Imaging device

Abstract

To provide an imaging apparatus comprising a camera unit rotatable centered on a rotation axis, the imaging apparatus capable of easily adjusting an AF unit of an external measurement system, while preventing a user's unnecessary contact with the AF unit.SOLUTION: An imaging apparatus comprises: a camera unit that includes a lens barrel, an autofocus unit arranged outside the lens barrel, a lens barrel holding member holding the lens barrel, and a camera case engaged with the lens barrel holding member and covering the autofocus unit; a base member that rotatably supports the camera unit around a rotation axis; a base case that covers the base member; and a regulation member that regulates the rotation of the camera unit within a first rotation range. In the imaging apparatus, when the camera unit is within a first rotation range, the camera case is engaged with the lens barrel holding member, and when the regulation member is removed and the camera unit is within a second rotation range, the camera case can be removed from the lens barrel holding member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, and particularly to a rotatable imaging apparatus equipped with a focus detection method based on external phase difference detection.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, some imaging apparatuses used for recording and distributing lectures, live streaming of concerts, and the like are equipped with a pan-tilt mechanism that enables the imaging unit to perform pan rotation and tilt rotation relative to an installation surface so as to capture a wide range of images. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an imaging apparatus capable of pan rotation of ±170 degrees and tilt rotation from -30 degrees to +90 degrees.

[0003] Furthermore, some imaging apparatuses equipped with a pan-tilt mechanism are equipped with a hybrid AF method combining a contrast AF method and an external phase difference AF method as the autofocus (AF) method, in order to achieve higher-speed focusing performance. The contrast AF method is a common AF method mounted on imaging apparatuses, which extracts high-frequency components from a video signal obtained using an image sensor to generate a signal indicating a focus state, and controls the position of a focus lens such that the signal is maximized. The external phase difference AF method directly detects the distance to a subject by means of an AF sensor (autofocus sensor) using light that does not pass through the imaging system, and controls the position of the focus lens based on the detected distance.

[0004] In imaging devices equipped with a hybrid AF system, it is necessary to adjust the orientation of the unit containing the AF sensor (hereinafter referred to as the external AF unit) in order to approximately align the optical axis of the AF sensor with the optical axis of the imaging system. The orientation of the external AF unit is adjusted by rotating the eccentric pin that contacts the external AF unit with a tool such as a screwdriver while the imaging unit is facing the chart and an image is produced. However, if the eccentric pin is moved after the product is sold, the orientation of the external AF unit will need to be readjusted. Therefore, in order to prevent tampering, that is, to prevent the eccentric pin from being moved unnecessarily, it is desirable to place the eccentric pin in a location that users cannot easily touch.

[0005] On the other hand, since the orientation of the external AF unit may also be adjusted during post-sales customer service, it is desirable that the orientation of the external AF unit can be adjusted without requiring the removal of many parts and while the image is still being displayed. Here, from a design perspective, the external AF unit is generally located below the image sensor. For this reason, in an image sensor equipped with a pan-tilt mechanism, it is desirable that the external AF unit can be fixed at a predetermined rotation angle so that a chart can be mounted on a wall or the like when adjusting its orientation, and so that the eccentric pin that needs to be rotated with a tool such as a screwdriver is exposed. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-203907 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] However, as a specification constraint, as shown in Patent Document 1, in imaging devices with a maximum tilt angle of less than 180 degrees, if the external AF unit is located below the imaging unit, it is not easy for customer service personnel to readjust the orientation of the external AF unit.

[0008] The present invention provides an imaging device in which the camera unit is rotatable around a rotation axis, and which allows for easy adjustment of the AF unit while preventing unnecessary contact by the user with the external AF unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above objective, the present invention Imaging device of an embodiment teeth, Lens barrel and An autofocus unit positioned on the outside of the lens barrel, A tally lamp is positioned on the opposite side of the autofocus unit from the lens barrel, A camera unit equipped with, A base member that supports the camera unit so that it can rotate around a rotation axis, A restricting member that restricts the rotation of the camera unit to a first rotation range, A lens barrel holding member that holds the lens barrel, A camera case that engages with the lens barrel holding member and covers an adjustment member for adjusting the orientation of the autofocus unit, When the camera unit is in the first rotation range, the camera case engages with the lens barrel holding member. When the restricting member is removed and the camera unit is in the second rotation range, the camera case is removed from the lens barrel holding member, thereby enabling adjustment by the adjustment member. It is characterized by the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, in an imaging device in which the camera unit is rotatable around a rotation axis, the AF unit can be easily adjusted while preventing unnecessary contact by the user with the external AF unit. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the imaging device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the area around the lens barrel. [Figure 3] This is a disassembled perspective view of the camera unit. [Figure 4] This is an exploded perspective view of the bread unit. [Figure 5] This is a disassembled perspective view of the bottom unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the image capturing apparatus in a state of adjustment procedure 1 for the orientation of the external AF unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the image capturing apparatus in a state of adjustment procedure 2 for the orientation of the external AF unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the image capturing apparatus in a state of adjustment procedure 3 for the orientation of the external AF unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the image capturing apparatus in a state of adjustment procedure 4 for the orientation of the external AF unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a second tilt rotation range of the camera unit. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Embodiment In the present embodiment, an example of an embodiment of an image capturing apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be described.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image capturing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. The image capturing apparatus 100 includes a camera unit 200, a pan unit 300, and a bottom unit 400. Further, the image capturing apparatus 100 can be tilt-rotated about a tilt axis 102 that is substantially parallel to an installation surface and substantially orthogonal to an optical axis 101 of an image capturing system, and can be pan-rotated about a pan axis 103 that is substantially orthogonal to the installation surface. Furthermore, the image capturing apparatus 100 is equipped with a hybrid AF system as an AF system, which combines a general contrast AF system and an external phase-difference AF system using an external AF unit (autofocus unit) 215 described later. Driving of a focus lens group of a lens barrel 201 disposed in the camera unit 200 is controlled based on focus states detected by the two AF systems. It should be noted that the optical axis 104 of the AF sensor needs to be substantially aligned with the optical axis 101 of the image capturing system by adjusting the orientation of the external AF unit 215 so that an accurate focus state can be detected.

[0014] In the following, the basic posture in Figure 1 is defined as having a pan angle of 0 degrees and a tilt angle of 0 degrees, with direction 102a defined as the positive direction of tilt rotation and direction 103a defined as the positive direction of pan rotation. Furthermore, in the basic posture in Figure 1, the X-axis+ side is defined as forward, the X-axis- side as backward, the Z-axis+ side as up, and the Z-axis- side as down.

[0015] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the area around the lens barrel 201. Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the camera unit 200. Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the pan unit 300. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the bottom unit 400.

[0016] First, the configuration of the camera unit 200 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. The lens barrel 201 includes a group of lenses, such as a focus lens group (not shown), a lens holding member, and an imaging substrate on which an image sensor is mounted, and is capable of capturing images in the direction of the optical axis 101 of the imaging system.

[0017] The lens barrel 201 is fixed to the lens barrel holding member 205, which is made of resin or the like. An elastic member 207, made of elastomer or the like, is placed on the upper surface of the lens barrel 201, and the retaining member 206 presses against the elastic member 207 to fix it to the lens barrel holding member 205. The retaining member 206 is preferably made of sheet metal.

[0018] The lens drive substrate 209 is fixed to the upper surface of the retaining member 206 and controls the drive of lenses such as the focus lens group of the lens barrel 201.

[0019] The external AF unit 215 comprises an AF sensor (not shown), a lens 215b, and an eccentric pin 215c, all mounted on a flexible printed circuit board 215a. The orientation of the external AF unit 215 can be adjusted by rotating the eccentric pin 215c with a tool such as a screwdriver. The external AF unit 215 is positioned outside the lens barrel 201. During product assembly and customer service, the orientation of the external AF unit is adjusted so that the optical axis 104 of the AF sensor approximately aligns with the optical axis 101 of the imaging system. In this state, the external AF unit 215 is fixed to the bottom of the lens barrel 201 with a fixing screw 215d.

[0020] The front camera case 202 has a window 202a at its bottom for light to enter the AF sensor, and is fixed to the lens barrel holding member 205 and the retaining member 206 via a front camera case holding member 208 made of resin or the like. A tally lamp substrate 210 and a tally lamp guide 211 are also fixed to the top of the front camera case 202. An LED is mounted on the tally lamp substrate 210, and the light from the LED is guided to the tally lamp guide 211 and emitted to the outside, functioning as a tally lamp to inform the subject of the shooting status of the imaging device 100.

[0021] The first tilt shaft 212a is a solid metal component that is fixed to the tilt gear 213 in a diametrically fitted state. The second tilt shaft 212b is a hollow metal component through which a cable (not shown) that transmits the output signal of the image sensor and power for lens drive is inserted. The tilt gear 213 to which the first tilt shaft 212a is fixed and the second tilt shaft 212b are fixed to the lens barrel holding member 205 so that their central axes are coaxial.

[0022] The tilt rotation restricting member 214, as will be described in detail later, is a member that restricts the tilt rotation of the camera unit 200 to a first tilt rotation range, and is fixed to the tilt gear 213 by a fixing screw 214a. Here, the first tilt rotation range is, for example, -35 degrees to +105 degrees.

[0023] The upper camera case 203, which has a semi-cylindrical portion 203a centered on the tilt axis 102, is fixed from both sides to the lens barrel holding member 205 and the front camera case holding member 208 by fixing screws 203b.

[0024] The lower camera case 204, which has a semi-cylindrical section 204a centered on the tilt axis 102, is fixed to the lens barrel holding member 205 from the bottom surface by fixing screws 204b, and covers the fixing screws 203b of the upper camera case 203 and the external AF unit 215. The front camera case 202, upper camera case 203, and lower camera case 204 are exterior components.

[0025] In the camera unit 200 configured as described above, the first tilt shaft 212a is inserted into the first tilt bearing 302a, and the second tilt shaft 212b is inserted into the second tilt bearing 302b. Then, a timing belt 304 is wrapped around the tilt gear 213 and the pinion gear 303c for tilt rotation, enabling the camera unit 300 to tilt and rotate around the tilt axis 102.

[0026] Next, the configuration of the pan unit 300 will be described with reference to Figure 4. The pan base 301 includes a first pan base 301a, a second pan base 301b, and a third pan base 301c, all made of resin or metal. In this embodiment, the pan base 301 includes three parts, but it may also be formed as a single unit, i.e., from one part. The pan base 301 is also a base member that supports the camera unit 200 so that it can tilt and rotate.

[0027] The first pan base 301a is provided with a convex shape 301d that the aforementioned tilt rotation restricting member 214 abuts against when the camera unit 200 tilts. As a result, the tilt rotation of the camera unit 200 is physically restricted to a first tilt rotation range (in this embodiment, from -35 degrees to +105 degrees). Furthermore, since the tilt rotation restricting member 214 is made of sheet metal, the springiness of the bent portion mitigates the impact noise when it abuts against the convex shape 301d of the first pan base 301a.

[0028] A video board 305, on which a video engine that processes the output signal of the image sensor is mounted, is fixed to the second pan base 301b. The video board 305 is connected to the aforementioned image board, lens drive board 209, and control board 407 (described later) by cables (not shown).

[0029] The outer rings of the first tilt bearing 302a and the second tilt bearing 302b are fitted into and supported by stepped through holes in the first pan base 301a and the second pan base 301b, respectively.

[0030] The motor unit 303 comprises a stepping motor 303a, a motor holding member 303b, and a pinion gear 303c. The stepping motor 303a is fixed to the motor holding member 303b, and the pinion gear 303c is press-fitted onto the motor's rotating shaft. The motor holding member 303b comprises two sheet metal plates and an elastic member such as rubber sandwiched between the sheet metal plates. This elastic member reduces vibration and noise when the stepping motor 303a is driven.

[0031] In this embodiment, the same motor unit 303 is used for both pan rotation and tilt rotation. The motor holding member 303b of the motor unit 303 for pan rotation is fixed to the third pan base 301c, and the motor holding member 303b of the motor unit 303 for tilt rotation is fixed to the first pan base 301a.

[0032] Furthermore, timing belts 304 are wrapped around the pinion gear 303c for pan rotation and the pan gear 403 (described later), and around the pinion gear 303c for tilt rotation and the tilt gear 213 (mentioned above).

[0033] Furthermore, idler units 308 are positioned between the pinion gear 303c for pan rotation and the pan gear 403, and between the pinion gear 303c for tilt rotation and the tilt gear 213. The idler unit 308 comprises a support base 308a made of sheet metal or the like, an idler shaft 308b, and an idler bearing 308c. The idler shaft 308b is fixed to the support base 308a, and the idler bearing 308c is inserted into the idler shaft 308b and assembled. The idler bearings 308c are positioned between the pinion gear 303c for pan rotation and the pan gear 403, and between the pinion gear 303c for tilt rotation and the tilt gear 213, respectively, so as to sandwich the timing belt 304 from the outside and face each other. This increases the number of teeth that mesh between the pinion gear 303c and the timing belt 304.

[0034] The inner case 306 is fixed to the first pan base 301a and the second pan base 301b and has a substantially semicircular cutout 306a. In the first tilt rotation range (-35 degrees to +105 degrees), at least a portion of the semi-cylindrical portion 204a of the lower camera case 204 is located inside the substantially semicircular cutout 306a. The outer case 307 is fixed to the third pan base 301c and the inner case 306 by fixing screws 307a. In other words, the inner case 306 and the outer case 307 are exterior members that cover the pan base 301 and can be said to be base cases.

[0035] In the pan unit 300 configured as described above, the third pan base 301c is fixed to the pan base holding member 405. As a result, as will be described in more detail later, the pan can rotate around the pan axis 103 together with the pan base holding member 405 relative to the fixed part of the bottom unit 400.

[0036] Next, with reference to Figure 5, the configuration of the bottom unit 400 will be described. The outer rings of the first pan bearing 404a and the second pan bearing 404b are fitted and supported in the stepped through-holes of the pan gear 403.

[0037] The panshaft 402 is a hollow metal component through which cables (not shown) that transmit video signals, power, etc., are inserted. The panshaft 402 also has a flange portion 402a, which is inserted into the inner rings of the first pan bearing 404a and the second pan bearing 404b until the flange portion 402a abuts against the end face of the inner ring of the second pan bearing 404b. Furthermore, the panshaft 402 has a male threaded portion 402b on the opposite side of the flange portion 402a.

[0038] The pan shaft fixing nut 406 has a female threaded portion 406a formed on its inner diameter, which screws into the male threaded portion 402b. The pan base holding member 405 is diametrically fitted onto the pan shaft 402, and when the pan shaft fixing nut 406 is tightened against the pan shaft 402 with a specified rotational torque, it is fixed in a position where its end face contacts the end face of the inner ring of the first pan bearing 404a. Furthermore, when the pan shaft fixing nut 406 is tightened against the pan shaft 402 with a specified rotational torque, a predetermined amount of pre-pressure is applied to the first pan bearing 404a and the second pan bearing 404b.

[0039] The bottom case 401 is a fixed part that does not rotate and is made of metal such as die-cast. The pan gear 403 is fixed to the bottom case 401, and the timing belt 304 is wrapped around the pan gear 403 and the pinion gear 303c for pan rotation. With this configuration, the pan shaft 402, the pan base holding member 405, and the pan shaft fixing nut 406 are able to pan rotate around the pan shaft 103 relative to the fixed parts of the bottom case 401 and the pan gear 403. Therefore, as described above, the pan unit 300, which is fixed to the pan base holding member 405 via the third pan base 301c, is able to pan rotate around the pan shaft 103 relative to the fixed part of the bottom unit 400.

[0040] The control board 407 is equipped with a network engine for network communication, an SDI output terminal, an HDMI® terminal, a USB terminal, a LAN terminal, etc., and is fixed to the bottom case 401.

[0041] The power supply board 408 has the power supply circuit, power input terminals, audio input terminals, etc. mounted on it and is fixed to the bottom case 401.

[0042] The rear plate 409 has a cutout shape that matches the shape of the terminals mounted on the control board 407 and the power supply board 408, and is fixed to the bottom case 401.

[0043] The bottom plate 410 is fixed to the bottom case 401, and the imaging device 100 can be mounted on a ceiling or wall via the bottom plate 410 using fixing screws (not shown).

[0044] Next, the tamper-proof features of the external AF unit 215 will be explained. As mentioned above, the tilt rotation range of the camera unit 200 of the imaging device 100 is restricted to a first tilt rotation range (-35 degrees to +105 degrees) by the tilt rotation restricting member 214. Within the first tilt rotation range, even if one attempts to remove the lower camera case 204 covering the external AF unit 215, it cannot be removed. This is because at least a part of the semi-cylindrical portion 204a of the lower camera case 204 is located inside the approximately semi-circular notch 306a of the inner case 306, engaging with the notch 306a and causing interference between the two. As a result, the user cannot easily move the eccentric pin 215c of the external AF unit 215 from the outside, thus ensuring tamper-proof features.

[0045] Next, with reference to Figures 6 to 10, the method for adjusting the orientation of the external AF unit 215 in customer service will be explained. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the imaging device 100 in the state of adjustment procedure 1 for the orientation of the external AF unit 215. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the imaging device 100 in the state of adjustment procedure 2 for the orientation of the external AF unit 215. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the imaging device 100 in the state of adjustment procedure 3 for the orientation of the external AF unit 215. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the imaging device 100 in the state of adjustment procedure 4 for the orientation of the external AF unit 215. Figure 10 is a diagram showing the second tilt rotation range of the camera unit 200.

[0046] First, as shown in Figure 6, the tilt angle is set to approximately +90 degrees, and the outer case 307 is removed by loosening the fixing screw 307a, thereby exposing the tilt rotation restricting member 214 to the outside.

[0047] Next, as shown in Figure 7, the tilt angle is set to approximately +20 degrees, and the fixing screw 214a is loosened to remove the tilt rotation restricting member 214. By removing the tilt rotation restricting member 214, the aforementioned abutment of the tilt rotation restricting member 214 against the convex shape 301d provided on the first pan base 301a is prevented, and the camera unit 200 becomes capable of tilt rotation up to the second tilt rotation range. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 10, the camera unit 200 becomes capable of tilt rotation until it abuts against the inner case 306. Figure 10(A) shows the state with a tilt angle of -40 degrees, and Figure 10(B) shows the state with a tilt angle of +195 degrees. In this embodiment, the second tilt rotation range is, for example, from -40 degrees to -35 degrees and from +105 degrees to +195 degrees. The second tilt rotation range is the range in which the camera unit 200 becomes capable of tilt rotation by removing the tilt rotation restricting member 214, and which does not overlap with the first tilt rotation range.

[0048] Next, within the second tilt rotation range, at an angle where the mounting surface and the optical axis 101 of the imaging system are approximately parallel, the entire semi-cylindrical portion 204a of the lower camera case 204 is located outside the approximately semi-circular cutout portion 306a of the inner case 306. Therefore, as shown in Figure 8, the lower camera case 204 can be removed by loosening the fixing screw 204b. This figure shows the state with a tilt angle of +180 degrees. With the lower camera case 204 removed, the external AF unit 215 is exposed to the outside. Also, at a tilt angle of +180 degrees within the second tilt rotation range, the external AF unit 215 is positioned on the opposite side of the pan base 301 with respect to the optical axis 101 of the imaging system. In other words, at an angle where the mounting surface and the optical axis 101 of the imaging system are approximately parallel, the pan base 301 is positioned on one side and the external AF unit 215 is positioned on the other side, with respect to the optical axis 101 of the imaging system. This makes it possible to adjust the external AF unit 215.

[0049] Finally, as shown in Figure 9, the tilt angle fixing pin 501 is inserted through the tilt angle fixing hole 213a (shown in Figure 3) provided in the tilt gear 213 and the tilt angle fixing hole 301e (shown in Figure 4) provided in the first pan base 301a. Then, the pan angle fixing pin 502 is inserted through the pan angle fixing hole 401a (shown in Figure 5) provided in the bottom case 401 and the pan angle fixing hole 301f (shown in Figure 4) provided in the third pan base 301c. This makes it possible to fix the camera unit 200 at a predetermined rotation angle. Here, as an example, it is assumed that the pan angle can be fixed at +0 degrees and the tilt angle at +180 degrees. In this state, it is possible to face the chart 503 installed on the wall surface, and the eccentric pin 215c of the external AF unit 215 is exposed at the top, making it easy to rotate the eccentric pin 215c with the adjustment tool 504. Therefore, since a tilt angle of +180 is preferably included in the second tilt rotation range, it is preferable that the first tilt rotation range has a maximum tilt angle of less than 180 degrees, and the second tilt rotation range has a maximum tilt angle of 180 degrees or more.

[0050] In this embodiment, the tilt rotation restricting member is provided on the camera unit, and the convex shape that the tilt rotation restricting member abuts against is provided on the pan unit. However, the tilt rotation restricting member may be provided on the pan unit, and the convex shape that the tilt rotation restricting member abuts against may be provided on the camera unit.

[0051] The configuration described above prevents users from easily moving the eccentric pin used to adjust the orientation of the external AF unit, thus providing excellent protection against tampering. On the other hand, for customer service, the orientation of the external AF unit can be easily adjusted while the image is still outputtable, without requiring the removal of many parts.

[0052] <Other Embodiments> Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of its gist. For example, when the installation surface is a wall, the above embodiments can be applied by reinterpreting the tilt direction as the pan direction and the pan direction as the tilt direction. In this case, the camera unit 200 is positioned to face a chart installed on the ceiling or floor. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 100 Imaging device 200 Camera Units 201 Lens barrel 204 Bottom Camera Case 214 Tilt rotation restricting member 215 External AF Unit 301 Bread base 306 Inner Case 307 Outer Case 400 Bottom Unit

Claims

1. Lens barrel and An autofocus unit positioned on the outside of the lens barrel, A camera unit comprising: a tally lamp positioned on the opposite side of the autofocus unit from the lens barrel; A base member that supports the camera unit so that it can rotate around a rotation axis, A restricting member that restricts the rotation of the camera unit to a first rotation range, A lens barrel holding member that holds the lens barrel, A camera case that engages with the lens barrel holding member and covers an adjustment member for adjusting the orientation of the autofocus unit, When the camera unit is in the first rotation range, the camera case engages with the lens barrel holding member. When the restricting member is removed and the camera unit is in the second rotation range, the camera case is removed from the lens barrel holding member, thereby enabling adjustment by the adjustment member. An imaging device characterized by the following features.

2. The base member supports the camera unit so that it can be tilted and rotated, The autofocus unit is positioned on one side of the tilt axis, and the tally lamp is positioned on the opposite side of the tilt axis from the autofocus unit. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

3. When the camera unit is in the second rotation range, the autofocus unit is positioned on the opposite side of the base member from the optical axis of the lens barrel. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

4. When the camera case is removed, the autofocus unit is exposed to the outside. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

5. When the camera unit is within the first rotation range, the camera case cannot be removed from the lens barrel holding member. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

6. The camera case has a semi-cylindrical portion and a base case that covers the base member. The base case has a roughly semicircular cutout, In the first range of rotation, at least a portion of the semi-cylindrical part of the camera case is located inside the notch of the base case and engages with the notch. In the second range of rotation, the entire semi-cylindrical portion of the camera case is located outside the notch of the base case. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

7. The regulating member is formed of sheet metal. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

8. The camera unit and the base member have holes within the second rotation range that allow the camera unit to be fixed at a predetermined rotation angle by inserting a pin. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

9. The predetermined rotation angle is the rotation angle at which the mounting surface and the optical axis of the lens barrel are substantially parallel. The imaging apparatus according to feature 8.

10. The predetermined rotation angle is a tilt angle of 180 degrees. The imaging apparatus according to claim 8 or 9.

11. The first rotation range has a maximum tilt angle of less than 180 degrees, and the second rotation range has a maximum tilt angle of 180 degrees or more. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

12. The autofocus unit includes an autofocus sensor different from the image sensor in the camera unit. The imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A lens barrel and An autofocus unit positioned on the outside of the lens barrel, A camera unit comprising: a tally lamp positioned on the opposite side of the autofocus unit from the lens barrel; A base member that supports the camera unit so that it can rotate around a rotation axis, A restricting member that restricts the rotation of the camera unit to a first rotation range, A lens barrel holding member that holds the lens barrel, A camera case that engages with the lens barrel holding member and covers the autofocus unit, When the camera unit is in the first rotation range, the camera case engages with the lens barrel holding member. When the restricting member is removed and the camera unit is in the second rotation range, the camera case can be removed from the lens barrel holding member. The imaging device is characterized in that the regulating member is formed of sheet metal.

14. A lens barrel and An autofocus unit positioned on the outside of the lens barrel, A camera unit comprising: a tally lamp positioned on the opposite side of the autofocus unit from the lens barrel; A base member that supports the camera unit so that it can rotate around a rotation axis, A restricting member that restricts the rotation of the camera unit to a first rotation range, A lens barrel holding member that holds the lens barrel, A camera case that engages with the lens barrel holding member and covers the autofocus unit, When the camera unit is in the first rotation range, the camera case engages with the lens barrel holding member. When the restricting member is removed and the camera unit is in the second rotation range, the camera case can be removed from the lens barrel holding member. The camera unit and the base member have holes within the second rotation range that allow the camera unit to be fixed at a predetermined rotation angle by inserting a pin. An imaging device characterized by the following features.

15. A lens barrel and An autofocus unit positioned on the outside of the lens barrel, A camera unit comprising: a tally lamp positioned on the opposite side of the autofocus unit from the lens barrel; A base member that supports the camera unit so that it can rotate around a rotation axis, A restricting member that restricts the rotation of the camera unit to a first rotation range, A lens barrel holding member that holds the lens barrel, A camera case that engages with the lens barrel holding member and covers the autofocus unit, When the camera unit is in the first rotation range, the camera case engages with the lens barrel holding member. When the restricting member is removed and the camera unit is in the second rotation range, the camera case can be removed from the lens barrel holding member. The first rotation range has a maximum tilt angle of less than 180 degrees, and the second rotation range has a maximum tilt angle of 180 degrees or more. An imaging device characterized by the following features.

Images