Camera

• US 5,953,546 A
• Filed: 04/14/1997
• Issued: 09/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Okada, Takashi, Nagata, Hideki, Ohmori, Shigeto
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, W. B.
• Application Number:
  US08/834,107
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 396/374, 396/385, 396/386, 396/373, 396/429, 396/271, 396/268, 396/272, 348/64, 348/333, 348/341
• US Class Current: 396/272
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/48 adapted for combination with other photographic or optical apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 19/04 Roll-film cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/531 being rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/672 based on the phase difference signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/72 Combination of two or more compensation controls
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/75 by influencing optical camera components

Abstract

A camera divides a light beam having passed through a taking lens unit into two light beams. One light beam forms an image on a silver salt film. Another light beam forms an image on a CCD. A light path for said another light beam is provided with an aperture diaphragm. The taking lens unit has an aperture diaphragm. Said two aperture diaphragms are correlatively controlled by a controller incorporated in the camera.

Claims

1. A camera that splits a light beam incident through a main lens to form light paths along which the light beam is directed separately to a photosensitive recording medium, to an image pickup device, and to an optical viewfinder, comprising:

a first beam splitter that splits the light beam incident through the main lens into a light beam for image formation on a surface of the photosensitive recording medium and a light beam for forming a primary image separate from the image formed on the surface of the photosensitive recording medium;

a first relay optical system that receives a light beam from the primary image;

a second beam splitter that splits a light beam exiting from the first relay optical system into a light beam for image sensing and a light beam for observation through the viewfinder;

a second relay optical system that cooperates with the first relay optical system to cause the light beam for observation through the viewfinder to form an image on an image surface of the viewfinder; and

a third relay optical system that cooperates with the first relay optical system to cause the light beam for image sensing to form an image on the image pickup device.

2. A camera as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the second beam splitter is disposed on an object side of an image plane on which the first relay optical system forms a secondary image.

3. A camera that splits a light beam incident through a main lens to form light paths along which the light beam is directed separately to a photosensitive recording medium, to an image pickup device, and to an optical viewfinder, comprising:

a first beam splitter that splits the light beam incident through the main lens into a light beam for image formation on a surface of the photosensitive recording medium and a light beam for forming a primary image separate from the image formed on the surface of the photosensitive recording medium;

a first relay optical system that causes a light beam from the primary image to form a secondary image;

a second beam splitter that splits, on an object side of an image plane of the secondary image, a light beam exiting from the first relay optical system into a light beam for image sensing and a light beam for observation through the viewfinder in order to form a secondary image for image sensing and a secondary image for observation through the viewfinder; and

a second relay optical system that causes a light beam from the secondary image for image sensing to form an image on the image pickup device.

4. A camera as claimed in claim 3,

which further comprises a third relay optical system that causes a light beam from the secondary image for observation through the viewfinder to form an image on an image surface of the viewfinder.

5. A camera that splits a light beam incident through a main lens to form light paths along which the light beam is directed separately to a photosensitive recording medium, to an image pickup device, and to an optical viewfinder, comprising:

a first beam splitter that splits the light beam incident through the main lens into a light beam for image formation on a surface of the photosensitive recording medium and a light beam for forming a primary image separate from the image formed on the surface of the photosensitive recording medium;

a second beam splitter that splits a light beam from the primary image into a light beam for image sensing and a light beam for observation through the viewfinder;

a first relay optical system that causes the light beam for observation through the viewfinder to form an image on an image surface of the viewfinder; and

a second relay optical system that causes the light beam for image sensing to form an image on the image pickup device.

6. A camera that splits an incoming light beam to form light paths along which the incoming light beam is directed separately to a photosensitive recording medium, to an image pickup device, and to an optical viewfinder, comprising:

a first main lens that receives light from an object;

a first beam splitter that splits a light beam exiting from the first main lens into a first light beam for image sensing and a second light beam;

a first subsidiary lens that cooperates with the first main lens to cause the first light beam for image sensing to form an image on the image pickup device;

a second main lens which receives the second light beam;

a second beam splitter that splits the second light beam from said second main lens into a light beam for observation through the viewfinder and a light beam for image formation on the photosensitive recording medium;

a second subsidiary lens that cooperates with the first main lens and the second main lens to cause the light beam for observation through the viewfinder to form an image on an image surface of the viewfinder; and

a third main lens that cooperates with the first main lens and the second main lens to cause the light beam for image formation on the photosensitive recording medium to form an image on the photosensitive recording medium.

7. A camera that splits an incoming light beam to form light paths along which the incoming light beam is directed separately to a photosensitive recording medium, to an image pickup device, and to an optical viewfinder, comprising:

a first main lens that receives light from an object;

a first beam splitter that splits a light beam exiting from the first main lens into a first light beam for observation through the viewfinder and a second light beam;

a first subsidiary lens that cooperates with the first main lens to cause the first light beam for observation through the viewfinder to form an image on an image surface of the viewfinder;

a second main lens which receives the second light beam;

a second beam splitter that splits the second light beam from said second main lens into a light beam for image sensing and a light beam for image formation on the photosensitive recording medium;

a second subsidiary lens that cooperates with the first main lens and the second main lens to cause the light beam for image sensing to form an image on the image pickup device; and

a third main lens that cooperates with the first main lens and the second main lens to cause the light beam for image formation on the photosensitive recording medium to form an image on the photosensitive recording medium.

8. A camera that splits a light beam from a single objective optical system to form images on a photosensitive recording medium and on another image surface, comprising:

a first beam guide that splits the light beam from the objective optical system into a first light beam and a second light beam, the first light beam directed to the photosensitive recording medium and the second light beam directed toward a side portion of the camera;

a second beam guide that deflects the second light beam in an upward or downward direction skewed relative to the first light beam inside a holding portion of the camera; and

an image pickup device that picks up an image by receiving the second light beam deflected by the second beam guide.

9. A camera as claimed in claim 8,

wherein the first beam guide directs the light beam obliquely toward a front portion of the camera.

10. A camera as claimed in claim 9,

wherein the first beam guide includes a beam splitter for splitting the light beam upward.

11. A camera as claimed in claim 9,

wherein the first beam guide includes a beam splitter for splitting the light beam downward.

12. A camera as claimed in claim 9,

wherein the holding portion has a projection at an end of the side portion of the camera, said projection protruding from a front surface of the camera, and the second beam guide being housed inside this projection.

13. A camera as claimed in claim 12,

wherein a second projection protruding from the front surface of the camera is additionally provided at an end of an opposite side portion of the camera, and a chamber for accommodating a unit that can be attached to and detached from the camera is placed inside this second projection.

14. A camera as claimed in claim 8,

wherein the holding portion has a projection at an end of the side portion of the camera, said projection protruding from a front surface of the camera, and the second beam guide being housed inside this projection.

15. A camera as claimed in claim 14,

wherein a second projection protruding from the front surface of the camera is additionally provided at an end of an opposite side portion of the camera, and a chamber for accommodating a unit that can be attached to and detached from the camera is placed inside this second projection.

16. A camera as claimed in claim 8,

wherein the first beam guide includes a beam splitter for splitting the light beam upward.

17. A camera as claimed in claim 8,

wherein the first beam guide includes a beam splitter for splitting the light beam downward.

24. A camera as claimed in claim 8,

wherein the upward direction is toward a shutter release button of the camera.

18. A camera that splits a light beam from a single objective optical system to form images on a photosensitive recording medium and on another image surface, comprising;

a first beam guide that splits the light beam somewhere in its path from the objective optical system to the photosensitive recording medium and directs a split light beam toward a side portion of the camera;

a second beam guide that deflects the light beam directed toward the side portion of the camera by the first beam guide in an upward or downward direction inside a holding portion of the camera; and

an optical viewfinder that receives the light beam deflected by the second beam guide.

19. A camera as claimed in claim 18,

wherein the first beam guide directs the light beam obliquely toward a front portion of the camera.

20. A camera as claimed in claim 18,

wherein the holding portion has at an end of the side portion of the camera a projection protruding from a front surface of the camera, and the second beam guide is housed inside this projection.

21. A camera that splits a light beam from a single objective optical system to form images on a photosensitive recording medium and on another image surface, comprising:

a beam splitter that splits the light beam from the objective optical system into a first light beam and a second light beam, the first light beam directed to the photosensitive recording medium and the second light beam directed upward or downward;

a beam guide that forms a light path for the second light beam by guiding the second light beam in a first direction within a plane along a top or bottom surface of the camera;

a reflector that reflects the second light beam in a second direction within said plane; and

an image pickup device that picks up an image by receiving the second light beam reflected by the reflector.

22. A camera that splits a light beam from a single objective optical system to form images on a photosensitive recording medium and on another image surface, comprising:

a beam splitter that splits the light beam from the objective optical system with a first light beam and a second light beam, the first light beam directed to the photosensitive recording medium and the second light beam directed downward;

a beam guide that forms a path for the second light beam by guiding the second light beam within a plane along a bottom surface of the camera; and

an image pickup device that picks up an image by receiving, at a position outside the plane, the second light beam guided along the path formed by the beam guide.

25. A camera as claimed in claim 22, further comprising another beam guide that reflects said second light beam to said position outside said plane.

23. A camera that splits a light beam from a single objective optical system to form images on a photosensitive recording medium and on another image surface, comprising:

a beam splitter that splits the light beam from the objective optical system into a first light beam and a second light beam, the first light beam directed to the photosensitive recording medium and the second light beam directed upward or downward;

a beam guide that forms a path for the second light beam by directing the second light beam toward a side portion of the camera in a direction away from the path of the first light beam and within a plane along a top or bottom surface of the camera; and

an image pickup device that picks up an image by receiving the second light beam guided along the path formed by the beam guide.