Canon Patent: Tilting EVF For Mirrorless Camera

Canon Patent
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Here is a new Canon patent application: a tilting Electronic ViewFinder (EVF) for mirrorless cameras. Rather interesting.

Canon patent application  2023-178037 (Japan, published 12/14/2023) discusses technology and methods for a tiltable EVF to build into a mirrorless camera.

From the patent literature:

  • An object of the present invention is to limit movement and deformation of a flexible substrate in response to movement and rotation of a movable unit.
  • BACKGROUND ART 
    A display unit such as an electronic viewfinder installed in an imaging device can be pulled out from the main body of the imaging device, and can be rotated in the pulled out state, so that the user can take an image. There is something that expands the degree of freedom in posture.
  • Patent Document 1 discloses an imaging device equipped with a finder unit that can be pulled out and rotated. In this imaging device, a flexible board is used for electrical connection between the board provided in the finder unit and the control unit fixed to the main body, and the flexible board changes as the finder unit is pulled out and rotated relative to the main body. transform.
  • However, in the imaging device disclosed
    in Patent Document 1, there are insufficient restrictions on the movement and deformation of the flexible substrate in response to the pull-out and rotation of the finder unit relative to the main body. Therefore, there is a risk that an excessive load will be applied to the flexible substrate or that the flexible substrate will be caught between other members.
  • The present invention provides an electronic device in which excessive load or pinching of the flexible substrate can be avoided by restricting the movement and deformation of the flexible substrate in accordance with the movement and rotation of a movable unit such as a display unit. provide.

More Canon patents are listed here.

[via asobinet.com]

Canon Working To Improve Electronic Viewfinder Optics, Patent Suggests

Electronic Viewfinder
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Since Canon’s commitment to mirrorless technology we can expect the company to improve the technology itself. For instance the Electronic Viewfinder.

An Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) is the only mean to give mirrorless camera users an experience that somewhat resembles the classic viewfinder, plus the added bonuses of information that can be shown in the EVF.

Canon patent application 2021-005111 (Japan) discusses how to improve the optical part of an EVF, in particular high magnification and long eye relief. This refers to the optical eyepiece (part of the EVF) used to look at the magnified image on the built-in display.Some people, me included, do not go along well with EVF. The technology discuses in the paper could make the experience better.

More Canon patents are listed here. Some particularly interesting patent applications we think might get into production are these:

[via Canon News]

Canon Patent: Electronic Viewfinder With Folded Optics

Folded Optics
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Here is a Canon patent application for a new EVF (Electronic ViewFinder) for a mirrorless camera. Folded optics are employed.

Canon patent application 2020-95073A (Japan) discusses a new kind of Electronic Viewfinder featuring folded optics, a technology used for smartphone camera lenses and everywhere you want to have an optical path that’s longer than the size of the system. Prismatic binoculars being a good example.

The EVF in the patent literature uses polarized surfaces to maximize reflection. We think this patent might go into production, sooner or later. The patent application was spotted by Hi Lows Note.

folded optics

More Canon patent applications are listed here. Some particularly interesting patent applications we think might get into production are these: