Video camera

Disclosed is a video camera in which the CRT of the electronic view finder is disposed in the hand grip.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a video camera with an electronic view 
finder. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Until now, the electronic view finder has been used as the finder for a 
video camera. As the electronic view finder, the very small cathode ray 
tube (CRT) is used to reproduce the white-black image which is enlarged 
and directly observed with the eye piece lens. 
In the case of recently developed home video cameras a solid image pick up 
device is most commonly used to reduce the weight making the camera body 
more and more compact. Under these circumstances, the size of the CRT and 
the associated electronic circuit of the electronic view finder play an 
important part of the camera as a whole. 
Although a video camera with an optical finder may be considered, the 
efficiency of an electronic view finder is superior thereto so that it is 
preferred to provide the video camera with an electronic view finder. 
Consequently, it has been an important problem for the home video camera 
to realize a compact electronic view finder and to combine it with the 
camera body. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of the present invention is to provide a video camera with the 
above-mentioned compact electronic view finder. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a video camera with 
an electronic view finder which is excellent in operability and 
portability, more precisely a video camera so designed that the CRT for 
the electronic view finder is built into the grip, indispensable for hand 
operation. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a video camera so 
designed that the grip in which the electronic view finder is built is 
rotatable in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the lens. 
Further objects of the present invention will be obvious from the detailed 
descriptions made below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
In one form of the invention a video camera includes an image pickup means 
for converting an object image into an electrical signal, a cathode ray 
tube for producing a display with the electrical signal obtained from the 
image pickup means, an eye piece part for visually recognizing an image 
picture displayed on the cathode ray tube, and a grip for holding the 
camera having the cathode ray tube disposed therein. 
In some forms of the invention the apparatus may further include a 
reflecting optical system for directing the image picture displayed on the 
cathode ray tube to an eye piece part. The image pickup means may include 
a lens system and the grip may be rotatable in such a manner that the grip 
becomes substantially parallel to the optical axis of the lens. 
In other forms of the invention the apparatus may also include a first 
casing for holding the eye piece part and the grip and a second casing for 
holding the image pickup means, and a rotary connector for rotatably 
connecting the first casing to the second casing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
An embodiment of the present invention will be explained in detail in 
accordance with the accompanying drawings. In FIGS. 1 to 5, the 
photographing lens is identified by the reference numeral 1 and the image 
pick up 2 contains the solid image pick up element such as CCD. The finder 
3 consists of the small CRT 3a, the mirror 3b, the eye piece lens 3c, the 
eye piece hood 3d, the camera grip 4 and the trigger switch 5 for starting 
and stopping the camera. The rotary connector 6 rotatably connects the 
finder 3 to the image pick up 2. 
FIGS. 1 and 2 show the camera during photography. At this time the image 
formed on the screen of the CRT 3a goes toward the rear of the camera by 
means of the mirror 3b and is enlarged with the eye piece lens 3c to be 
observed. At the time of photographing, as is shown in FIG. 2, the 
photographer holds the camera 4 with the grip 4, and operates the trigger 
switch 5 to start and stop the camera. 
When the camera is not used, as is shown in FIG. 3, the grip 4 is rotated 
around the rotary connector 6 in the direction of the arrow by 90.degree. 
and is folded in a position parallel to the optical axis of the lens 1. 
The construction of the rotary connector 6 will be explained below in 
detail in accordance with FIGS. 4 and 5. 
In the drawing, there is shown a cylindrical projection 6a of the finder 
notches 3, 6b and 6c, and a holding pin 10 provided on the casing of the 
image pick up 2. A signal cable 11 is also shown with a connector ring 12 
secured in the screw at the end of the projection 6a and a hole 13. 
By mounting the connector ring 12 at the end of the cylindrical projection 
6a of the finder 3, the finder 3 is rotatable to the image pick up 2. 
However, the rotation angle of the finder 3 to the image pick up 2 is 
limited to about 90.degree. because the image pick up 2 is provided with 
the holding pin 10, while the projection 6 is provided with the notches 
6b, and 6c. Namely, when the holding pin 10 is in contact with the notch 
6b the lengthwise direction of the grip 4 is almost perpendicular to the 
optical axis of the lens 1, while when the holding pin 10 is in contact 
with the notch 6c the lengthwise direction of the grip 4 coincides with 
that of the optical axis of the lens 1. 
Furthermore, when the signal cable is in the hole 13, the image signal from 
the image pick up 2 is transmitted to the CRT 3a via the cable 11. Besides 
the image signal the power and the synchronization signal are also 
transmitted. 
Although in the above embodiment the lengthwise direction of the grip 4 
coincides with that of the optical axis of the photographing lens when the 
video camera is used, it is also possible to design the camera in such a 
manner that the grip is inclined forwards when the camera is used. 
Furthermore, although in the present embodiment the grip 4 and the eye 
piece are in the same casing, it is also possible to provide the grip 4 
containing the CRT separate from the eye piece of the finder 3, whereby it 
is sufficient that only the grip 4 is rotated parallel to the optical axis 
of the lens. 
Although in the present invention the image on the CRT screen is reflected 
on the mirror and led to the eye piece lens, it is necessary that the 
image observed from the eye piece part should be the same as that on the 
image pick up plane, which can be realized by properly selecting the 
scanning direction of the optical system of the electronic view finder or 
the CRT. Furthermore, if the grip 4 is inclined forwards it is possible to 
obtain the same image by properly selecting the finder optical system. 
By arranging the electronic view finder in the grip of the video camera of 
the present invention, a better balanced grip can be obtained along with 
the realization of a more compact camera body than that of the 
conventional device in which the electronic view finder is independently 
arranged in the camera body. Furthermore, since the grip can be folded 
when the camera is not used, the operability and portability of the home 
video camera are excellent. 
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment but can be 
applied and modified in many ways within the gist of the claims.