Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Kazunori Mizokami

Yoshitaka Naito

Minoru Matsuzaki

Yuta Sato

Fumio Tomikawa

Masaharu Hamada

Osamu Nonaka

Kazuo Nakamura

Yutaka Yunoki

Tadashi Kimura

Juro Kikuchi

Akira Tamagawa

Junichi Itoh

Yoji Watanabe

Takeshi Kindaichi

Masahiro Kitagawa

Kazuyuki Nemoto

Takashi Fujii

Osamu Kawarada

Yasushi Toizumi

Masahiro Dai

Ayumu Midorikawa

Chiaki Okuhara

When a camera is set in a portable state responsive to a photographing state detection device and a portable state detection device, film is rewound from a take-up spool chamber into a film cartridge and the take-up spool chamber is compressed in the direction of film feed to reduce the size of the camera body in the film feed direction. When the camera is set in a photographing state, the camera body is extended and the film is taken up from the film cartridge into the take-up spool chamber.

Camera having photographing state for taking photographs and compact

A camera according to the present invention has an arrangement that a film is discharged to a side toward a subject after a picture has been taken, the instant camera comprising a grip portion formed on a right portion of a camera body when viewed in a normal photography state and from a position of a photographer operating the camera, an optical system disposed on a left portion of the camera body when viewed from the said position of the photographer and including at least a photographing lens, and a film cartridge loading portion which is capable of loading a film cartridge into a position between the grip portion of the camera body and the optical system in such a manner that an exposure surface of the film accommodated in the film cartridge faces the optical system.

Instant camera

A CPU causes a Xe tube to emit light by charging a charging capacitor through an emission control circuit. Flash light from the Xe tube is projected toward an object to be measured through a mask, a visible light cutting filter, and a projection lens. Light reflected by the object is incident on a light-receiving element through a light-receiving lens and the visible light cutting filter. An output from the light-receiving element is input to a light position detection circuit. The CPU then calculates the distance to the object in accordance with an output from the light position detection circuit. A camera which can be used in water includes an electronic flash section capable of controlling its light amount. An underwater detection section detects whether the camera is used in water, and sends the detection result to a CPU. A distance measurement section projects a distance measurement light beam onto an object to be photographed, and measures the amount of light reflected by the object. The CPU estimates a light attenuation ratio in the environment where the camera is used on the basis of the detection result and the reflected light amount measurement result, and sets the amount of light to be emitted from the electronic flash section. With this operation, the electronic flash section is caused to emit light, and exposure in the camera is controlled by an exposure control section.

Distance measurement apparatus and optical system using the same

A camera according to the present invention has an arrangement that a film is discharged to a side toward a subject after a picture has been taken, the instant camera comprising a grip portion formed on a right portion of a camera body when viewed in a normal photography state and from a position of a photographer operating the camera an optical system disposed on a left portion of the camera body when viewed from the said position of the photographer and including at least a photographing lens, and a film cartridge loading portion which is capable of loading a film cartridge into a position between the grip portion of the camera body and the optical system in such a manner that an exposure surface of the film accommodated in the film cartridge faces the optical system.

A distance measurement apparatus for use in a camera having a CPU. The apparatus has no analog distance-measuring IC and can yet perform active distance measuring. It comprises an infrared-emitting diode (IRED), a light-receiving element and an integration circuit, both connected to the ports of the CPU. In operation, the IRED emits an infrared beam toward an object. The light-receiving element receives the beam reflected form the object and stationary light and converts the beam and the light into an electric signal. The integration circuit integrates the electric signal. The CPU measures a first period of time lapsing from the time when the the integration circuit is initialized to the time when the output of the integration circuit increases over a predetermined value. The CPU also measures a second period of time lapsing from the time when the the integration circuit is initialized to the time when the output of the integration circuit increases over the predetermined value while the IRED is emitting no infrared beam. From the first and second periods of time, thus measured, the CPU determines the distance at which the object is located, not influenced by from the stationary light at all.

Light projection type measurement apparatus effectively utilizing a post

In a magnetic recording apparatus for a camera using a film having a magnetic recording portion, a magnetic recording device records photographic data on the magnetic recording portion while the film is wound after a photographic operation corresponding to one frame is completed. An electrically erasable nonvolatile storage device stores the photographic data after the photographic operation corresponding to one frame is completed. A magnetic reproducing device reproduces the photographic data recorded on the magnetic recording portion while the film is rewound. A determining device determines whether the photographic data reproduced by the magnetic reproducing device coincides with the photographic data stored in the storage device. When the determining device determines that the two photographic data do not coincide with each other, a re-recording device causes the magnetic recording device to re-record the photographic data stored in the storage device on the magnetic recording portion. An erasing device erases the magnetically recorded data when the determining device determines that the two photographic data do not coincide with each other.

Magnetic recording system for camera using film with magnetic recording

An electronic photographing apparatus including a photosensor for converting an optical image, which enters through an objective lens, to an electric signal, and two comparators to which a video signal obtained by signal-processing the electric signal is supplied. Supplied to the comparators, respectively, are a reference voltage slightly lower than the saturation level of the video signal and a reference voltage slightly higher than the black level of the video signal. The comparators convert the video signal to a binary signal according to the reference voltages. The binary signals are supplied to a video signal processing circuit and are converted to a binary video signal. When the binary video signal is supplied to the display of an electric finder, an image which is over- or/and underexposed is displayed on the display. When the binary signal is supplied to an automatic exposure unit, the exposure of the scene is automatically controlled according to the over- or/and underexposure.

Electronic photographing apparatus

An electronic camera has a solid-state image pick-up device for picking up an image incident thereon through an imaging lens. The camera has a half mirror interposed between the lens and the image pick-up device, and, at its lower portion, a screen and a lamp for generating an information image. The half mirror transmits the incident image through the lens, and reflects the information image. Both images are synthesized, and a superposed image becomes incident on the image pick-up device.

Electronic camera having information write function

An indicator for proper or improper exposure provided by automatic electronic flash includes a first decision circuit having a first decision level lower than a proper level of exposure, and a second decision circuit having a second decision level higher than the proper level of exposure. Thus, a given film latitude is allowed for the overexposure and the underexposure in determining and displaying the overexposure, the underexposure or proper exposure.

Indicator for proper or improper exposure by automatic electronic flash

An exposure control circuit associated with TTL automatic electronic flash includes a diaphragm control circuit. When the electronic flash is mounted on a TTL direct photometry camera capable of photometry of reflection from a film surface in order to take a picture with the aid of the electronic flash, the diaphragm control circuit assures the emission of light from the electronic flash in a reliable manner, by automatically establishing a diaphragm value between a given diaphragm value and a minimum diaphragm value, the established diaphragm value assuring a proper exposure with an exposure period which is closely synchronized with the operation of the electronic flash.

Exposure control circuit for TTL automatic electronic flash

A program type automatic exposure controller produces a selection signal in each of the film sensitivity information regions in response to information for a film sensitivity in said each of regions and changes a program constant in the aperture controller by the selection signal so that an aperture control for opening and closing a shutter may be conducted by a photometry operation of light reflected by the film surface after an aperture operation is completed.

Program type automatic exposure controller for use in cameras

An apparatus for controlling the emission of an electronic flash is provided, which is used with a photographic camera of the type in which the photometry of reflection from a film surface is effected. The apparatus calculates an exposure period on the basis of TTL photometric value which prevails before shutter release, displays such exposure period, compares it against a synchronized period, and causes an integrating operation of a photocurrent to be delayed a given time interval if it is decided that the calculated period is greater than the synchronized period.

Apparatus for controlling the emission of an electronic flash

A photometric apparatus for a camera comprises a reference voltage circuit; an operational amplifier including a photoelectromotive element for photometry, an output terminal of said reference voltage circuit and an input terminal of said amplifier being connected through an impedeance element to a voltage divider tap of a battery; and a switching circuit for switching said reference voltage circuit to an operable condition as well as for changing set resistors which apply a bias current to said operational amplifier, in synchronism with a shutter releasing operation.

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Hachioji, Japan

Kazunori Mizokami