JP7532032B2 - Imaging device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an imaging device.

In recent years, various techniques have been adopted for taking pictures using imaging devices such as digital still cameras and video cameras that use solid-state imaging elements. For example, a method has been proposed in which the user can take pictures remotely by connecting to a personal computer or smartphone, without having to hold the camera body. When remotely controlling the camera, it is desirable to adjust the camera body up, down, left, and right as necessary to achieve the desired shooting range.

Patent document 1 discloses a technology in which the optical axis of the camera body is automatically moved to a specified position by attaching the camera body to a cradle and moving the legs of the cradle to a position for taking pictures.

There are also various methods for changing the focal length when taking pictures using an imaging device. For example, Patent Document 2 describes changing the focal length by attaching a lens unit with a conversion lens to a mobile terminal equipped with a camera function.

JP 2003-131312 A Patent No. 6255351

However, when changing the focal length using the method described in Patent Document 2, a lens unit for changing the focal length must be prepared separately from the camera body, which makes it less convenient to carry around.

Therefore, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide an imaging device that can improve convenience when carrying it around.

An imaging device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a camera having an imaging element and a base portion that can hold the camera around a rotation axis,
the base portion includes a first base that holds the rotation shaft in a long side direction of the base portion, and a second base at the other end of the rotation shaft,
The camera can be fixed at a plurality of angles relative to the base portion;
a distance in a long side direction between a first holding portion constituting the first base and a second holding portion constituting the second base is adjustable;
the camera includes a first lens barrel held by the rotation shaft,
The base portion is provided with a gap capable of accommodating the camera,
The smartphone can be held by sandwiching it between the first holding portion and the second holding portion,
While holding the smartphone, an image captured by the imaging element can be viewed on a screen of the smartphone ,
The imaging element has a function of capturing an image of a light beam that has passed through a first lens, which forms an image of a light beam that has passed through a second lens of the first lens barrel .

Other objects and features of the present invention are described in the following examples.

The present invention provides an imaging device that is easy to carry around.

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a camera according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a camera according to a first embodiment; Block diagram of a lens barrel in the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the rotation of a lens barrel in the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the camera is placed and photographed in the first embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the camera is held in hand during shooting in the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a smartphone is attached to a camera in a third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which a smartphone is attached to the front of the camera in the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which a smartphone is attached to the side of a camera in a third embodiment. Modification of the camera in the third embodiment

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is an external perspective view of camera 10, an imaging device of this embodiment, seen from the top. Camera 10 comprises a base portion 11, a lens barrel 102, a second lens unit 202, and a third lens unit 302. Lens barrel 102 is rotatably connected to base portion 11 by a rotating portion 501. In Figure 1, lens barrel 102, together with second lens unit 202 and third lens unit 302, is stored in a gap (sometimes called a storage portion) in base portion 11.

Figure 2 is an external perspective view of the camera 10 of this embodiment seen from the top, showing the lens barrel 102 and the second and third lens units 202 and 302 removed from the gaps provided in the base portion 11. As shown in Figure 2(a), the lens barrel 102 and the second and third lens units 202 and 302 are movable relative to the base portion 11, and therefore may be collectively referred to as the movable portion 12. The configuration of each of the base portion 11 and the movable portion 12 will be described below.

The base portion 11 has a first base 401 and a second base 402. As described above, the movable portion 12 has the lens barrel 102, the second lens unit 202, and the third lens unit 302. As shown in FIG. 2(a), the second lens unit 202 is configured to be detachable from the lens barrel 102, and the third lens unit 302 is configured to be detachable from the second lens unit 202. The second lens unit 202 and the third lens unit 302 may be collectively referred to simply as the lens unit.

The lens barrel 102 will be described with reference to Figures 2(a) and 3. Figure 3 is an electrical block diagram of the lens barrel 102. The lens barrel 102 has a first lens 101, a lens drive unit 105 that drives the first lens, a shutter 106, an image sensor 107, an image sensor control unit 108, an image processing unit 109, a zoom switch 104, a power switch 103, and a control unit 114. The lens barrel 102 further has a ROM 110, a RAM 111, and a data storage unit 112 as storage means, and further has a data communication unit 113 that communicates data to an external device, etc.

The first lens 101 is disposed on the front side (subject side) of the lens barrel 102, and forms an image of the subject light on a CMOS sensor, which is an image sensor disposed inside the lens barrel 102. Note that the first lens 101 written in FIG. 2(a) and FIG. 3 is illustrated as a single lens for convenience, but may be composed of multiple lenses. In addition, the first lens 101 in this embodiment is an optical system that can switch between two focal lengths, 100 mm and 400 mm, but the focal length is not limited to two. For example, an optical system that cannot be switched, an optical system that can switch between three or more focal lengths, or an optical system that can be adjusted steplessly within a predetermined range may be used. In addition, the focal length is not limited to 100 mm and 400 mm.

The amount of subject light collected by the first lens 101 is controlled by the shutter 106, and the image sensor 107 performs photoelectric conversion processing to produce a subject image. These processes are controlled by the control unit 114. The shutter may be a focal plane shutter or a lens shutter, or it may be an electronic shutter that electronically controls the amount of light taken into the image sensor.

The image sensor control unit 108 has a timing generator for supplying a transfer clock signal and a shutter signal to the image sensor 107, and a circuit for performing noise removal and gain processing on the output signal of the image sensor 107. The image sensor control unit 108 also has an A/D conversion circuit for converting an analog signal into, for example, a 10-bit digital signal. The 10-bit digital signal corresponds to the number of quantization bits for acquiring video information. The number of bits can be changed in various ways depending on the specifications of the image sensor 107. Furthermore, the image sensor control unit 108 has a circuit for performing pixel thinning processing that causes the image sensor 107 to output thinned pixel data in the horizontal and vertical directions according to a resolution conversion instruction from the control unit 114 in order to display on the display unit of an external device and to capture video.

The image processing unit 109 performs image processing such as gamma conversion, color space conversion, white balance, AE, and flash correction on the 10-bit digital signal output from the image sensor control unit 108, and outputs an 8-bit digital signal in YUV (4:2:2) format. The image processing unit 109 also performs automatic inversion processing based on the state of the camera 10 to correct inversion of the captured image caused by rotation or the lens. For example, when the image is inverted upside down by attaching the third lens unit 302 to the lens barrel 102, the image processing unit 109 performs processing to invert the image upside down upon receiving an instruction from the control unit 114 that detects the attachment of the third lens unit 302. This makes it possible to display an image that is less uncomfortable for the user regardless of the state of the lens unit being attached or detached. Also, when the lens barrel 102 is further rotated from the state shown in FIG. 2(a), the lower surface of the lens barrel 102 (the bottom surface side of the base part in the stored state) faces upward (opposite to the direction of gravity). Therefore, by receiving an instruction from the control unit 114 that detects the angle of the lens barrel 102, the image processing unit 109 performs processing to invert the image upside down, making it possible to display an image that is less uncomfortable for the user.

The control unit 114 controls the operation of the entire camera system. The control unit 114 performs various controls based on the control program in the ROM 110. The controls include a process of instructing the shooting operation input from an external device, and a process of reading the shooting image (video) signal output from the image processing unit 109 and transferring it to the RAM 111. Similarly, there is a process of transferring image data from the RAM 111 to the data communication means 113, and a process of compressing the image data into JPEG format and storing it in the data storage means 112 in a file format. In the case of video data, the data is compressed into a file in MOV format or the like through a similar process and stored in the data storage means 112. The control unit 114 also instructs the image sensor 107, the image sensor control unit 108, and the image processing unit 109 to change the data capture range and digital image processing. The control unit 114 also controls the supply of power to each element.

RAM 111 includes an image development area, a work area, a VRAM, and a temporary save area. The image development area is used as a temporary buffer for temporarily storing captured images (YUV digital signals) sent from image processing unit 109 and JPEG compressed image data read from data storage means 112. The image development area is also used as a dedicated image work area for image compression and decompression processes. The work area is a work area for various programs. VRAM stores display data to be displayed on each display unit. The temporary save area is an area for temporarily saving various data.

The data storage means 112 is a flash memory for storing captured image data compressed in JPEG format by the control unit 114 and video image data in a file format such as MOV format, and may be built into the lens barrel 102 or may be removable.

The data communication means 113 performs wireless communication with an external device having a display unit, such as a smartphone. This enables remote control of the camera 10. For example, with the camera 10 installed in a specified position, it is possible to take pictures while checking the image captured by the camera 10 on the display unit of the smartphone.

The lens barrel 102 has a power switch 103 and a zoom switch 104 on the back. The power switch 103 switches the power of the camera 10 on and off. The zoom switch 104 is a switch for inputting an instruction to change the focal length of the lens barrel 102. By pressing the zoom switch 104, the lens group (first lens 101) inside the lens barrel 102 is driven, and the focal length changes. In this embodiment, one zoom switch is provided, but the number of switches may be changed according to the number of focal length changes. For example, a zoom switch for inputting an instruction to set the focal length to 400 mm and a zoom switch for inputting an instruction to set the focal length to 100 mm may be provided. In this embodiment, there are two switches, a power switch and a zoom switch, but they may be switches for rotation control or shutter, for example, and the number and functions are not limited to the above-mentioned form.

The second lens unit 202 has a second lens 201 and a second holding frame that holds the second lens 201, and the third lens unit 302 has a third lens 301 and a third holding frame that holds the third lens 301. The second lens 201 and the third lens 301 are conversion lenses that change the focal length when combined with the first lens 101, and the focal length captured by the image sensor in the lens barrel 102 changes. In this embodiment, the combination of the second lens 201 and the first lens 101 enables macro photography, and the combination of the third lens 301, the second lens 201, and the first lens 101 enables super-wide-angle photography. In FIG. 2, the second lens 201 and the third lens 301 are represented as one lens for convenience, but may be composed of multiple lenses.

The attachment/detachment mechanism for attaching the second lens unit 202 to the lens barrel 102 and the attachment/detachment mechanism for attaching the third lens unit 302 to the second lens unit 202 are provided in the housings of the lens barrel 102, the second lens unit 202, and the third lens unit 302. These attachment/detachment mechanisms may be mechanisms that can maintain a fixed state, such as a bayonet or a magnet. In addition, a mechanism using multiple methods, such as a bayonet and a magnet, may be used, or a mechanism for attaching the second lens unit 202 to the lens barrel 102 and a mechanism for attaching the third lens unit 302 to the second lens unit 202 may be mechanisms using different methods. In order to prevent incorrect assembly, such as attaching the third lens unit directly to the lens barrel 102, it is preferable to install the attachment/detachment mechanism of each lens unit in a different position for each lens unit. When the second lens unit 202 is attached to the lens barrel 102, a light beam that has passed through the second lens is incident on the first lens. By mounting the second lens unit 202 and the third lens unit 302 to the lens unit 102, the light beam passing through the third lens is incident on the second lens, and the light beam passing through the second lens is incident on the first lens. In this embodiment, the focal length is changed by combining three types of lenses, but the number and types of lenses to be combined are not limited as long as the light beam is imaged on the image sensor in the lens barrel 102. For example, there may be only one type of lens unit configured separately from the lens barrel 102, or there may be three or more types. In addition, lenses other than conversion lenses that change the focal length may be used as the second and third lenses.

1 and 2, a first base 401 is disposed on the side of the lens barrel 102. The first base 401 extends in the Z-axis direction and is connected to a second base 402. A gap is provided between the first base 401 and the second base 402, and this gap serves as a storage section capable of storing the lens barrel 102 and the lens unit (202, 302). A fixing mechanism for fixing the lens unit (202, 302) to the bottom surface 403 may be provided on the bottom surface 403 of the gap. The fixing mechanism may be realized by, for example, a biasing mechanism. The fixing mechanism can prevent the lens unit (202, 302) from falling out of the storage section. The fixing mechanism may also be provided on the side of the gap instead of the bottom surface 403. The mechanism may be such that the lens unit (202, 302) is attached to the lens barrel 102 by rotating the lens barrel 102 relative to the base portion 11 while the fixing mechanism of the lens unit (202, 302) provided on the bottom or side of the gap is released.

The lens barrel 102 and the first base 401 are connected by a rotating part 501, and the lens barrel 102 can be rotated to a desired angle relative to the first base 401 and fixed while maintaining that angle.

The rotating unit 501 has a driving means, and the movable unit 12 can be rotated by driving the driving means through remote control using a remote control, a smartphone, or the like. This makes it possible to adjust the direction of the optical axis through remote control.

The user can also manually and directly adjust the direction of the optical axis of the first lens 101 by holding and rotating the lens barrel 102. If the lens barrel 102 can be directly rotated manually, the rotation unit 501 can have a locking mechanism that locks the rotation of the lens barrel 102 to prevent the angle of the lens barrel 102 from changing due to unintended forces.

The first base 401 and the second base 402 are provided with a first holding section 401a and a second holding section 402a for fixing and holding an external device having a display (display section) such as a smartphone, and are structured to be able to hold an external device. In this embodiment, instead of checking the subject using the LCD monitor on the back side of the camera body or an electronic viewfinder (hereinafter, EVF), the display of the external device such as a smartphone is used to check the subject. For this reason, a mechanism for holding the external device is provided in the base section 11. Note that shooting is possible even if the external device is not attached to the first holding section 401a and the second holding section 402a, and the camera 10 may be remotely controlled or the subject may be checked using a large external device such as a system of a personal computer and a display connected to the personal computer.

Figure 2(b) is a diagram showing the state in which the second base 402 has moved parallel to the first base 401. The second base 402 has a mechanism that allows it to move in the direction of the arrow in the figure (Z direction), and external devices of various sizes can be attached and detached by changing the distance between the first holder 401a and the second holder 402a. There is no particular restriction on the movable mechanism of the second base as long as it is configured to adjust the distance between the first holder 401a and the second holder 402a.

Figure 4 shows the rotation angles when the lens barrel 102, the second lens unit 202, and the third lens unit 302 rotate relative to the base unit 11. Figure 4(a) shows a state in which the movable unit 12 has rotated 30° around the rotating unit 501 from the state in Figure 1 in which the movable unit 12 is stored in the gap of the base unit 11. Figure 4(b) shows a state in which the movable unit 12 has rotated 270° around the rotating unit 501 from the state in which the movable unit 12 is stored in the gap of the base unit 11. The movable unit 12 of this embodiment rotates 0 to 270° around the rotating unit 501 and is fixed at a desired angle, making it possible to accommodate various shooting scenes such as stationary shooting and handheld shooting. In this specification, the state in Figure 1 is referred to as a state in which the angle of the movable unit is 0°, and similarly, the state in Figure 4(a) may be referred to as a state of 30°, and the state in Figure 4(b) may be referred to as a state of 270°. The above-mentioned upside-down inversion process by the image processing unit 109 can be controlled by the control unit 114 detecting this angle. The angle at which the up-down inversion process is performed as the lens barrel 102 rotates can be set as appropriate, but for example, the up-down inversion process may not be performed between 0° and 90°, and may be performed when the angle exceeds 90°. Note that the method of shooting based on the angle is an example, and the present embodiment is not limited to the above-mentioned situation. Also, even if the angle cannot be adjusted steplessly, it is sufficient to be able to fix the movable part 12 at multiple angles, and for example, a form that allows adjustment in 10° increments from 0° to 270° may be used.

With reference to Figure 5, we will explain a method of taking pictures by placing the camera on the ground or other surface and remotely controlling it without holding the camera body (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as stationary photography).

When carrying the camera before shooting, the movable part 12 is stored in the base part 11 as shown in FIG. 1. Shooting is possible even in the stored state, but when shooting by adjusting the direction of the optical axis, the user can rotate the movable part 12 to the desired position as shown in FIG. 5. As described above, in this embodiment, ultra-wide-angle shooting is possible by attaching the second lens unit 202 and the third lens unit 302 to the lens barrel 102. At this time, the bottom surface of the camera body becomes the ground surface, and shooting is possible without the user having to hold it. When the power switch provided on the back of the camera 10 is pressed, the power of the camera 10 is turned on. When the power is introduced to the camera 10, the control unit 114, the lens driving unit 105, the data communication means 113, etc. of the first lens barrel 102 are energized, and the camera 10 is connected to an external device such as a smartphone by wireless communication such as Wi-Fi. When an external device is connected to the camera 10, the live view image captured by the camera 10 is transmitted to the external device, allowing the user to visually check on the display of the external device whether the desired subject is within the shooting range.

The aspect ratio of the image signal output from the image sensor (image processing unit) in the lens barrel 102 and the image displayed on the smartphone are set to be the same. The user can also adjust the optical axis direction by driving the driving means in the rotation unit by remote control using an external device so that the subject is within the shooting range. In the case of stationary shooting, the lens barrel unit is controlled so that the rotation range is 0 to 180 degrees. After confirming that the subject is within the shooting range, the image is taken by remote control using a smartphone or the like. After shooting is completed, when the user presses the power switch again, the control unit 114 outputs a drive instruction to the driving means in the rotation unit so that the angle of the movable part is 0°. When the driving unit drives according to the drive instruction, the movable part 12 rotates and fits into the storage unit, and the power of the camera 10 is turned off.

As explained above, the movable part 12 can be rotated to the desired position by remote control using an external device such as a smartphone or by manual adjustment by the user, allowing the shooting range to be adjusted without the need for a separate tripod or the like, making it easy to take stationary shots.

The lens unit (202, 302) can be attached and detached to the lens barrel 102 to change the focal length, and can be stored in the base unit 11 together with the lens barrel 102. This makes it easier to take pictures at various focal lengths than carrying around an interchangeable lens camera and multiple lenses.

In the first embodiment, stationary photography using the camera 10 was described. In this embodiment, handheld photography will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The configuration of the camera 10 is the same as in the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 6 (a) and 6 (b) ), the second lens unit 202 is attached to the lens barrel 102, and the third lens unit 302 is stored in the base portion 11. In this state, the movable portion 12 is composed of the lens barrel 102 and the second lens unit 202.

Before shooting, the lens barrel 102, the second lens unit 202, and the third lens unit 302 are stored in the base part 11 as shown in FIG. 1. When shooting, the user rotates the movable part 12 to the desired position, resulting in the state shown in FIG. 6. As described above, in this embodiment, macro shooting is possible by attaching the second lens unit 202 to the lens barrel 102. At this time, the third lens unit 302 is fixed to the bottom surface 403 by the fixing mechanism. If the angle of the lens barrel 102 is 270° as shown in FIG. 6, the power switch 103 and the zoom switch 104 are arranged on the upper surface side of the base part 11 (the opposite side of the bottom surface 403, the side where the holding parts 401a and 402a are provided). When shooting handheld, the first base 401 and the second base 402 storing the third lens unit 302 become the handles. As shown in FIG. 6B, a support 401b is stored on the bottom surface of the first base 401, and by pulling it out in the Y direction in the figure, the camera can stand on its own without being held by the user. As in the first embodiment, the optical axis direction is adjusted by remote control using an external device such as a smartphone, and after confirming that the subject is within the shooting range, the camera is photographed by remote control. When the user presses the power switch again after shooting is completed, the movable part 12 rotates and fits into the storage part, and the power to the camera 10 is turned off.

As described above, by adjusting the shooting range by rotating the movable part 12 to a desired position by remote control using an external device such as a smartphone, it becomes easy to approach the subject, making it possible to easily take handheld shots. For example, if the angle of the movable part is set to 270° as shown in FIG. 6, the subject can be approached from the front while checking the screen of the smartphone held by the holding parts 401a and 402b. On the other hand, if the direction in which the subject can be approached is limited, for example, the subject can only be approached from below, the angle of the movable part can be set to 180° to photograph the subject. In addition, the first base 401 and second base 402 that house the third lens unit 302 can be grasped, so the camera can be held stably.

In this embodiment, a method for capturing images by attaching a smartphone to the camera holder (first holder 401a, second holder 402a) will be described using Figures 7 to 9.

Figure 7 shows the camera 10 with the smartphone 700 attached during handheld shooting as described in Example 2. The configuration of the camera 10 and the shooting method are the same as those in Example 2, so they will be omitted. However, in Figure 7, the second lens unit 202 and the third lens unit 302 are removed from the storage unit. Telephoto shooting is possible by using the lens barrel 102 alone for shooting. The smartphone 700 is connected to the smartphone 700 via wireless communication and the direction of the optical axis is adjusted. When attaching the smartphone 700, the second base 402 is moved in the Z direction in the figure to widen the distance between the first holding part 401a and the second holding part 402a. After adjusting the length of the short side of the smartphone 700, the smartphone 700 can be attached to the camera 10 by sandwiching the smartphone 700 between the first holding part 401a and the second holding part 402a. As a shooting method, as in Example 2, it is also possible to pull out the support 401b from the bottom surface of the first base 401 and make it stand on its own. When removing the smartphone 700, the second base 402 is moved in the Z direction in the figure, which is the opposite direction to the first base 401 side, to increase the distance between the first holding part 401a and the second holding part 402a, and then the smartphone 700 is removed. After the smartphone 700 is removed, the second base 402 is returned to its initial position.

Another variation of the method of holding the smartphone 700 will be described. FIG. 8 illustrates a method of moving the third base 403 connected to the second base 402 in the Z direction in the figure, and holding the smartphone 700 in front of the camera 10 by sandwiching it in the third holding part 403a provided on the third base. In addition, as shown in FIG. 9, a connector (male) not shown is provided on the side of the first base 401, and a connector (female) on the smartphone side is connected to the connector (male), so that the smartphone 700 can be held on the side of the camera 10. The connector provided on the side may be capable of folding to the first or second base part side. In addition, instead of the connector, a stand may be provided on the side, and the smartphone 700 may be held by pulling out the stand. In addition, the configuration may be such that only one of these holding methods is possible, or a configuration may be such that multiple holding methods are possible, and the smartphone 700 may be installed at any position on the camera 10. Also, in FIG. 7, an example in which the second and third lens units are removed from the gaps in the base parts and the smartphone 700 is held is described. However, as shown in FIG. 10(a) and (b), the height (length in the Y direction) of the lens unit can be configured to be lower than the first and second base parts, so that the lens unit hardly interferes with the first and second holding parts even when stored in the gaps. In this case, the smartphone may be held with the lens unit stored. In the configurations of FIG. 8 to FIG. 10, the stored position of the lens unit and the position of the holding part that holds the smartphone are almost in the same position, and the lens unit does not interfere with the smartphone. This makes it unnecessary to remove each lens unit from the first base 401 and the second base when attaching it to a smartphone, etc., and reduces the possibility of losing the lens.

[Modification]
In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the above-mentioned first to third embodiments, wireless communication is used as a method of connecting the lens barrel 102 to an external device such as a smartphone, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned method as long as the shooting range can be confirmed and the shutter and zoom can be remotely operated. For example, wired communication using an external connection connector such as a USB may also be used.

In addition, in the above-mentioned first to third embodiments, a method for checking the shooting range using an external device such as a smartphone was described, but there is also a method for checking the shooting range on the camera 10 by attaching an electronic viewfinder (EVF) to the main body, and the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned method.

In addition, in the explanations of Examples 1 to 3, the timing for switching the camera's power ON/OFF does not have to be the timing described in the present embodiment. Also, for example, the power may be automatically turned ON when it is detected that the movable part 12 has been manually rotated by the user.

In addition, in Example 1, an example was described in which ultra-wide-angle photography was performed by stationary shooting, and in Example 2, an example was described in which macro photography was performed by handheld shooting, but the focal length and shooting style (stationary shooting or handheld shooting) are not limited to this combination. In other words, ultra-wide-angle photography may be performed by handheld shooting as described in Example 2, and macro photography may be performed by stationary shooting as described in Example 1.

In the above embodiment, the second lens unit 202 and the third lens unit 302 are fixed by a biasing mechanism so as not to come out of the gap in the base part. However, instead of providing a locking mechanism such as a biasing mechanism, the second lens unit 202 and the third lens unit 302 may be prevented from coming out of the gap by their external shapes. For example, the width (length in the X direction) of the second lens unit 202 and the third lens unit 302 is configured to narrow toward the tip of the second base part, and the gap in the base part is also configured to narrow accordingly. This makes it possible to make it difficult for the second lens unit 202 and the third lens unit 302 to shift vertically or fall off even when the camera 10 is upright as shown in FIG. 6. Note that the tip of the second base part refers to the side far from the rotating part of the second base part.

In addition, in Examples 1 to 3, the gap in the base part that houses the lens barrel 102 and the lens unit (202, 302) is a groove-shaped gap with a bottom surface 403. However, the base part 11 does not need to have a bottom surface 403 in the gap, and may be U-shaped when viewed from above, with the lens barrel 102 and the like sandwiched and housed in the U-shaped gap.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 camera 101 first lens 201 second lens 301 third lens 102 lens barrel 202 second lens unit 302 third lens unit 103 power switch 104 zoom switch 401 first base portion 401a first holding portion 402 second base portion 402a second holding portion 501 rotating portion 700 smartphone

Claims (6)

An imaging device having a camera equipped with an imaging element and a base portion for rotatably holding the camera around a rotation axis,
the base portion includes a first base that holds the rotation shaft in a long side direction of the base portion, and a second base at the other end of the rotation shaft,
The camera can be fixed at a plurality of angles relative to the base portion;
a distance in a long side direction between a first holding portion constituting the first base and a second holding portion constituting the second base is adjustable;
the camera includes a first lens barrel held by the rotation shaft,
The base portion is provided with a gap capable of accommodating the camera,
The smartphone can be held by being sandwiched between the first holding portion and the second holding portion,
While holding the smartphone, an image captured by the imaging element can be viewed on a screen of the smartphone ,
An imaging device characterized in that the imaging element has a function of imaging a light beam that has passed through a first lens that forms an image of a light beam that has passed through a second lens of the first lens barrel . the camera includes a first lens barrel held by the rotation shaft, the first lens barrel having a structure to which a second lens barrel can be detachably attached;
2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the camera is stored in the base portion with the second lens barrel attached to the first lens barrel. The imaging device according to claim 2, characterized in that, when the second lens barrel is stored in the base, the first lens barrel rotates about the rotation axis and protrudes from the base, enabling telephoto shooting. The imaging device according to claim 2, characterized in that, with the second lens barrel attached to the first lens barrel, the first lens barrel rotates about the rotation axis and protrudes from the base portion, enabling macro photography. The imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that the imaging device can stand on its own by pulling out a support from the bottom surface of the base part. The imaging device according to claim 4, characterized in that, with the bottom surface of the base placed on the ground, the first lens barrel rotates about the rotation axis and protrudes from the base, enabling macro photography.

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