Image pickup apparatus

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus has an image sensor recording image information; a dustproof glass for keeping hermeticity of the periphery of the image sensor, placed in front of the image sensor; an optical filter removably placed in front of the dustproof glass; and a camera mount placed in front of the optical filter. The image pickup apparatus further has a parfocal adjusting device in which a focal position where the optical filter is demounted can be adjusted so as to be nearly equal to the focal position where the optical filter is mounted.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of essential parts showing the structure of an electronic imaging apparatus for microscopes as the image pickup apparatus of Embodiment 1 in the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of essential parts of the electronic imaging apparatus showing one example of the mounting and demounting mechanism of the optical filter used in the electronic imaging apparatus of Embodiment 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of essential parts of the electronic imaging apparatus showing another example of the mounting and demounting mechanism of the optical filter used in the electronic imaging apparatus of Embodiment 1;

FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C are explanatory views showing still another example of the mounting and demounting mechanism of the optical filter used in the electronic imaging apparatus of Embodiment 1, which are a sectional view of essential parts of the electronic imaging apparatus, a plan view showing the structure of a filter frame, and a plan view showing the structure of a filter mounting portion, respectively;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are explanatory views showing a further example of the mounting and demounting mechanism of the optical filter used in the electronic imaging apparatus of Embodiment 1, which are a sectional view of essential parts of the electronic imaging apparatus and a plan view showing the structure of a filter frame, respectively;

FIGS. 6A and 6B are plan and side views showing an example of a parfocal adjusting means used in the electronic imaging apparatus of Embodiment 1;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing an example of a case where the electronic imaging apparatus of Embodiment 1 is attached to a microscope; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of essential parts showing the structure of the electronic imaging apparatus for microscopes as the image pickup apparatus of Embodiment 2 in the present invention.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising: an image sensor recording image information;a dustproof glass for keeping hermeticity of a periphery of the image sensor, placed in front of the image sensor;an optical filter removably placed in front of the dustproof glass; anda camera mount placed in front of the optical filter.

2. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a perfocal adjusting means in which a focal position where the optical filter is demounted can be adjusted so as to be nearly equal to the focal position where the optical filter is mounted.

3. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the perfocal adjusting means is a plate-shaped glass provided with a thickness and a refractive index such that an optical path length from the mount to the image sensor where the means is mounted instead of the optical filter is nearly equal to the optical path length where the optical filter is mounted.

4. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the perfocal adjusting means is a spacer member that is capable of adjusting a distance between the camera mount and the image sensor.

5. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a screw-, bayonet-, or magnet-type mounting and demounting mechanism so that the optical filter can be mounted and demounted through the mounting and demounting mechanism.

6. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a screw-, bayonet-, or magnet-type mounting and demounting mechanism so that the optical filter can be mounted and demounted through the mounting and demounting mechanism.

7. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein either the dustproof glass or the optical filter, or both, are placed in an inclined state.

8. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, wherein either the dustproof glass or the optical filter, or both, are placed in an inclined state.

9. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical filter has a predetermined coating applied to, at least, an opposite-side surface of the optical filter with respect to the image sensor.

10. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the optical filter has a predetermined coating applied to, at least, an opposite-side surface of the optical filter with respect to the image sensor.

11. An image pickup apparatus according to any one of claims 1-10, further comprising a lens provided with a function of the optical filter, removably placed, instead of the optical filter.

12. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of optical filters or lenses provided with functions of the optical filters are removably arranged.

13. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of optical filters or lenses provided with functions of the optical filters are removably arranged.

14. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dustproof glass has an antireflection coating, applied to at least one surface, reducing a reflectance in an infrared wavelength region or an ultraviolet wavelength region, or the infrared wavelength region and the ultraviolet wavelength region, in addition to the reflectance in a visible region.

15. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the dustproof glass has an antireflection coating, applied to at least one surface, reducing a reflectance in an infrared wavelength region or an ultraviolet wavelength region, or the infrared wavelength region and the ultraviolet wavelength region, in addition to the reflectance in a visible region.

16. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, wherein at least one of the dustproof glass and the plurality of optical filters is placed in an inclined state.

17. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 14 or 15, wherein at least one of the dustproof glass and the plurality of optical filters is placed in an inclined state.