Patent ID: 6041186
Filing Date: 2000-03-21
Classification: G02B,G03B

Abstract:
A finder system provided in a camera separately from a photographing optical system, comprising:a first objective optical system for forming a first image of an object, said first image being a real image;a second objective optical system for forming a second image of said object, said second image being a real image, said first and second objective optical systems being spaced from each other by a predetermined base length;a light combining element that combines light passing through said first objective optical system and a part of light passing through said second objective optical system to superimpose a part of said second image with said first image within a field of view;an erecting optical system for erecting said first image and said part of said second image combined by said light combining element;an eyepiece optical system that directs light passing through said light combining element toward an eye of an observer;a light deflecting device that deflects a path of light emerging from said second objective optical system to change degree of coincidence of said part of said second image with respect to said first image along a direction of said base length;a passive distance measuring device for detecting a distance to said object, the passive distance measuring device including a pair of imaging lenses having optical axes that extend in parallel, optical paths of said pair of imaging lenses being different than optical paths of the first and second objective optical systems; anda controller which controls said light deflecting device such that said part of said second image and said first image of an object which is located at said distance detected by said active distance measuring device coincide with each other.