Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Shuzo Matsushita

Takanobu Omaki

Akiyoshi Nakamura

Nobuyuki Taniguchi

Norio Ishikawa

Takeshi Egawa

Tohru Matsui

Hiroshi Ueda

Hiroshi Ootsuka

Takeo Hoda

Hiromu Mukai

Shinji Tominaga

Minoru Sekida

Toshio Kobori

Masato Ishida

Tougo Teramoto

Toshio Yamaki

Akira Fujii

Haruo Kobayashi

Akira Kataoka

An auto-focusing system includes a focus condition detector which detects focus condition based on the infrared light. A data producer is provided for producing a deflection signal indicating a difference between an image forming distance for the infrared light and that for the visible light, due to aberration. In accordance with the detected focus condition and deflection signal, an objective lens is shifted to a position for properly focusing an image of visible light on an image forming plane.

Auto-focusing system for cameras with in interchangeable objective lens

In an interchangeable lens including an optical system adjustable for focusing and adapted to be detachably mounted on a camera body which is provided with focus detection means for detecting an amount of defocus of an object image formed by the optical system, and drive means for driving the optical system for the focus adjustment thereof in accordance with the detected amount of defocus. The interchangeable lens comprises, inter alia, a code plate for producing a plurality of digital photographic distance signals representing given discrete photographic distances of the optical system in accordance with the adjustment of the optical system for focusing. Circuit means output a predetermined one of a plurality of inputs, the plurality of outputs including a plurality of conversion coefficients needed for converting the detected amount of defocus into the amount of drive to be effected by the driving means, the conversion coefficients being intrinsic to the interchangeable lens and having values depending upon the discrete photographic distances of the optical system represented by the digital photographic distance signals, respectively. The digital photographic distance signals are applied to the circuit means as the predetermined input to cause the circuit means to output one of the conversion coefficients as the predetermined output, the value of which depends upon the photographic distance of the optical system represented by the one digital photographic distance signal being produced. The output conversion coefficient are transmitted to the camera body.

Data input/output device for a camera

A contralight compensation exposure control system which determines as a contralight condition and fires a strobe when there is a difference between the output of a partial light measuring means for measuring the brightness of a portion of a scene to be photographed i.e. the brightness of the main object such as a person, and the output of an average light measuring means for measuring the brightness of comparatively large area of the scene i.e. the brightness of the subordinate object such as the background of the main object. The control circuit of the system inhibits the strobe firing and actuates an exposure compensation means to shift the controlled exposure to the overexposure side when a detecting means detect uncompletion of charging of the main capacitor for firing the strobe even if the contralight condition is detected.

Exposure control system

An auto-focusing system includes a focus condition detector which detects the focus condition based on infrared light. A data producer is provided for producing a deflection signal indicating the difference between an image forming distance for infrared light and that for visible light, due to aberration. In accordance with the detected focus condition and deflection signal, an objective lens is shifted to a position for properly focusing an image of visible light on an image forming plane.

Auto-focusing system

An active focus detecting device for use in a camera is provided and includes emitting light that is polarized, and collimated so that the light forms a light bundle which will pass near the optical axis of the objective lens, and then will be projected in a diverging light path after having been focused by the objective lens towards the object. A polarization component is provided for receiving the returning light and directing a component of that light towards a detector for determining a focusing condition.

Focus detection device

A camera in which a plurality of photographic data are input by manual key operations is made easily operable with less possibility of erroneous data input by inadvertent key operations. The data to be input are classified into first and second groups in accordance with the relevancy of the respective data or the frequency of changing of the respective data during photographing operations. In one embodiment, first and second photographic data setting sections are separately provided at different positions and input keys included in the first data setting section are used for the input of the first group data whereas input keys included in the second data setting section are used for the input of the second group data. In another embodiment, input keys common to the first and second group data setting are included in a single photographic data setting section. The data input by the input keys are those of the first group with a setting data-indicating plate being at a closed position but changed-over to those of the second group with the setting data-indicating plate being moved to an opened position. A flat-type indication device for indication of the input data is provided on a flat oblique surface of the camera descending from the front to the rear of the camera to facilitate its observation.

Camera with photographic data setting device

In a lens barrel for automatic and manual focus control of a camera, a non-movable barrel is adapted to be mounted on the camera and a first movable barrel is movably carried by the non-movable barrel with a second movable barrel movably carried by the first movable barrel and a third movable barrel movably carried by the second movable barrel for carrying at least one lens group for focussing by means of axial movement of the lens group. The third movable barrel is guided for movement without rotation relative to the non-movable barrel and the second movable barrel is shifted along the optical axis of the lens group relative to the non-movable barrel. The third movable barrel is shifted along the optical axis relative to the non-movable barrel with either the shifting of the second movable barrel or the shifting of the third movable barrel being for automatic focus control operation and the other being for manual focus control operation.

Automatic and manual focus control lens barrel structure

Disclosed are exchangeable lenses for use in single lens reflex cameras which include a diaphragm setting ring having an indicia for automatic aperture control and an aperture scale for manual aperture setting thereon, the scale extending from a mininum f-number to a maximum f-number of the respective lenses. The diaphragm setting ring is able to set to a desired f-number position within the scale or set to the indicia. The diaphragm setting ring is provided with a single information transmitting member whose position relative to the aperture scale is such that the member may transmit information as to the step-difference between a desired set f-number and the minimum f-number, by coupling with an information receiving member on a camera body, to an exposure indicating and/or control mechanisms in the camera body when the ring is set to any one of the manual aperture setting positions, and in such a position relative to the indicia that the member may also transmit information as to the minimum f-number of the lens through the same coupling to the camera body mechanism when the ring is set to an automatic aperture control position. Without any other information transmitting and receiving members, the cameras utilizing these lenses are capable of receiving information as to the minimum f-number of the lens mounted on their body upon automatic diaphragm control and thus the cameras may indicate an f-number corresponding to aperture to be automatically controlled before commencement of a stopping-down operation.

Growing community of inventors

Ikeda, Japan

Shuzo Matsushita