Leaf Shutter Detection in Interchangeable Lens Cameras
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mirrorless cameras with shutters in the camera body are loud and cause camera vibration, affecting image quality, and the large shutters required for sensors lead to slower operation and limited flash power.
Innovation Solution
A camera system with an internal shutter and a lens detector that can detect the presence of a leaf shutter in interchangeable lenses, allowing the internal shutter to remain open when a leaf shutter is detected, enabling quieter and more responsive operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a large shutter is placed in front of the sensor to cover the entire sensor area, then the shutter can control exposure for the full sensor, but the shutter operation becomes slower and causes more vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter function is segmented between two components: a small internal shutter in the camera body and a larger leaf shutter in the interchangeable lens. The internal shutter only needs to cover the lens aperture area (small), while the leaf shutter in the lens handles the remaining shuttering function for the full sensor area. This segmentation allows the internal shutter to operate quickly with minimal movement, resolving the contradiction between coverage area and operation speed.
2Area of stationary object
If a large shutter is placed in front of the sensor, then the shutter can cover the entire sensor, but the camera body experiences more vibration reducing image sharpness
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter system is divided into two parts: a small internal shutter in the camera body that causes minimal vibration, and a leaf shutter in the interchangeable lens that handles the bulk of the shuttering function. By segmenting the shutter function, the camera body experiences reduced vibration from the smaller internal shutter movement, while still achieving full sensor coverage through the coordinated operation of both shutters.
3Speed
If a damped and powerful shutter mechanism is used to speed up shutter operation, then the shutter can operate faster, but the camera becomes larger and more costly
Solution Approach 1:
The complex damped and powerful shutter mechanism is extracted from the camera body and relocated to the interchangeable lens as a leaf shutter. This allows the camera body to use a simpler, smaller internal shutter that operates quickly without requiring heavy damping mechanisms. The complex leaf shutter mechanism is contained within the lens, which the user already carries and changes, resolving the contradiction between shutter speed and device complexity.
4Reliability
If a shutter in front of the sensor is used, then exposure control is achieved, but flash electronics become more complicated and flash power output is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The shuttering function is segmented between the internal shutter and the leaf shutter in the lens. The leaf shutter in the lens can synchronize with flash at higher speeds because it operates independently from the sensor-facing shutter. This segmentation allows the flash electronics to work with the leaf shutter's timing characteristics, enabling higher sync speeds without requiring complex high-voltage electronics in the camera body, thus maintaining reliable exposure control while reducing flash electronics complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A camera system, including: an interchangeable lens; an internal shutter configured to open and close; and a lens detector coupled to the internal shutter and capable of accepting the interchangeable lens, the lens detector configured to detect the presence of a leaf shutter within the interchangeable lens, wherein the lens detector generates a shutter signal to keep the internal shutter open when the presence of the leaf shutter within the interchangeable lens is detected. Key words include interchangeable lens and leaf shutter.