Camera system, camera body, and camera head
Provided are a camera system, a camera body, and a camera head, which prevent an unfit camera head from being attached to the camera body, and which accordingly prevent an inadequate photographing from being performed. The camera head is provided with a wireless tag, and the camera body is provided with a wireless tag reader/writer which receives type information from the wireless tag. When the camera head is about to be attached to the camera body, if it is judged that the camera head is fit for the camera body on the basis of the type information transmitted wirelessly from the camera head to the camera body, a mount cover is put into an “open” state.
1 . A camera system including a camera head, which has a photographic optical system and an image pickup element, as well as a camera body, which the camera head is detachably attached to, and which thereby receives image signals from the attached camera head, thus processing the signals,
wherein the camera head comprises a contactless near-field transmission section, which beforehand stores type information for identifying the type of the camera head, and which transmits the type information wirelessly, and
wherein the camera body comprises:
a mount section, which the camera head is attached onto, and which includes a mount cover and an opening-and-closing drive section, the mount cover enabling the camera head to be attached to the camera body while the mount cover is being put in an “open” state, and making it unable for the camera head to be attached to the camera body while the mount cover is being put in a “closed” state, the opening-and-closing drive section opening and closing the mount cover;
a contactless near-field reception section which receives the type information transmitted from the contactless near-field transmission section;
a fitness determination section which determines whether or not the camera head, whose type is identified by the type information received by the contactless near-field reception section, is fit for the camera body; and
an opening-and-closing control section which receives the judgment made by the fitness determination section that the camera head is fit for the camera body, and which thereby instructs the opening-and-closing drive section to open the mount cover.
2 . A camera body, which a camera head including a photographic optical system and an image pickup element is detachably attached to, and which thereby receives image signals from the attached camera head, thus processing the signals, the camera body comprising:
a mount section, which the camera head is attached onto, and which includes a mount cover and an opening-and-closing drive section, the mount cover enabling the camera head to be attached to the camera body while the mount cover is being put in an “open” state, and making it unable for the camera head to be attached to the camera body while the mount cover is being put in a “closed” state, the opening-and-closing drive section opening and closing the mount cover;
a contactless near-field reception section which receives the type information transmitted from a contactless near-field transmission section of the camera head;
a fitness determination section which determines whether or not the camera head, whose type is identified by the type information received by the contactless near-field reception section, is fit for the camera body; and
an opening-and-closing control section which receives the judgment made by the fitness determination section that the camera head is fit for the camera body, and which thereby instructs the opening-and-closing drive section to open the mount cover.
3 . The camera system according to claim 1 , comprising:
a proximity sensor which constantly monitors whether or not the camera head comes closer to the camera body ; and
a power control section which turns power on in response to the proximity sensor's detection that the camera head has come closer to the camera body,
wherein the contactless near-field reception section starts to operate when the power control section turns power on.
4 . The camera system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the type information is ID information specific to the camera head.
5 . The camera system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the type information is property information representing properties of the camera head.
6 . The camera system according to claim 5 ,
wherein the property information includes any one of the number of bits of an A/D converter, information concerning an optical black, as well as the number of pixels, the pattern of the filter array, and the pixel array of the image pickup element.
7 . A camera head, which includes a photographic optical system and an image pickup element, and which is detachably attached to a camera body to receive image signals and to thereby process the signals, and transmits the image signals to the camera body, the camera head comprising
a contactless near-field transmission section which beforehand stores type information for identifying the type of the camera head, and which transmits the type information wirelessly.