Integrated camcorder viewing and support system
OwnerLouis Hawthorneinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A camcorder is equipped with a head mounted viewfinder that is visible to only one eye of the camera operator. The viewfinder is mounted on an adjustable head support and positioned directly in front of one eye of the camera operator so that the camera operator sees the recorded scene viewed by the video camera with the eye and is free to view the remaining surroundings with the other eye. A counter-balanced staff supports the camcorder in such a way that the staff and camcorder can be held in one hand. The single eye viewfinder arrangement cooperates with the counter balanced camera support staff to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the television camera operator and to minimize undesirable side effects such as camera wobble.
Claims17
A video camera viewing and support system for use by a camera operator comprising:
- a video camera means;
- single eye viewer means for viewing the scene recorded by said camera means;
- communicating means for communicating said single eye viewer means with said camera means;
- head support means for supporting said single eye viewer means on the head of the camera operator, said head support means including head contacting means and mounting means connected to said head contacting means for supporting said single eye viewer means;
- and,
- first counterweight means connected to said mounting means for balancing the weight of said single eye viewer means,
- wherein the camera operator can view the scene recorded by the camera means through one and only one eye.
A video camera support system comprising:
- a video camera means;
- staff means for supporting said camera means, said staff means including a front staff section for mounting said camera means, a central staff section connected to said front staff section, and a rear staff section including counterweight means for balancing the weight of said camera means,
- hand grip means connected to said central staff section to permit said staff means to be held by one hand of said camera operator,
- wherein said staff means has a longitudinal axis that substantially coincides with and is substantially parallel to the long optical axis of the lens of said camera means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.