Camera
AssigneeOlympus Optical Co., Ltd.
InventorKazumi Ito
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A camera includes a photometric optical system and a range measuring optical system which are provided independently of a photographing optical system so that the optical path of the photometric optical system and that of a projection or reception system of the range measuring optical system go through a single window. In this way, space-saving of the front of a camera body can be intended to facilitate compactness of the camera.
Claims16
A camera, comprising:
- a photometric optical system and a range measuring optical system which are provided independently of a photographing optical system, said range measuring optical system having a projection system and a reception system;
- a path splitting surface which splits a common optical path passing through a single entrance window in said camera into respective optical paths for said photometric optical system and for one of said projection system and said reception system of said range measuring optical system;
- and
- an optical element arranged between said path splitting surface and a photometric element of said photometric optical system.
A camera according to claim 11, wherein said range measuring optical system is an optical system of an infrared active range measuring device.
A camera according to claim 11, wherein said optical element has a positive power.
A camera according to claim 11, wherein said path splitting surface is formed at an interface between two prisms which are bonded together.
A camera according to claim 11, wherein said path splitting surface has a wavelength selectivity to split light incident thereon according to wavelength.
A camera according to claim 11, wherein said path splitting surface introduces a larger portion of infrared rays incident thereon into said range measuring optical system, and introduces a larger portion of visible rays incident thereon into said photometric optical system.
A camera according to claim 11, wherein a surface of an optical component is used as said path splitting surface, said path splitting surface being positioned so as to be in contact with air on a transmission side thereof, and a material of said optical component and an angle of said path splitting surface being arranged to satisfy a condition:
- i<sin.sup.-1 (1/N)
- where i is an angle formed between a normal to said path splitting surface and an optical axis of optical components arranged on an incident side of said path splitting surface, and N is a refractive index of said material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.