Digital Camera Patent Abstract
A digital camera back holder for use with a technical camera suspends
the body of the digital camera back so that the sensor position
is substantially forward of the rear standard. Digital Camera Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Digital camera back holding apparatus for attachment to a technical
camera having a rear standard for receiving a film holder, a front
standard for carrying a lens and bellows intercoupling the front
and rear standards comprising, a hollow holder formed with front
and rear openings and with a rim around the rear opening adapted
to engage the rear of said rear standard in mechanical and light-tight
relationship adapted to extend forward of said rear standard inside
said bellows and adapted to support a digital camera with the camera
light sensor adjacent to said front opening.
2. Digital camera back holding apparatus in accordance with claim
1 and further comprising, a clamp for securely holding a digital
camera in said hollow holder.
3. Digital camera back holding apparatus in accordance with claim
1 and further comprising, said technical camera with said hollow
holder extending into said bellows with said rim in light-tight
mechanical engagement with the rear of said rear standard.
4. Digital camera back holding apparatus in accordance with claim
2 and further comprising a digital camera having a sensor and seated
in said hollow holder in engagement with said clamp with said sensor
adjacent to said front opening.
5. A method of electronic imaging with a technical camera having
a rear standard to which a film holder may be attached, a front
standard carrying a lens and bellows intercoupling the front standard
and rear standard providing a light-tight path therebetween including,
seating a hollow holder having front and rear openings with a rim
around the rear opening through said rear standard into said bellows
with said rim mechanically attached to the rear of the rear standard
in light-tight relationship.
6. The method of claim 5 and further including placing a digital
camera having a sensor in said hollow holder with said sensor adjacent
to said front opening.
Digital Camera Patent Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates in general to digital camera back
holding, and more particularly to a digital camera back holder for
use with a technical camera.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Technical or view cameras typically have multiple articulated front
and rear standards. The front standard typically carries a lens.
The rear standard typically carries a recording medium, such as
a sheet or roll of film. The rear standard typically carries a film
holder just behind upright members. Typically the film is a sheet
measuring 4 in. by 5 in. The lens, carried by the front standard,
is held at an appropriate distance to form a focused image on the
film. The front and rear standards are then separated from each
other and connected to a flexible bellows to prevent light from
reaching the film, other than through the lens. The separation of
the standards, and the flexibility of the bellows, allows the standards
to pivot upon a vertical axis (swing motion), or a horizontal axis
(tilt motion), providing multiple focus plane options to the photographer.
The film may be replaced by digital sensors and associated electronics
in a digital camera back. Digital camera backs with two-dimensional
sensors (pixels distributed in a rectangular grid pattern) typically
have sensor dimensions substantially smaller than 4 in. by 5 in.
To obtain a field of view similar to that when film is used with
the digital camera back, a lens of relatively shorter focal length
is used. This arrangement requires that the two standards must be
moved closer to each other to bring the image into focus. The lower
limit of focal length is determined by the distance from the sensor
location to the lens when the standards have been brought into contact
with each other. This property not only limits the selection of
lenses, but it also limits the pivotal movement of the standards.
When the standards are in contact with each other, or when the bellows
are fully compacted, swing and tilt motions are not available.
It is an important object of the invention to provide an improved
digital camera back holder.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, a digital camera back holder suspends
the body of the digital camera back so that the sensor position
is substantially forward of the rear standard. This feature allows
the sensor to occupy a position much closer to the front standard,
which may now carry a much shorter focal length lens and still maintain
a substantial separation between its upright members. Thus, the
invention simultaneously converts the camera from film recording
capability to electronic recording capability and adjusts the relative
position of the focal plane. This arrangement allows pivotal movement
of the camera standards when fitted with lenses appropriate in focal
length for the electronic sensor.
In a specific form the digital back camera holder according to
the invention is a hollow can formed with front and rear openings
with a rim surrounding the rear opening. The rim attaches to the
exterior of the rear standard as does a standard film holder. The
front of the can carries a clamping mechanism inside that grips
the digital camera back near the plane of its sensor. This digital
back camera holder according to the invention can be used for any
digital camera back that meets the size requirements to be inserted
within the body of the technical camera. The multiple articulated
features of the technical camera may be used while recording images
with electronic sensors through suitable lenses that are substantially
smaller than those it was originally designed to carry.
Numerous other features, objects and advantages of the invention
will become apparent from the following detailed description when
read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:
DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a conventional technical
or view camera with film holder attached;
FIG. 2 is a view of the technical camera of FIG. 1 with the front
standard tilted;
FIG. 3 is a view of a technical camera with digital camera back
attached to the rear standard in place of the film holder according
to the prior art with the standards moved to a position of minimum
separation precluding pivotal motion;
FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of a technical camera converted
for use with electronic sensor of relatively smaller size according
to the invention; and
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of the digital camera back
holder according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
With reference now to the drawing and more particularly FIG. 1
thereof, there is shown a diagrammatic representation of a technical
or view camera with film holder attached as in the prior art. The
camera includes a film holder 11 attached to a rear standard 12.
Bellows 13 intercouples rear standard 12 and front standard 14,
which carries lens 15. Bellows 13 prevents light from entering between
the lens and the film carried by film holder 11. The mechanisms
that allow rear standard 12 and front standard 14 to translate and
rotate about several axes is not shown.
Referring to FIG. 2, the view camera of FIG. 1 is shown with front
standard 14 tilted rearward in connection with performing a specialized
focusing action.
Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a technical camera with a digital
camera 11' in the place of film holder 11 having an electronic sensor
11" in place of the film. The relatively small size of the
sensor 11" of camera 11' requires a proportionately shorter
focal length lens for an equivalent field of view to be recorded
by sensor 11". When the rear standard 12 and front standard
14 are moved to focus the image focused by the shorter focal length
lens onto sensor 11", they must come in close proximity to
each other. In this position, they are no longer able to tilt as
in FIG. 2, either because the uprights physically interfere with
each other, or the bellows 13 cannot be further compressed.
Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a technical camera converted
for use with electronic sensor of relatively smaller size according
to the invention. The digital camera back holder 21 is formed with
an exterior rim 21A that mates with the rear standard 12 of a commercial
technical camera to provide mechanical attachment and a light-tight
seal. A central aperture 23 in holder 21 allows light to pass from
lens 15 to sensor 11". A clamp 22 securely holds the digital
camera to provide mechanical attachment and a light-tight seal.
The digital camera back holder 21 is typically of square cross-section
and made of aluminum.
Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a diagrammatic representation
of the novel digital camera back holder 21 having rim 21A, central
aperture 23 and clamp 22 as described above in connection with FIG.
4.
There has been described novel apparatus and techniques for digital
camera back holding. It is evident that those skilled in the art
may now make numerous uses of and departures from the specific apparatus
and techniques disclosed herein without departing from the inventive
concepts. Consequently, the invention is to be construed as embracing
each and every novel feature and novel combination of features present
in or possessed by the apparatus and techniques disclosed herein
and limited solely by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
|