Video still camera

• US 20020186315A1
• Filed: 07/29/2002
• Published: 12/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Hiroyuki, Yoshida, Chisato, Hirono, Yuu, Kaho, Sachi
• Granted Patent: US 7,428,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/371
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/05 Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0503 Built-in units
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/531 being rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means

Abstract

In a video still camera with a strobe, a low angle or high angle photographing can be carried out without changing an angle of user'"'"'s hand holding a camera body. A recess portion (11a) is formed on an upper surface portion of an outermost housing (11) of a camera body (1) which has a built-in recording/reproducing unit. A photographing unit (2) having a lens unit (4) and a strobe unit (5) which are arranged in a transverse direction with a predetermined interval, is fitted into the recess portion (11a) to be rotatable in an up-and-down direction, and is pivoted on opposite sides of the camera body. Wirings of the lens unit (4) and the strobe unit (5) for connection with the camera body (1) side are introduced from different side portions of the outermost housing 11, and connected to the recording/reproducing unit.

Claims

1. A video still camera comprising:

a camera body; and

an image pickup unit which has a lens unit and a strobe unit and which is rotatably attached to said camera body.

2. A video still camera according to claim 1, wherein said lens unit and said strobe unit are disposed apart form each other in a direction perpendicular to a rotation direction of said image pickup unit.

3. A video still camera according to claim 1, wherein said camera body has a concave portion at a center of its upper portion and said image pickup unit is substantially horizontally disposed in said concave portion.

4. A video still camera according to claim 3, wherein said camera body has a pair of openings at its inner side surface of said concave portion and said image pickup unit has at both ends a pair of projections which are rotatably inserted into said pair of openings.

5. A video still camera according to claim 3, wherein a wiring is led out from said image pickup unit and said wiring is introduced through the inner side surface of said concave porion of said camera body into said camera body.

6. A video still camera according to claim 2, wherein said strobe unit has a light receiving element and a strobe flash lamp.

7. A video still camera according to claim 1, wherein said camera body has a display unit for displaying an image picked up by said image pickup unit on its one side.

8. A video still camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

a lock mechanism for locking said image pickup unit to a desired rotation position by operating a lock lever attached to an outer side surface of said concave portion of said camera body.