This sounds like an April Fools Day joke, but Fujifilm did indeed file a DSLR Binocular Camera System Patent as reported at hi-lows-note. Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-193528 is certainly an interesting one. You can read the Patent application below.
【Abstract】
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical observation apparatus and binoculars which can record an optical image of a subject and has a short total length.
SOLUTION: A first optical system 10L of a binocular 10 includes an objective lens 12, an erecting prism 13, a movable mirror 15, an eyepiece 16, and an image pickup device 18. The erecting prism 13 erects the light image incident on the incident surface 14 A from the objective lens 12 and emerges from the exit surface 14 B. Further, the erecting prism 13 has a non-total reflection surface 14 </ b> C in the optical path from the incident surface 14 </ b> A to the emergence surface 14 </ b> B. The movable mirror 15 moves between a first position facing the non-total reflection surface 14C and a second position non-opposing the non-total reflection surface 14C. In the eyepiece 16, when the movable mirror 15 is in the first position, an upright optical image is incident. The imaging device 18 captures an optical image when the movable mirror 15 is at the second position.
ClaimsClaim: An objective lens, An erecting prism which is an erecting prism which erects an optical image incident on the incident surface from the objective lens and emits the erected image from an exit surface, the erecting prism having a non-total reflection surface in an optical path from the incident surface to the exit surface, A movable mirror which moves between a first position opposed to the non-total reflection surface and a second position not opposed to the non-total reflection surface; When the movable mirror is at the first position, the movable mirror reflects the light image incident on the non-total reflection surface via the optical path, so that the erected light beam emitted from the exit surface An eyepiece on which an optical image is incident, An image pickup element for picking up the optical image incident on the non-total reflection surface from the optical path when the movable mirror is at the second position and passing through without being reflected by the non-total reflection surface; .2. The method according to claim 1, The optical observation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable mirror arranged at the first position is in contact with the non-total reflection surface.3. The method according to claim 2, The optical observation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable mirror disposed at the first position is in non-contact with the non-total reflection surface via a gap.4. The method according to claim 3, The erecting prism includes a roof prism combined with a Schmidt-Pechanian type prism and an auxiliary prism, 4. The optical observation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary prism has the non-total reflection surface.5. The method according to claim 1, The optical observation apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, when the movable mirror is at the first position, the optical image reflected by the movable mirror is incident on the roof prism.6. The method according to claim 1, A control unit that controls movement of the movable mirror and imaging operation of the imaging device, The optical observation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control section causes the image pickup element to perform an imaging operation in a state where the movable mirror is moved to the second position.7. The method according to claim 6, The movable mirror reflects the optical image that has passed through without being reflected by the non-total reflection surface in a state of being disposed at the second position, The optical observation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the imaging device captures the optical image reflected by the movable mirror disposed at the second position.8. The method according to claim 7, In binoculars having a first optical system and a second optical system, Wherein at least one of the first optical system and the second optical system comprises: An objective lens, An erecting prism which is an erecting prism which erects an optical image incident on the incident surface from the objective lens and emits the erected image from an exit surface, the erecting prism having a non-total reflection surface in an optical path from the incident surface to the exit surface, A movable mirror which moves between a first position opposed to the non-total reflection surface and a second position not opposed to the non-total reflection surface; When the movable mirror is at the first position, the movable mirror reflects the light image incident on the non-total reflection surface via the optical path, so that the erected light beam emitted from the exit surface An eyepiece on which an optical image is incident, An image pickup element for picking up the optical image incident on the non-total reflection surface from the optical path when the movable mirror is at the second position and passing through without being reflected by the non-total reflection surface; Binoculars. See
