Camera and direction indicating switch

An operating switch which sends an instruction to a controlling mechanism comprising:

• an operating section which is capable of tilting in an arbitrary radial direction from a reference position in order to specify an arbitrary indicating direction;
• a switching section which switches a conductive state of a contact point connecting with the controlling mechanism by tilting in a predetermined indicating direction from a reference position of the operating section in a predetermined indicating direction in the arbitrary radial direction;
• and
• a tilt controlling section which controls a tilt of the operating section angle in a case where the operating section tilts in a direction different from the predetermined indicating direction, wherein
• the tilt controlling section prevents the tilt angle from exceeding a predetermined angle in the case where the operating section tilts in the direction different from the predetermined indicating direction.

A direction indicating switch to specify an arbitrary indicating direction comprising:

• a switch base having a contact point which is capable of abutting intermittently;
• an operating section held by the switch base to be capable of tilting for abutting intermittently of the contact point;
• and
• a tilt controlling section which controls a tilt of the operating section, wherein
• the operating section is capable of tilting in a radial direction from a reference position where the operating section makes the contact point be in a nonconductive state, and when the operating section is tilted over a predetermined angle in a predetermined indicating direction from the reference position, the operating section makes the contact point be in a conductive state, and
• the tilt controlling section allows the operating section to tilt over the predetermined angle in the predetermined indicating direction from the reference position and prevents the operating section from tilting over the predetermined angle in a direction different from the predetermined indicating direction from the reference position.