Video camera apparatus

Claim 1

A video camera apparatus comprising: a lens for focusing light reflected from a scene being recorded and transmitting said light through said lens; an image pickup device for producing an output signal indicative of said light; a camera signal processing circuit for changing said output signal of said image pickup device to a video signal; a video signal recording portion for recording said video signal of said camera signal processing circuit, said video signal recording portion enabling recording for at least one recording metered time period, wherein the length of said recording method time period is dependent upon a recording method utilized to record said video signal on a recording medium; a display member for displaying a state of said video signal recording portion; a counter for counting an operating time on said video signal recording portion; a system controller for controlling said video signal recording portion and said display member, wherein said counter is reset when a recording of said video signal starts and counts an elapsed time for recording said video signal and wherein said display member displays an indicator which indicates said elapsed time; and time setting means for setting a desired shot time for recording said scene selected from a range of shot times and for automatically stopping said recording when said elapsed time exceeds said shot time, wherein said desired shot time is the minimum amount of time desired for recording said scene and each of said shot times is shorter in length than said recording method time period to provide a range of available shot times which may be selected and set within said recording method time period.

Claim 6

A method for shooting a scene by using a video camera apparatus which has a camera signal processing circuit for changing an output signal of an image pickup device to a video signal, a video signal recording portion for recording an output signal of said camera signal processing circuit, a display member for displaying a state of said video signal recording circuit and a counter for counting an operating time on said video signal recording portion, said method comprising the steps of: setting a recording start of a video signal; starting a recording after said setting of said recording start; resetting said counter; counting an elapsed time after said recording starts; displaying or recording a matter relating to said elapsed time; setting a desired shot time selected from a range of shot times, said desired shot time being the minimum amount of time desired for recording a scene, wherein each of said shot times is included within a recording method time period and wherein the length of said recording method time period is dependent upon a recording method utilized to record said video signal on a recording medium; and automatically stopping said recording when said elapsed time exceeds from said shot time.

Claim 7

A method for shooting a scene by using a video camera apparatus which has a camera signal processing circuit for changing an output signal of an image pickup device to a video signal, a video signal recording portion for recording an output signal of said camera signal processing circuit, a display member for displaying a state of said video signal recording circuit and a counter for counting an operating time on said video signal recording portion, said method comprising the steps of: setting a recording start of a video signal; starting a recording after said setting of said recording start; resetting said counter; counting an elapsed time after said recording starts; displaying or recording a matter relating to said elapsed time; setting a desired shot time selected from a range of shot times, said desired shot time being the minimum amount of time desired for recording a scene, wherein each of said shot times is included within a recording method time period and wherein the length of said recording method time period is dependent upon a recording method utilized to record said video signal on a recording medium; and automatically stopping said recording when said elapsed time exceeds from said shot time.