Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Juro Kikuchi

Yuji Imai

Kazunori Mizokami

Kazuo Nakamura

Azuma Miyazawa

Yutaka Yunoki

Tadashi Kimura

Akira Tamagawa

Minoru Oshikiri

Atsushi Maruyama

Toshihiro Imai

Takeshi Ito

Masataka Ide

Yoshinori Matsuzawa

Norihiko Aoki

Yuko Kobayashi

Toshifumi Nakano

Tatsuji Higuchi

Hiroshi Takase

Hisayuki Matsumoto

Akira Inoue

Shinichi Dosaka

Hiroaki Nakamura

Hiroyuki Kurita

Hideto Kitazawa

Kouji Mizobuchi

Kenichi Harada

A camera which reduces camera shake by adjusting the shutter timing is characterized in that it has a mode for displaying a camera shake amount to allow a photographer to recognize a camera shake. A shutter timing determining section permits shutter release at a timing at which the camera shake amount becomes a predetermined amount or less during a shutter release operation on the basis of the camera shake amount detected by a camera shake detecting section. When a camera shake learning mode is set through an input section, a camera shake amount is converted into a display amount by a display data converting section through a camera shake mode selecting section. This display amount is displayed on a display section in real time while a shutter release button is depressed. The camera shake selecting section inhibits a shutter driving operation of the shutter timing determining section in the camera shake amount display mode, thus also allowing a photographer to learn how to depress the shutter release button without causing a camera shake.

Camera shake amount display apparatus for camera

A taking optical system capable of trimming photography, wherein as the trimming magnification increases, the lens performance for the central area of an image frame on a negative film improves, thereby enabling photographs of excellent image quality to be obtained over the entire photography mode range, from ordinary photography to trimming photography. The taking optical system includes a plurality of lens groups arranged to enable at least two photography modes to be changed over from one to the other, the photography modes including a first mode in which a first image forming area is set for photography, and a second mode in which a second image forming area smaller than the first image forming area is set for photography. When the photography mode shifts from the first mode to the second mode, the spacing between the lens groups is changed, thereby effectively correcting aberrations in the second image forming area. Similar aberration correction can also be made by adjusting at least one of the surface configuration, refractive index and refractive index distribution of an optical element of the taking optical system.

Taking optical system capable of trimming photography

A high eye point type viewfinder optical system comprising an eyepiece lens system for observing an image of an object formed on a reticle, and a pentagonal prism and a condenser lens which are disposed between the reticle and the eyepiece lens system in order from the eyepiece lens system; wherein the eyepiece lens system consists, in order from the side of an eye of a photographer, of a first negative lens component, a second positive lens component and a third lens component. This viewfinder optical system is configured so as to permit adjustment of diopter by moving the second and third lens components along an optical axis with the first lens component kept fixed or moving the second lens component along the optical axis with the first and third lens components kept fixed.

High eye point type viewfinder optical system

An inclination detecting apparatus includes a light projecting section, a light receiving section and an operating section. The light projection section projects light towards an object. The light receiving section receives lights reflected from at least two points of the object and outputs a photoelectric current signal. The operating section derives a difference between the reciprocals of the square roots of the photoelectric currents output from the light receiving section. An output of the operating section represents an inclination signal of the object. A shake detecting apparatus includes a light projecting/receiving section and an operating section. The light projecting/receiving section is disposed on the rear surface of a camera, so as to project light towards a photographer, receive lights reflected from at least two points on light receiving elements, and output photoelectric current signals for the respective points. The operating section derives a difference between the reciprocals of the square roots of the photoelectric currents output from the light receiving elements. An output of the operating section is used as a hand shake signal.

Inclination detecting apparatus and camera for detecting hand shake

A zoom lens system comprising at least a first lens unit having a positive refractive power as a whole, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power as a whole and a third lens unit having a positive refractive power as a whole, and adapted to perform variation of focal length by varying at least two airspaces reserved between said lens units. This zoom lens system consists of a small number of lens elements, has a short total length and a compact external design, and is light in weight.

Zoom lens system having short total length

The image stabilizing optical system comprises a master lens, and a meniscus lens arranged between the master lens and the image surface thereof, and having a concave surface opposed to the exit pupil of the master lens, said meniscus lens having inclination variable relative to the optical axis of the master lens. This image stabilizing optical system is capable of quickly and favorably correcting blur of image produced due to vibration of a photographic lens system without degrading image quality by varying inclination of the meniscus lens in conjunction with the vibration.

Image stabilizing optical system

A real image mode optical system includes an objective lens forming an image of an object and an eyepiece for observing the image and is provided with a variable focal length mirror which dispenses with any polarizing plate so that a diopter change can be corrected due to the change of its optical power. Accordingly, the real image mode optical system has many advantages important for practical use that the reduction of the amount of light is slight, the characteristics are little changed by gravity, the number of parts is small with low manufacturing costs, the strain of the lens and the like of the optical system is not viewed, aberrations are little produced, and the effective aperture of the entire optical system can be set at a minimum.

Real image mode finder optical system

A zoom lens system permitting photographing at definite magnification levels comprising a first lens unit and a second lens unit, and equipped with a first mechanism for varying f and .beta. so as to keep f/.beta. nearly constant and a second mechanism for varying, independently of the first mechanism, the airspace between the first lens unit and the second lens unit when the reference symbol f represents total focal length of the first lens unit and the reference symbol .beta. designates total lateral magnification of the second lens unit. Said zoom lens system is equipped with simple mechanisms and permits photographing objects located at distances within a broad range at optional magnification levels within a certain range.

Zoom lens system

An imaging optical system having a photographic lens and a mechanical stop is provided with a variable focal length lens disposed adjacent to a mechanical stop and having a diameter smaller than a maximum diameter of a beam of light capable of traversing the mechanical stop when opened. Further, the imaging optical system may be provided with a physical stop capable of changing transmittance in an electric field or a magnetic field and constructed so that a maximum diameter of a light-blocking portion is smaller than that of the beam of light capable of traversing the mechanical stop when opened. Consequently, adjustment of the amount of light in ordinary photography and macrophotography is properly made and a camera with low cost is secured.

Imaging system for macrophotography

The variable magnification viewfinder optical system comprises a polarizing element allowing the light incident thereon to emerge as a linearly polarized light, an objective optical system comprising a first lens component having refractive power variable dependently on the oscillating direction of the incident light, an eyepiece optical system comprising a second lens component having variable refractive power and a switching device capable of changing the oscillating direction of said polarizing element from one to another perpendicular to each other. This viewfinder optical system is capable of easily attaining to design performance thereof such as magnification, dioptric power, field ratio and image legibility, and permits simplifying composition thereof and lowering manufacturing cost therefor.

Variable magnification viewfinder optical system with variable

A camera having a red-eye alarm device which receives a signal representative of a distance l between an object to be photographed and a camera, the focal length f of a taking lens, a signal representative of a distance d between the optical axis of the taking lens and the center of an electronic flash discharge tube, and develops an alarm signal based upon the object distance l, the focal length f and the spacing d, the red-eye alarm signal being developed when a conditional formula ##EQU1## is satisfied.

Camera having a red-eye forecasting and/or preventing device

A compact zoom lens system consisting of a small number of lens elements and having a short total length, said zoom lens system comprising a first lens unit having positive refractive power and a second lens unit having negative refractive power which are arranged in the order from the object side, an aperture stop arranged in said first lens unit, at least one lens component arranged after said aperture stop in said first lens unit and at least one graded refractive index lens having refractive index gradient in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis in said first lens unit.

Compact zoom lens system

A finder optical system is provided with a plurality of optical elements, a reflecting surface for indication provided on a surface of one of the plurality of optical elements, a semi-transmissive surface disposed on an object side of the reflecting surface for indication, and an optical member, changing a polarizing state of light, provided between the reflecting surface for indication and the semi-transmissive surface. The semi-transmissive surface is composed of a surface different in reflectivity and transmittance in accordance with a direction of polarization of light. This finder optical system is adapted to image light reflected form the reflecting surface for indication after reflection from the semi-transmissive surface. The finder optical system can provide relatively simple and compact structure and can bring about a bright and easily-viewed visual field in which the generation of ghost and flare is minimized.

Finder optical system

A zoom lens system comprising a first lens group having positive refractive power and a second lens group having negative refractive power, and so adapted as to perform zooming from the wide position to the teleposition by narrowing the airspace reserved between the two lens groups. In said zoom lens system, at least one graded refractive index lens component is arranged in the second lens group, or at least one graded refractive index lens component is arranged in the first lens group and at least one aspherical surface is adopted in the second lens group.

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Yamanashi, Japan

Juro Kikuchi