JPH1164721A - Automatic focusing camera provided with illuminator for photographing - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To miniaturize an automatic focusing camera provided with an illuminator for photographing in positional relation between an automatic focusing unit and a light emitting part unit for photographing. SOLUTION: The automatic focusing unit 12 and a flash light emitting part unit 13 are juxtaposed in a lateral direction on an upper side in a camera main body 11. Since the mounting space 18 of the lead wire 17 of the xenon tube 14 is provided at the rear of the unit 12 by arranging the unit 12 so as to be deviated to a subject side by a distance L1 from the attaching position of the xenon tube 14 of the unit 13, the camera is made compact in width.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mechanical arrangement of an automatic focusing camera with a lighting device for photographing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the structure of an automatic focusing camera with a photographing illumination device is as shown in FIG. That is, a flash light emitting unit 3 composed of a xenon tube 4, a reflector 5, and the like above a photographing lens unit on the front of the camera body 1,
An AF (auto focus) unit 2 and a finder unit (not shown) are arranged side by side. In such a conventional camera structure, the lateral width of the camera is increased, and it has been set back from the recent miniaturization of the camera. Therefore,
As described in JP-A-1-32240 (conventional example 1), an AF unit is disposed above a photographing lens on the front of a camera body, and a retractable flash unit that can stand up at the time of photographing is provided at the rear of the AF unit. Accordingly, miniaturization of a camera has been proposed.

In order to reduce the size of the camera, it is conceivable to reduce the size of the flash unit.
No. 7,690 (conventional example 2) and the like have proposed a compact and highly efficient flash unit (hereinafter referred to as a light-gait flash unit) for condensing a light beam from a light emitting means using a plate-shaped light guide. ing.

[0004]

However, the camera structure of the above-mentioned prior art example 1 requires a drive mechanism for the retractable flash unit, which increases the cost, and furthermore, due to its arrangement, compared to the conventional camera. The problem that the height and the thickness are increased was met. Further, in the camera structure of Conventional Example 2, only the miniaturization of the flash unit alone has been proposed, leaving room for miniaturization of the entire camera when applied to an actual product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a first object of the present invention to provide a camera structure capable of reducing the size of an autofocus camera with a lighting device for photographing in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a camera structure capable of miniaturizing an autofocus camera having a light guide flash unit as a photographing illumination device.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention relates to an autofocus camera with a photographing illumination device, in which the positional relationship between the autofocus unit and the photographing light emitting unit is efficiently arranged. It is.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic focusing camera with a lighting device for photographing, wherein the automatic focusing unit is disposed closer to a subject than a light emitting means mounting position of a light emitting unit. The light emitting unit and the light emitting unit are efficiently arranged, and the camera can be downsized. According to the second aspect of the present invention, by using a light guide for the light emitting unit, the size of the camera can be reduced even with the light emitting unit using the light guide. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the automatic focusing unit is disposed at a position closer to the subject than the light emitting unit mounting position of the light emitting unit using the light guide and at a position cut into the light emitting unit optical axis side from the light emitting unit end face. Since the focusing unit and the light emitting unit with light guide can be efficiently arranged, the size of the camera can be reduced.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway top view of an autofocus camera with a photographing illumination device of the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a front view thereof. In the figure, reference numeral 11 denotes a camera body,
Reference numeral 2 denotes an autofocus (AF) unit, which is disposed above the taking lens unit 21 and inside the camera body 11. Reference numeral 13 denotes a flash light emitting unit which is also disposed on the right side of the AF unit 12, and which reflects a cylindrical xenon tube 14 which emits flash light and light emitted from the xenon tube 14 efficiently within a required range. A reflection shade 15, a Fresnel plate 16 for efficiently irradiating an object with the light emitted from the xenon tube 14 and the reflection light from the reflection shade 15, a lead wire 17 for supplying power to the xenon tube 14, and a lead wire 17 mounting space 18. The AF unit 12 is connected to the flash light emitting unit 13
The xenon tube 14 is displaced toward the subject by a distance L1 from the mounting position. Reference numeral 20 denotes a finder unit arranged on the left side of the AF unit 12.

In this embodiment having the above-described configuration, the AF unit 12 is disposed so as to be shifted to the subject side with respect to the mounting position of the xenon tube 14 of the flash light emitting unit 13, so that the lead wire 17 to the xenon tube 14 is provided. Can be provided at the rear of the AF unit 12, and the width of the camera can be reduced accordingly.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. For the sake of simplicity, the same parts as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and only different points will be described. FIG.
FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway top view of the autofocus camera with the photographing illumination device of the present embodiment. In this embodiment, instead of the front part of the reflection shade 15 and the Fresnel plate 16 in the flashlight emitting unit 13 of the first embodiment, the light emitted from the xenon tube 14 is guided in the longitudinal direction, and the light is collected. Incident surface 1 for controlling light
A light guide 19 having an emission surface 9b having a curved surface 9a and a curved surface is provided. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

In this embodiment having the above structure, the light beam emitted from the xenon tube 14 is reflected directly or after being reflected by the reflection shade 15, then enters from the light incident surface 19a of the light guide 19, and repeats total internal reflection. Irradiated toward the subject from the exit surface 19b. At this time, light control in the light guide 19 enables uniform and highly condensing illumination. Even in the case of the flash light emitting unit 13 having such a light guide, since the AF unit 12 is similarly displaced toward the subject with respect to the mounting position of the xenon tube 14 of the flash light emitting unit 13, the xenon tube 1
The mounting space 18 for the lead wire 17 to the AF unit 4 can be provided at the rear of the AF unit 12, so that the width of the camera can be reduced.

FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway top view of the autofocus camera with the photographing illumination device of the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, in the same configuration as in the second embodiment, the arrangement of the AF unit 12 is changed to the flash light emitting unit 13 in the same manner as in the second embodiment.
From the mounting position of the xenon tube 14 to the subject side by a distance L1 to reduce the mounting space 18 to the AF unit 12.
At the rear, and at a position further into the light emitting unit optical axis side by a distance L2 from the end face of the xenon tube 14.

The present embodiment having the above-described configuration is the same as the AF unit 12
The width of the camera can be further reduced by a distance L2 where the xenon tube 14 and the mounting space 18 overlap.

[0014]

As described above, in an autofocus camera with a photographing illumination device, this type of camera can be miniaturized by arranging the autofocus unit closer to the subject than the light emitting unit mounting position of the light emitting unit. be able to.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, since a light guide is used for the light emitting unit, the camera can be downsized even if the light emitting unit has a light guide. Claim 3
In the present invention, the light emitting unit uses a light guide, and the autofocus unit is disposed at a position closer to the subject than the light emitting unit mounting position of the light emitting unit and at a position cut into the light emitting unit optical axis side from the light emitting unit end face. Thus, the autofocus camera with the light emitting unit having the light guide can be reduced in size.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially broken top view of an autofocus camera with a photographing illumination device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a partially broken top view of an autofocus camera with a photographing illumination device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway top view of an autofocus camera with a photographing illumination device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway top view of a conventional autofocus camera with a photographing illumination device.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 Camera body, 12 AF unit, 13
Flash light emitting unit, 14.xenon tube, 15.reflection shade, 16. Fresnel plate, 17.lead wire, 18.
· Mounting space, 19 · · · light guide, 20 · · finder unit, 21 · · · shooting lens unit.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An auto-focus camera with a lighting device for photographing, wherein the auto-focus unit is disposed closer to a subject than a light-emitting unit mounting position of the light-emitting unit. 2. The autofocus camera with a lighting device for photographing according to claim 1, wherein a light guide is used for said light emitting unit. 3. The light-emitting unit is provided with a light guide, and the auto-focus unit is further arranged at a position where the light-emitting unit is further cut into the light-emitting unit optical axis from an end face of a light-emitting unit of the light-emitting unit. An autofocus camera with the lighting device for photography according to the above.