Viewfinder

A method for compensating for a parallax error and effecting a diopter adjustment of a viewfinder in a camera having a photographing optical system separate from the viewfinder, wherein the viewfinder has a plurality of lens groups, comprising the steps of:

• providing a parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group as one of the plurality of lens groups;
• detecting a distance of an object to be photographed by an object distance detector;
• and
• moving the parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group, to a plurality of different positions along a path which intersects an optical axis of the viewfinder, so as to move the parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group towards and away from an optical axis of the photographing optical system, in response to a respective object distance detected by the object distance detector to thereby compensate for a parallax error and adjust a diopter, the step of moving comprising moving the parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group towards the object and away from the optical axis of the photographing optical system when the detected object distance is shorter than a distance to a reference position and moving the parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group away from the object and towards the optical axis of the photographing optical system when the detected object distance is longer than a distance to the reference position.

A viewfinder of a camera having a photographing optical system separate from the viewfinder, comprising:

• object distance detecting means for detecting a distance of an object to be photographed;
• compensation commencing means for repetitively commencing said detection of object distance by said object distance detecting means during a predetermined time period in association with activation of a camera switch at a predetermined time interval, said camera switch being distinct from a shutter release of the camera;
• a parallax error compensating lens group provided on the finder for movement;
• and
• movement control means for moving said parallax error compensating lens group in a direction to eliminate a parallax error every time said object distance is detected by said object distance detecting means.

A viewfinder of a camera having a photographing optical system separate from the viewfinder, comprising:

• object distance detecting means for detecting a distance of an object to be photographed;
• compensation commencing means for repetitively commencing said detection of said object distance by said object distance detecting means during a predetermined time period in association with activation of a camera switch at a predetermined time interval, said camera switch being distinct from a shutter release of the camera;
• a diopter adjusting lens group provided on the finder for movement;
• and
• movement control means for moving said diopter adjusting lens group in a direction to eliminate a deviation of a diopter every time said object distance is detected by said object distance detecting means.

A camera viewfinder having a plurality of lens groups, wherein a photographing optical system of the camera is separate from the viewfinder, comprising:

• a parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group being one of said plurality of lens groups, said parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group having a negative power;
• a guide for guiding said parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group along a path which intersects an optical axis of the viewfinder so as to move said parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group towards or away from an optical axis of the photographing optical system, said guide being inclined with respect to the optical axis of the viewfinder so as to move said parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group from reference position in a direction towards the object to be photographed and away from the optical axis of the photographing optical system, or in a direction away from the object to be photographed and towards the optical axis of the photographing optical system;
• an object distance detector for detecting a distance of an object to be photographed;
• and
• a movement control system for moving said parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group, along said guide, to a plurality of positions along said path, in response to object distances detected by said object distance detector, whereby, for all positions of said parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group, a field of view of the viewfinder is always defined by light passing through said parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group, said movement control system moving said parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group towards the object to be photographed and away from the optical axis of the photographing optical system when said object distance detected by said object distance detector is shorter than a distance to said reference position, said movement control system moving said parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group away from the object to be photographed and towards the optical axis of the photographing optical system when said object distance detected by said object distance detector is longer than a distance to said reference position.

A method for compensating for a parallax error and effecting a diopter adjustment of a viewfinder in a camera having a photographing optical system separate from the viewfinder, wherein the viewfinder has a plurality of lens groups, comprising the steps of:

• providing a parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group as one of the plurality of lens groups;
• detecting a distance of an object to be photographed by an object distance detector;
• and
• moving the parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group in accordance with an object distance detected, in a direction intersecting the optical axis of the viewfinder and towards and away from an optical axis of the photographing optical system to compensate for a parallax error and to adjust a diopter, whereby, for all positions of the parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group, a field of view of the viewfinder is always defined by light passing through the parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group, wherein the step of moving comprises moving the parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group towards the object to be photographed and away from the optical axis of the photographing optical system when the detected object distance is shorter than a distance to a reference position, and moving the parallax error compensating and diopter adjusting lens group away from the object to be photographed and towards the optical axis of the photographing optical system when the detected object distance is longer than a distance to the reference position.