Single lens reflex cameras and viewfinder display switchover devices therefor

Abstract

The disclosed single lens reflex camera includes a shutter dial and a pentaprism as well as an eyepiece, and forms an image of a scene in the camera's field of view and a data image near the scene image through the eyepiece by passing data light from the vicinity of the pentaprism into the interior of the pentaprism. A display switchover device includes a transmission arrangement on the shutter dial for transmitting the motion of the dial, a linkage arrangement engageable with the transmission arrangement to be actuated on the basis of the selected position of the shutter dial, and a display selector between the pentaprism and the eyepiece and actuated by the linkage arrangement to control the direction of the data light to the eyepiece. According to an embodiment, the selector includes a subprism having a surface from which the data light from the pentaprism is reflected and another surface for directing the data light to the eyepiece, and a reflector that faces the two subprism surfaces for changing the reflecting position in response to the linkage arrangement.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.