Photographic camera having independent viewfinder and reflex focusing system

Claim 2

A photographic camera comprising: a housing including means for defining an exposure area at a focal plane in which film may be positioned for exposure; a variable focus objective taking lens having an optical axis and mounted within said housing so that a real image of a scene to be photographed may be formed on said focal plane by said objective taking lens, said objective taking lens and said exposure area at said focal plane thus cooperating to provide a field of view for said camera; selectively actuable means for admitting scene light from said objective taking lens to said focal plane to define a photographic exposure cycle; viewfinder means mounted within said housing for viewing, independently of said objective taking lens, a field of view generally coextensive with said field of view of said camera, said viewfinder means facilitating the aiming of said camera to frame the subject matter to be imaged on said focal plane by said objective taking lens during said photographic exposure cycle; and means for providing a view of part of the image formed by said objective taking lens within said viewfinder means so that a camera user may observe said part image and adjust the focus of said objective taking lens to focus said objective taking lens prior to said photographic exposure cycle and while framing the subject matter to be imaged on said focal plane by said objective taking lens.

Claim 3

The camera of claim 1 wherein said means for providing a view of part of the image formed by said objective taking lens is configured and arranged so that said part image is visible within said viewfinder means aside of said field of view of said viewfinder means.

Claim 4

The camera of claim 1 wherein said means for providing a view of part of the image formed by said objective taking lens includes means for intercepting a predetermined bundle of rays emerging from said objective taking lens to facilitate said view of part of the image formed by said objective taking lens.

Claim 5

The camera of claim 3 wherein said intercepting means is configured and arranged to block scene light emerging from said objective taking lens before and after said exposure cycle to prevent such blocked scene light from reaching said focal plane and to unblock scene light emerging from said objective taking lens during said exposure cycle.

Claim 6

The camera of claim 4 wherein said means for providing a view of part of the image formed by said objective taking lens further includes: a focusing screen having an image-receiving surface positioned in said housing at a predetermined location; first reflecting means for defining a folded optical path between said intercepting means and said focusing screen and for receiving scene rays from said intercepting means and directing said received rays onto said image-receiving surface of said focusing screen while scene light emerging from said objective taking lens is blocked; and second reflecting means located within said viewfinder means for defining a folded optical path between said focusing screen and an observer's eye so that the image formed on said focusing screen is reflected from said second reflecting means to appear aside of said field of view of said viewfinder means.

Claim 7

The camera of claim 5 wherein said viewfinder means is arranged along an otpical axis which is generally parallel to said optical axis of said objective taking lens; and wherein said first reflecting means and said focusing screen are arranged along a folded optical axis which lies in a plane that is perpendicular to said optical axis of said objective taking lens.

Claim 8

The camera of claim 5 wherein said predetermined location of said focusing screen is such that the distance through which said intercepted predetermined bundle of rays travel from said objective taking lens to said focusing screen image-receiving surface while scene light emerging from said objective taking lens is blocked is substantially the same as the distance through which rays corresponding to said intercepted predetermined bundle of rays travel in reaching said focal plane during said exposure cycle.

Claim 9

The camera of claim 1 wherein said viewfinder means includes means for magnifying said part image so that said part image appears aside of said field of view of said viewfinder means as an enlarged view of part of said field of view of said camera to facilitate focusing of said objective taking lens.

Claim 10

The camera of claim 8 wherein said viewfinder means further includes sighting means displayed within its field of view for visually establishing the field position within said camera's field of view from which said magnified part image is derived.

Claim 11

The camera of claim 8 wherein said means for providing a view of part of the image formed by said taking lens is configured and arranged with respect to said taking lens so that said magnified part image is derived from the center of said field of view of said camera.

Claim 12

The camera of claim 8 wherein said magnifying means of said viewfinder means comprises a positive eye lens.

Claim 13

A photographic camera of the type having distinct viewing-focusing and exposure operational modes, said camera comprising: a housing including means for defining an exposure area at a focal plane in which film may be positioned for exposure; a variable focus objective taking lens having an optical axis and mounted within said housing so that a real image of a scene to be photographed may be formed on said focal plane during said exposure operational mode, said objective taking lens and said exposure area at said focal plane thus cooperating to provide a field of view for said camera; means for effecting the exposure of a film unit positioned in said focal plane during said exposure operational mode; viewfinder means mounted within said housing for viewing, independently of said objective taking lens, an image of a field of view generally coextensive with said field of view of said camera, said viewfinder means facilitating the aiming of said camera to frame the subject matter to be imaged on said focal plane by said objective taking lens during said exposure operational mode, said viewfinder means comprising a negative lens for forming a virtual image and a positive eye lens spaced from said negative lens along an optical axis of said viewfinder means and focused substantially on said virtual image; a focusing screen having an image-receiving surface of predetermined dimensions and positioned within said housing at a predetermined location with respect to said objective taking lens; first reflecting means for defining a folded optical path between said focusing screen and said objective taking lens, said first reflecting means including means for intercepting a predetermined bundle of rays emerging from said objective taking lens during said viewing-focusing operational mode to direct said intercepted rays along said folded optical path and onto said image receiving surface of said focusing screen, said image focusing screen and said first reflecting means being configured and arranged with respect to said objective taking lens to provide an image of a part of the field of view of said camera, said intercepting means being movable between a position blocking scene light emerging from said objective taking lens during said viewing-focusing operational mode and a position unblocking scene light emerging from said objective taking lens during said exposure mode; and means for observing said focusing screen image receiving surface, through said eye lens, to magnify said part image of said field of view of said camera so that a camera user may observe said part image and adjust said objective taking lens to focus said objective taking lens during said viewing-focusing mode.

Claim 14

A photographic camera of the type having distinct viewing-focusing and exposure operational modes, said camera comprising: a housing including means for defining an exposure area at a focal plane in which film may be positioned for exposure; a variable focus objective taking lens having an optical axis and mounted within said housing so that a real image of a scene to be photographed may be formed on said focal plane during said exposure operational mode, said objective taking lens and said exposure area at said focal plane thus cooperating to provide a field of view for said camera; means for effecting the exposure of a film unit positioned in said focal plane during said exposure operational mode; viewfinder means mounted within said housing for viewing, independently of said objective taking lens, an image of a field of view generally coextensive with said field of view of said camera, said viewfinder means facilitating the aiming of said camera to frame the subject matter to be imaged on said focal plane by said objective taking lens during said exposure operational mode, said viewfinder means comprising a negative lens for forming a virtual image and a positive eye lens spaced from said negative lens along an optical axis of said viewfinder means and focused substantially on said virtual image; a focusing screen having an image-receiving surface of predetermined dimensions and positioned within said housing at a predetermined location with respect to said objective taking lens; first reflecting means for defining a folded optical path between said focusing screen and said objective taking lens, said first reflecting means including means for intercepting a predetermined bundle of rays emerging from said objective taking lens during said viewing-focusing operational mode to direct said intercepted rays along said folded optical path and onto said image receiving surface of said focusing screen, said image focusing screen and said first reflecting means being configured and arranged with respect to said objective taking lens to provide an image of a part of the field of view of said camera, said intercepting means being movable between a position blocking scene light emerging from said objective taking lens during said viewing-focusing operational mode and a position unblocking scene light emerging from said objective taking lens during said exposure mode; and means for observing said focusing screen image receiving surface, through said eye lens, to magnify said part image of said field of view of said camera so that a camera user may observe said part image and adjust said objective taking lens to focus said objective taking lens during said viewing-focusing mode.

Claim 15

The camera of claim 12 wherein said optical axis of said viewfinder means is generally parallel with said optical axis of said objective taking lens and wherein said first reflecting means are arranged along a folded optical axis which lies in a plane perpendicular to said optical axis of said objective taking lens.

Claim 16

The camera of claim 13 wherein said predetermined location of said focusing screen is such that the distance through which said intercepted predetermined bundle of rays travel from said objective taking lens to said image-receiving surface of said focusing screen during said viewing-focusing operational mode is substantially the same as the distance that rays corresponding to said intercepted predetermined bundle of rays travel in reaching said focal plane during said exposure operational mode.

Claim 17

The camera of claim 12 wherein said focusing screen observing means comprises second reflecting means positioned in said viewfinder means along a folded optical axis between said eye lens and said negative lens to define a folded optical path between said focusing screen and said eye lens such that said magnified part image of said field of view of said camera is visible alongside said image of said field of view of said viewfinder means.

Claim 18

The camera of claim 15 wherein said negative lens of said viewfinder includes sighting means visible within said field of view of said viewfinder means for visually establishing the field position within said camera's field of view from which said magnified part image is derived.

Claim 19

The camera of claim 16 wherein said first reflecting means and said focusing screen are configured and arranged with respect to said objective taking lens such that said magnified part image is derived from the center of the field of view of said camera.

Claim 20

The camera of claim 15 wherein said focusing screen comprises a microprism screen and wherein the distance along said folded optical axis between said eye lens and said microprism screen is substantially equal to the focal length of said eye lens.