JPH10200793A - Finder device and camera having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] (With correction) [PROBLEMS] To provide a finder device capable of confirming focus at an arbitrary part of a finder image and a camera provided with the finder device. Kind Code: A1 A finder provided with an area image sensor in which photoelectric conversion elements for picking up an image on a finder screen are arranged in a plane, a display means for displaying an image picked up by the area image sensor, and a display means. And an image processing means 4 for enlarging and displaying an image centered on an arbitrary position of the image displayed in the finder device.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a finder device for confirming an image of imaging light from an imaging lens and a camera provided with the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a so-called film camera, when an image of an object to be imaged is taken, an in-focus state and an image pickup range of the object to be imaged are confirmed using an optical finder. In order to confirm an image using this optical viewfinder, in a single-lens reflex camera, a reflection mechanism for guiding an optical path to a viewfinder optical system in the camera body is provided. First, an image is formed on a reticle or a finder screen provided in the camera body.

Further, image light formed on the finder screen is guided to an eyepiece through an optical path in an optical finder, and an image is confirmed by a photographer. Then, after confirmation, the film is irradiated with image light and photographed. Later, the film is developed and printed to make the photographed image observable.

At this time, the image confirmed by the photographer is usually focused on an image portion near the center of the finder screen.

Further, when it is desired to magnify the subject image on the finder screen and perform more accurate focusing, a magnifier (magnifier) is attached to the rear of the finder.

[0006]

However, in the imaging range, the subject whose focus is to be confirmed is not always located near the center, and when the target is out of the center of the imaging range, the target An operation such as moving the camera to the center of the imaging range and performing focusing is required.

Even when the above-described magnifier is attached, the vicinity of the center of the imaging range is enlarged. Needs to be moved to the center of the shooting range, and the operation becomes complicated.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a finder device which can easily focus on a subject out of the center of the shooting range without moving the subject to the center of the shooting range. That is.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a finder device capable of confirming focus at an arbitrary portion of an image and a camera provided with the finder device.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a finder device comprising: an area image sensor in which photoelectric conversion elements for capturing an image on a finder screen are arranged in a plane. A finder, display means for displaying an image taken by the area image sensor, and image processing means for enlarging and displaying the image centered on an arbitrary position of the image displayed on the display means. ing.

Further, a second configuration of the finder device for achieving the above object of the present invention is the finder device of the first configuration, wherein the memory stores an image captured by the area image sensor as pixel data. And the image processing means in the first configuration, instructing means for instructing an arbitrary position of the image,
Input means for inputting an arbitrary enlargement ratio of the image, and an operation for obtaining a range of the pixel data to be read from the memory based on the enlargement ratio input by the input unit and a position designated by the instruction unit Means, and memory control means for outputting the pixel data in the range determined by the calculation means from the memory.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera including a finder device having the above-described first and second configurations, and a linear image sensor in which a film loading mechanism or a photoelectric conversion element is linearly arranged. A camera body, an imaging lens attached to the camera body, and switching means for switching imaging light from the imaging lens to an optical path to one of the finder or the film surface or one of the finder or the linear image sensor. And focusing is performed on the image based on the image displayed on the display means.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a use state of the embodiment of the present invention. According to FIG. 1, a finder 1 having a built-in CCD area image sensor is attached to a camera body 2 fixed to a tripod 5. Then, before photographing with the film, an image of the imaging target 3a is taken by the viewfinder 1 for focus adjustment.
The video signal of the captured image is sent to a control box 4 to be described later via a cable 6a, and is displayed as an image 3b on a liquid crystal monitor 7 via the cable 6b by control there.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the camera body 2 and the finder 1 of the finder device of the present invention attached thereto. According to FIG. 2, the optical path of the image light incident from the imaging lens 13 is switched by the mirror 12 at the position A, and forms an image on the finder screen 11. Then, an image on the finder screen 11 is captured by a CCD area image sensor 14 (hereinafter referred to as a CCD sensor) through an imaging optical system 9 having a lens barrel 8, and is converted into a video signal.

Returning to FIG. 1, an image 3b of the entire object 3a is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 7. An arbitrary position on the image 3b where the focus adjustment is desired is indicated by the cursor 15. Then, an enlarged image 3c obtained by enlarging the image area of a predetermined range centered on the arbitrary position at a predetermined magnification is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 7.

As described above, the viewfinder screen 11
By pointing an arbitrary position on the monitor and enlarging and displaying the area on the monitor, it is possible to easily adjust the focus at an arbitrary position on the finder screen 11 while looking at the monitor 7 without moving the camera body 2. it can.

Hereinafter, the control box 4 which is the main component for realizing the finder device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. An image signal from the finder 1 is generated as a composite video signal by the CCD sensor 14 and input to the control box 4 via the cable 6a. The composite video signal input to the control box 4 is separated into a luminance signal (Y) and a chroma signal (C) by a Y / C separation circuit 35 and separated into two systems. One is separated by a sync separation circuit 21 into a control signal and a sync signal required for control described below, and the other is separated by a matrix circuit (not shown) in the NTSC decoder 36 into three primary colors (red (R), green (G)). , Blue (B)) signals (hereinafter referred to as RGB signals)
Is converted to

Each of the RGB signals has a filter circuit 22 and a clamp circuit 2 for removing unnecessary frequencies.
3. The sampled signal processing required for A / D conversion is performed by the sample & hold circuit 24, and the A / D conversion circuit 2
5 is converted into a digital signal. Each of the RGB signals converted into digital signals is stored in the memory 19 as pixel data of an image, for example, for one screen.

The clamp circuit 23 is provided to keep the potential within the horizontal blanking period constant. For this purpose, the horizontal blanking signal (H.BNK) separated by the synchronization separating circuit 21 is used as a timing signal. Used.

Further, the sample & hold circuit 24
The input signal is sampled at a predetermined sampling frequency, and the amplitude value voltage is held. The held amplitude voltage is input to the A / D conversion circuit 25. A frequency four times as high as the color subcarrier (sc) is used as the sampling frequency, and a clock signal (4fsc) having this frequency is output from the synchronization separation circuit 21.

The clock signal (4fsc) is
An A / D conversion circuit 25, a memory controller 20 and a D / A conversion circuit 26, which will be described later, are input as a reference clock.

A switch controller 31 in the display controller 18 monitors the state of a switch 34 provided on the surface of the control box 4 and, depending on the pressed switch 34, a cursor display controller 33 or an enlarged display operation circuit 32. To the switch input signal.

In the cursor display controller 33, a switch input signal from the switch controller 31
The display position of the cursor 15 displayed on the monitor screen is controlled, and data specifying the position on the screen where the cursor 15 is displayed is sent to the memory controller 20.

On the other hand, the enlargement display operation circuit 32 enlarges the image in accordance with the enlargement ratio data input by the switch 34 with the display position of the cursor 15 as the center.
The area to be enlarged and displayed is calculated. Further, an arithmetic operation for obtaining a digital video signal read start position and a digital read end position from the memory 19 and, if necessary, an interpolation process or the like are performed so that the calculated display area is displayed on the entire monitor screen. Then, the calculated data is sent to the memory controller 20.

As a specific example, a case will be considered where the image is enlarged and displayed four times (the dimensions in the horizontal and vertical directions are each doubled) around a specific position on the display image designated by the cursor 15. First, a read start position and a read end position from the memory 19 are calculated. The read start position and the read end position are, as shown in FIG.
With the coordinates (X, Y) of the position P designated by the cursor 15 as the center, each half of the total number of pixels (for example, 800 pixels and 600 pixels, respectively) in the horizontal and vertical directions of the monitor screen (for example, 800 pixels and 600 pixels, respectively) 400 pixels and 300 pixels respectively
The coordinates of the area of the pixel (dotted line), that is, the address of the memory 19. In the present embodiment, the upper left coordinate A
(X-200, Y-150) is the read start position, and the lower right coordinate B (X + 200, Y + 150) is the read end position.

The pixel data on the memory 19 corresponding to the area obtained in this manner is read out, and the area is enlarged twice in the horizontal and vertical directions, that is, in FIG.
As shown in (b), the pixel data of the readout area is displayed on the entire monitor screen. At this time, the data to be interpolated between the pixel data in the readout area necessary for enlargement is repeatedly used by the memory controller 20, for example, for the required number of readout pixel data. This allows enlarged display without creating intermediate data between the pixel data to be read and the pixel data. Note that an interpolation data generation circuit that creates an intermediate value of the read pixel data as interpolation data may be provided.

The memory controller 20 controls the reading of the pixel data stored in the memory 19 based on the control signals sent from the cursor display controller 33 and the enlarged display operation circuit 32. In the above-described example, the pixel data to be read is read twice each from the read address to form one scan line. As a result, the image is enlarged twice in the horizontal direction. Further, the same pixel data as the above-mentioned scanning line is output to the next scanning line, so that the data is enlarged twice in the vertical direction. The RGB signals output from the memory 19 in this manner are converted into analog signals by the D / A conversion circuit 26.

The RGB signals converted into analog signals are
Unnecessary frequencies are removed by the respective filter circuits 27. The RGB encoder 28 combines the RGB signals, adds a synchronization signal (C.SYNC), and converts the signal into a composite video signal. Here, the added synchronization signal (C. SYNC) is delayed by the delay (DL) circuit 30. This is because the image signal is transmitted from the NTSC decoding circuit 36, the A / D converter 16, the memory 19, the D / A
It takes time to pass through the conversion unit 17, and the synchronization separation circuit 2
This is because a time difference occurs between the synchronization signal (C. SYNC) and the synchronization signal separated by 1.

The composite video signal is supplied to the amplifier circuit 2
The amplified signal is output from the control box 4 and input to the liquid crystal monitor 7 via the cable 6b. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, an entire image 3b on the finder screen 11 or an enlarged image 3c centered on an arbitrary position is displayed.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of this embodiment. First, an image of an object to be imaged is taken by the finder 1 (step S1), and the entire image is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 7 (step S2).

Next, in the whole image, an arbitrary position for which focus adjustment is to be performed is indicated by a cursor 15 displayed on the screen.
, And an enlargement factor for enlarging and displaying around the position is input to the control box 4 (step S3). The designation of the position of the cursor 15 and the input of the enlargement ratio are performed by a switch 34 arranged on the control box 4.

When the position of the cursor 15 is designated and the magnification is input, an enlarged image centered on the designated position of the captured image is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 7 under the control of the control box 4 as described above. Is performed (step S4).

The photographer manually adjusts the focus based on the enlarged image 3c (step S).
5) Further, film shooting of the image 3a is performed. In photographing, the mirror 12 in FIG. 2 is moved to the position B, and the incident light from the imaging lens 13 is guided to the film surface 10. In addition,
The camera body 2 may include a CCD linear image sensor instead of the film.

[0035]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By pointing to an arbitrary position of the image on the viewfinder screen and enlarging and displaying around the pointed position, the position is moved to the center of the viewfinder screen to focus on the arbitrary position in the composition once determined The focus adjustment can be easily performed without performing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a use state of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a viewfinder 1 attached to a camera body 2;
FIG.

FIG. 3 is a configuration block diagram of a control box 4.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a read area of pixel data.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Finder 2 Camera body 4 Control box 7 LCD monitor 11 Finder screen 12 Mirror 13 Imaging lens 14 CCD area image sensor 15 Cursor

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A finder having an area image sensor in which photoelectric conversion elements for capturing an image on a finder screen are arranged in a plane, display means for displaying an image captured by the area image sensor, and the display. An image processing means for enlarging and displaying the image centered on an arbitrary position of the image displayed on the means. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a memory configured to store an image captured by the area image sensor as pixel data, wherein the image processing unit indicates an arbitrary position of the image, and an arbitrary unit of the image. Input means for inputting an enlargement factor; arithmetic means for obtaining a range of the pixel data read from the memory based on the enlargement factor input by the input means and a position designated by the instruction means; 2. The finder device according to claim 1, further comprising: a memory control unit that outputs the pixel data in the range obtained by the unit from the memory. 3. A camera body having a film loading mechanism, an imaging lens attached to the camera body, and switching means for switching imaging light from the imaging lens to an optical path to either the finder or the film surface. 3. The camera according to claim 1, wherein focusing of the image is performed based on the image displayed on the display unit. 4. A camera body provided with a linear image sensor in which photoelectric conversion elements are linearly arranged, an image pickup lens attached to the camera body, and an image pickup light from the image pickup lens, the viewfinder or the linear image sensor. 3. A finder device according to claim 1, further comprising: switching means for switching to an optical path to any one of the above, wherein focusing of the image is performed based on the image displayed on the display means. Camera.