JPH07104542B2 - Video camera - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a video camera, and is particularly suitable for application to a device having an optical viewfinder.

B Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a video camera having a viewfinder arranged in parallel in an image pickup section by providing a transmission type electronic finder means with respect to an optical finder means.
The functions of the viewfinder can be made multi-functional.

C Conventional Technology In a conventional video camera, an image pickup signal is generated by forming a zoom image on the image pickup surface of an image pickup device formed of, for example, a CCD (charge coupled device) with light passing through a zoom lens. The one configured in is used.

The visual finder for this type of video camera has traditionally been an electrical one (EV
F), or an optical one (OVF) that displays light that has passed through a zoom lens by splitting it with a prism or the like is known.

D Problems to be Solved by the Invention By using an optical viewfinder as a viewfinder in this way, a photographer can see a color image when looking through the viewfinder.

However, on the other hand, since a distant view image is formed on an image forming plate using a fixed objective lens, it is difficult to focus the image.

In addition to this, a warning display (for example, “white balance abnormality” (represented by “WB”), “brightness insufficient” (represented by “LL”), and “battery abnormality”) that indicates shooting conditions inside the viewfinder. It is extremely difficult to optically superimpose (display this by “B”), “recording” (this by “T”), etc. on the image forming surface of the image forming plate. Actually, as shown in FIG. 4, the imaging plane of the imaging plate 1
A method of providing warning displays 2WB, 2LL, 2B, and 2T, which are, for example, LED (light emitting diode), along with 1A, is adopted.

In this method, in addition to the space of the image plane 1A, a space for providing the warning display elements 2WB to 2T must be prepared inside the structure part of the viewfinder, so that the structure of the viewfinder becomes large, In order to distinguish the warning display elements, for example, when the color of the LED that is turned on is discriminated, there is a problem that the photographer is burdened.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and is configured to combine a transmission type electronic display element with an optical buffer (this combination configuration is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 60-248350 and (Disclosed in the drawings), the present invention intends to propose a visual finder having a simple structure capable of significantly increasing the number of display functions.

E Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve such problems, in the present invention, the subject
The image pickup unit 12 that forms a zooming image on the image pickup device 24 through the zooming optical systems 21 and 23 and sends the image pickup signal S ₁ obtained from the image pickup device 24 as the output video signal VD _OUT , and the subject 22 in the distant view optical system. A viewfinder section 13 for forming a distant view image on the image forming plane member 27 through the systems 25 and 26, and transmitting the distant view image formed on the image forming plane member 27A through the electronic display element 31 to the photographer 28. , An electronic display element by applying the first generated image signal to the electronic display element 31 in the first viewfinder mode.
The first generated image is formed on 31 and the distant view optical system is formed.
In the second viewfinder mode, the first finder image obtained by superimposing the first generated image on the distant view image formed on the image forming surface member 27 through 25 and 26 is presented to the photographer 28, and By superimposing the second generated image signal on the image pickup signal S ₁ and giving it to the electronic display element 31, the second generated image is superimposed on the zooming image picked up by the image pickup unit 12 on the electronic display element 31. And a control unit 14 for controlling the viewfinder unit 13 so as to form a second second image and present it to the photographer 28.

F action In the first viewfinder mode, the first generated image is formed on the electronic display element of the viewfinder section, and the first generated image is superimposed on the distant view image formed through the distant view optical system of the viewfinder section. The combined first finder image is presented to the photographer, and in the second view finder mode, a zooming image formed on the electronic display device of the view finder section through the zooming optical system of the image pickup section is displayed. By forming a second finder image that superimposes the two generated images and presenting it to the photographer, a video having a view finder that can significantly expand the finder function compared to the conventional case. The camera can be easily realized.

G Embodiment One embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, 11 indicates a video camera as a whole,
The image pickup unit 12, the view finder unit 13, and the control unit 14 are included.

The image pickup unit 12 forms an image of the subject 22 through the objective lens 21 through the zoom lens 23 on the image pickup surface 24A of the image pickup device 24 having the CCD configuration. The image sensor 24 is an image signal representing a raster screen
In addition to sending S ₁ to the control unit 14, the zoom lens 23 outputs a zooming position signal S ₂ indicating the zooming position to the control unit 14.
Send to 14.

The imaging unit 12 is coupled with the viewfinder unit 13 by the coupling member 12A, and the distant view image of the subject 22 passing through the objective lens 25 is made of frosted glass via the intermediate lens 26.
The image formed on the image forming surface 27A of 27 and thus the image formed on the image forming surface 27A is viewed by the photographer 28 from behind so that the distant view image of the subject 22 can be visually confirmed. Has been done.

Thus, the viewfinder unit 13 forms an optical viewfinder component that operates in the optical viewfinder mode, and using this optical viewfinder component, the range of the subject 22 that is imaged by the image capturing unit 12, While watching the distant view image formed on the image forming surface 27A, the photographer 28
Can be visually confirmed.

In addition to this structure, a transmission type electronic display element 31 made of a transmission type liquid crystal plate is provided behind the image forming plate 27 of the buffer unit 13.
And a plate-shaped shutter / light source 32 is mounted behind the objective lens 25.

In the case of this embodiment, the shutter / light source 32 includes a rotary drive unit 33.
Is rotatably attached to the inside of the cylindrical body of the viewfinder portion 13, and when rotated to the upright position, at the same time it shields the distant view image light incident through the objective lens 25 from passing through the intermediate lens 26, By turning on a light source provided on the back surface, the image forming surface 27A can be illuminated as a whole through the intermediate lens 26 (this state is called a closing operation state).

At this time, the illumination light from the shutter / light source 32 causes the image formed on the transmissive electronic display element 31 to be projected to the back, so that the photographer 28 can visually confirm this.
Thus, the viewfinder section 13 forms an electronic viewfinder component that operates in the electronic viewfinder mode.

On the other hand, when the shutter / light source 32 is rotated to the tilted position, the distant view image light passing through the objective lens 25 is operated to form an image on the image forming surface 27A via the intermediate lens 26 (this). Is called the open operation state).

The control unit 14 has a control device 41 for controlling the video camera 11 as a whole, and when the switching signal S ₃ is received from a finder switching switch 42 provided on an operation panel (not shown) of the video camera 11, the shutter / An opening / closing motion signal S ₄ is supplied to the rotation driving unit 33 of the light source 32. In the case of this embodiment, the finder switching switch 42 operates the viewfinder section 13 in the optical viewfinder mode (this is called the OVF mode), or the electronic viewfinder mode (this is changed to the OVF mode).
It is possible to select whether to operate in EVF mode). When OVF mode is specified, the control device 41 controls the shutter / light source 32 to the open operation state, and the EVF mode is set to this.
When the mode is designated, the shutter / light source 32 is controlled to the closed operation state.

Here, in the OVF mode, the view finder section 13 displays the image frame VDF and the warning display ARM on the distant view image TEL of the subject 22 received through the objective lens 25, as shown in FIG.
Generates an OVF image VF1 that is created by overlapping the date display DAT.

On the other hand, in the electronic viewfinder mode EVF, the viewfinder section 13 causes the zoom image ZOM formed on the image pickup surface 24A in the image pickup section 12 as shown in FIG.
On the other hand, an image formed by superimposing the warning display ARM and the date display DAT is obtained.

The control unit 14 is configured as follows to obtain these images VF1 and VF2.

That is, in the control unit 14, the field switching switch 42
When the switching signal S ₃ that specifies the OVF mode is generated from
The control device 41 sends a switching signal S ₁₀ for switching the switches 43A and 43B to the OVF side switching output terminal b to the switching circuit 43 of the signal processing circuit 46, and at the same time, the image frame generating circuit 44.
And drive signals S ₁₁ and S ₁₂ to the charactor generation circuit 45.
Is sent. At this time, the image frame generation circuit 44 and the character generation circuit 45 generate the first generated image signal including the image frame signal S _{13, the} date / time display signal S ₁₄ , and the warning display signal S ₁₅ .

The image frame signal S ₁₃ is added to the date / time display signal S ₁₄ in the addition circuit 47, and then added to the warning display signal S ₁₅ in the addition circuit 48, and the addition result is passed through the first switch 43A of the switch circuit 43. Drive signal S ₁₆ to the electronic display element 31
Is sent as.

Here, the image frame signal S ₁₃ is a zooming signal supplied from the zoom lens 23 in the control device 41 in order to generate an image frame VDF having a size corresponding to the enlargement ratio of the zoom image ZOM formed on the imaging surface 24A. A drive signal S ₁₁ corresponding to the position signal S ₂ is generated.

On the other hand, when the finder switching switch 42 specifies the electronic viewfinder mode EVF, the controller 41
Sends a switching control signal S ₁₀ for switching the switches 43A and 43B of the switch circuit 43 to the switching output terminal a side, and also sends a drive signal S ₁₂ to the charactor generating circuit 45. At this time, the signal processing circuit 46 sequentially adds the second generated image signal consisting of the date / time display signal S ₁₄ and the warning display signal S ₁₅ to the image pickup signal S ₁ in the addition circuits 51 and 52, and the addition result is switched. The signal is sent to the electronic display element 31 as the drive signal S ₁₆ via the switch 43B of the circuit 43.

In the case of this embodiment, the image pickup signal S ₁ of the image pickup device 24 is the addition circuit.
After the date and time display signal S ₁₄ is added at 51, it is sent as an output video signal VD _OUT to a circuit in the subsequent stage (for example, a video tape recorder section).

With the above configuration, the photographer switches
When the switching signal S ₃ designating the optical viewfinder mode OVF is input by operating 42, the controller 4
Reference numeral 1 controls the shutter / light source 32 to an open state, and accordingly, the viewfinder unit 13 forms the distant view image TEL of the subject 22 received through the objective lens 25 on the image forming surface 27A.

At the same time, a zoom image ZOM enlarged according to the zooming position of the zoom lens 23 is formed on the image pickup surface 24A through the objective lens 21 and the zoom lens 23 in the image pickup unit 12, and this is processed as an image pickup signal S _1. It is given to the adder circuit 51 of the circuit 46. At this time, since the switches 43A and 43B of the switch circuit 43 are switched to the switching terminal b side, the image pickup signal S ₁ is added to the date display signal S in the addition circuit 51.
_{After 14} is added, it is sent to the _subsequent circuit as an output video signal VD _OOT . On the other hand, the image frame signal S ₁₃ generated in the image frame generation circuit 44, the date display signal S ₁₄ and the warning signal S ₁₅ generated in the charactor generation circuit 45 are added to each other, and the drive signal S ₁₃ is output through the switch 43A. It is sent to the electronic display element 31 as ₁₆ .

Thus, when the photographer 28 looks into the electronic display element 31 of the viewfinder section 13 from behind, as shown in FIG.
For the distant view image TEL optically formed on 27A, the image frame VDF formed in the electronic display element 31 and the warning display A
You can visually check the OVF image VF1 that is created by overlapping the RM and date display DAT.

Therefore, the photographer 28 only needs to look into the viewfinder section 13 and the zoom lens 2 in the imaging section 12 of the distant view image TEL.
The area of the enlarged image formed on the imaging surface 24A can be confirmed by the image frame VDF with the image frame VDF, and if there are insufficient shooting conditions, the warning display ARM indicating this is displayed as the distant view image T.
It can be displayed on the EL together with the date display DAT.

Therefore, as compared with the conventional case where the warning display is color-displayed outside the distant view image TEL using a display element such as an LED, the photographer can visually confirm the display content at a glance and the display range. Also, since the required minimum size is sufficient, the overall configuration can be downsized.

On the other hand, when the finder switching switch 42 is switched to the electronic viewfinder mode EVF, the control device 41 switches the switches 43A and 43B of the switching circuit 43 to the EVF side switching end b, so that the image pickup surface 24A on the imaging surface 24A. Zoom image Z
The drive signal S _{16 formed} by adding the date display signal S ₁₄ and the warning signal S ₁₅ to the image pickup signal S _{1 formed of} OM is an electronic display element.
Sent to 31. As a result, on the electronic display element 31,
As shown in Fig. 3, a warning display A is displayed for the zoom image ZOM.
An image VF2 formed by superimposing the RM and the date display DAT can be formed based on the electronic video signal.

Controller 41 at this time, Yotsute the switching signal S ₄ shutter /
By driving the light source 32 to the closing operation state, the distant view image light coming from the subject 22 is shielded and the intermediate lens 26
By irradiating the electronic display element 31 with the light source through the imaging plate 27 via the, the photographer 28 generates the zoom image ZOM formed on the imaging surface 24A by the electronic display element 31. It can be confirmed by the EVF image VF2. At this time, the EVF image V formed on the electronic display element 31
Since the F2 is adjusted so that it is practically sufficiently focused through the zoom lens 23, the image that the photographer 28 can see through the viewfinder section 13 is also a sufficiently focused image. .

In the above description, the case where a transmissive liquid crystal plate is used as the electronic display element 31 has been described.
A transmissive electronic display device capable of converting an electronically processed video signal into an image may be used.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, by driving the shutter / light source 32 to the closed operation state in the EVF operation mode,
An electronic display element that blocks light from the subject 22
Although it is configured to generate the illuminating light for the 31, instead of this, even if configured to use external light as a light source by interposing a diffuse reflection plate, the same effect as the above case can be obtained. Obtainable.

H As described above, according to the present invention, in the first viewfinder mode, the first generated image is formed on the electronic display element of the viewfinder section and imaged through the distant view optical system of the viewfinder section. Presenting to the photographer a first finder image formed by superimposing the first generated image on the captured distant view image,
In addition, in the second viewfinder mode, a second finder image that superimposes the second generated image on the zooming image formed on the electronic display element of the viewfinder part through the zooming optical system of the imaging part is displayed. Form,
By presenting it to the photographer, it is possible to easily realize a video camera having a viewfinder which can significantly expand the finder function as compared with the conventional case.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic system diagram showing an embodiment of a video camera according to the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are schematic diagrams showing display images in the OVF operation mode and the EVF operation mode, and FIG.
The figure is a schematic diagram showing a conventional Buffy finder image. 11 …… video camera, 12 …… image pickup section, 13 …… viewfinder section, 14 …… control section, 23 …… zoom lens, 24 ……
Image sensor, 24A ... Imaging surface, 27 ... Imaging plate, 27A ... Imaging surface, 28 ... Photographer, 41 ... Control device, 42 ... FINDER switching switch, 44 ... Image frame generating circuit, 45 …… Character generation circuit, 46 …… Signal processing circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup unit for forming a zooming image on an image pickup device through a zooming optical system and sending an image pickup signal obtained from the image pickup device as an output video signal; and forming an image for the subject through a distant view optical system. A viewfinder section for forming a distant view image on the surface member and presenting the distant view image formed on the image forming surface member to the photographer through an electronic display element; and a first viewfinder mode, A first generated image signal is applied to the electronic display element to form a first generated image on the electronic display element, and an image is formed on the image forming surface member through the distant view optical system. The first generated image in which the first generated image is superimposed on the distant view image is presented to the photographer, and the second generated image is added to the imaging signal in the second viewfinder mode. And applying the signal to the electronic display element to form a second finder image in which the second generated image is superimposed on the zooming image captured by the image capturing section on the electronic display element. A video camera, comprising: a control unit for controlling the above-mentioned viewfinder unit so as to present it to the photographer.