conventional video camera device, although a structure that is relatively easy to grip is adopted due to the shape of the gripping part that is gripped by the right hand and the adoption of the grip belt, the support structure for the left hand is not particularly considered. Many. Therefore, in the conventional video camera device, it is difficult to operate the special photographing switch group while maintaining the grip property.

By the way, the video camera device has a microcomputer incorporated therein to store data such as a calendar function and photographing conditions, and a power source for backing up these data is provided. As a conventional backup power source, a primary battery such as a lithium battery is generally used. Such a primary battery needs to be replaced for about one year after the battery is exhausted, and a reset operation of data and the like is required.

Therefore, in the video camera device, a secondary battery, such as a lithium-vanadium battery, which is charged by turning on the main power source instead of the primary battery, is used as a backup power source, thereby eliminating the need for battery replacement. To be considered. However, such secondary batteries must be handled with care when disposing of them from the viewpoint of environmental protection. Therefore, the video camera device eliminates the trouble of battery replacement by adopting the secondary battery, but when the video camera device is discarded due to damage or the like,
Since it has to be removed from the main body of the apparatus to perform a predetermined process, there arises a problem of being extremely troublesome.

Further, in the video camera device, it is preferable that a tripod can be attached so as to enable video shooting in a fixed state. Further, other accessory parts or accessory devices are attached to the video camera device. For this reason, the video camera device is provided with a mounting screw portion, but it is necessary to mount the accessory parts, the accessory device, and the like in a positioned state.
However, since the conventional video camera device can be made thin and compact, it is difficult to secure a space for providing the mounting screw portion and the positioning portion.

Further, in the video camera apparatus, a part of the apparatus main body is constructed so as to be openable and closable for loading the tape cassette into the internal deck. For example, the cassette loading unit configured by the lid body needs a holder structure on the deck to hold the tape cassette loaded. This holder structure has hindered the achievement of thinning by increasing the thickness of the video camera device.

The thin structure can be dealt with by, for example, dividing the main body of the apparatus into a front case and a rear case connected by a hinge mechanism, and integrally providing a holder structure on the rear case side. In this case, the device body
The abutting portion of the front housing and the rear housing is formed in any part, and the abutting portion serves as a tape cassette loading portion. In the video camera device, since various switch groups, indicators, etc. are arranged on the upper surface, it is difficult to form a butting portion of the front housing and the rear housing on the upper surface. Even from the design process, the bottom part becomes the butt part.

On the other hand, the video camera device may be mounted on a tripod or the like for video shooting as well as handheld shooting, and a mounting portion is formed on the main body of the device. The mounting part is
Although it is composed of a mounting screw portion and a rotation stopping recessed portion, it is difficult to secure the installation space in the above-described structure in which the front housing and the rear housing are butted against each other on the bottom surface.

Therefore, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the conventional video camera device, and enables the operation of the photographing switch or the special photographing switch to be surely performed while holding the grip during the video recording. It is proposed for the purpose of providing a small and thin video camera device.

[0014]

In a video camera device according to the present invention which achieves this object, one side surface side of the apparatus main body is configured as a grip portion, and a power source / power supply is provided on an upper surface portion located on the side surface side. A shooting switch is provided, and a finger stopper is provided on the rear surface located on the side of the other side, and a plurality of switches are arranged in the height direction and located in the lower region of the finger stopper. It is configured by arranging a special photographing switch section.

Further, a video camera device according to the present invention comprises:
The other side of the main body of the device is provided with a recessed secondary battery housing that is opened and closed by a removable battery lid, and the secondary battery housing is sandwiched between its bottom surface and the inner surface of the battery lid. A battery is housed and configured. A flexible cable having a pair of battery terminals mounted and connected at one end and a connector connected at the other end to a power supply circuit is assembled to the battery lid.

Further, in the video camera device according to the present invention, the main body of the device is composed of a front case and a rear case, and the front case and the rear case are connected via a hinge mechanism provided at the top. By being assembled and abutted against each other on the bottom surface portion, a tape cassette loading portion is configured in which the tape cassette is loaded on the bottom surface portion in an open state. Further, a mounting screw portion and a positioning recess are provided along the front surface portion on the bottom surface portion of the front case forming the bottom surface portion of the apparatus body.

According to the video camera device of the present invention configured as described above, the thumb is positioned corresponding to the power / shooting switch and the left hand is held with the right hand gripping the side surface of the main body of the device. The thumb is hooked on the finger stopper to firmly hold the main body of the apparatus, so that the grip performance is significantly improved. Further, in the video camera device, the photographing switch is operated by the thumb of the right hand, and the thumb of the left hand is slid downward from the finger stop portion so that the date and time are imprinted on the photographing screen or the backlight is corrected. The operation of is performed smoothly.

Further, according to the video camera device of the present invention, by removing the battery cover from the device body and disconnecting the flexible cable from the power circuit, the secondary battery for backup can be easily removed from the device body. It can be taken out and discarded separately from the device body.

Further, according to the video camera device of the present invention, the accessory parts such as a tripod and the accessory device can be mounted by the mounting screw portion while being positioned by the positioning recess, so that the usability is improved.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The video camera device 1 uses an 8 mm video tape cassette 2 (hereinafter, referred to as tape cassette 2), and the camera body 10
However, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the front portion 3, the rear portion 4,
The upper surface portion 5, the left side surface portion 6, the right side surface portion 7, and the bottom surface portion 8 form a horizontally long rectangle as a whole. In the camera body 10, a region extending from the front surface portion 3 to the left side surface portion 6 is formed to bulge into a substantially semi-cylindrical shape, thereby forming a battery housing portion 9 into which a power supply battery is loaded. There is. In this specification, the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction are used with the front side of the drawing as the front with reference to FIG.

The video camera device 1 will be described later.
The left side face 6 side is held by the user's right hand, and a power / photographing switch 34, which will be described later, is operated with the thumb, and video photography is performed while observing the image display 17 arranged on the rear face 4. Further, in the video camera device 1, the right side portion 7 side is supported by the left hand of the user, and each thumb of the left hand is used to operate each switch of the special photographing switch portion 28 described later.

The camera body 10 comprises a divided front housing 1
1 and the rear housing 12 are combined. As shown in FIG. 5, the rear housing 12 is rotatable with respect to the front housing 11 by a hinge mechanism 13 provided inside the upper surface 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the front housing 11 and the rear housing 12 form a bottom surface portion 8 of the camera body 10 by having their bottom surface portions 11A and 12A butted against each other.

The front housing 11 and the rear housing 12 are
Although details are omitted, a lock mechanism is provided at the abutting portion of the bottom surface portions 11A and 12A, and the coupled state is firmly held. The front housing 11 and the rear housing 12 are unlocked by sliding the lock release lever 14 provided on the bottom surface 8 of the camera body 10 to release the lock mechanism. The housing 12 is rotated via the hinge mechanism 13. As a result, the bottom portion 8 of the video camera device 1 is opened as shown in FIG.

In the video camera device 1, a mechanism portion 15 housed inside is exposed to the outside from the bottom portion 8 of the opened camera body 10, and the tape cassette 2 is attached to the mechanism portion 15.
Is loaded. Although details are omitted, the mechanism portion 15 has a metal chassis mounted with a tape loading mechanism component, a loading motor, and the like, and slightly protrudes outward with the bottom portion 8 open. The mechanical unit 15 is pushed into the inside after the tape cassette 2 is loaded.

As shown in FIG. 2, the video camera device 1 is provided with an image display 17 having a large liquid crystal display portion 18 on the back surface 4 and having a horizontally long thin box shape as a whole.
The image display 17 displays a picked-up image on the liquid crystal display unit 18 to form a viewfinder.
As will be described later, the image display 17 has a part in the thickness direction thereof housed in a display housing recess 26 that is normally recessed in the back surface portion 4, and a hinge mechanism 19 provided laterally above the back surface portion 4. The liquid crystal display unit 18 can be set at an arbitrary position by being rotated via the.

In the video camera device 1, as shown in FIG. 1, a lens 20 is arranged at the right upper corner of the front surface 3 of the camera body 10. The lens 20 has a lens rib 2 whose outer peripheral portion is integrally bulged from the front surface portion 3.
Surrounded by 0A. The lens 20 is combined with the front portion of the lens barrel, which is not described in detail, and allows a captured image to enter the lens barrel. A diaphragm mechanism, a zoom mechanism, and the like are attached to the lens barrel, and an image conversion element (CCD) arranged at the rear end converts the incident image into a video image. This video image is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 18 of the image display device 17 described above and recorded on a video tape by a recording operation.

In the video camera device 1, as described above, the left side area of the front surface portion 3 of the camera body 10 is bulged and formed in a substantially semi-cylindrical shape so that the area extending over the left side surface portion 6 and the back surface 4 is formed. It is configured as a grip. An outer peripheral cover 9A (grip cover) made of a rubber sheet is joined to the outer peripheral portion of the battery housing portion 9 that constitutes the grip portion. The gripping portion allows the user to grip the video camera device 1 in a good state due to the above-described configuration of the substantially semi-cylindrical bulge shape and the thickness of the camera body 10 and the non-slip action and fit of the grip cover 9A. I am trying.

As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of upper and lower engaging portions 21A and 21B are integrally formed on the left side surface portion 6 which constitutes the grip portion on the front case 11 side. A grip belt 21 having both ends fastened to 21A and 21B is arranged. This grip belt 21
The length can be freely adjusted according to the size of the user's hand inserted between the left side surface portion 6 and the grip cover 21C.

Further, on the front surface portion 3 of the camera body 10,
The microphone portion 22 is provided in the central upper region. A stereo microphone (not shown) for collecting external sound is provided inside the microphone 22. Also,
A zoom lever 23 is arranged on the front surface portion 3 above the battery housing portion 9 described above. As shown in FIG. 1, the zoom lever 23 is configured as a lateral arc-shaped lever corresponding to the shape of the outer peripheral portion of the battery storage portion 9. The zoom lever 23 has a finger-holding concave portion 2 formed of an arc-shaped concave portion for allowing the index finger of the right hand to be applied to the central portion of the zoom lever 23 for a video recording operation described later and to be slid.
3A is recessed. The zoom lever 23 drives the zoom mechanism of the lens barrel described above by being slid in the left-right direction.

A light receiving section 24 for receiving a control signal from a remote controller (not shown) is provided on the front surface 3 of the camera body 10. Therefore, although details are omitted, the video camera device 1 can be remotely controlled for video shooting or reproduction operation by a remote controller. In addition, the front surface portion 3 is provided with a photographing display portion 25 for displaying a video photographing state. In the state where video shooting is being performed, the shooting display unit 25 lights up the issuing element disposed inside and displays that effect.

In the video camera device 1, as shown in FIG. 2, the area on the right side surface side of the back surface portion 4 of the camera body 10 constitutes a part of the grip portion, and the video camera device 1 is located in the central portion and displays a horizontally long rectangle. A container storage recess 26 is provided. As described above, the display housing recess 26 has an outer dimension sufficient for housing the image display 17, and normally the back of the image display 17 is housed to reduce the thickness of the video camera device 1. There is.

On the rear surface portion 4 of the camera body 10, a finger stopper portion 27 is located between the display housing recess 26 and the right side surface portion 7.
And a special photographing switch 28 are arranged in the height direction. The finger stopper 27 is a part to which the thumb of the left hand that supports the video camera device 1 whose grip is gripped by the right hand is applied, as described later, and is a semicircular shape that is integrally raised with respect to the back surface part 4. It is composed of a base. The special photographing switch 28 is composed of a date / time imprinting switch 29, a backlight correction switch 30, and a fader switch 31 which are arranged below the finger stop 27 in the height direction.

These special photographing switches 28 are mainly operated during the video photographing. When the date / time imprinting switch 29 is pressed, the output is sent to the control unit, and the date or time is recorded on the photographed image in an overlapping manner. The date / time imprinting switch 29 is operated again from this state to stop the overlapping recording of the date or time on the photographed image. Backlight correction switch 3
0 is operated during video shooting in a backlit state where the background is too bright and the subject is dark. The backlight compensation switch 30 is re-operated from this state to perform video shooting in a normal mode.

The fader switch 31 gradually displays a video image and audio from a special screen such as a mosaic screen (fade in), or gradually switches the video image and audio to a special screen for display (fade out). It is used when performing operations. The fade-in setting is performed in the shooting standby state, and the fade-out setting is performed during shooting.

On the rear surface 4 of the camera body 10, there is provided a warning display section 32 for giving a charging warning and a recording warning so that video recording can be surely performed. This warning display section 32
Each has a light emitting element inside, and when the capacity of the power supply battery is insufficient, the light emitting element is turned on to display a warning, and in the recording state, the light emitting element is turned on to display a recording display. .

As described above, the image display 17 is rotatably disposed on the back surface 4 of the camera body 10 via the hinge mechanism 19. Although not shown in detail, the image display 17 is provided with a second hinge mechanism on the back surface thereof. Therefore, the image display 17 can be rotated in a region extending from the rear surface 4 to the upper surface 5 by these hinge mechanisms. In the image display device 17, a display device setting unit 33 is arranged in a plate-like arm portion between the hinge mechanism 19 and the second hinge mechanism.

As will be described later, the video camera device 1 is switched between a camera mode and a video mode by operating the power / photographing switch 34, and each has a predetermined function. These various functions are provided by the image display 1
7 is displayed on the display unit 18 as a list. Therefore, the display device setting unit 33 displays a list of function menus on the display unit 18, selects a desired menu, and registers the desired menu. Since the display device setting unit 33 is provided on the arm portion that supports the image display device 17 as described above, the function setting operation can be performed regardless of the setting position of the image display device 17.

As shown in FIG. 2, the video camera device 1 is provided with a power / photographing switch 34 on the upper surface 5 of the camera body 10 on the rear side and the left side thereof. The upper surface portion 5 is formed as an inclined surface in which the power supply / photographing switch 34 is disposed in a region that gradually inclines toward the rear side. Therefore, the power / shooting switch 34 is placed with the right thumb of the user holding the gripping portion in a natural state. Although not described in detail, the power / shooting switch 34 is composed of a composite switch including a ring-shaped rotary switch with a lock and a push button switch arranged in the center thereof.

The power / photographing switch 34 is switched between two positions, a camera mode and a video mode, with the outer rotation switch unlocked. In this case, the video camera device 1 is in a so-called video shooting standby state when the rotation switch is set to the camera mode. The video camera device 1 starts video shooting by operating the power / shooting switch 34 in this camera mode setting state. In the video camera device 1, the video shooting is temporarily stopped by opening the power / shooting switch 34.

A program dial 35 is provided on the upper surface 5 of the camera body 10 in front of the power / shooting switch 34. This program dial 35
Is rotated when the mode is set according to the subject or the shooting condition. The video camera device 1 is, for example, a shooting mode for a subject exposed to strong light, a shooting mode for emphasizing a subject, a shooting mode for a subject that moves fast, a shooting mode when external light is strong, a dusk, etc. A shooting mode or a shooting mode such as landscape is set by the program dial 35.

On the upper surface 5 of the camera body 10, an operation display section 36 for displaying the function of operation buttons when operating the video camera device 1 is provided in a substantially central region thereof. Further, the upper surface portion 5 is provided with an operation portion 37 which is located on both sides of the operation display portion 36 and which includes a plurality of push button switches. The operation display unit 36 is composed of a horizontally long rectangular liquid crystal display, and its display is switched depending on the camera mode and the video mode. That is, each push button switch of the operation unit 37 is used for both the camera mode and the video mode, and the contents thereof are displayed on the operation display unit 36. Further, although details are omitted, the operation display section 36 is not displayed when the corresponding push button switch of the operation section 37 is not used in the specific mode state.

A screen adjusting switch 38 for adjusting the brightness of the image display 17 and a volume switch 39 for adjusting the volume are arranged on the upper surface portion 5 of the camera body 10 on the side of the operation display portion 36. It is set up.

In the video camera device 1, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a terminal cover piece 40 is attached to the right side surface portion 7 facing the left side surface portion 6 which constitutes the grip portion of the camera body 10. The terminal cover piece 40 is formed of an elastic material such as rubber in a substantially downward L shape, and its upper end is fixed to the right side surface portion 7 by a support screw 40A. One end of the terminal cover piece 40 is bent and extended to the back side, and is exposed to the video terminal portion 41 provided below the finger stopper 27 described above. Further, the terminal cover piece 40 protects the video terminal portion 41 by integrally forming a circular convex portion (not shown) which is relatively engaged with the video terminal portion 41 on the inner surface of the bent portion.

Further, the surface of the terminal cover piece 40 constitutes the same surface as the finger stopper 27 in the state where the bent portion is relatively engaged with the video terminal portion 41. Therefore, since the thumb of the left hand supporting the camera body 10 is applied across the finger stopper 27 and the bent portion of the terminal cover piece 40, the video camera device 1 is gripped more reliably.

Further, the terminal cover piece 40 has a plurality of connecting terminal portions 4 whose other end extends downward along the right side surface portion 7.
It is located corresponding to 2. The connection terminal portion 42 is an external connection terminal portion into which a pin jack for connecting with an external device such as a television receiver is inserted, and as shown in FIG. 8, a video / audio input / output terminal, a headphone terminal, or It is composed of a microphone terminal. Terminal cover piece 4
0 has a circular convex portion integrally formed on the inner surface thereof so as to be engaged with each of these terminals, thereby protecting the connection terminal portion 42.

The terminal cover piece 40 configured as described above
Due to its material characteristics, the circular convex portion projectingly provided on the inner surface thereof is elastically deformed by the connection terminal portions 41 and 42 and firmly engaged with each other. Further, the terminal cover piece 40 is strongly pulled to release the engagement between the circular convex portion and the connection terminal portions 41 and 42, and exposes the connection terminal portions 41 and 42 to the outside. Since the terminal cover piece 40 is supported by the support screw 40A even in this state, it does not fall off from the camera body 10.

Further, on the right side surface portion 7 of the camera body 10,
A belt hooking portion 43 is provided at an upper portion thereof to which a shoulder belt when carrying the video camera device 1 is hooked. Further, the battery lid 44 is attached to the right side surface portion 7 at a substantially central portion in the height direction by a plurality of setscrews. This battery cover 44
As shown in FIG. 13, closes the battery storage portion 56 recessed in the right side surface portion 7. The speaker 51 and the secondary battery 53 for backup are stored in the battery storage portion 56.

The battery lid 44 is formed of a synthetic resin material into a rectangular plate shape having an outer dimension sufficient to close the battery housing portion 56, and as shown in FIG. 14, a thin synthetic resin case is formed on the inner surface thereof. The speaker 51 built in is fixed. Therefore, the battery lid 44 is also used as a speaker lid by forming a large number of sound output holes.

A secondary battery 53 is assembled to the battery lid 44 inside the speaker 51 via a flexible cable 54 in a stacked state. The secondary battery 53 has a battery cover 4
It is held by being sandwiched between the speaker 51 mounted on the inner surface of No. 4 and the secondary battery housing recess 56. The secondary battery 53 is, for example, a button type lithium battery.
A vanadium battery or the like is used, and when the video camera device 1 is in an unused state, it is charged by being supplied with power from a power supply battery loaded in the battery storage section 9. As shown in FIG. 15, the flexible cable 54 has a pair of terminal plates 52 made of an elastic plate sandwiching the secondary battery 53 on one end side thereof.
A and 52B are directly mounted.

In the flexible cable 54, the leads of the speaker 51 are formed together with the lead portions of the speaker 51 terminal plates 52A and 52B, and the connection terminal portion 54A is integrally formed at the other end. The flexible cable 54 has a connection terminal portion 54A connected to a connector (not shown) provided in the battery storage portion 56.

The battery lid 44 configured as described above is detached from the camera body 10 when the speaker 51 is discarded due to a defect or the video camera device 1 is damaged. That is, the battery lid 44 is pulled out from the camera body 10 by the flexible cable 54 as shown in FIG. 13 after the set screw is removed by the driver 50 as shown in FIG.

The battery lid 44 has a flexible cable 54.
The speaker 51 can be replaced by pulling it out of the camera body 10 within the length range. The battery cover 44 is separated from the camera body 10 by removing the flexible cable 54 from the connector. Therefore, the video camera device 1 can process only the secondary battery 53, which may be treated as a harmful substance at the time of disposal, separately from the camera body 10.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the right side surface portion 7 of the camera body 10 is a horizontally long rectangular connection terminal portion located below the battery housing portion 56 and opened and closed by the terminal cover piece 45. 46 is recessed. The terminal cover piece 45 is also integrally formed by using an elastic material such as rubber,
It is composed of a rectangular cover portion which is relatively engaged with the connection terminal portion 46, and a tongue piece portion which is integrally projected. This terminal cover piece 4
5, one end of the tongue piece is fixed to the lower portion of the right side surface portion 7.

The terminal cover piece 45 is elastically deformed by the connection terminal portion 46 by being strongly pushed in due to its material characteristics, and is firmly engaged with each other. Further, the terminal cover piece 45 is strongly pulled, so that the cover portion is released from the engagement state with the connection terminal portion 46, and the connection terminal portion 46 is exposed to the outside as shown in FIG. Since the tongue piece of the terminal cover piece 45 is fixed to the right side surface portion 7 even in this state, it does not fall off from the camera body 10.

A power cord is connected to the connection terminal portion 46 when the video camera device 1 uses an external power source other than a rechargeable battery housed in the battery housing part 9. The video camera device 1 can use, as an external power source, a commercial power source connected via an AC adapter, an automobile power source connected via a DC adapter, or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the video camera device 1 is provided with a battery storage lid 47 whose details are omitted on the bottom surface portion 8 corresponding to the battery storage portion 9. In the battery storage portion 9, the battery storage lid 47 is opened and a rechargeable battery is loaded inside. More specifically, the battery storage lid 47 is provided on the bottom surface portion 11A side of the front housing 11, and by being provided with a lock mechanism, the battery storage portion 9 is securely held in a closed state. Further, the battery storage lid 47 is
By operating the lock release lever, the lock lever is rotated to open the battery storage portion 9.

The bottom surface 8 of the camera body 10 is provided with a tripod mount 48 located slightly to the left of the center. Specifically, the tripod mounting portion 48 is provided on the bottom surface portion 11A side of the front housing 11 along the front surface portion 3, and has a cylindrical screw bush 5 having a screw formed on the inner periphery as shown in FIG.
5 is configured by insert molding in the front housing 11, for example. A positioning recess 49 is provided on the bottom surface 8 side by side with the tripod mount 48.

As described above, the camera body 10 has the power supply / shooting switch 34 and the program switch 35 on the upper surface portion 5.
Alternatively, a structure in which the front housing 11 and the rear housing 12 are butted against each other on the bottom surface portion 8 by arranging the operation display portion 34, the operation portion 37, and the like is adopted. Tripod
The mounting bolt is screwed into the tripod mounting portion 48 for mounting, while the detent is relatively engaged with the positioning recess 49.

As described above, the video camera device 1 is formed only on the front housing 11 side without the tripod mounting portion 48 and the positioning recess 49 straddling the front housing 11 and the rear housing 12. By doing so, the tripod can be securely attached. The tripod mounting portion 48 and the positioning recessed portion 49 are used not only on a tripod but also when other accessory devices such as a battery adapter and an external connection device are integrally combined.

In the video camera device 1 constructed as described above, the camera mode is set by the power / shooting switch 34, and the shooting mode is set by the program dial 35. Also, the video camera device 1
When the lock release lever 14 is slid to release the lock mechanism, the rear housing 12 is rotated with respect to the front housing 11, and the bottom surface portion 8 is opened. Therefore, in the video camera device 1, as shown in FIG.
The tape cassette 2 is loaded from the opened bottom portion 8.

In the video camera device 1, the rear housing 12 is pivoted back to close the bottom surface portion 8. Video camera device 1
As shown in FIG. 6, the right hand is inserted into the grip belt 21 and the gripping portion is wrapped and gripped. In this case, in the video camera device 1, as shown in the figure, the thumb of the right hand is applied to the power supply / shooting switch 34, and the index finger (not shown) is used for the zoom lever 23.
Applied to the finger rest 23A. As described above, since the power / shooting switch 34 is arranged on the inclined surface of the upper surface portion 5, the thumb is applied in a very natural state.

The grip portion is firmly held by the right hand by the outer peripheral shape of the battery housing portion 9, the thickness dimension of the camera body 10 and the structure of the grip cover 9A. Further, the video camera device 1 is supported by the left hand so that the right side surface portion 7 is wrapped. In this case, the video camera device 1
Is held in a stable state since the thumb of the left hand is applied to the finger stopper 27.

In the video camera device 1, the angle of the image display 17 is adjusted via the hinge mechanism 19 depending on the state of the object to be photographed. Since the video camera apparatus 1 generally shoots video in a firm posture held in front of the chest, as shown in FIG. 9, the image display 17 is slightly pulled out from the display loading section 26 and the line-of-sight angle is set. It is tilted to fit the condition.

Further, in the video camera device 1, as shown in FIG. 10, when the arm is extended and video shooting is performed from a high angle, the image display 17 is adjusted to a downward angle. Further, in the video camera device 1, as shown in FIG. 11, when video shooting is performed at a low angle such as a sitting posture, the image display 17 is adjusted to an upward angle.

Although not shown, the video camera device 1 uses the image display device 17 when photographing itself.
Are set upright. In this case, the image display 17 will display the inverted image on the display section 18. Therefore, the video camera device 1
Is configured such that, when the image display 17 is rotated by a certain angle or more, image reversal processing is performed and a video in a normal state is displayed on the display unit 18.

The video camera device 1 starts video recording by pressing the power / video switch 34, and image information is recorded on the tape of the tape cartridge 2. Further, in the video camera device 1, captured images are simultaneously displayed on the large-sized display unit 18 of the image display device 17.
The video camera device 1 performs a date / time imprinting operation or a fade-out process during shooting.

In this case, the terminal cover 40 is pulled and the switches 29 to 31 of the special photographing switch section 28 are pulled.
Are exposed to the outside. Therefore, the switches 29 to 31 can be operated by moving the thumb of the left hand applied to the finger stopper 27 downward as it is, without largely distracting the line of sight from the image display 17. As a result, the video camera device 1
Does not interrupt video shooting or miss a shooting opportunity.

Further, in the video camera device 1, when the switches 29 to 31 of the special photographing switch portion 28 are operated, it is not necessary to change the left hand, so that the grip performance is maintained as it is and the screen blurring occurs. Good video recording is performed without causing such problems.

In the video camera device 1, not only the above-mentioned video shooting but also the video recorded on the video tape of the tape cassette which has been shot is reproduced according to the setting of the video mode, and the display section of the image display unit 17 is displayed. It goes without saying that the operation displayed on 18 is also performed. The video camera device 1 is also used for outputting an image signal recorded on a video tape and displaying it on this monitor by connecting it to a monitor such as a television receiver.

[0070]

As described above in detail, according to the video camera device of the present invention, the operation of the photographing switch and the special photographing switch can be easily performed with the thumbs of both the left and right hands while the camera body is held in a very natural state. Therefore, the video shooting can be performed in a good condition without interrupting the shooting or significantly distracting the line of sight when the switch is operated, and the operability is greatly improved.

Further, according to the video camera device of the present invention, since the secondary battery charged by the power battery is used as the backup power source, the battery replacement is unnecessary and the data resetting due to the battery exhaustion is required. No operation is required. Further, since the secondary battery can be removed from the camera body by an extremely simple operation, the process of discarding the camera body due to damage or the like can be easily performed.

Further, according to the video camera device of the present invention, accessory parts such as a tripod and accessory devices can be accurately mounted by the mounting part and the positioning part provided on the bottom surface.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view from the front side of a video camera device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the back side of the video camera device.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view from the bottom side of the video camera device.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the video camera device.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a tape cassette loading operation in the video camera device.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a gripped state in the video camera device.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of relevant parts for explaining the configuration of the right side surface of the video camera device.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a main part for explaining a configuration of a special photographing switch section and the like by cutting out a terminal cover piece on the right side surface portion of the video camera device.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a video shooting operation of the video camera device, showing a state in which video shooting is performed in a general posture.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a video shooting operation of the video camera device, showing a high-angle shooting state.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a video shooting operation of the video camera device, showing a low-angle shooting state.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of an operation of removing the battery lid from the camera body in the video camera device.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a battery cover is pulled out from the camera body in the video camera device.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the inner surface side of the battery lid removed from the camera body.

FIG. 15 is a plan view showing a speaker and a secondary battery that are assembled to a battery lid.

FIG. 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of a front housing showing a mounting portion for a tripod and the like in the video camera device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Video camera device 2 8mm video tape cassette (tough cassette) 3 Front part of video camera device 4 Same back part 5 Same top part 6 Same left side part 7 Same right side part 8 Same right side part 9 Same bottom part 9 Battery compartment 9A Perimeter cover (grip cover) ) 10 camera body 11 front case 12 rear case 13 hinge mechanism connecting front case and rear case 17 image display 20 imaging lens 21 grip belt 22 zoom lever 27 finger stop 28 special shooting switch 34 Power / Shooting Switch 44 Battery Lid 48 Tripod Mounting Part (Mounting Screw) 49 Positioning Recess 51 Speaker 53 Secondary Battery 54 Flexible Cable 56 Secondary Battery Storage Recess

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus main body is configured such that one side surface side is configured as a grip portion, a power supply / shooting switch is disposed on an upper surface portion located on the side surface portion side, and a rear surface portion located on the other side surface portion side, A video camera device, characterized in that a finger stop portion is provided so as to project, and a special photographing switch portion including a plurality of switches arranged in a height direction and located in a lower region of the finger stop portion. 2. A battery accommodating portion in which a power supply battery is loaded is formed in a region extending over one side surface portion and a front surface portion of the apparatus main body by being bulged in a substantially semi-cylindrical shape. The video camera device according to claim 1, wherein an outer peripheral portion of the battery housing portion constitutes a part of the grip portion. 3. A grip cover formed of an elastic material on the outer peripheral portion of the battery housing portion is attached to the grip portion, and is formed above and below the one side surface portion constituting the grip portion. The video camera device according to claim 2, wherein a grip belt whose both ends are hooked is disposed on the hooking portion. 4. The apparatus main body has one side surface portion and a back surface portion connected by an inclined surface which inclines toward the rear surface side, and the power supply / shooting switch is disposed on the inclined surface. The video camera device according to claim 1, wherein an image display device for displaying a photographed image is provided on the back surface. 5. A zoom switch is provided on the front surface of the main body of the apparatus above the one side surface side, and an imaging lens is provided on the other side surface side. The video camera device according to claim 1, wherein: 6. The apparatus main body is provided with a secondary battery accommodating portion, which is opened and closed by a detachable battery lid, on the other side surface, and between the bottom surface of the secondary battery accommodating portion and the battery lid. The secondary battery is loaded by being sandwiched between the two.
The video camera device according to. 7. A flexible cable, to which a pair of battery terminals is mounted and connected at one end and a connector is connected to a power supply circuit at the other end, is attached to the inner surface of the battery cover, and the secondary battery is 7. The video according to claim 6, wherein the battery lid is removed from the apparatus main body and the flexible cable is removed from the power supply circuit so that the flexible cable is taken out from the apparatus main body together with the battery lid and the flexible cable. Camera device. 8. The video camera device according to claim 6, wherein a speaker is disposed between the inner surface of the battery lid and the secondary battery. 9. The apparatus main body comprises a front casing and a rear casing which are assembled together via a hinge mechanism provided on the upper portion, and the bottom faces of the front casing and the rear casing protrude from each other at the bottom faces. The video camera device according to claim 1, wherein a bottom portion that can be opened and closed is configured by being combined, and a tape cassette loading portion that loads the tape cassette in an open state is configured on the bottom portion. 10. The apparatus main body is provided with a mounting screw portion and a positioning concave portion along a front surface portion on a bottom surface portion of a front case forming a bottom surface portion thereof. The video camera device according to.