Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Minolta Camera Co., Ltd.

Takeshi Egawa

Norio Ishikawa

Nobuyuki Taniguchi

Kunio Kawamura

Yasuaki Akada

Yukio Miki

Masaaki Nakai

Tohru Matsui

Hiroshi Ootsuka

Masayasu Hirano

Akihiko Fujino

Yasuo Yamazaki

Toshihiko Ishimura

Takanobu Omaki

Akiyoshi Nakamura

Shuzo Matsushita

Fumio Yoshida

Takehiro Katoh

Yoshihiko Azuma

Naohiro Kageyama

Yasuteru Yamano

Hiroshi Ueda

Tokuji Ishida

Kenji Ishibashi

Sadafusa Tsuji

Minoru Sekida

Hideo Kajita

Keiji Yamazaki

Akira Yoshizaki

Takayoshi Miyamoto

Isamu Uchida

Shinichi Nishimura

Yasuo Nakanishi

Kyoichi Hara

A camera system being comprised of a camera and an external device is disclosed. The external device is detachably mounted on the camera which memorizes a program or data necessary for executing a program therein. When the external device is mounted on the camera, they are connected electrically with each other and communicate therebetween in order to read a program or data memorized in the external device into a memory means provided in the camera. The camera is controlled according to the program designated by the external device.

Camera 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

A camera system with an auto-focusing system includes a camera body and an interchangeable zoom lens. The interchangeable objective lens stores various data to be sent to the camera body for improving automatic focus adjustment, such as an information necessary to convert the detected defocus information into a movement of the driving power source to carry out the automatic focus adjustment. The driving power source in the camera body is controlled in response to the data from the interchangeable objective lens and the detected focus information, the driving power being transmitted to the interchangeable objective lens. The camera body is further capable of inhibiting the focus adjustment or focus indication in response to a data from the interchangeable objective lens under an unfavorable condition.

Camera system capable of automatic focus control

A camera system with an auto-focusing system includes a camera body and an interchangeable zoom lens. The interchangeable objective lens stores various data to be sent to the camera body for improving automatic focus adjustment, such as an information necessary to convert the detected defocus information into a movement of the driving power source to carry out the automatic focus adjustment. The driving power source in the camera body is controlled in responses to the data from the interchangeable objective lens and the detected focus information, the driving power being transmitted to the interchangeable objective lens. The camera body is further capable of inhibiting the focus adjustment or focus indication in response to a data from the interchangeable objective lens under an unfavorable condition.

Camera system having the plurality of manually settable parameters for

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 photographic camera having an electrically film driving function is provided with an electric motor for driving a film loaded in the camera, a motor driving circuit for driving the electric motor in either one of a high speed mode in which the film is driven at a high speed and a silence mode in which the film is driven relatively quietly at a low speed, a manually operable switch to be operated manually when the high speed mode is switched to the silence mode or vice versa, and a control unit for switching between the high speed mode and the silence mode in compliance with operation of the aforementioned switch in a specific camera sequence. Any photographer can select either one of the high speed mode and the silence mode in accordance with photographing situations, using such a camera.

Photographic camera provided with an electrically film driving system

An camera system includes a body and an accessory which is attachable to the camera body. A controller is provided in the camera body for controlling camera function. And an operable switch is also provided in the camera body. A function data concerning with camera function is sent from the accessory to the camera body. The camera body receives the function data and determines in response to the operation of the operable switch whether or not the controller controls camera function based on the received function data. According to the camera system, it is possible to enable or disable the camera function depending on the accessory by simple operation with the accessory attached to the camera body.

A camera has an exposure control unit and a focus control unit. The exposure control unit selectively provides a programmed exposure control mode, where an aperture value and a shutter speed value are automatically set based on a detection by a light metering sensor and an accordance with a preset program, and a manual exposure control mode where at least either of the aperture value and the shutter speed value is set manually. The focus control unit selectively provides an autofocus mode where a focusing is automatically effected based on a detection by a focus sensor and a manual focus mode where the focusing is effected manually. The invention is characterized by a feature which permits a forcible switchover of the focus control mode from the manual to the auto focus mode in response to a switchover of exposure control mode from the manual to the auto exposure mode.

Photographic camera

A lighting device such as an electronic flash device attachable to a camera body includes first and second light projecting optical systems which project first and second light fluxes for illuminating an object to aid focus detection by a focus detection device. The second light flux spreads at a larger solid angle than the first light flux and illuminates a fist distance zone which extends to a closer distance side while covering the whole of a second distance zone illuminated by the first light flux. An optical wedge disposed in the second light projecting optical system deflects a part of the second light flux towards the closer distance side of the first distance zone. Another lighting device includes a single light projecting optical system but it also includes an optical wedge for deflecting a part of a light flux projected by the light projecting optical system to widen a distance zone illuminated by the light flux towards a closer distance. The optical wedge also serves to produce a difference in intensity distribution of the light flux such that the light flux has higher intensity at a part thereof for illuminating a farther distance side of the distance zone than at a part thereof for illuminating a closer distance side of the distance zone. A light source of the light projecting optical system(s) is provided with a conical light reflector surrounding a light emitting diode to reflect light emitted from side surfaces of the light emitting diode forward.

Focus detection system and lighting device therefor

A control device for an automatic camera is provided for controlling a number of electromechanical mechanisms in the camera. A microcomputer can control these mechanisms through output ports of a lesser number than the number of mechanisms to be controlled. A decoder can respond to this outputted data to provide appropriate control of the respective electromechanical mechanisms.

Control device for use in a camera system

A winding and rewinding apparatus for a camera comprises a winding mechanism, a detector, a rewinding mechanism, a selector and a controller. The winding mechanism winds the film frame by frame, and the detector detects the completion of exposure of the roll of film which is wound by the winding mechanism. The rewinding mechanism rewinds the film automatically in response to the detection of the detecting means. The selector includes a selecting switch which is operable manually, for selecting in response to the operation of the selecting switch one of a first mode in which the operation of the rewinding mechanism is permitted and a second mode in which the operation of the rewinding mechanism is inhibited irrespective of the detection of the detector. The controller controls the rewinding mechanism in accordance with the mode selected by the selecting switch. According to such arrangement, the user can select a manual rewinding mode or an automatic rewinding mode by a simple operation.

Winding and rewinding apparatus

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Sennan, Japan

Takeshi Egawa