Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Olympus Optical

Hitoshi Shirai

Akihiko Hashimoto

Kazuyuki Iwasa

Yasuo Yamazaki

Yuichi Torikoshi

Tatsuya Suzuki

Akira Watanabe

Kazuo Yamamoto

Toshifumi Nakano

Yoichi Yoshida

Tatsuji Higuchi

Minoru Matsuzaki

Takashi Inoue

Hiroaki Miyazaki

Kazutoshi Shiratori

Hiroshi Akitake

Hirotsugu Nakazawa

Ikuo Tofukuji

Akihiko Hachimoto

Akira Hashimoto

A camera includes a photographic optical system movable along its optical axis, and a cam ring rotatable about the optical axis of the optical system. When it is rotated by a motor, the cam ring moves the optical system to change the focal length thereof. Arranged at the outside of the cam ring are a viewfinder optical system, whose optical axis is parallel to that of the photographic optical system, and a strobe mechanism movable in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the photographic optical system. First and second cam portions are arranged on the cam ring and engage the viewfinder optical system and strobe mechanism, respectively, so as to move them along the optical axis of the photographic optical system, in association with the rotation of the cam ring.

Camera

A camera with a built-in zoom lens includes at least first and second lens groups, a zoom frame for moving these lens groups along their optical axis during a zooming operation, a first lens holding frame carrying the first lens group and movable together with the zoom frame, a second lens holding frame carrying the second lens group and movable together with the zoom frame, a rocking arm disposed between the zoom frame and the second lens holding frame, rockingly supported on a camera body and having a first abutment which bears against the zoom frame and a second abutment which bears against the second lens holding frame, and a resilient biasing element for urging the second lens holding frame towards the zoom frame side; in addition to the above biasing element is a lock member for locking the second lens holding frame during a macro operation.

Camera with a built-in zoom lens

A zoom lens assembly with an auto-focus function includes first and second lens groups, and a control device for causing a drive mechanism to rotate a distance-presetting ring which moves one of the lens groups, to adjust a focus in accordance with a signal sent from a light-receiving element for indicating the focused state of a foreground object. A line pattern substrate is arranged to move with the distance-presetting ring. A change in the focal length caused by the rotation of a zoom ring is sensed by a substrate detecting element which informs the control device of that extent to which the distance-presetting ring is to be rotated in order to assure a proper focus notwithstanding the changed focal length. The corrective rotation of the distance-presetting ring is detected by movement of the line pattern substrate relative to the detecting element. The light-receiving element is supplied with a beam of light reflected from the foreground object through the first and second groups of lenses.

Auto-focus zoom lens assembly

An exposure control device for camera includes a detector for detecting the opening of a sector shutter. By detecting an actual opening of the sector shutter, an amount of incremental exposure is calculated based on the opening and the corresponding time interval. Such amount is accumulated to provide an accumulated value. An amount of proper exposure is determined on the basis of photographing information including the brightness of an object being photographed and a film speed. The sector shutter is controlled in accordance with the accumulated value and the amount of proper exposure.

Exposure control device for camera

A lens barrel is capable of selectively establishing a power focus mode in which an internally housed motor moves a taking lens to a position of any desired focal length, a single 'auto-focus' mode in which the taking lens is moved to a position which is in focus to a stationary object being photographed, and a sequence 'auto-focus' mode in which the taking lens is continuously moved in focus to a moving object being photographed. Any one of these modes is suitably selected by a mode changing switch. A movement of the taking lens in each mode is initiated by an operating member.

Lens barrel

A take-up assembly for automatic film loading comprises a film take-up spool sleeve having a notch window formed therein for receiving a film catch member, a spool shaft rotatably fitted inside the spool sleeve and supported by a camera body so as to present a given magnitude of friction for its rotation relative to the body, a catch member rotatably mounted on the spool shaft and having a pawl which is disposed inside the notch window for fitting engagement with one of perforations formed in a perforated roll film, a first spring for causing the catch member to project out of the notch window during a film loading operation, and a second spring for causing the spool sleeve to rotate through a given angle relative to the spool shaft for receiving the catch member inside the notch window.

Take-up assembly for automatic film loading of camera

An apparatus for mounting a film magazine into camera includes a magazine receiving casing which is adapted to receive a film magazine therein and which includes a drive shaft for driving a film winding shaft of the magazine for rotation. The casing is disposed in a tiltable manner with respect to a camera body to permit the insertion or removal of a film magazine into or from the casing.

Apparatus for mounting a film magazine into camera

Growing community of inventors

Sagamihara, Japan

Hitoshi Shirai