Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Olympus Corporation

Olympus Imaging Corporation

Masataka Ide

Osamu Nonaka

Junichi Ito

Takayuki Kijima

Koichi Nakata

Hisayuki Matsumoto

Sumio Kawai

Hisashi Goto

Yuji Imai

Atsushi Maruyama

Takao Nishida

Hiroyuki Takizawa

Takeshi Kindaichi

Mamoru Sakashita

Makoto Harada

Takeshi Ito

Hideyasu Takato

Azuma Miyazawa

Juro Kikuchi

Toshiaki Ishimaru

Seisuke Matsuda

Youji Watanabe

Akira Inoue

Hitoshi Maeno

Takeru Hokkezu

Takeshi Ishino

Kouji Mizobuchi

There is disclosed an imaging apparatus for displaying a live view image, in which an enlargement ratio of the live view image dynamically changes according to changes in in-focus state of a subject.

Imaging apparatus in which an enlargement of a live picture displayed is based on a determined in-focus evaluation value

The object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus capable of preventing the degradation of image quality associated with a temperature rise in an image pickup device despite that an electronic viewfinder is usable. An imaging apparatus including an image pickup device for capturing a subject image to acquire it as image data and capable of viewing a subject by selecting either of a first finder mode for optical viewing of the subject image and a second finder mode for displaying the image data on a display unit to allow viewing of the image data, the imaging apparatus comprises: a temperature detection circuit for measuring the temperature of the image pickup device; a finder mode switching instruction part for switching between the first finder mode and the second finder mode; and a controller for inhibiting switching from the first finder mode to the second finder mode performed by the finder mode switching instruction part when the temperature exceeds a first threshold.

Imaging apparatus

The present invention provides a distance-measuring device has an AF area sensor that includes an image pick up element formed on a semiconductor substrate for receiving two images having a parallax therebetween, and a photo reception signal processing circuit formed on the semiconductor substrate for processing signals corresponding to light received by the image pick up element. On the basis of sensor data (outline data) obtained by integration executed in the AF area sensor in an outline detection mode, the distance-measuring device detects a main subject in a photography screen, sets a distance-measuring area including the main subject, and measures a distance to the main subject.

Distance-measuring device installed in camera

There is disclosed a digital camera which detects a focus of a lens unit by a method selected from a plurality of focus detection methods based on information on the lens unit taken from the lens unit attached to the digital camera. As an example of a focus detection method, there is a method by a phase difference system or a contrast system, but the method is not limited to this example.

Digital camera and camera system

A digital camera includes a phase difference AF sensor unit, phase difference AF detection unit, contrast AF detection unit, lens driving unit which focuses a taking lens, shading determination unit which determines based on lens information of the taking lens whether focus detection by the phase difference AF sensor unit is possible, and an AF control unit. The AF control unit cause the lens driving unit to focus the taking lens based on a focus detection result of the phase difference AF detection unit when the shading determination unit determines that the focus detection by the phase difference AF sensor unit is possible, and causes the lens driving unit to focus the taking lens based on a focus detection result of the contrast AF detection unit when the shading determination unit determines that the focus detection by the phase difference AF sensor unit is not possible.

Digital camera that performs focus detection using phase difference and contrast value

In a camera having a focusing device, the direction of moving a focus lens included in a photographing lens is varied depending on the defocus state with reference to a specific position (e.g., reverse point) of the focus lens. For example, a camera having a defocus-amount detection part for detecting the defocus amount of the photographing lens, a focus-lens position detecting part for detecting the position of the focus lens, and a memory element for storing a specific position of the focus lens, comprises a focus-lens moving mechanism for moving the focus lens by inverting the correspondence between the defocus direction output from the defocus-amount detection part and the focus-lens moving direction according to the output of the focus-lens position detecting part and the output of the memory element.

Camera having focusing device

The present invention realizes efficient dust removal in an optical apparatus in such a manner that a single circuit drives a plurality of dust reduction optical elements to vibrate. When the optical elements have different resonance frequencies, it can be configured such that the vibration exciting frequency can be changed in a range including the resonance frequencies of all the optical elements. In this case, the optical element driven can also be switched according to the change in frequency so that only the optical element having a resonance frequency close to the driving frequency will be driven. Alternatively, it can be configured such that the driving time or applied voltage can be changed according to the characteristics of the optical element driven.

Optical apparatus with dust reduction capability

An optical apparatus having dust-off function comprises a dust-off filter located in the vicinity of an optical electronic device such as an image-pickup element, an image display element, or the like. An optical apparatus includes a mechanism that controls vibrating operation so that the frequency of vibration waves generated in the filter changes with the passage of time. An optical apparatus includes first vibrator for successive vibration with frequencies, a circuit monitoring the state of vibration of the optical element during vibrating operation of the first vibrator, thereby detecting the resonance frequency of the element, and second vibrator for vibration with the detected resonance frequency or a frequency approximate to it. An optical apparatus includes monitor for monitoring the state of vibration of the filter and a circuit for detecting abnormal states in accordance with output signals from the electrode.

Optical apparatus having dust off function

An output from an auto focus sensor is converted into a digital signal by an A/D converting section, and an output from the A/C converting section is stored in a memory section. Further, a second AF arithmetic section is used to concurrently execute a plurality of focus detection arithmetic operations based on data in the memory section.

Focus detection apparatus and control method thereof

A camera system according to this invention comprises an interchangeable lens unit, an intermediate adapter, and a camera body unit. An AF sensor detects the defocus amount of the interchangeable lens unit. The interchangeable lens unit incorporates a data storage section. The data storage section stores first AF correction data and second AF correction data. The first AF correction data is determined by the optical characteristic of the interchangeable lens and associated with the type of the light source illuminating the object of photography. The second AF correction data is determined by the optical characteristic of a system composed of the interchangeable lens and the intermediate adapter and associated with the type of the light source illuminating the object of photography.

Changeable-lens camera, camera system, and focus detection device

An optical apparatus (camera) having dust-off function comprises a dust-off glass (optical element) located between an image-pickup element and optical system (lens) for forming an image on the light receiving surface of the element. A camera includes a mechanism (piezoelectric element and drive circuit) that controls vibrating operation so that the frequency of vibration waves generated in the glass changes with the passage of time. A camera includes first vibrator (piezoelectric element) for successive vibration with frequencies, a circuit monitoring the state of vibration of the optical element during vibrating operation of the first vibrator, thereby detecting the resonance frequency of the element, and second vibrator (piezoelectric element) for vibration with the detected resonance frequency or a frequency approximate to it. A camera includes monitor (electrode) for monitoring the state of vibration of the glass and a circuit for detecting abnormal states in accordance with output signals from the electrode.

An operating condition judging circuit judges a supply voltage level of a power supply source. A controller controls a frequency of sweep-out of unnecessary charge in the imaging element based on an output level of the power supply source for reducing peak consumed current and power consumption and thereby extending battery life.

Method and apparatus for adjusting sweep-out frequency of an imaging apparatus responsive to the condition of a power source

An operating condition judging means judges at least one of consumed current, whether or not a mechanically driven part is being operated, the supply voltage level, the ambient temperature, whether or not the lens stop device is operative, whether or not the strobo device is being charged, and whether or not access operation of a recording device is being performed. A controller controls a frequency of sweep-out of unnecessary charge in the imaging element on the basis of the output of an operating condition judging device. Thus, it is possible to effectively reduce the peak consumed current through the entire imaging apparatus, reduce the power consumption and extend the battery life.

Method and apparatus for adjusting sweep-out frequency for an imaging apparatus responsive to an operating state of a strobo means

A camera capable of white balance correction (WBC) of this invention has an image pickup optical system, an image sensor for receiving light from an object, a three-primary-color (3-color) detection section for detecting 3-color signals based on the image sensor output, a matrix processing section for calculating 2-color difference signals from the 3-color signals, a visible-light brightness detection section for detecting visible-light brightness by the output from the 3-color detection section or by a photometric section, an infrared-light detection section for detecting the lightness of infrared-light, and an artificial-light detection section for calculating the ratio of artificial light and natural-light. A correction range for performing the WBC is obtained based on the ratio of artificial-light and natural-light computed by the artificial-light detection section, and the WBC is performed when the 2-color difference signals are within the correction range.

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Hachioji, Japan

Masataka Ide