Minolta Company, Ltd.

Hisanori Itoh

Shoichi Minato

Yoshito Konishi

Daigo Yoshioka

Yoshio Nakagawa

Nobuharu Murashima

Yoshiyuki Inoue

Takuya Ueno

Naohiko Hayashi

Masatoshi Itoh

Hiroyuki Matsumoto

Tsutomu Honda

Hideo Kajita

Yasuhiro Morimoto

Yoshiyuki Mizumo

Akihiro Baba

Yushi Nobumoto

Junji Mori

Yasushi Hasegawa

Mitsuhiro Sugita

Tatsuro Izumi

A small-sized photographing apparatus in which a single display device performs both of a viewfinder and monitor display. The apparatus includes a body having a viewfinder window; the display device, the display surface of which can be observed from outside of the body; a pair of reflection mirrors inside the body; and a member for moving one of the reflection mirrors between a reflection position at which a beam of light from the display surface of the display device is reflected so that the beam is guided towards the viewfinder window, and a non-reflection position which is different from the reflection position.

Camera having a single display device for both a viewfinder display and a monitor display

An information communication apparatus for conducting information communication such as a telephone conversation, sending and reception of E-mails and the like and for capturing an image of a subject comprises an image capturing unit for capturing an image through the zoom optical system, and a body unit for displaying an image and accepting a user's input. A rotating mechanism is provided between the image capturing unit and the body unit. When a user conducts information communication or carries the information communication apparatus, the image capturing unit is positioned so that the optical axis of the zoom optical system is substantially parallel to a display screen of a display. This prevents impairment of the portability of the information communication apparatus. When the user captures an image, the image capturing unit is positioned so that the optical axis of the zoom optical system is substantially perpendicular to the display screen of the display. This allows the user to capture images of a subject behind the body unit and the face of the user while viewing the display.

Portable information communication apparatus with rotating mechanism

A digital camera having a taking lens, a finder for viewing light transmitted through the taking lens, an image sensing element for optoelectrically converting light which passes through the taking lens, a light splitter capable of changing transmittance and dividing the light transmitted through the taking lens to the image sensing element and the finder, a light splitter driver for driving the light splitter to a position to split the light between the image sensing element and the viewfinder when viewing and driving the light splitter to retract a position for directing the light only to the image sensing element during photography, and a controller for controlling the light splitter to a semi-transparent state to direct light to the image sensing element and the viewfinder when viewing and controlling the light splitter to a blocking state during photography.

Digital camera

Openings (OPa, OPb) corresponding to respective card slots ( ) are formed in a side face of a digital camera, and a slot cover ( ) having a size covering both of the openings (OPa, OPb) is placed in a manner so as to shift thereon, thereby allowing either of the openings of the card slots to be selectively exposed. A CPU, installed therein, is allowed to access a card-type medium attached to the card slot that is not exposed, and is not allowed to access a card-type medium attached to the card slot that is exposed. A card-type medium can be detachably attached to the card slot that is exposed, and with respect to the card slot that is not exposed, the attaching and removing operations of a card-type medium are restricted.

Electronic device using card-type media

A camera includes an image sensor for sensing an image of an object to be photographed and producing an image data, a first memory for storing information concerning compression, a setting device for setting a compression ratio based on the information stored in the first memory, a compression device for compressing the image data at the set compression ratio, and a second memory for storing the compressed image data. Also, This camera includes a displaying device for displaying an image corresponding to the compressed image data in the viewfinder system so that the photographer can observe the image quality deterioration caused by the compression.

Camera system capable of storing compressed data

A digital camera comprises an electronic view finder (EVF) for electronically displaying an image of a subject and a movable monitor. The movable monitor is slidable along guide grooves and movable between a first position in which the EVF is covered with the movable monitor and a second position in which the EVF is not covered. By a sensor for position detection, when it is detected that the movable monitor is in the first position, no image is displayed on the EVF but an image is displayed on the movable monitor. When it is detected that the movable monitor is in the second position, no image is displayed on the movable monitor but an image is displayed on the EVF. Consequently, power can be saved, and when the movable monitor is in the first position, adhesion of dusts and dirt onto the display face of the EVF can be decreased.

Digital camera and method of controlling display thereof

Camera body and taking lens unit are constructed such that they may rotate relative to each other, and circuit board of connector to which taking lens unit is mounted and the electrical circuitry inside the camera body are connected by means of flexible circuit board. Further, the grounding line is strengthened by having reinforcing plate that is in electrical contact with detachable circuit board comprise a metal plate and by having metal plate connected with the grounding line of the camera body to move against reinforcing plate.

Image recording device having a ground connector

An apparatus capable of using a film cartridge in a manner that a lead portion of a film contained in the cartridge is fed out therefrom by the film thrusting, wherein a controller judges that an initial loading is not executed normally when a perforation is not detected although a fed film amount on an initial loading reaches a first predetermined amount, and stops a detector from detecting a perforation until the fed film amount reaches a second predetermined amount which is less than the first. Thus, a detector does not wrongly detect a notch on a film's lead portion as a perforation, and a leading frame is fed normally with a reliable judgment on an initial loading.

Apparatus capable of using a film cartridge containing a lead portion of

A camera loadable with a film regularly formed with perforations along a length of the film and provided with exposure areas and magnetic recording areas arranged with reference to the perforations, the camera includes: a perforation detector which detects a perforation; a recording device which records magnetic data in a magnetic recording area; and a controller which controls the recording of the recording device in accordance with a detection of the perforation detector. The camera can securely perform a proper magnetic recording and recording of a photographed image within a set exposure area.

Camera loadable with a film provided with a magnetic recording area

An apparatus using a film cartridge in a system that a leading portion of a film contained in a cartridge is thrust to be conveyed from the cartridge, wherein an indicator showing an exposure condition is reset to an original state when an initial loading, which is executed on a film cartridge loading in an apparatus, is not executed normally, and the film is rewound, thus, it indicates 'unexposed' when a new film cartridge is loaded. While, when a winding up operation is not executed normally during a photographing, a film is rewound and an indicator showing an exposure condition, is set so as to indicate that the film is exposed. Thus, it prevents from causing a double exposure.

Apparatus using a film cartridge having an indicator for indicating an

A waterproof camera to which an interchangeable lens unit having a waterproof construction is mounted. The waterproof camera has a lens mount provided in a camera body and to which the interchangeable lens unit is removably mounted, a ring-shaped flange provided in the lens mount and which positions the interchangeable lens unit relative to the camera camera body, an engaging member provided at an outer circumference of the ring-shaped flange and which engages with the outer circumference of one end of the interchangeable lens unit, and a waterproof member which is in pressing contact with an area of engagement between the engaging member and the outer circumference of one end of the interchangeable lens unit and prevents water from penetrating in the area of engagement.

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Osaka, Japan

Hisanori Itoh