US 6,445,417 B1Granted

Video still camera with a lens unit rotation device

AssigneeSony Corporation

InventorsChisato Yoshida, Sachi Kaho, Yuu Hirono, Hiroyuki Suzuki

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A video still camera with a strobe allows angle or high angle photographing to be carried out without changing an angle of user's hand holding a camera body. A recess portion is formed in a tap surface portion of an outermost housing of a camera body which has a built-in recording/reproducing unit. A photographing unit having a lens unit and a strobe unit which are arranged in a transverse direction with a predetermined separation, is fitted into the recess portion and is rotatable in an up-and-down direction, and is pivoted about openings on opposite sides of the recessed portion. Electrical connections of the lens unit and the strobe unit for connection with the camera body side are introduced through the opening, and connected to the recording/reproducing unit.

Claims11

Dependent claims

An image pickup apparatus comprising:

an image pickup portion having a lens unit and a light-emitting unit;
and
a display portion having a display unit for displaying an image picked up by said image pickup portion, wherein
said image pickup portion and said display portion are rotatably joined at first and second joint portions,
said lens unit is rotatable relative to said display unit for shooting an object which is located in front of said display unit or at the back of said display unit,
said light-emitting unit and said lens unit of said image pickup portion are disposed apart from each other in a direction parallel to a major of axis of said image pickup unit,
said lens unit and said display unit are electrically connected via a first electric connective line through said first joint portion, and
a second electric connective line of said light-emitting unit is located at said second joint portion.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/906,103Filed 5 Aug 1997
Priority: JP 8-21761619 Aug 1996
Granted: 3 Sep 2002
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H04N 23/55
Constructional details: optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
G03B 15/05
Combinations of cameras with lighting apparatus; Flash units: combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
H04N 23/531
Of electronic viewfinders, e.g. rotatable or detachable: being rotatable or detachable
H04N 23/56
Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof: provided with illuminating means