Patent ID: 7583313

Claim:
An imaging apparatus having an operation unit which is provided with a display and an imaging unit which is provided with a flash unit and a zoom lens, the imaging unit being connected rotatably to said operation unit by a hinge mechanism and images photographed being sent to said display, wherein the front part of the imaging unit where a lens window is positioned is extended toward the operation unit to form a protruded portion for mounting a flash unit, and the distance to the rotation center of the hinge mechanism from the front side (lens window side) is greater than that from the rear side of the unit, and wherein said distance from the lens window side of the imaging unit to the rotation center of the hinge mechanism is determined to be a length so that the viewing field on the display is not constricted by the presence of the protruded portion in front of the display when the lens window of the imaging unit is turned to the display side of the operation unit; wherein said hinge mechanism comprises a hinge plate of imaging unit side, a hinge shaft fixed to said hinge plate of imaging unit side and having a flange on which a pattern is provided for detecting the rotation angle of the hinge shaft, a hinge plate of operation unit side fixed to the operation unit, the hinge plate supporting the hinge shaft so that the hinge shaft is rotatable and prevented from slipping out from the hinge plate, an elastic member placed between the flange and hinge plate of operation unit side, and a photoelectric device for detecting the relative rotation angle of the imaging unit to the operating unit by sensing the pattern provided on the flange to detect the rotation angle of the imaging unit relative to the operating unit can be detected.