Abstract: A viewfinder includes: a main unit to be detachably attached to a camera body; and a display unit including a display portion on which a picture to be imaged at the camera body side; wherein the display portion includes a supporting member, a display panel including a display surface, a first connecting mechanism configured to connect the main unit and the supporting member so as to rotate, and a second connecting mechanism configured to connect the supporting member and the display panel so as to swing between a laid state in which the display panel is laid on the supporting member and a standing state in which the display panel stands from the supporting member; wherein the first connecting mechanism is configured such that the supporting member can rotate within a range of at least not less than 180 degrees on the main unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic motion picture camera having an optical receiving system and a beam splitter which splits the receiving beam path into a taking beam path leading to an optoelectronic taking sensor and a viewfinder beam path leading to an optical viewfinder. The camera has an electronic display for the reproduction of an additional image. An optical vision mixer is arranged in the viewfinder beam path by which the taken image and the additional image can be directed in the direction of the viewfinder such that the taken image or the additional image, or the taken image and the additional image as a uniform image, can be observed in the viewfinder.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus with a laser-framing viewfinder includes a housing, a laser source installed inside the housing for generating a laser beam, a first lens installed inside the housing for diverging the laser beam, a framing mask for masking the laser beam diverged by the first lens to form a laser-framing viewfinder, and a camera lens installed in the housing for capturing an object in the laser-framing viewfinder.

Abstract: An image taking apparatus performs a focusing operation quickly and includes a light splitting unit which splits a light flux from an image-taking lens into a plurality of light fluxes, a view finder optical system observing an object image formed by the light flux from the lens, an image pickup element which photoelectrically converts the object image to an electrical signal and a focus detector detecting the focusing state of the lens according to a phase difference detector. Here, the light splitting unit changes between a first state for directing the light flux to the view finder optical system and the focus detector, a second state for directing the light flux to the image pickup element and the focus detector, and a third state in which the light flux is directed only to the image pickup element.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a first operation unit indicating a state set by the position of a first operation member, such as a dial, and a second operation unit indicating a state that is set so as to be irrelevant to the position of a second operation member, such as a pushbutton switch. If the first operation unit is set so as to inhibit a combination with the electronic viewfinder mode in the optical viewfinder mode, the image pickup apparatus does not perform switching to the electronic viewfinder mode. If the second operation unit is set so as to inhibit a combination with the electronic viewfinder mode in the optical viewfinder mode, the image pickup apparatus switches the above setting to a setting in which the combination with the electronic viewfinder mode is not inhibited to switch to the electronic viewfinder mode.

Abstract: According to the present invention, light from a taking lens is reflected by a quick return mirror in a lateral direction of a body unit. Then, after passing through a screen, the light is reflected toward an upper side of the body unit by a second mirror except part of the light. The light reflected by the second mirror is reflected by a third mirror in a direction opposite to a direction in which the light is reflected by the quick return mirror, and is further reflected by a fourth mirror toward an eyepiece located on a back side of the body unit. Part of the light which passing though the screen is taken by an AF sensor unit provided in rear of the second mirror, and an image formation position of an optical image is detected.

Abstract: A camera according to the present invention includes a picture-taking lens unit including a picture-taking optical system having a bending optical system which optically bends incident light and an optical finder unit including a finder optical system having a bending optical system which optically bends incident light. A pre-bending optical system and a post-bending optical system in the bending optical system of the optical finder unit are arranged adjacent to a pre-bending optical system and a post-bending optical system in the bending optical system of the picture-taking lens unit, respectively. The body of the camera is therefore decreased in size.

Abstract: A mirror box includes a mirror that is selectively set to one of a reflecting position, which is on an optical path between a photographing lens and an imaging device so that incident light passing through the photographing lens is reflected to a view-finder, and a retracted position, which is out of the optical path so that said incident light is led to the imaging device. A filter is selectively set to one of a non-functioning position, which is close to the mirror, when the mirror is set to the reflecting position, and a functioning position, which is on the optical path so that a predetermined light component contained in the incident light is blocked, when the mirror is set to the retracted position. The filter comprises an optical low-pass filter, and the mirror comprises a half-mirror which is integrally provided on an incident surface of the optical low-pass filter.

Abstract: The first frame of captured image data is stored as raw data in a main memory, and parameters for exposure control and white balance control are calculated from the stored image data and are set in the RPU. The second and subsequent frames of captured image data are processed in real time in the RPU without being stored in the main memory after being output from a CCD. The second and subsequent frames of captured image data are subjected to exposure control, white balance control, and JPEG compression, and then, are stored in the main memory. After operations for continuously capturing images are finished, the raw data corresponding to the first frame stored in the main memory is read by the RPU, where exposure control and white balance control are performed, and then, is stored as JPEG data in the main memory.

Abstract: Described is a wide-angle slip-on viewfinder (1) on rangefinder cameras for analog and digital wide-angle recordings of different image recording formats with lenses of different focal lengths, comprising three lens groups (LG1, LG2, LG3), a frame/mask unit (10) and a partially transmissive prism cube (8) which is designed as a combination element, wherein, on the light entrance side (4) in the viewfinder beam path (9), a first lens group (LG1) has a negative refractive power and the second and third lens groups (LG2, LG3) have a positive refractive power, wherein the second lens group (LG2) is composed of a first lens (L3) arranged downstream of the first lens group (LG1) and a second lens (L4) arranged on the light exit side (7) and the partially transmissive prism cube (8) is arranged between the lenses (L3, L4) and the third lens group (LG3) is arranged in a mask imaging beam path (11) which is at right angles to the viewfinder beam path (9) between the frame/mask unit (10) and the partially transmissive

Abstract: A viewfinder of a photographing apparatus to monitor a photographed image. The viewfinder of the photographing apparatus has a viewfinder body disposed to be drawn inside of the photographing apparatus body and outside of the photographing apparatus body, and a driving unit to drive the drawing-in and drawing-out of the viewfinder body. Moreover, when an outer LCD, which is disposed at an outer part of the photographing apparatus body, is rotated by a predetermined degree in a state that the viewfinder body is drawn outside of the photographing apparatus body, the viewfinder body is automatically drawn inside of the photographing apparatus body. On the other hand, when the outer LCD is rotated on a rotating axis on a plane of the outer LCD and faces an object, the viewfinder body is drawn out again to the outside of the photographing apparatus body.

Abstract: A main frame of a camera body has a CMOS image sensor and an eyepiece of an optical finder, and the lens unit popped up from the camera body has a taking lens and an objective lens of the optical finder. Light shielding walls are formed on the main frame, and light shielding walls are formed on the lens unit. When the lens unit is popped up, the light shielding walls and the light shielding walls slightly overlap each other, thus preventing a light from the optical finder from entering the CMOS image sensor. Thus, the digital camera has a lens unit popped up from a camera body and prevents unnecessary lights other than a subject light from entering an image pickup device.

Abstract: A lens drive mechanism, enabled to move lens holding member in a stable state, is disclosed. The lens drive mechanism comprises: first and second guide members, each extending in a predetermined direction; a first lens holding member holding a first lens and including a first cam follower portion and a first sleeve portion which engages with the first guide member and is guided in the predetermined direction; a second lens holding member holding a second lens and including a second cam follower portion and a second sleeve portion, which engages with the second guide member and is guided in the predetermined direction; and a cam member engaging with the first and second cam follower portions and driving the first and second lens holding members.

Abstract: A viewfinder to be used with a photographing apparatus or a camcorder to monitor an image being photographed. The viewfinder has a viewfinder body disposed to be drawn inside of the photographing apparatus body and to be drawn out of the photographing apparatus body, a compressing spring to press the viewfinder body to draw the viewfinder body outside of the photographing apparatus body, a locking unit to secure the viewfinder body within the photographing apparatus body, and an unlocking member to unlock the locking unit. Therefore, if the locking unit is unlocked, the viewfinder body is drawn out from a camcorder body by a restoration force of the compressing spring. On the other hand, when a user presses the viewfinder body against the photographing apparatus body, the viewfinder body is drawn into the photographing apparatus body. Thus, the appearance of the photographing apparatus is more appealing to the eye, and storage and handling of the photographing apparatus is easier.

Abstract: A video camera obtains a capture scope obtained through finder optics of a single-lens reflex camera and indicated by a view frame mask. A PC detects the position corresponding to the capture scope from the captured image captured by the image pickup device of the single-lens reflex camera, generates the information designating the position, and stores the information in the single-lens reflex camera. The system controller of the single-lens reflex camera extracts a part of the area in the captured image captured by the image pickup device, and records the image of the area in a memory card.

Abstract: A camera comprises a beam splitter configured to divide an incident light from a subject through a photographing lens, an eyepiece lens configured to observe the incident light divided by the beam splitter with a viewfinder, a relay lens provided between the beam splitter and the eyepiece lens, and a shutter provided in a vicinity of the relay lens and configured to cut a reverse-incident light from the eyepiece lens.

Abstract: A portable electronic device is provided which an operator (photographer) has not an abnormal but favorable feeling from a design (aesthetic) viewpoint and which enables the operator to know an area in which a photograph can be successfully taken or a position of a subject to be photographed. A control section has an auxiliary display section display present time, notification of arrival of data and/or messages, or a like when no photograph is taken. When the operator presses down a photographing mode selecting key, the control section controls a liquid crystal panel so that its all pixels are put into a light transmitting state and causes reflected light from a mirror reflecting plate to be visually viewed by the operator. That is, the auxiliary display section operates as the mirror to look therein at an image of a subject to be photographed.

Abstract: A mirror box comprises a quick return mirror and an optical low-pass filter. When observing a subject image, the quick return mirror is set to a reflecting position, in which the quick return to mirror is inclined to the optical axis of a photographing lens group by approximately 45 degrees so that incident light is reflected to a view-finder. The optical low-pass filter is set to a non-functioning position, in which the optical low-pass filter is inclined to be parallel to the quick return mirror, and is close to the quick return mirror. When carrying out a photographing operation, the quick return mirror is retracted from the optical axis, and is set to a retracted position, which is parallel to the optical axis. The optical low-pass filter is set to a functioning position which is perpendicular to the optical axis.

Abstract: A captured image is processed with one or more correction processes selected from a plurality of such processes, each associated with correction of a specific type of image defect, in order to improve the appearance of a viewed image generated from the captured image. Preliminary to the image processing, meta data related to image capture is obtained that is unique to each captured image, where the meta data is capable of indicating whether the specific types of image defects are likely to be present in the viewed image generated from the captured image.

Abstract: A rotatable semitransparent mirror is arranged at an inclination above the optical path from the taking lens to the image sensing element, and the light reflected by the semitransparent mirror is directed to an optical finder provided above the mirror. The image sensed by the image sensing element is displayed on a liquid crystal display. The variation in the optical path from the taking lens to the image sensing element depending on whether or not the semitransparent mirror is set on the optical path is corrected by changing the position of the image sensing element or the taking lens, such that the impingement state of the light on the image sensing element or the optical path length from the taking lens to the image sensing element is normally rendered fixed.

Abstract: An electronic camera includes: an image-capturing device that stores a signal electrical charge achieved by performing photoelectric conversion on a subject image projected on a photosensitive surface and reads out the signal electrical charge to generate an image signal; and a photographing preparation device that executes photographing preparations for photoelectric conversion performed at the image-capturing device. And the photographic preparation device executes at least some of the photographing preparations for photographing a next frame during an electrical charge read period at the image-capturing device.

Abstract: A camera provided with a body having an opening for object light to enter, a photographic optical system having an inclined surface for refracting object light entering from the opening to form an image of the object light, and an image sensing element for sensing the object image formed by the photographic optical system, wherein the photographic optical system is disposed within the body so as to form a space between the body and a reflective surface of the inclined surface relative to the object light entering from the opening, and some of the structural parts of the camera are arranged adjacent to the inclined surface in the space.

Abstract: A camera adjusts the aspect ratio of a viewfinder image. The camera has a body and a capture unit mounted in the body. The capture unit has an imager and storage media operatively connected to the imager. The capture unit selectively captures an electronic image of a scene. A viewfinder of the camera displays a light image of the scene. A cropper is disposed in the body. The cropper is switchable among a plurality of settings. Each setting defines a different rectangular cross-sectioned window in the viewfinder. A cropping control is operatively connected to the capture unit and cropper. The cropping control has a cropping input element that is accessible external to the body. The cropping input element is movable between first and second opposed cropping control positions to change the settings. The cropping control positions define a cropping control axis perpendicular to an optical axis of the capture unit.

Abstract: Light emitted from a white LED 15 is converted by a lens 11 into light having an excellent directionality. The light illuminates a display panel 863 from the direction of an angle ?k. The display panel 863 is a polymer dispersed liquid crystal display panel in a normally white mode. The display panel 863 modulates incident light by scattering it, the scattered light is incident on a magnification lens 866, and light from the magnification lens reaches an eye 21 of the observer. Light which passes straight through a liquid crystal layer in the display panel 863 is absorbed by an optical absorbing film 12. The observer fixedly positions his/her eye 21 to an eyepiece cover 852 and observes the displayed image.

Abstract: A camera comprises a spatial modulation optical filter that is disposed in a viewfinder optical system for subject observation at or near a position optically equivalent to an estimated image forming plane of a photographic optical system and modulates a subject light flux entering via the photographic optical system with transmission characteristics to obtain a light flux having a predetermined spatial frequency; a photoelectric conversion device that outputs a signal corresponding to detected light; an optical element that guides the subject light flux having been modulated at the spatial modulation optical filter to the photoelectric conversion device; and a focal adjustment state calculation means that calculates a focal adjustment state of the photographic optical system based upon the signal output from the photoelectric conversion device having received the modulated subject light flux.

Abstract: An imaging device may include two channels, for example each with different magnification or fields of view as two examples. The user may select one of the channels and the image captured through that channel may be both viewed through a viewfinder and recorded on an imaging array or other recording media.

Abstract: The invention provides a digital camera having a viewfinder with an adjustable length. The digital camera includes a first viewfinder member, a second viewfinder member, a first resilient member, a first engagement member, and a second engagement member. In this invention, the first viewfinder member is mounted in the digital camera. The second viewfinder member is mounted in the first viewfinder member and is capable of sliding relative to the first viewfinder member. The first resilient member is connected to the second viewfinder member and capable of pushing the second viewfinder member from a ready position to an ejected position. The first engagement member is mounted on the second viewfinder member.

Abstract: A camera which causes a lens unit to move accurately through a cam member is disclosed. The camera comprises a lens unit with movable lenses making up a view finder optical system, a cam member having a cam which engages with the lens unit for driving the lens unit in conjunction with the operation of the image-taking optical system, a first bias member which biases the cam member in one of moving directions of the cam member, and a second bias member which biases the lens unit so as to contact the cam surface.

Abstract: A lens unit structure for an SLR digital camera is provided with a photographing lens block and a finder block. The photographing lens block includes a lens barrel having a pair of guide shafts extending in parallel with an optical axis. Ends of the guide shafts are secured to the lens barrel. A focusing lens and a zoom lens are slidably supported by the guide shaft so as to move in a direction of the optical axis, but prevents the lenses from moving in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. The finder block includes a casing that accommodates a finder optical system, a CCD, and a beam splitter. The beam splitter splits the light from the photographing lens block into components directed to the finder optical system and the image capturing element. The casing has a plurality of holes respectively receiving the pair of guide shaft members.

Abstract: A digital camera having a taking lens, a finder for viewing light transmitted through the taking lens, an image sensing element for optoelectrically converting light which passes through the taking lens, a light splitter capable of changing transmittance and dividing the light transmitted through the taking lens to the image sensing element and the finder, a light splitter driver for driving the light splitter to a position to split the light between the image sensing element and the viewfinder when viewing and driving the light splitter to retract a position for directing the light only to the image sensing element during photography, and a controller for controlling the light splitter to a semi-transparent state to direct light to the image sensing element and the viewfinder when viewing and controlling the light splitter to a blocking state during photography.

Abstract: A camera and method provide image cropping. The camera has a body and a capture unit mounted in the body. The capture unit has an imager and storage media operatively connected to the imager. The capture unit selectively captures an electronic image of a scene. A viewfinder optical system is aligned with the capture unit. The viewfinder optical system defines a viewfinder light path. A cropper is disposed in the body. The cropper has a pair of vanes. The vanes are selectively movable, relative to each other, between first and second positions and through a continuous sequence of intermediate positions between the first and second positions. The vanes, in each of the positions, delimits a rectangular cross-sectioned window in the viewfinder light path. A control unit is operatively connected to the capture unit and cropper. The control unit crops the electronic image to match the window.

Abstract: A light-projecting device comprises a superimpose-plate, which is put on a focusing glass. A hollow pentagonal mirror has a roof reflecting plane, reflecting a light beam passing through the focusing glass and the superimpose-plate, a third reflecting plane, reflecting the light beam reflected on the roof reflecting plane, and an emergent opening through which the light beam reflected on the third reflecting plane passes. An illumination light beam output from a light source of a light-projecting optical system is reflected on a light-projecting prism, and radiated from the emergent opening to the third reflecting plane. The illumination light beam is reflected on the third reflecting plane and the roof reflecting plane, and is approximately perpendicularly radiated on the superimpose-plate.

Abstract: A thin viewfinder device includes, in order an object side to a viewing eye side, a first prism, and a second prism disposed separately from the first prim across an air gap. The first prism, the air gap and the second prism are arranged in such a manner that an object light flux obtained within a viewing field passes through the first prism, the air gap and the second prism so as to reach the viewing eye, while an object light flux obtained outside the viewing field is totally reflected by surfaces of the first prism so as to be prevented from reaching the viewing eye.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a high-performance image-forming optical system made compact and thin by folding an optical path using reflecting surfaces arranged to minimize the number of reflections. A prism member 10 has a first entrance surface 11, first to fourth reflecting surfaces 12 to 15, and a first exit surface 16. An optical path incident on the first reflecting surface 12 and an optical path reflected from the second reflecting surface 13 form intersecting optical paths. An optical path incident on the third reflecting surface 14 and an optical path reflected from the fourth reflecting surface 15 form intersecting optical paths. At least either one of the first reflecting surface 12 and the second reflecting surface 13 and at least either one of the third reflecting surface 14 and the fourth reflecting surface 15 have a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that gives a power to a light beam and corrects aberrations due to decentration.

Abstract: A digital single lens reflex camera includes a reflector located in a photographic light path to reflect object-carrying light transmitted through a photographic optical system toward a finder optical system. An image pickup device is located at the imaging plane of the photographic optical system. The object-carrying light in the photographic light path is reflected by the reflector in a direction substantially away from an eyepiece optical system of the finder optical system. A reflection light path is formed in the vicinity of the photographic optical system and is provided with a plurality of reflection surfaces to make the light reflected by the reflector in the photographic light path incident on the eyepiece optical system. Furthermore, a relay optical system is located in the reflection light path to relay an image formed on a primary imaging plane, which is optically equivalent to an image pickup surface of the image pickup device, to the eyepiece optical system.

Abstract: A shutterless digital camera includes an optical viewfinder having a pair of spaced apart mirrors for facilitating in one mode of operation through-the-lens viewing of an object image to be captured and for facilitating in the same one mode of operation through-the-lens display unit viewing of a captured object image. A mirror control system facilitates the moving of at least one of the mirrors to permit the object image to be captured and further facilitates the moving of at least the other one of the mirrors to permit display unit viewing of the captured object image.

Abstract: An optical and electronic viewer of a camera has a body having entrance and exit openings and entrance and exit tunnels extending inward from respective openings. The body has a cross tunnel connecting the entrance and exit tunnels. An eyepiece is mounted at the exit opening and defines and eyepiece axis. An objective lens is mounted at the entrance opening and defines an objective axis. An electronic imager is disposed within the body, in optical alignment with the objective lens. A microdisplay is mounted in the exit tunnel interior to the eyepiece. First and second reflectors are disposed in the cross tunnel. The reflectors are aligned and are each movable, within the cross tunnel, between an optical-viewing position and a non-viewing position. The first reflector is aligned with the objective axis and the second reflector is aligned with the eyepiece axis in optical-viewing position. The reflectors are spaced from the axes and each other in non-viewing position.

Abstract: A high-performance image-forming optical system made compact and thin by folding an optical path using reflecting surfaces arranged to minimize the number of reflections. The image-forming optical system has a single prism. When image-side three surfaces of the prism are defined as a surface A, a surface B and a surface C in order from the image plane side thereof, at least one of the surfaces B and C has a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that gives a power to a light beam and corrects aberrations due to decentration. The optical system leads light rays from an object to the image plane without forming an image in the prism and has a pupil in the prism. The surface A is a transmitting surface through which rays exit from the prism. The surfaces B and C are internally reflecting surfaces, which are positioned to face each other to form a Z-shaped optical path.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic image pickup system whose depth dimension is extremely reduced, taking advantage of an optical system type that can overcome conditions imposed on the movement of a zooming movable lens group while high specifications and performance are kept. The electronic image pickup system comprises an optical path-bending zoom optical system comprising, in order from its object side, a 1-1st lens group G1-1 comprising a negative lens group and a reflecting optical element P for bending an optical path, a 1-2nd lens group G1-2 comprising one positive lens and a second lens group G2 having positive refracting power. For zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the second lens group G2 moves only toward the object side. The electronic image pickup system also comprises an electronic image pickup device I located on the image side of the zoom optical system.

Abstract: In an electronic image pickup apparatus, a beam splitter and an image pickup element are incorporated into an optical finder unit together with optical parts used for an optical finder. The optical finder unit includes a finder case for receiving the optical parts used for the optical finder and a holding member for holding the beam splitter and the image pickup element. The image pickup element has an image pickup surface which is inclined to the light beams incident upon the beam splitter. The light beam incident upon the image pickup element is reflected twice in the beam splitter, while the light beam incident upon the optical finder penetrates the beam splitter without being reflected.

Abstract: An electronic still camera includes a camera body having a photographic optical system, and a monitor device detachably attached to the camera body. The monitor device has an image indication portion in which an object image obtained by the photographic optical system can be indicated. The monitor device can be electrically connected to the camera body when the monitor device is attached to the camera body and is rotatable about a rotation axis provided in the camera body within a predetermined range of angular displacement. The monitor device can be detachably attached to the camera body in any direction within the predetermined angular displacement range.

Abstract: An SLR digital still camera includes a quick return half mirror which allows object-carrying light, transmitted through a photographing lens, to be partly incident on a finder optical system and partly incident on an image pick-up device; a mirror driving device for driving the half mirror between a viewing position and a photographing position; a controller for calculating a displacement from a provisional focus position, based on an electrical signal obtained by a photo-electric conversion of the object-carrying light made incident on the image pick-up device through the half mirror when said half mirror is in the viewing position, to obtain a focusing position in which the photographing lens is focused on an object to be photographed when the half mirror is retracted from the photographing light path; a memory for storing said focus position; and a drive mechanism that moves one of the photographing lens and the image pick-up device in accordance with the focus position stored in the memory when the half m

Abstract: A camera has a body and a taking lens mounted to the body. The taking lens defines a subject field. A viewing window is joined to the body. The viewing window is transmissive of a light image of the subject field. The viewing window bears a holographic image of a reticle. A light source faces the viewing window and illuminates the holographic image. The reticle produced can be binocularly viewable, that is, viewable by the photographer with both eyes while the photographer looks through the viewing window to compose a scene image for picture taking.

Abstract: In order to make it possible to perform the starting or the changing of photographing, recording and reproducing modes easily and to eliminate walls between the modes, an image pickup apparatus includes a first mode for recording a photographed image on a record medium as an image file, a second mode for reproducing the image file, and an operation member which can switch to each mode by different operation methods, wherein the operation member returns to its original state after the performance of an operation.

Abstract: A digital camera having a viewfinder includes a zoom control and switch arrangement that enables a user to zoom in and zoom out of an object image while visualizing in the viewfinder the optical and digital zooming effects selected by the user via the switch arrangement.

Abstract: An optical system driving control device includes (a) a photo-taking optical system having a photo-taking optical element which is movable in an optical axis direction thereof and a first driver for moving the photo-taking optical element in the optical axis direction thereof, (b) a viewfinder optical system having a viewfinder optical element which is movable in an optical axis direction thereof and a second driver for moving the viewfinder optical element in the optical axis direction thereof, and (c) a control circuit for causing the first driver and the second driver to set the photo-taking optical element and the viewfinder optical element to respective initial positions thereof and, after that, to move the photo-taking optical element and the viewfinder optical element to respective predetermined positions where a ratio in magnification of the photo-taking optical element to the viewfinder optical element becomes a predetermined value.

Abstract: A beam splitter for a digital camera splits light passed through a photographing lens into beams directed to a CCD and a finder optical system. The beam splitter includes at least one optical element provided with a beam splitting surface that is inclined with respect to an optical axis of the photographing lens, and a multi-layer film including a plurality of layers of dielectric materials is formed on the beam splitting surface. The multi-layer film is configured such that the beam splitting surface exhibits a substantially constant reflectivity at least for visible light that is incident on the beam splitting surface at any incident angle within a predetermined range.

Abstract: An electronic camera includes: a substantially rectangular parallelepiped image-capturing unit main body provided with an image-capturing device for generating an image signal by capturing an optical image formed by a photographic lens unit; a substantially rectangular parallelepiped display unit main body provided with an external display device for displaying an image based upon the image signal generated by the image-capturing device; and a linking portion that links the image-capturing unit main body and the display unit main body in a manner that the image-capturing unit main body and the display unit main body can rotate relative to each other. And, at the display unit main body, a shutter release button is provided and a grip portion is provided near an end surface furthest away from the image-capturing unit main body; and at the image-capturing unit main body, an optical viewfinder unit is provided beside the photographic lens unit.

Abstract: A device for the local attenuation of the light intensity in the field of vision of a light-sensitive monitoring and/or recording device (CCD) is described, which is suitable in particular as a glare protection device for video cameras in videophones or correspondingly equipped PCs. The device includes a first objective (L1) and a high resolution ferroelectric liquid crystal modulator (PC, LC) arranged between two polarizers (P1, P2), the liquid crystal modulator having a photo-conductive layer (PC) and a downstream liquid crystal film (LC) made up of helical smectic liquid crystals which is in contact with this layer. The photo-conductive layer (PC) is essentially arranged in the image plane of the first objective (L1), the image plane being imaged onto the monitoring and/or recording device by a second objective (L2). As this occurs, bright light sources or backgrounds are locally suppressed without resulting in a glare or bloom of the image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a compact electronic camera which enables an electronic image to be displayed on a two-dimensional display element while it is phototaken or after it has been phototaken, so that the image can be magnified and displayed by a compact magnifying optical system constructed of a curved reflecting mirror to view a phototaken image of high precision. An electronic camera for photoelectrically converting a subject image formed by a phototaking optical system 2 into an electronic image to be recorded comprises a two-dimensional display element 4 for displaying an electronic image during or after phototaking and a magnifying optical system 5 for magnifying an image displayed on the two-dimensional display element 4 in the form of a virtual image. The magnifying optical system 5 is constructed of at least one curved reflecting mirror 26 and a surface 28 having a combined reflecting and transmitting action.