Indicating devices for camera viewfinders

Claim 1

An indicating device for a camera which includes a viewfinder and is selectively settable at least to an automatic diaphragm aperture control mode and to an automatic shutter speed control mode, comprising: a frame defining the viewfinder optical path and including an opaque bridge arranged within said viewfinder optical path to divide the viewfinder field into an image viewing section and an indicating section, said bridge including a plurality of windows; a plurality of optical indicating elements located outside of said viewfinder optical path and each associated with a respective window; first indication signal generating means for generating an electric signal representative of an automatically controlled diaphragm aperture upon selection of the automatic diaphragm aperture control mode; second indication signal generating means for generating an electric signal representative of an automatically controlled shutter speed upon selection of the automatic shutter speed control mode; means for selectively energizing one of said optical indicating elements in accordance with the electric signals from the selected one of said first and second indication signal generating means; a transparent light guide disposed below said frame and traversing said viewfinder optical path and including light reflecting means below said windows for reflecting the light from an energized one of said optical indicating elements towards the corresponding one of said windows; a transparent scale plate disposed below said light guide and including f-number and shutter speed scales disposed in parallel relationship with one another; a manually operable member; and means interconnecting said manually operable member with said scale plate for shifting said scale plate between a first position wherein only a predetermined one of said scales is at a predetermined position in said viewfinder optical path to be observed at the indicating section of the viewfinder field and a second position wherein both said scales are in said viewfinder optical path, said predetermined scale being below said light reflecting means with the other scale being at said predetermined position to be observed in the indicating section of the viewfinder field with said scale plate in the second position, and said light reflecting means being adapted to shield light coming through said predetermined scale with said scale plate in the second position.