JPH0214676A - Imaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simply confirm a picture recorded on a recording medium on a monitor as a still picture by supplying an electric signal obtained from an image pickup element continuously to the monitor. CONSTITUTION:A camera main body A is directed to a part desiring to pick up and focusing of an image pickup lens 11 is applied to obtain a video signal by a solid-state image pickup element 14 provided to the image pickup device B from an output of a control circuit 15. Then a moving picture is displayed on a display device 16, a display signal is sent simultaneously to a video tape recorder, where video recording is applied. When the photosensitive film in a camera main body is recorded during the video recording at the same time, the same pickup as a conventional camera is applied by pressing a release button of the camera main body A, a moving reflection mirror is arisen, a switch is closed and an object image holding just before the pickup is displayed from the image pickup element 14 on a display device 16. Thus, the picture recorded simply is confirmed as the still picture.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an imaging device, and particularly to an imaging device for supplying an electrical signal obtained from an imaging element to a monitor and reproducing it as a visible image.

(Prior art) In recent years, video recorders that record various scenes as moving images and generate RLF have become widely used, and video signals obtained from solid-state image sensors are supplied to a monitor and reproduced as visible images. An imaging device that was designed to perform
No. 4-140543 by the present applicant.

In the above-mentioned video recorder as well as in the imaging device proposed by the applicant, the image signal obtained by imaging is continuously sent to the monitor as a moving image, so that the image signal can be converted into a visible image as a moving image. In order to make the subject observable and to record the recorded image signal by reproducing it, however, in the above-mentioned device, in order to confirm the recorded image or the image to be recorded as a still image, it is necessary to first take the device out of the recording mode. In the case of a video recorder that switches to playback mode and is intended for video recording, it is necessary to set the still playback mode on top of this switching, which is not only troublesome from an operational point of view, but also requires the confirmation described above. It is an object of the present invention to provide an imaging device for quickly confirming an image being recorded or to be recorded as a still image, which has the problem that it cannot be performed immediately when the situation is severe.

an image sensor for converting a subject image into an electrical signal, a means for continuously supplying the electrical signals obtained from the image sensor to a monitor for visual reproduction, and a hold for the subject image displayed on the monitor. and a control means for holding the subject image displayed on the monitor according to the setting of the setting means.

(Function) In the above configuration, the object image being visibly reproduced and displayed on the monitor is held by the hold setting of the setting means.

〔Example〕

In the embodiments described below, for example, an imaging device is configured by mounting an imaging unit having a solid-state imaging device on a finder unit mounting portion of a single-lens reflex camera in which the optical finder unit is replaceably provided,
The video output of the imaging unit is used for recording or displaying, and a display device for displaying the video output is installed,
In particular, a solid-state image sensor equipped with C, C, D, B, B, D, etc. elements is used, and the subject scene being photographed is held and displayed as a still image while the camera is exposing the photosensitive film. In the figure, A is the single-lens reflex camera body surrounded by the two-dot chain line, and B is
shows an imaging unit attached in place of the optical finder unit of the camera body. This corresponds to the pentaprism section of a single-lens reflex camera, which is usually replaceably provided as an optical finder unit. Reference numeral 11 in the camera body A schematically represents a photographing lens, which is replaceably provided in the camera body A, similar to a well-known single-lens reflex camera. 12 schematically represents a movable reflecting mirror,
It rises during photographing and returns to the oblique position shown in the figure upon completion of photographing. 13 indicates a condenser lens.

Similar to a known single-lens reflex camera, subject light is reflected upward by a reflecting mirror 12 by a photographing lens 11, and is imaged on a focus plate (not shown). The imaging unit B is attached to the camera body from which the optical finder unit has been removed, and a CCD image sensor 14 is provided in contact with the focusing plate of the camera body. Reference numeral 15 denotes a control circuit, which applies a readout signal to the CCD and extracts a video signal as a time-series signal.

Reference numeral 16 indicates a solid-state display device such as a liquid crystal display device, and is a monitor for displaying a video signal from a control circuit as a reproduced image.

Note that the display device monitor 16 is connected to the imaging unit L-B as described later.
It is also possible to separate the two and connect them with a cord.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of the control circuit 15. In the same figure, 21 indicates a circuit section of the first body imaging device 14, and 20 indicates a hold switch connected to a power supply circuit, for example. By opening and closing, for example, when the switch 20 is closed, the image signal on the element 14 (21) at that time is circulated to the element 14 (21) and held, and when the switch 20 is opened, it returns to the original state again. be.

22 is a multiplexer, 23 is a video amplification circuit, 24 is a display device corresponding to 16, 25 is an element for external brightness photometry, 26 is a control circuit that forms a signal corresponding to the output of the element 25, 27 is a visual field switching circuit, 28 Reference numeral 29 indicates a signal forming circuit for forming an addressing signal for an image sensor corresponding to a field of view in response to a signal from a switching circuit, and 29 indicates a selection circuit. As a display device, for example, the Japanese Patent Publication No. 52-3665
The liquid crystal display device shown in No. 6 can be used, and other circuits can be used as known circuits, so the details thereof will be omitted.

In the above circuit configuration, the visual field switching circuit 27 includes the element 14
A mode in which a video signal corresponding to the entire image formed on the image is obtained and reproduced on the entire display device 24, or a video signal corresponding to only a small central portion of the visual field is obtained and this is reproduced on the display device 2.
It is possible to select a mode for reproducing all of 4, or an intermediate mode between these modes.

Figures 3 to 5 show specific configuration diagrams of the example shown in the first diagram. Figure 3 shows the imaging unit shown in B in Figure 1, and Figure 4 shows the single-lens reflex camera body A. ing. In Fig. 3, 31 is a housing, 32 is a stepped portion that forms a mating surface with the camera body, 33° 33' is a mounting rail for the display device, which will be described later, and 34° 34' is an engagement position with the camera body. 35 is an elastic spring, 36 is an external terminal, for example, a terminal connected to a video tape recorder, 37.37' is a contact terminal connected to camera body contacts 42, 42', and the camera This is for receiving a signal from the switch 20, which is opened and closed in conjunction with a reflecting mirror provided on the main body side, through the contact terminals 37 and 37'.

When the housing 31 of the imaging unit B is attached to the mounting part of the camera body A, the housing 31 is attached to the elastic spring 35 and the engagement pin 34.
34'', the engagement pin is engaged with an engagement portion (not shown) of the camera body and fixed at a desired position.

FIG. 5 shows a display device attached to the top surface of the image pickup unit shown in the third figure, and 51 is its housing, 52 is a protrusion that engages with the rail 33, 33', and 53 is connected to the terminal 36 with a cord. A human power terminal to be connected, 54 is a lock release button whose press causes a locking piece 55 to move forward and backward, and 56 is a field of view selection button which is linked to the field of view switching circuit 27, when set to the x1 position. ,
When the entire field of view is set at the ×2 position, only the central part of the field of view is selected and displayed twice as enlarged over the entire surface of the display device, and the same applies to ×4 below.

57 is a solid display board such as a liquid crystal display board, and 58 is a light receiving window for the photometric light receiving element 25.

In the above configuration, the imaging unit B is attached to the camera body, the display device shown in FIG. 5 is attached, and the terminal 36
The operation will be explained when a video tape recorder is connected and used as a recording means.

By pointing the camera body A toward the part to be imaged and focusing the photographic lens, the desired video signal in the field of view corresponding to the set position of the selection button 56 is amplified from the solid-state image sensor 21 (14) provided in the imaging device B. It is obtained from the circuit 23 output.

At this time, the gain of the amplifier circuit is controlled by the output of the light receiving element 25, so that the output of the amplifier circuit 23 corresponds to the ambient light of the image being captured, and is reproduced on the display device 24, so the ambient light An easy-to-see image is always displayed regardless of the brightness. In other words, an easily viewable moving image is always displayed. The display signal is simultaneously sent to a video tape recorder for recording.

During the recording operation, if you wish to record on the photosensitive film in the camera body at the same time, you can press the release button 44 on the camera body. By pressing the release button 44, a photographing operation is performed in the same way as a normal camera. In this case, the switch 20 is closed by raising the movable reflecting mirror, so that the switched subject image is displayed on the display device.

As described above, in this embodiment, by removing the optical viewfinder of a general-purpose camera, it is possible to easily provide the same functions as a video camera, and when operating the camera, imaging operations can be performed with exactly the same operability. Therefore, in terms of operability, it is possible to use the camera system such as interchangeable lenses that you have as is, and by combining it with a display device, it is configured so that you can attach your desired viewfinder, either an optical viewfinder or an electronic viewfinder. Therefore, when used as an electronic viewfinder, it is also possible to perform remote control by connecting the display device and the imaging device with a cord and providing only the display device in the remote control section.

Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, an image sensor for converting a subject image into an electrical signal is shown as 14 (21), and means for continuously supplying the electrical signal obtained from the image sensor to a monitor for visual reproduction. are the multiplexer 22 and amplifier circuit 23 shown in FIG. The image being recorded or to be recorded can be confirmed as a moving image by continuously supplying the electric signal obtained from the loop that circulates the output of the image sensor 21 shown in FIG. 2 to the monitor as a control means for holding the image. ,
Furthermore, switching from recording mode to playback mode as before,
Also, without the need for setting a still playback mode, etc., it is possible to quickly and easily confirm a subject image that has been recorded or is to be recorded as a still image simply by setting the setting means.

A schematic diagram of the configuration of a reflex camera. FIG. 2 is an electrical circuit diagram commonly used in the imaging device shown in the first diagram. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the imaging device shown in the first diagram. FIG. 4 is a single-lens reflex camera to which the imaging device shown in the third diagram is attached. Main body perspective view FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a display device used together with the image pickup device shown in FIG.

A: Knee-lens reflex camera body B: 11i image device 1
4 (21): Solid-state imaging device 31: Obscurive imaging device housing ``- Ito Uyama Ichi +', E 1 Old j: (spontaneous) 2. Name of the invention Imaging device 3.7 Person who performs the imaging 1 relationship with the matter

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An imaging device that converts a subject image into an electrical signal, means for continuously supplying the electrical signal obtained from the imaging device to a monitor for visual reproduction, and an electrical signal to be displayed on the monitor. a recording means for recording a corresponding subject image on a recording medium in response to a recording trigger; a subject image being displayed on the monitor in synchronization with the recording operation of the recording means to confirm the subject image recorded on the recording medium; An imaging device comprising: a control means for holding the image.