Claims
- 1. In a finder apparatus for use with a lens-shutter type camera having a zoom imaging optical system, a zoom finder optical system separate from said zoom imaging optical system, and an electronic flash device, the improvement wherein said zoom finder optical system is made as a real-image zoom finder apparatus having a plurality of optical elements including an objective lens and an eyepiece and defining an optical path between said objective lens and eyepiece, with .[.part.]. .Iadd.at least one .Iaddend.of the .[.associated.]. optical elements .Iadd.of said zoom finder apparatus .Iaddend.being disposed .Iadd.directly .Iaddend.behind the electronic flash device .Iadd.while said eyepiece is not disposed directly behind said electronic flash device.Iaddend., and part of the optical path from the objective lens to the eyepiece being bent backward of the electronic flash device to pass through said .Iadd.at least one .Iaddend.optical element disposed .Iadd.directly .Iaddend.behind the electronic flash device.
- 2. In a finder apparatus for use with lens-shutter type camera having a zoom imaging optical system, a zoom finder optical system separate from said zoom imaging optical system, and an electronic flash device, the improvement wherein said zoom finder optical system is made as a real-image zoom finder apparatus .[.the.]. .Iadd.having a plurality of optical elements including an objective lens and an eyepiece and defining an optical path between said objective lens and eyepiece, said .Iaddend.objective lens .[.of which is.]. .Iadd.being .Iaddend.disposed adjacent the electronic flash device, with .[.part.]. .Iadd.at least one .Iaddend.of the optical elements of said finder being disposed .Iadd.directly .Iaddend.behind the electronic flash device, and the optical path in said finder apparatus being composed of an entrance path from said objective lens to a first reflecting .Iadd.face of a first reflecting .Iaddend.element, a refraction path from said first reflecting element to said optical element disposed .Iadd.directly .Iaddend.behind the electronic flash device, and an exit path from said optical element to the eyepiece disposed .Iadd.directly .Iaddend.behind .[.it.]. .Iadd.said optical element but not disposed directly behind said electronic flash device.Iaddend..
- 3. The finder apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said objective lens is composed of a first, a second and a third lens group, said second and third lens groups are movable in the optical axis direction for zooming by a slot mechanism.
- 4. A finder apparatus according to claim 2 wherein .Iadd.said zoom finder optical system includes .Iaddend.a zooming lens group movable in the direction of the optical axis .[.is.]. .Iadd.and .Iaddend.disposed in the entrance path.
- 5. A finder apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said .Iadd.at least one .Iaddend.optical element disposed .Iadd.directly .Iaddend.behind the electronic flash device is a resin molded article having a lens formed integral with a prism that reflects rays of light toward the eyepiece.
- 6. A finder apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said .Iadd.at least one .Iaddend.optical element disposed .Iadd.directly .Iaddend.behind the electronic flash device is a resin molded article having a lens formed integral with a prism that reflects rays of light toward the eyepiece.
- 7. A finder apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said prism integral with the lens has a second reflecting face for reflecting the rays of light from the refraction path downward, a third reflecting face for reflecting the rays of reflected light from said second reflecting face in a direction parallel to said refraction path, and a fourth reflecting face for reflecting the rays of reflected light from said third reflecting face to travel along said exit path.
- 8. A finder apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said prism integral with the lens has a second reflecting face for reflecting the rays of light from the refraction path downward, a third reflecting face for reflecting the rays of reflected light from said second reflecting face in a direction parallel to said refraction path, and a fourth reflecting face for reflecting the rays of reflected light from said third reflecting face to travel along with said exit path. .Iadd.9. In a finder apparatus for use with lens-shutter type camera having a zoom imaging optical system, a zoom finder optical system separate from said zoom imaging optical system, and an electronic flash device, the improvement wherein said zoom finder optical system is made as a real-image zoom finder apparatus having a plurality of optical elements including an objective lens and an eyepiece and defining an optical path between said objective lens and eyepiece, said objective lens being disposed adjacent the electronic flash device, said plurality of optical elements including a resin molded article disposed behind said electronic flash device and having a lens formed integral with a prism that reflects rays of light toward the eyepiece, and the optical path in said finder apparatus being composed of an entrance path from said objective lens to a first reflecting face of a first reflecting element, a refraction path from said first reflecting element to said resin molded article, and an exit path from said resin molded article to the eyepiece disposed behind said resin molded article, wherein said resin molded article has a second reflecting face for reflecting the rays of light from the refraction path downward, a third reflecting face for reflecting the rays of reflected light from said second reflecting face in a direction parallel to said refraction path, and a fourth reflecting face for reflecting the rays of reflected light from said third
- reflecting face to travel along said exit path. .Iaddend..Iadd.10. In a finder apparatus for use with lens-shutter type camera having a zoom imaging optical system, a zoom finder optical system separate from said zoom imaging optical system, and an electronic flash device, the improvement wherein said zoom finder optical system is made as a real-image zoom finder apparatus having a plurality of optical elements including an objective lens and an eyepiece and defining an optical path between said objective lens and eyepiece, said objective lens being disposed adjacent the electronic flash device and comprising a first, a second and a third lens group, said second and third lens groups being movable in the optical axis direction for zooming by a slot mechanism, with said plurality of optical elements including a resin molded article disposed behind said electronic flash device and having a lens formed integral with a prism that reflects rays of light toward the eyepiece, and the optical path in said finder apparatus being composed of an entrance path from said objective lens to a first reflecting face of a first reflecting element, a refraction path from said first reflecting element to said optical element disposed behind the electronic flash device, and an exit path from said optical element to the eyepiece disposed behind said optical element but not disposed behind said flash device, wherein said resin molded article has a second reflecting face for reflecting the rays of light from the refraction path downward, a third reflecting face for reflecting the rays of reflected light from said second reflecting face in a direction parallel to said refraction path, and a fourth reflecting face for reflecting the rays of reflected light from said third reflecting face to travel along with said exit path. .Iaddend..Iadd.11. A camera comprising
- (a) a zoom lens system arranged at a front side of a camera housing had having an optical axis intersecting the plane of a recording medium to be exposed by light passing through said imaging lens system, for producing an image of an object on said recording medium;
- (b) an electronic flash means arranged in said camera housing for illuminating the object to be photographed; and
- (c) a zoom viewfinder optical system producing a real image of an object to be photographed and including
- (i) a zoom viewfinder lens system arranged in said camera housing adjacent said electronic flash means, said lens system having an optical axis which is laterally spaced from said electronic flash means with respect to said front side of said camera housing and which is substantially parallel to the optical axis of said zoom imaging lens system
- (ii) first light reflecting means arranged behind said zoom view finder lens system for reflecting light having passed through said zoom view finder lens system to a second light reflecting means arranged behind said electronic flash means, such that at least part of said flash means is disposed between said second reflecting means and said front side of said camera housing, said second light reflecting means directing light to an
- eyepiece arranged in said camera housing. .Iadd.12. A finder apparatus for a camera having a zoom imaging optical system, said finder apparatus including an objective lens and an eyepiece and a plurality of optical elements defining an optical path between said objective lens and said eyepiece, said plurality of optical elements comprising:
- a first reflecting surface receiving light from said objective lens along a first portion of said optical path and reflecting said light along a second portion of said optical path;
- a second reflecting surface receiving light from said first reflecting surface along said second portion of said optical path and reflecting said light along a third portion of said optical path;
- a third reflecting surface receiving light from said second reflecting surface along said third portion of said optical path and reflecting said light along a fourth portion of said optical path; and
- a fourth reflecting surface receiving light from said third reflecting surface along said fourth portion of said optical path and reflecting said light along a fifth portion of said optical path to said eyepiece;
- wherein the length of said second portion of said optical path is substantially greater than the length of each of said third, fourth and fifth portions of said optical path. .Iaddend..Iadd.13. A finder apparatus according to claim 12, wherein at least said second and third reflecting surfaces are disposed behind a flash unit of said camera.
- .Iaddend..Iadd. . A finder apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said fourth reflecting surface is not disposed directly behind said flash unit.
- .Iaddend..Iadd.15. A finder apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said second and fourth portions of said optical path are parallel to one another. .Iaddend..Iadd.16. A finder apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said first and fifth portions of said optical path are parallel to one another. .Iaddend..Iadd.17. A finder apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said first and fifth portions of said optical path are parallel to one another. .Iaddend..Iadd.18. A finder apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said third portion of said optical path is perpendicular to each of said first, second, fourth and fifth portions of said optical path. .Iaddend.
Priority Claims (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
63-140823 |
Oct 1988 |
JPX |
|
63-330466 |
Dec 1988 |
JPX |
|
63-330467 |
Dec 1988 |
JPX |
|
Parent Case Info
.Iadd.This is a continuation of Reissue Application No. 08/017,401, filed Feb. 11, 1993, now abandoned, which is a Reissue Application of U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,809 issued on Feb. 12, 1991. .Iaddend.
US Referenced Citations (15)
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
Number |
Date |
Country |
62-164322 |
Oct 1987 |
JPX |
63-179340 |
Jul 1988 |
JPX |
365330 |
Jan 1932 |
GBX |
521452 |
May 1940 |
GBX |
538744 |
Aug 1941 |
GBX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
German Journal MFM, No. 6, 1988, pp. 236-238, description of "Yashica Samurai X 0.3" camera 1988. |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
17401 |
Feb 1993 |
|
Reissues (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
426655 |
Oct 1989 |
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