Eyepiece shutter for use with a camera

An automatic eyepiece shutter for use with a camera equipped with a finder optical system, the automatic eyepiece shutter comprising:

• finder opening/closing means for creating a first state in which an optical path of a finder optical system is interrupted and a second state in which the optical path becomes open;
• and
• control means, operated by a shutter release button, for bringing the finder opening/closing means to the first state at least at the time of exposure;
• wherein the finder opening/closing means is brought into the second state by pressing the shutter release button half-way to perform a metering operation in the second state, and wherein the finder opening/closing means is brought into the first state when the shutter release button is fully pressed;
• said automatic eyepiece shutter further comprising blocking means for preventing the finder opening/closing means from being brought into the first state.

An automatic eyepiece shutter for use with a single-lens reflection camera comprising:

• finder opening/closing means for opening/closing an optical path of a finder optical system in conjunction with a pressing action of a shutter release button of the single-lens reflection camera;
• and
• blocking means for preventing the finder opening/closing means from closing the optical path of the finder optical system;
• and
• wherein the optical path of the finder optical system is interrupted at least at a time of a metering operation.

An automatic shutter for use with a camera having an optical path of a finder optical system and an optical path of an image pick-up system, said optical paths being partially overlapped with each other, said automatic eyepiece shutter comprising:

• a release button;
• a finder shutter disposed on said optical path of said finder optical system;
• a link mechanism driving said finder shutter in response to a motion of said release button;
• and
• an override mechanism which prevents the link mechanism from driving said finder shutter upon activating said override mechanism;
• and
• wherein said link mechanism drives said finder shutter to isolate a portion of said optical path of said finder optical system from said optical path of said image pick-up system when a metering operation for automatic exposure is carried out.