Camera

• US 5,659,814 A
• Filed: 11/22/1994
• Issued: 08/19/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Nishioka, Sunao, Matsukawa, Nobuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nelson, Eric
• Application Number:
  US08/345,783
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 354/289.11, 354/289.12, 354/432, 354/409, 354/406, 354/407, 354/408, 396/121, 396/296
• US Class Current: 396/121
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/28 Systems for automatic generation of focusing signals
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/20 visible in viewfinder
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/18 Signals indicating condition of a camera member or suitability of light
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/09979 Multi-zone light measuring

Abstract

A camera quickly selecting a focus detection region or a light metering region while seeing a finder picture. A region selection member is provided so that an operating surface of the region selection member is substantially parallel to a finder picture.

Claims

1. A camera detecting a focus by dividing a photographing picture into a plurality of regions, comprising:

a region selection member to select an arbitrary region from the plurality of regions;

a focus detecting device to detect a focus adjusting state of a photographing lens in the region selected by said region selection member; and

a display unit to display the region selected by said region selection member on a finder picture,

wherein said region selection member is provided so that an operation surface of said region selection member is substantially parallel to the finder picture, and said region selection member has

a data setting dial to set each item of data in accordance with a rotating direction and a rotational quantity,

a support member to support said data setting dial in such a manner as to be shiftable or tiltable on the surface substantially parallel to the finder picture, and

a detection member to detect a shifting or tilting direction of said data setting dial, and wherein a region corresponding to the shifting or tilting direction of said data setting dial is selected.

2. A camera according to claim 1, wherein the finder picture is so set as to be substantially orthogonal to the optical-axis direction of said photographing lens, and

said region selection member is provided on a rear surface of said camera.

3. A camera according to claim 1, wherein said region selection member is made shiftable in a direction substantially orthogonal to the finder picture,

said region selection member is intruded in a direction substantially right-angled to the finder picture, and

said region selection member selects, when operated on the surface substantially parallel to the finder picture, a region corresponding to this operating direction.

4. A camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

a focus adjusting mode selection member to select a first focus adjusting mode in which a focus of said photographing lens is adjusted based on the focus adjusting state of said photographing lens that is detected in the focus detection region selected by said region selection member and a second focus adjusting mode in which the focus of said photographing lens is adjusted by a predetermined algorithm on the basis of the focus adjusting state of said photographing lens that is detected in each of the plurality of focus detection regions; and

a focus adjusting mode setting device to set the selected focus adjusting mode when said region selection member is intruded in the direction substantially right-angled to the finder picture and when said focus adjusting mode selection member is selectively operated.

5. A camera metering the light by dividing a photographing picture into a plurality of regions, comprising:

a region selection member to select an arbitrary region from the plurality of regions;

a light metering device to detect a luminance of an object in the region selected by said region selection member; and

a display unit to display the region selected by said region selection member on a finder picture,

wherein said region selection member is provided so that an operating surface of said region selection member is substantially parallel to the finder picture.

6. A camera according to claim 5, wherein said region selection member has:

a data setting dial to set each item of data in accordance with a rotating direction and a rotational quantity;

a support member to support said data setting dial in such a manner as to be shiftable on the surface substantially parallel to the finder picture; and

a detection member to detect a shifting direction of said data setting dial, and

wherein a region corresponding to the shifting direction of said setting dial is selected.

7. A camera according to claim 5, wherein said region selection member has:

a data setting dial to set each item of data in accordance with a rotating direction and a rotational quantity;

a support member to support said data setting dial in such a manner as to be tiltable on the surface substantially parallel to the finder picture; and

a detection member to detect a tilting direction of said data setting dial, and

wherein a region corresponding to the tilting direction of said data setting dial is selected.

8. A camera detecting a focus by dividing a photographing picture into a plurality of regions and metering the light by dividing the photographing picture into the plurality of regions, comprising:

a region selection member to select an arbitrary region from the plurality of regions;

a focus detecting device to detect a focus adjusting state of a photographing lens in the region selected by said region selection member;

a light metering device to detect a luminance of an object in the region selected by said region selection member; and

a display unit to display the region selected by said region selection member on a finder picture,

wherein said region selection member is provided so that an operating surface of said region selection member is substantially parallel to the finder picture, and said region selection member has

a data setting dial to set each item of data in accordance with a rotating direction and a rotational quantity,

a support member to support said data setting dial in such a manner as to be shiftable or tiltable on the surface substantially parallel to the finder picture, and

a detection member to detect a shifting or tilting direction of said data setting dial, and wherein a region corresponding to the shifting or tilting direction of said data setting dial is selected.

9. A camera according to claim 8, wherein the focus-detected region is previously made corresponding to the light-metered region, and

said light metering device detects, when the focus-detected region is selected by said region selection member, the luminance of the object in the region corresponding to the focus-detected region.

10. A camera according to claim 8, wherein the focus-detected region is previously made corresponding to the light-metered region, and

said focus detecting device detects, when the light-metered region is selected by said region selection member, the focus adjusting state of said photographing lens in the region corresponding to the light-metered region.

11. A camera recognizing a photographing picture as a surface divided into a plurality of regions, comprising:

a region selection member having a shiftable or tiltable dial to select a specified region from the plurality of regions; and

a display unit, having a plurality of display regions on a display surface, to display the specified region,

wherein the specified region displayed on the display surface is, when said region selection member is externally operated, shifted in a direction substantially parallel to an operating direction of said region selection member.

12. A camera according to claim 11, wherein the display surface of said display unit is provided to perpendicularly intersect the optical axis of a photographing optical system.

13. A camera according to claim 11, wherein the display surface of said display unit is a finder picture, and

the specified region is, when said region selection member is externally operated, shifted in the operating direction of said region selection member on the finder picture.

14. A camera according to claim 11, further comprising a focus detecting device to detect a focus adjusting state of a photographing lens in the region selected by said region selection member.

15. A camera according to claim 11, further comprising a light metering device to detect a luminance of an object in the region selected by said region selection member.

16. A camera dividing a photographing picture into a plurality of regions, comprising:

a region selection member having a dial shiftable or tiltable on a plane substantially parallel to a display to select at least one of the plurality of regions, and rotatable to set photographing data items; and

a photographing device to photograph an image using the at least one of the plurality of regions selected by said region selection member and the photographing data items.

17. A camera according to claim 16 wherein the at least one of the plurality of regions is selected by said region selection member as a focusing region.

18. A camera according to claim 16 wherein the at least one of the plurality of regions is selected by said region selection member as a photometering region.