Merkin
For the Weekend
http://nikonrumors.com/2009/08/05/more-nikon-patents-hint-for-a-mirrorless-nikon-camera.aspx
Briefly, the patent is for an in-body body cap that automatically closes when a lens is removed, but the interesting bit is that in the technical drawings, it shows a mirrorless camera design. Is this a hint at a DRF or an EVF camera, or were the drawings made mirrorless just for simplification's sake?
Briefly, the patent is for an in-body body cap that automatically closes when a lens is removed, but the interesting bit is that in the technical drawings, it shows a mirrorless camera design. Is this a hint at a DRF or an EVF camera, or were the drawings made mirrorless just for simplification's sake?
historicist
Well-known
I guess you don't need to worry about people sticking their fingers through the shutter on a SLR.
sevo
Fokutorendaburando
In an age where the same piece of light sensitive matter (now called "sensor" rather than film) is stuck in place and reused over the entire life time of the camera, dust sneaking past the mirror of an SLR has been a increasing problem...
historicist
Well-known
True, but the manufacturer's solution to that has been different - to shake the sensor. Plus the dust comes from the shutter as well as outside the camera during lens changes.
That the illustration shows a mirrorless camera seems to hint that it is instead aimed at solving the problem of having a really delicate part of the camera no longer safely hidden behind a mirror.
Maybe the solution Panasonic use (of a shutter which is by default open when the lens is off the camera) is already patented, and Nikon need to find an alternative?
*edit* I looked at the patent (it's a really slow day...) and it mentions a dust removal apparatus as a separate part of the camera from the barrier apparatus (the thing the patent is for) so they can't be intending this as a solution to dust problems.
*2nd edit* actually, I was wrong - the barrier is (partly) there to prevent dust, and the camera described doesn't even have a mechanical shutter. As far as I understand it it is to protect from the ingress of dust from the outside (the dust shaker being for dust from the shutter) and from the possibility of light damaging the sensor (???)
That the illustration shows a mirrorless camera seems to hint that it is instead aimed at solving the problem of having a really delicate part of the camera no longer safely hidden behind a mirror.
Maybe the solution Panasonic use (of a shutter which is by default open when the lens is off the camera) is already patented, and Nikon need to find an alternative?
*edit* I looked at the patent (it's a really slow day...) and it mentions a dust removal apparatus as a separate part of the camera from the barrier apparatus (the thing the patent is for) so they can't be intending this as a solution to dust problems.
*2nd edit* actually, I was wrong - the barrier is (partly) there to prevent dust, and the camera described doesn't even have a mechanical shutter. As far as I understand it it is to protect from the ingress of dust from the outside (the dust shaker being for dust from the shutter) and from the possibility of light damaging the sensor (???)
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myM8yogi
Well-known
NOT FOR A RANGEFINDER CAMERA imho.
NOT FOR A RANGEFINDER CAMERA imho.
This work was complete enough to file a first patent application in November/December 2007. However, I am certain this patent relates to an AF/AE interchangeable-lens-compact, rather than a rangefinder. To me, it actually sounds like Nikon want to bring a new line of interchangeable-lens optics to digi-compact consumers who may be concerned about sensor exposure during lens exchange.
Nikon explicitly state in the description: "Herein, the camera 1 is formed such that framing is carried out using the through-image displayed at the display device 20 as mentioned earlier. Accordingly, the camera 1 is not provided with a publicly known optical viewfinder apparatus constituted with a screen (a reticule) and a prism or the like, or a mirror unit for guiding object light to such an optical viewfinder apparatus." (The display device is a rear LCD for composing and menu display.)
Also in the specification, one embodiment describes use with an imaging lens comprising a "zoom rotating barrel ".
In another embodiment, the "membrane barrier" clearly is able to function as a shutter, and the following dependent claims are most interesting from a rangefinder-type camera point of view:
8. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the barrier control section variably controls a movement speed of the barrier member in accordance with a condition.
9. The camera according to claim 8, wherein the camera is provided with a quiet mode that reduces operation sounds and, when the quiet mode is selected, the barrier control section performs control to make a driving speed of the barrier member slower than when another mode is selected.
This is also interesting, in that it suggests an interchangeable lens camera with a collapsible lens:
11. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the interchangeable lens is provided with a plurality of lens units and is capable of being either in a first state, in which the plurality of lens units can be disposed to be capable of focusing an image at an imaging surface of the camera, or a second state, in which a lens length is shorter than in the first state and the plurality of lens units cannot be disposed to be capable of focusing the image at the lens imaging surface, and the barrier control section controls the barrier member to the closed position if the interchangeable lens is in the second state.
A hinged mirror in my opinion does very little to prevent dust entering the camera housing and being attracted to the sensor, so a mirror cannot be seen as particularly good prior art if the problem to be solved is reduction of dust on the sensor. Nikon also offer embodiments in which a vibrating anti-dust filter is included in combination with the "barrier membrane". Since the ptbs is stated as "protection of an imaging unit", which is pretty vague but suggests physical protection from objects likely to damage the sensor rather than tarnish an image made with the sensor, I agree with the previous poster in that I really don't think dust is the main issue here.
NOT FOR A RANGEFINDER CAMERA imho.
This work was complete enough to file a first patent application in November/December 2007. However, I am certain this patent relates to an AF/AE interchangeable-lens-compact, rather than a rangefinder. To me, it actually sounds like Nikon want to bring a new line of interchangeable-lens optics to digi-compact consumers who may be concerned about sensor exposure during lens exchange.
Nikon explicitly state in the description: "Herein, the camera 1 is formed such that framing is carried out using the through-image displayed at the display device 20 as mentioned earlier. Accordingly, the camera 1 is not provided with a publicly known optical viewfinder apparatus constituted with a screen (a reticule) and a prism or the like, or a mirror unit for guiding object light to such an optical viewfinder apparatus." (The display device is a rear LCD for composing and menu display.)
Also in the specification, one embodiment describes use with an imaging lens comprising a "zoom rotating barrel ".
In another embodiment, the "membrane barrier" clearly is able to function as a shutter, and the following dependent claims are most interesting from a rangefinder-type camera point of view:
8. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the barrier control section variably controls a movement speed of the barrier member in accordance with a condition.
9. The camera according to claim 8, wherein the camera is provided with a quiet mode that reduces operation sounds and, when the quiet mode is selected, the barrier control section performs control to make a driving speed of the barrier member slower than when another mode is selected.
This is also interesting, in that it suggests an interchangeable lens camera with a collapsible lens:
11. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the interchangeable lens is provided with a plurality of lens units and is capable of being either in a first state, in which the plurality of lens units can be disposed to be capable of focusing an image at an imaging surface of the camera, or a second state, in which a lens length is shorter than in the first state and the plurality of lens units cannot be disposed to be capable of focusing the image at the lens imaging surface, and the barrier control section controls the barrier member to the closed position if the interchangeable lens is in the second state.
A hinged mirror in my opinion does very little to prevent dust entering the camera housing and being attracted to the sensor, so a mirror cannot be seen as particularly good prior art if the problem to be solved is reduction of dust on the sensor. Nikon also offer embodiments in which a vibrating anti-dust filter is included in combination with the "barrier membrane". Since the ptbs is stated as "protection of an imaging unit", which is pretty vague but suggests physical protection from objects likely to damage the sensor rather than tarnish an image made with the sensor, I agree with the previous poster in that I really don't think dust is the main issue here.