Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Minolta Company, Ltd.

Reiji Seki

Toshihiko Ishimura

Nobuyuki Taniguchi

Yasuaki Akada

Norio Ishikawa

Akihiko Fujino

Hideo Kajita

Manabu Inoue

Shuji Izumi

Takahisa Shimada

Katsuyuki Nanba

Akira Okuno

Hirokazu Kuroda

Noriyuki Ishii

Makoto Akesaka

Sueyoshi Okumura

Sinji Katayori

Kenji Ishibashi

Junichi Tanii

Toshio Yamaki

Koutaro Kawabe

Sadanobu Ueda

Tatsuya Suzuki

Motoshi Yamaguchi

Atsushi Sumitani

Hiroaki Minami

Reiko Yoshida

Masami Ohyama

Hirofusa Kondo

Hiroshi Ueda

Masataka Hamada

Hiroyuki Okada

Kenji Tsuji

Nobuharu Murashima

Jun Ishihara

Masayasu Hirano

Tsutomu Ichikawa

Satoshi Yokota

Yasuo Maeda

Hidehiko Fujii

Katsumi Kozakai

Yasuo Hawai

Shinichi Nishimura

Kotomi Murakami

Nori Ishikawa

A disclosed photographing apparatus has a LCD display, a select member, and a controller. The display displays information about a photographic condition, in arbitrary display form using a dot-matrix. The select member selects one display mode among a plurality of display modes. In each mode of the plurality of display modes, display forms are different to each other, standard information required for photographing is displayed common to every display mode, and at least one information inherent to each display mode is displayed. The controller controls the display to display the display mode selected by the selector, and at a time of starting the camera, to display a display mode which has been displayed when the camera was previously switched off.

Camera having display device

A display device having an organic luminescent element arranged at an object image-forming position of a finder optical system. Frames are formed by parts of the negative electrode formed of non-transparent material, an organic electroluminescent material is laminated thereon on the eyepiece side, and a positive electrode formed of transparent material is superimposed thereon on the eyepiece side. Since the non-transparent negative electrodes shield the light, the frames are recognized as black frames. When the periphery is dark, a voltage is applied between the electrodes causing the organic electroluminescent material to luminesce, such that the frame itself becomes brighter in display and is readily visible.

Display device and an optical device provided with same

A mechanism, of a camera, to let a light adjustment operation for a flash light be performed with a higher precision in a shorter time. The mechanism includes: a first device for taking an image of a region to be photographed and for outputting image process information; a second device for detecting a main subject region and for detecting a background region on the basis of the image process information, in which the second device outputs main subject information upon the main subject region thus detected and outputs background information upon the background region thus detected; a third device for calculating a compensation value for light adjustment on the basis of the main subject information and on the basis of the background information; and a fourth device for controlling an amount of flash light emission at time of taking a photograph with an emission of the flash light on the basis of the compensation value for light adjustment.

Mechanism for controlling flash light emission, camera with the mechanism, and its control method

A mechanism, of a camera, to let an exposure operation be performed with a higher precision in a shorter time. The mechanism includes: a first device for taking an image of a region to be photographed and for outputting image information; a second device for detecting a subject region on the basis of the image information and for outputting subject region information; a third device for outputting a plurality of photometric values relative to a plurality of divided photometric regions; a fourth device for selecting and outtputting at least one of the photometric values which are output from the third device, on the basis of the subject region information; and a fifth device for calculating an optimal exposure value on the basis of the at least one, selected by the fourth device, of the photometric values.

Exposure operation mechanism of camera

Malfunction is prevented in a camera which allows setting of print number at the time of photographing. In the camera, whether the film is a reversal film or not is determined. When the loaded film is a negative film, a print number is initially set to 1. If the loaded film is a reversal film, the print number is initially set to 0. However, when a select switch is ON, the set number is 1, similar to the case of a negative film. The setting is for a counter CPRT storing the print number data.

Camera allowing setting of print number

Camera comprises a focus detecting section for performing an object distance measurement, a flash for illuminating the object and controller for control the camera. The flash is activated to emit auxiliary light so as to assist a focus detection when a focus detection is performed by the focus detecting section, and is activated to emit light for illuminating the object during an exposure of photographing. Also, camera is capable of a self-timer photographing, and indicates the self-timer photographing by emitting the flash light during the self-timer operation. The flash light is used both as the auxiliary light for a focus detection and light for indication of the self-timer operation.

Camera utilizing additional illumination from a flash light for focus

A camera system capable of wireless flash photographing, comprising a camera and an external flash unit, wherein the external flash unit transmits a discriminating data such as a synchronized shutter speed with a wireless flash photographing, and the camera receives the discriminating data. According to the received data, a phototaking operation of the camera is executed.

Camera system capable of wireless flash photographing

A photographic system comprises a camera and a film structure which can be loaded in the camera and in which photographing data can be recorded. The film structure has an image recording section in which a photographed image is recorded and a memory means for storing therein identification data peculiar to the film structure. And the camera inputs the identification data stored in the film structure into the camera and judges according to the inputted identification data whether the film structure is fit for the camera or not. Thereby, the photographing data can be recorded or read only when the film structure is fit for the camera. Further, the present invention also relates to a film structure which can be loaded in a camera having peculiar identification data so that it is judged whether the film structure is fit for the camera or not.

Photographic system capable of recording therein photographing data and

Photographic sysetm capable of recording therein photographing data and

A pseudo format camera system comprises a film cartridge including a memory which stores film speed data and limitation data, and a camera including a means for setting pseudo focal length, a means for inputting the film speed data and the limitation data from the memory, a means for controlling exposure based on the film speed data, and a means for limiting the pseudo focal length depending on the limitation data. In this camera system, the pseudo focal length can be limited based on the limitation data stored in the memory in the film cartridge, and therefore it is surely prevented that a picture becomes rough because of a bad grainness of a film.

Pseudo format camera system

A flashlight emitting device for a camera wherein the flash coverage of a flash device is varied, only when a mode in which flashlight is to be emitted is selected, in response to a zooming operation to assure appropriate exposure and eliminate wasteful consumption of power. The device comprises flashlight emitting means, mode changing over means operable in response to operation of a manually operable member for selecting one of a first mode in which daylight photographing is to be performed and a second mode in which the flashlight emitting means may be rendered operative to effect flashlight photographing, exposure controlling means for effecting exposure control in accordance with a selected mode, driving means for varying the flash coverage of the flashlight emitting means between a tele side and a wide side in response to a variation of the focal length of a lens of the camera, and driving controlling means for rendering the driving means inoperative when the first mode is selected by the mode changing over means but enabling operation of the driving means when the second mode is selected by the mode changing over means.

Camera with flashlight emitting device

A reflex camera capable of automatic focus adjustment comprises a motor for driving a lens used for focus adjustment, an electromagnet for lifting-up a mirror to expose a film at the time of shutter release, a battery for operating the motor and the electromagnet, and a controller for controlling power supply such that the power is supplied to the magnet after the lens is moved by the motor to a position such as an in-focus point. Since the power is supplied to the electromagnet after the completion of power supply to the motor, there is no possibility of malfunction of the electromagnet.

Reflex camera

A camera control system is provided having a plurality of microcomputers, each microcomputer operating in conjunction with a respective clock which generates clock pulses at a respective frequency. A first microcomputer controls a second microcomputer after the second microcomputer has stabilized after initial start up. The first microcomputer controls the overall camera operation, and the second microcomputer controls the camera display operation. When a battery is loaded into the camera, both microcomputers are reset.

Camera control system

A connecting device for establishing electric connection between an electronic appliance and an IC card loaded in position in the electronic appliance, which can prevent possible operation in error and breakdown of a component circuit of the IC card when the IC card is loaded into the electronic appliance. The device includes several terminals provided on the IC card, corresponding terminals provided on the electronic appliance, and a pair of switch terminals located on the electronic appliance for contact with the IC card. The terminals of the IC card and/or the electronic appliance are arranged such that, upon loading of the IC card, at first supply of power to the IC card from the electronic appliance and resetting of the IC card may take place. Signals of the switch terminals which are operated at a last stage eby the IC card are applied to cause activation of the electronic appliance and initialization of the IC card.

Connecting device for IC card

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Reiji Seki