Nikon US Patent

[sirhc55]

Interesting reading:

http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-adv.html&r=21&p=1&f=G&l=50&d=PG01&S1=nikon&OS=nikon&RS=nikon

[dooda]

After an entire bottle of painkillers I finally figured out that the entire thing is written in an ancient tlhIngan dialect. Any translators?

[Charlie Chalk]

I'm glad you've said that, I thought everyone else understood it and I was the only divot that didn't.

I'm sure its very interesting, but what does it mean?

CC

[sirhc55]

Supposedly it is the patent for a LCD screen DSLR

[stubbsy]

Chris

I've had a wade through this and agree with what you say (it's a patent for a way of sending an SLR image to an LCD screen). I think they've managed to get an imaging device attached to the pentaprism and this image then goes to an LCD. This is the salient bit slightly condensed by me and with some of the long terms replaced by 2 acronyms - LCDOM and PCE.

Light is reflected at a quick return mirror and forms an image on a liquid crystal optical member (LCDOM). The LCDOM is at a position optically equivalent to (the) position at which a view finder screen should be set.

An image-capturing element is disposed at the estimated image forming plane and the LCDOM also functions as the viewfinder screen. The image-capturing element may be a CCD-type, a MOS-type or a CID-type device.

The subject image formed on the LCDOM can be observed through a viewfinder eyepiece window via a pentaprism and an eyepiece lens. In addition, part of the light guided to the pentaprism is further guided to a photo metering sensor. A shutter is provided between the quick return mirror and the image-capturing element.

Light passes through the focus area (and) is condensed onto a photoelectric conversion element (PCE) by a condenser optical element at the top of the LCDOM. The PCE is disposed at the pentaprism on its surface that is not used to reflect the viewfinder light.

So - whereas we presently look through the viewfinder at what's coming down the barrel of the lens and off the mirror this new device replaces our eye with the PCE and sends the image to the LCD for our viewing pleasure.

Edit: And they've also specified this applies to both digital AND film SLRs

[Glen]

Interesting, this all ready happens on D P&S. If screen technology improves this could be a winner. No need to buy a right angle viewer to do ground level macro, just tilt the LCD. The screens would have to improve, it would be very hit and miss shooting with the screen on the back of the D70. Or would that be, miss, miss, miss, miss, hit, miss?