Fuji Photo Film Company, Limited

Mitsuo Yokota

Minoru Takahashi

Nobuyuki Kameyama

Hiroshi Komatsuzaki

Kazuhiro Akiyama

Yasuo Yamazaki

Muneyoshi Sato

Masaharu Kanai

Yoshihiro Ide

Masaya Nozawa

A variable focal length camera has a lens barrel movable parallel to the optical axis of its taking lens system so as to change over the focal length of the taking lens system at least between a standard photography position and a telephoto position. When the subject distance is nearer than the nearest focusable distance for standard photography or for telephotography, the lens barrel is automatically moved into a first close-up position if the lens barrel has been in the standard photography position, whereas the lens barrel is moved into a second close-up position if the lens barrel has been in the telephoto position.

Close-up control method and apparatus for variable focal length camera

A lens driving apparatus is provided with an encoder for detecting the position of a taking lens system. The encoder has a contact array including a main contact corresponding to a predetermined focal length position of a taking lens system and a sub-contact which is spaced slightly from the main contact. When a focal length changeover switch is operated to set the taking lens system in the desired focal length position, a motor is driven at a high speed until the sub-contact is detected and thereafter is driven at a low speed until the main contact is detected. So as to stop the taking lens system at the focal length position always after moving in one direction, when the taking lens system is to move in the other direction for changing over from a first to a second focal length position, the motor is driven at a high speed to move the taking lens system in the other direction until the encoder switches off the sub-contact corresponding to the second focal length position after detecting that sub-contact, and then the motor is driven at a low speed to move the taking lens system in the one direction until the associated main contact is detected. The taking lens system may be stopped when an end of a main contact is detected, and is moved into the predetermined focal length position that corresponds to the opposite end of the main contact when the shutter release button is operated.

Method and apparatus for driving the taking lens system of a camera

A camera comprising a main body section and a rear cover section each having at least one microcmputer therein, and comprising a film rewinding switch disposed in the rear cover section for rewinding a loaded film at an appropriate time. A device is provided, for checking whether the microcomputers in the main body section and the rear cover section can communicate with each other. If the communication between the microcomputers is not possible, the film is rewound independently of the film rewinding switch.

Camera

A photographic camera with changeable focal length has a reversible motor used both to wind and to rewind a film and also to move a taking lens in order to shift it between first and second photographic modes. A lens barrier is caused to open and close by a barrier operating member, for protecting the taking lens, and by a motor control circuit. The circuit includes two changeover switches one of which is connected to one of two motor terminals, an encoder connected to the other motor terminal for shifting the circuit between a film drive mode selected when the taking lens is in either one of the two modes and a taking lens drive mode upon changing the taking lens between the first and second modes. The encoder has first and second mode selecting contacts at which the encoder stops the motor to select the first and second modes, respectively. A photographic mode selecting switch is connected between the first mode selecting contact and the other of the changeover switches for actuating the motor to rotate regardless of the selected mode of the circuit. A first power switch is provided, for disconnecting the motor from a power source when the lens barrier is fully closed; and a second power swwitch is provided, connected between the second mode selecting contact and the mode selecting switch for disconnecting the motor from the power source when the barrier operating member opens the lens barrier.

Camera with changeable focal length

A data recording camera capable of recording a shooting date includes a memory for storing data as to the current date, a memory for storing data as to the birth date of an individual, an operation circuit for obtaining the age of the individual based on the data as to the current date and the birth date stored in the memories, and a display member for optically displaying the obtained age which is also photographically recorded on a film.

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Saitama, Japan

Mitsuo Yokota