Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.

Jun'ichi Iwamoto

Minoru Ishiguro

Fumio Iwai

Michihiro Shiina

Muneyoshi Sato

A camera comprising a mode setting portion in which either mode is set out of a first focusing mode and a second focusing mode; a mode switch; detecting means; focusing means; and focusing mode controlling means for performing such a control, after completion of focusing, that when the period detected by the detecting means is longer than a predetermined period and the second focusing mode is set, or when the first focusing mode is set, the mode is held as it is, and that when the period is shorter than the period and the second focusing mode is set, the mode is switched to the first focusing mode. The present invention provides a camera which permits the user to select either the operation in which the mode change is performed every shot or the operation in which a same mode is continuously maintained, by the period in which the mode switch is kept on.

Camera

A camera comprising a mode setting portion in which either mode is set out of a first focusing mode and a second focusing mode. The camera includes: a mode switch, detecting means, focusing means, and focusing mode controlling means for performing such a control. After completion of focusing when the period detected by the detecting means is longer than a predetermined period and the second focusing mode is set or when the first focusing mode is set the mode is switched to the first focusing mode. The present invention provides a camera which permits the user to select either the operation in which the mode change is performed every shot or the operation in which a same mode is continuously maintained, by the period in which the mode switch is kept on.

A drive control apparatus of lens housing for camera, comprises a camera body, a lens housing, a drive unit, signal generating means and a control unit. The position detection of the lens housing is carried out only at a single reference position, and in each processing for moving the lens housing, the control for moving the lens housing to a first, second or third position is carried out based upon this single reference position after the lens housing is once moved to the reference position to execute position detection. According to the drive control apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to achieve a possibility of occurrence of detection error which is lower than those with conventional one requiring the position detection at at least three positions.

Drive control apparatus of lens housing for camera

A camera has a two lens group zoom system composed of a front lens group and a rear lens group, and a home position check apparatus of the rear lens group driven by a stepping motor. The home position check apparatus is so arranged that a detection as to if the rear lens group is located at the home position is started only when the rear lens group reaches the predetermined position before the home position. Before the rear lens group reaches the predetermined position, only the movement of rear lens group to the home position is carried out but the home position check of rear lens group is not.

A camera includes a lens barrel which can be retracted into a camera body, and a lens barrel storage control apparatus. The lens barrel has a front lens group mounted in a front end portion thereof and a rear lens group movably disposed therein. The lens barrel storage control apparatus, first, controls a stepping motor for driving the rear lens group to locate the rear lens group at a standby position in the barrel, and then controls a DC motor for driving the lens barrel to retract the lens barrel into the camera body while keeping the rear lens group at the standby position. Also, when it is detected that the rear lens group is not located at the standby position, the control apparatus controls the DC motor to locate the lens barrel at a suitable position within a range where the lens barrel can be set in a photographable state.

A camera having a zoom system which comprises a front lens group driven by a DC motor and a rear lens group driven by a stepping motor includes a motor control apparatus for controlling the DC motor and the stepping motor. The motor control apparatus voltage measuring means for measuring a voltage of a power source for driving the DC motor and the stepping motor, decision means for deciding as to whether the voltage is more than a predetermined value, means for simultaneously driving the DC motor and the stepping motor, if a decision is made that the voltage is more than the predetermined value, and means for driving only the DC motor and thereafter driving only the stepping motor, if the voltage is not more than the predetermined value.

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Oomiya, Japan

Jun'ichi Iwamoto