Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Koh Hayama

Hiroshi Ootsuka

Yoshihiro Tanaka

Sadafusa Tsuji

Manabu Inoue

Yoshiaki Hata

Michihiro Iwata

Fumiaki Ishito

Hiroyuki Okada

Masaaki Nakai

Takeshi Hashimoto

Katsuyuki Nanba

Shinji Tominaga

Masayuki Ikemura

Yukari Maeda

A camera equipped with detectors for detecting: a) the photographer is holding the camera grip, and b) the photographer is looking into the viewfinder of the camera. When both are detected, which can be assumed that he is taking a photograph in the near future, a predetermined operation of the camera (e.g., an automatic program zooming, an autofocusing, a photometering, etc.) is started. The detectors can also be used for ending a predetermined operation of the camera. When the photographer no longer holds the grip or when he no longer looks into the viewfinder, it is assumed that he is not going to take a photograph and hence it is better not to continue some proper operation for conserving the battery power. For confirming the judgment, it is preferred to check the detection twice in any case.

Camera having detectors for detecting the photo-taking intention of a

A camera having a remote controller. The automatic focusing mechanism of the camera measures a distance from the camera to a main object positioned within approximately the center region of a focus area and automatically obtains a in-focus condition in correspondence with the measured object distance. The camera includes a memory for storing a maximum object distance at which in-focus conditions are obtained by the automatic focusing mechanism in a remote control photographing mode. When the main object is photographed in the remote control photographing mode, a comparing device compares an object distance measured by the automatic focusing mechanism and the maximum object distance set in the memory with each other. If the measured object distance is less than the maximum object distance, an optical system is adjusted to a normal photographing mode. If the main object is positioned outside the focus area and the object distance measured by the automatic focusing mechanism is longer than the maximum object distance, the measured data is altered to the maximum object distance. According to a modified camera having the automatic focusing mechanism and an automatic exposure mechanism, in a photographing under the same light condition, an aperture size in the remote control mode is set to be larger than an aperture size set by the automatic exposure mechanism in the normal photographing mode.

Camera having a remote control function

A photographic camera of the type including a piezo-electric actuating element driven by energy accumulated in a capacitor for actuating a shutter wherein the piezo-electric element operates in stability to assure accurate appropriate opening and closing operation of the shutter of the camera and the capacitor is charged up rapidly to allow subsequent photographing operation to be done in a minute. In the camera, a charged voltage of the capacitor is checked several times to determine if it is sufficient to assure proper operation of the piezoelectric element, and if a then required level is not reached, then the capacitor is charged to the required voltage. While the capacitor is being charged, charging of a capacitor for a flash is inhibited. For operation of the shutter, a negative voltage is first applied across the piezo-electric element to set the same to its fixed home position, and then a positive voltage is applied to move the shutter from the home position to a predetermined opening position, whereafter the negative voltage is applied again to return the shutter to its initial position rapidly. The position of the shutter is also checked to assure proper operation of the camera.

Photographic camera

A piezo-electric actuating device employing a piezo-electric element as an actuating member wherein a sufficient amount of movement of a driven member such as a shutter of a camera can be assured. The piezo-electric element of the device includes a first piezo-electric member which is contracted when a first voltage of a first polarity is applied thereacross and which is elongated when a second voltage of a second polarity opposite to the first polarity is applied thereacross, and a second piezo-electric member which is contracted when the second voltage is applied thereacross and which is elongated when the first voltage is applied thereacross. The piezo-electric member is deformed to move a driven member in one or the other when the first or second voltage is applied thereto, and the first and second piezo-electric members have a higher yield strength against deformation thereof by application of the first voltage than by application of the second voltage.

Piezoelectric actuating device

A photographic camera of the type including a piezo-electric actuating element driven by energy accumulated in a capacitor for actuating a shutter wherein the piezo-electric element operates in stability to assure accurate appropriate opening and closing operation of the shutter of the camera and the capacitor is charged up rapidly to allow subsequent photographing operation to be done in a minute. In the camera, a charged voltage of the capacitor is checked several times to determine if it is sufficient to assure proper operation of the piezo-electric element, and if a then required level is not reached, then the capacitor is charged to the required voltage. While the capacitor is being charged, charging of a capacitor for a flash is inhibited. For operation of the shutter, a negative voltage is first applied across the piezo-electric element to set the same to its fixed home position, and then a positive voltage is applied to move the shutter from the home position to a predetermined opening position, whereafter the negative voltage is applied again to return the shutter to its initial position rapidly. The position of the shutter is also checked to assure proper operation of the camera.

Photographic camera having a piezo-electric actuating element

A camera with a flash light emitting element and a piezoelectric element for actuating a shutter wherein successive rapid photographing is enabled. The camera comprises a single main capacitor, and a first voltage detecting means for detecting a first charged voltage of the capacitor required to drive a piezoelectric actuator element for the shutter of the camera, and a second voltage detecting means for detecting a higher second charged voltage of the capacitor required to drive the piezoelectric element and cause a flash light emitting means to emit light. In response to an output of a light measuring means, the first voltage detecting means is selected when the brightness of the object is higher than a predetermined brightness, and the second voltage detecting means is selected when the brightness of the object is lower than the predetermined brightness.

Growing community of inventors

Sakai, Japan

Koh Hayama