Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Minolta Company, Ltd.

Minolta Camera Co., Ltd.

Minolta Camera K.k.

Takanobu Omaki

Nobuyuki Taniguchi

Masaaki Nakai

Hiroshi Hosomizu

Tadahiro Yoshida

Mashio Kitaura

Yoshiiku Kikukawa

Minoru Sekida

Masayuki Nakasa

Tokuji Ishida

Norio Ishikawa

Kenji Tsuji

Masatake Niwa

Hisashi Tokumaru

Hisayuki Masumoto

Toru Inoue

Tsuneyo Metabi

Akiyoshi Nakamura

Shuzo Matsushita

Takeshi Egawa

Tohru Matsui

Manabu Inoue

Akihiko Fujino

Akira Fujii

Masataka Hamada

Junichi Tanii

Takehiro Katoh

Sadafusa Tsuji

Masato Ishida

Toshio Kobori

Yukio Maekawa

Mitsuo Yasukuni

Maki Yamashita

Toshinobu Ogura

Masahide Tanaka

Masaaki Makai

Nobuyuki Tanijuchi

A camera in which the ratio of an object to the photographing frame can be set comprises a varifocal lens in which the in-focus position is changed in accordance with the change in the focal lens and a focusing lens for correcting the focus by the varifocal lens. The size of the object is set to the desired size by using the varifocal lens, and thereafter the deviation of the in-focus point is controlled by the focusing lens. Since the zooming is carried out by using a varifocal lens, a camera can be provided in which the ratio of an object to the photographing frame can be set in a simple structure.

Camera having a varifocal lens

A camera having a lens, whereby a power source in the camera is activated in response to a mechanical switch on the lens.

A camera system including a camera body and a camera accessory attachable to the camera body, such as an interchangeable back lid, an interchangeable lens, a flash device and so on, is disclosed. In the system, a plurality of circuits provided in plurality of camera accessories are controlled by a microcomputer provided in the camera body. Data is transmitted between the microcomputer and the circuits using a serial data bus and synchronizing clock line connected therebetween. The circuit to receive the data sent from the microcomputer, or the circuit which should send the data to the microcomputer are selected by the microcomputer through chip select lines provided between the microcomputer and each circuit.

Camera system

A flash photographing system includes a camera body, a flash controller connected to the camera body and three flash devices: the first flash device is directly mounted on the camera body; the second flash device is mounted on the flash controller; and the third flash device is connected through a suitable cord to the flash controller. A microcomputer is provided in the camera body and also in each of the flash devices so as to control the three flash devices in various different modes of operations, such as simultaneous flash mode, sequence flash mode, and yet providing an appropriate amount of light for the proper exposure.

Flash photographing system

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

Camera system having an accessory and being operable to prohibit a

A camera system including a camera body and a camera accessory attachable to the camera body, such as an interchangeable back lid, an interchangeable lens, a flash device and so on, is disclosed. In the system, a plurality of circuits provided in plurality of camera accessories are controlled by a microcomputer provided in the camera body. Data transmitted between the microcomputer and the circuits using a serial data bus and synchronizing clock line connected therebetween. The circuit to receive the data sent from the microcomputer, or the circuit which should send the data to the microcomputer are selected by the microcomputer through chip select lines provided between the microcomputer and each circuit.

A camera exposure data setting device for setting exposure data in digital form in response to on or off of switches. A first switch actuating member is manually operable for changing mainly an exposure time value and is located at or about the position where a shutter speed setting dial is located conventional cameras, and a second switch actuating member is manually operable for changing mainly a diaphragm aperture value and is located at a position of the camera opposite from the position of the first switch member with respect to the vertical plane passing the optical axis of an objective lens. The first switch actuating member is operated for changing the exposure time value in an exposure time priority automatic exposure control mode and a manual exposure control mode and changing the diaphragm aperture value in a diaphragm aperture priority automatic exposure control mode, and the second switch actuating member is operated for changing the exposure time value in the exposure time priority automatic exposure control mode and the diaphragm aperture value in the exposure time priority automatic exposure control mode and the manual exposure control mode.

Camera data setting device

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

In a zoom camera having a zoom lens including a variator lens, and a driving system for driving the variator lens, the image magnification is computed in accordance with a predetermined program based on the detected object distance, and such a focal length is computed as to obtain a specified value of image magnification based on the detected object distance and the computed image magnification, and the obtained focal length data is fed to the driving system. As a result, auto-zooming with a suitable image magnification in accordance with the object distance can be achieved.

Zoom camera

A camera exposure data setting device for setting exposure data in digital form in response to [on or off] of switches. A first switch actuating member is manually operable for changing mainly an exposure time value and is located at or about the position where a shutter speed setting dial is located in conventional cameras, and a second switch actuating member is manually operable for changing mainly a diaphragm aperture value and is located at a position of the camera opposite from the position of the first switch member with respect to the vertical plane passing through the optical axis of an objective lens. The first switch; actuating member is operated for changing the exposure time value in an exposure time priority automatic exposure control mode and a manual exposure control mode and changing the diaphragm aperture value in a diaphragm aperture priority automatic exposure control mode, and the second switch; actuating member is operated for changing the exposure time value in the exposure time priority automatic exposure control mode and the diaphragm aperture value in the exposure time priority automatic exposure control mode and the manual exposure control mode.

Growing community of inventors

Sennan, Japan

Takanobu Omaki