Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Hiromi Someya

Nobuyuki Suzuki

Yoshihiko Aihara

Toyokazu Mizogui

Tokuichi Tsunekawa

Akihiko Nagano

Kazuki Konishi

Kikuo Momiyama

Toru Nagata

Yoichi Tosaka

Yoshiaki Sugiyama

Tatsuo Konno

Toshiki Ishino

Yuichiro Konishi

Luigi Colani

Yasushi Kuramoto

An image-taking apparatus and an image-taking system are disclosed which can protect the privacy of a person whose image is taken, and which can avoid the distribution of images of unnecessarily large data volumes. The image-taking apparatus includes an image-taking optical system, an image-pickup device, a controller which performs, by using the image-pickup device, image-taking in a first mode and in a second mode in which image-taking is carried out with more pixels or at a lower frame rate than in the first mode. The controller determines whether a condition relating to image-taking matches a predetermined restriction condition, and restricts image-taking in the second mode or distribution of an image taken in the second mode when that restriction condition is met.

Image-taking apparatus capable of distributing taken images over network

A device for compensating movement of an image formed by an optical system comprises first and second sensing units arranged at different positions along an optical axis of the optical system to sense an acceleration of the device, a compensation optical system arranged on a light path of the optical system and supported movably relative to the device to compensate for the movement of the image driver for driving the compensation optical system, and a calculation unit for calculating a displacement of the compensation optical system based on the outputs of the first and second acceleration sensing units and supplying displacement information to the driver.

Image processing apparatus and display system

In an apparatus for detecting the relative positional relation between light intensity distributions relating to an object image and detecting the focus-adjusted state of an objective lens, a pair of stop openings for limiting an off-axis light flux forming light intensity distributions entering a pair of secondary imaging lenses are provided so as to be symmetrical with respect to a meridian centered at the optic axis of the objective lens so that the influence of the residual aberrations of the objective lens becomes uniform.

Focus detecting apparatus in which matching with the image performance

A focus adjusting control device for adjusting the focal point of an optical system for an object captured at a sighting part of a picture plane specified by the optical system is provided with a selecting circuit for selecting the position of the sighting part on the picture plane, and a focus adjustment part arranged to begin, in response to a selecting action of the selecting circuit, a focus adjusting action corresponding to the position of the sighting part selected by the selecting circuit.

Focus adjusting control device

A data identifying system for identifying information recorded in a recording medium comprises: a discriminable card like a credit card having a magnetic stripe; a memory medium like an optical ROM card having an accident card list in which data regarding invalid cards (accident cards) is stored; a first reading unit to read the data stored in the memory medium; a discriminating circuit to discriminate whether the card is invalid or not on the basis of an output of the reading unit; a circuit to inform the fact that the card is invalid when it is decided to be invalid; and a second reading unit to read the data recorded on the card.

Data identifying system

In a camera having an electronic finder for converting an object image formed by an image forming optical system of the camera to electrical signals and performing a display in response to said signals, apparatus is provided for supporting the electronic finder in such a way as to enable the electronic finder to be observed from either the front or the rear of the camera, and a control circuit is provided for changing the display state of the electronic finder in response to the support state of the supporting apparatus.

Camera with electronic view finder viewable from either behind or in

Camera

In the camera having a hold grip in the projecting form out of the front corner of one side of the body thereof and a photographic information display positioned on the same side of the finder housing as that of the grip, a release button is put on the top of the grip, and further an operating member for an information setting device takes its place between the release button and the information display.

Information setting device for camera

A multi-program control camera permitting selection of various exposure control modes is provided with a display arrangement to indicate, by pictographs and/or letters, the effects of a picture image obtainable by selection of the exposure control modes; and to automatically shift a selected exposure control mode to another mode when the effect of the picture image expected is difficult to obtain by the mode selected on the basis of at least one of the information values including the maximum aperture value of a lens, the minimum aperture value thereof, a fixed aperture, a focal length and the brightness of an object to be photographed.

Multi-program control device for camera

An eye-piece constituting part of a finder optical system in a camera is constructed from three lens components, one of which is made axially movable to effect adjusting diopter, wherein the refractive powers and forms of all the components are so properly chosen as to maintain good stability of aberration correction throughout the adjusting diopter range.

Finder optical system for a camera

The disclosed invention is a multi-mode automatic exposure control camera which operates with selection of various image effects and enables even the beginner to make photographs with less susceptibility to failure. Upon consideration of different image effects, a plurality of combinations of shutter time and aperture value are provided for one mode, and in the usual mode selection, a more frequently used combination is made preferentially selectable to provide an improved operation.

Exposure control mode selecting device for camera

A multi-mode automatic exposure control camera capable of permitting selective switch-over among various exposure control modes is provided with a device which displays each selected exposure mode in the form of a pictograph or the like representing a picture effect obtainable from the selected mode and which also gives a warning through the medium of the displayed pictograph or the like for the object to be photographed when the effect expected from the selected exposure control mode is difficult to obtain.

Exposure control mode selection device for camera

A camera has a light measuring mode setting circuit set according to an exposure mode change-over operation a change-over circuit for a light measuring range is switched over according to the setting of the light measuring mode setting circuit. Thus a light measuring mode of the camera suited for the set exposure mode can be selected according to the setting of the exposure mode.

Camera having an exposure mode change-over device

The disclosed camera permits selection of one exposure control mode along one program line based on brightness and at least another control mode along another program line. An operation control selects the one mode when self-timer photography is not used, and the other mode for self-timer photography. The self-timer exposure control is performed at an aperture value or a shutter time value particularly suitable for self-timer photography.

A waist level viewfinder for a camera arranged to permit direct observation from above a focusing plate of the image of an object formed on the focusing plate. The viewfinder includes a first light shielding tubular member which is attachable to and detachable from the camera and a second light shielding tubular member which is slidable relative to the first tubular member and which is provided with an eyepiece. The eyepiece is pivotally mounted so as to be capable of being retracted out of the viewing path of the reticle plate. The viewfinder is thus arranged to provide improved light shielding characteristics when it is in use and to have improved portability when not in use while also facilitating diopter correction.

Growing community of inventors

Kawasaki, Japan

Hiromi Someya