Patent ID: 7084920
Filing Date: 2006-08-01
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image pickup apparatus comprising: (A) an optical finder that optically displays an object image; (B) an image pickup device that receives the object image and converts the object image into an image signal for photographing; (C) an electronic finder that displays the object image received by said image pickup device on the basis of the image signal converted by said image pickup device; (D) a focal plane shutter that shields said image pickup device from light, said focal plane shutter rendering said image pickup device exposed to light so that before photographing, said image pickup device can receive the object image displayed by said electronic finder; and (E) a beam guide device that guides a beam from the object to said optical finder and said image pickup device, said beam guide device being capable of changing the guided state of said beam; wherein said focal plane shutter exposes said image pickup device to light by a leading curtain thereof after running and a trailing curtain thereof before running to thereby permit the display of the object image before photographing by said electronic finder; and wherein when shift is to be made from a state in which said electronic finder is displaying the object image before photographing to the photographing operation, said focal plane shatter moves said leading curtain to its state before running and shields said image pickup device from light, and thereafter runs said leading curtain and exposes said image pickup device to light and also runs said trailing curtain and shields said image pickup device from light to thereby perform the photographing operation.